Origins:Songs based on non-classical instrumentals

Subject: Origins: Songs based on non-classical instrmentls
From: Scrump
Date: 06 Mar 07 - 11:57 AM

In another thread started by Leadbelly, a subthread started on the topic of songs that had been based on existing instrumentals, excluding classical tunes.

Here are what we got so far. If you know of any more, let's hear about 'em.

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A Walk in the Black Forest - Salena Jones (original instrumental Horst Jankowski)

Stranger on the Shore (original instrumental version by Acker Bilk; vocal version by Michael London)

Spanish Flea (orig instr version by Herb Alpert; vocal version by Kathy Kirby)

Cast Your Fate To The Wind (orig instr Sounds Orchestral; vocal version Shelby Flint)

I think the last vocal version was a US hit but the other two didn't make the charts in the UK or US, unlike the original instrumental versions. Kathy Kirby charted with her vocal version of Dance On, but the Shadows' instrumental version (released about the same time) was a bigger hit (reached UK top 3).

Zambesi - Stargazers
Dance on - Kathy Kirby
Swinging Shephard Blues - Ella Fitzgerald
Faithful Hussar - Vera Lynn
Bluebell Polka - Alma Cogan
No other Love - Ronnie Hilton
Stranger in Paradise - Tony Bennett
Hot diggity - Perry Como
Stranger on the shore - as mentioned plus Bobby Rydell
Canadian Sunset - Andy Williams
Never on a sunday - Chordettes
Skokiaan - Four Lads

In the folk world there must be some examples too.

One that springs to mind is the song by the Fureys (not sure if they wrote the lyrics?) about O'Carolan, set to one of his tunes (Planxty Irwin).

More non-folk ones:

Because you're young - James Darren

Moonlight Serenade - Vaughn Monroe

Raunchy - Webb Pierce

Charmaine - The Bachelors

Take Five - Sarah Vaughn

In the Mood - Andrew Sisters

Washington Square - Ames Brothers

Apache - Sonny James

The Harry Lime Theme - Donald Peers

Subject: RE: Origins: Songs based on non-classical instrmentls
From: Jack Campin
Date: 06 Mar 07 - 12:30 PM

A large proportion of Burns's output. Most good editions of his work will tell you where he got the tunes (often recently composed fiddle tunes).

"Caller Herrin" (tune by Nathaniel Gow, words by Caroline Nairne).

"Up and Awa wi the Laverock" (I forget who wroite the words, the tune is part of "The Jig of Slurs" by G.S. MacLennan).

I'd never heard of Alma Cogan singing words to The Bluebell Polka, or that such words existed - has somebody got them?

Subject: RE: Origins: Songs based on non-classical instrmen
From: Leadbelly
Date: 06 Mar 07 - 04:08 PM

Jack, concerning Bluebell Polka it seems that my memory resp. google didn't serves me well when I assigned this song to Alma. Now, I do believe Jimmy Shand was responsible for it.
Manfred

Subject: RE: Origins: Songs based on non-classical instrmentls
From: GUEST,Gerry
Date: 06 Mar 07 - 10:23 PM

The Yiddish ballad Papirosn consists of lyrics set to a pre-existing tune.
I think the same may be true for Ale Brider because I've heard a different set of words sung to the same tune (Bay Mayn Rebbe Iz Gevezen a Ganeyva, or something like that). I've also heard a song, Liebe Tochter, to the tune of Tanz, Tanz, Yiddelekh, and I'm pretty sure the tune came first.

Subject: RE: Origins: Songs based on non-classical instrmentls
From: Little Robyn
Date: 07 Mar 07 - 01:31 AM

I think I remember how the Bluebell polka went. It started something like:
Doing the two step in the merry month of June,

Or was it May? I forget now.
Robyn

Subject: RE: Origins: Songs based on non-classical instrmentls
From: Grab
Date: 07 Mar 07 - 05:32 AM

Give me your hand - Wolfe Tones

Just curious, or is it just me that thinks all those mentioned so far are at best mediocre hack jobs?

Graham.

Subject: RE: Origins: Songs based on non-classical instrmentls
From: Scrump
Date: 07 Mar 07 - 06:12 AM

Just curious, or is it just me that thinks all those mentioned so far are at best mediocre hack jobs?

You may well be right - many of these lyrics were probably written to try to cash in on the popularity of an existing tune. In most cases, the public didn't bite, and these discs flopped (never or underestimate the public's taste - but never overestimate it either! :-))

Subject: RE: Origins: Songs based on non-classical instrmentls
From: Scoville
Date: 07 Mar 07 - 10:27 AM

One of the Old Crow Medicine Show songs--Poor Man? I forget which one--uses the old jazz tune "Pig Ankle Rag", which probably has a known composer somewhere since, being jazz, it can't be that old, but has passed into folk tradition.

Subject: RE: Origins:Songs based on non-classical instrumentals
From: GUEST,Gerry
Date: 07 Mar 07 - 09:05 PM

Came up with another Yiddish example (maybe). Fisherlid, as recorded by The Klezmatics, has lyrics by Aliza Greenblatt (mother-in-law to Woody Guthrie), which she put to the traditional Hasidic tune Ve'eyneynu tireno. But I don't know whether that Hasidic tune was a song or an instrumental.

Subject: RE: Origins:Songs based on non-classical instrumentals
From: Scrump
Date: 08 Mar 07 - 09:30 AM

Donovan's recording of the song "Atlantis" followed The Shadows' 1963 instrumental hit "Atlantis".

...a pity they were completely different though :-)

I'll get me coat.