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27 Aug 10 - 04:00 PM (#2974178) Subject: Obit: What a wonderful world songwriter From: katlaughing Songwriter George David Weiss has died at age 89. Weiss created pop music and collaborated on several Broadway musicals. Some of Weiss' biggest hits included "What a Wonderful World," which was recorded by Louis Armstrong. He also wrote "Can't Help Falling in Love" for Elvis Presley and "The Lion Sleeps Tonight," which was recorded by the Tokens. Weiss was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1984. Obit HERE. |
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27 Aug 10 - 04:56 PM (#2974213) Subject: RE: Obit: "What a wonderful world" songwriter Weiss From: GUEST,Ian Gill Interesting and informative - thanks. When I was a lot younger I loved the Armstrong recording, so much so that according to the family I sang the mondegreen; "the colours of the rainbow, so pretty in disguise..." Honestly. |
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27 Aug 10 - 07:35 PM (#2974310) Subject: RE: Obit: 'What a wonderful world' songwriter Weiss From: Gorgeous Gary "What a Wonderful World" was our first dance at our wedding. -- Gary |
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27 Aug 10 - 07:45 PM (#2974312) Subject: RE: Obit: 'What a wonderful world' songwriter Weiss From: The Borchester Echo George Weiss did not write The Lion Sleeps Tonight. He merely arranged it. Solomon Linda's heirs won a royalties settlement some years ago from the Disney Corporation for its use in The Lion King. Originally entitled Mbube, the song has also been published as Wimoweh. |
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28 Aug 10 - 12:43 AM (#2974408) Subject: RE: Obit: 'What a wonderful world' songwriter Weiss From: ChanteyLass Sorry to hear about Weiss. I, too, knew about The Lion Sleeps Tonight/Wimoweh. I think Pete Seeger also dealt with the issue of whether or not that was a traditional song. However, Weiss did many good things for music. Here's (I hope) a link to the NY Times obit: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/24/arts/music/24weiss.html |
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28 Aug 10 - 10:14 AM (#2974558) Subject: RE: Obit: 'What a wonderful world' songwriter Weiss From: katlaughing That will teach me to post verbatim. Thanks for clearing up the bit about the lion sleeps. ChanteyLass, guess you missed the link I put in to the same obit.:-) I liked this bit, esp: George David Weiss was born in Manhattan on April 9, 1921. He wanted to be a musician. His mother wanted him to be a lawyer. The ensuing emotional battle, he later said, drove him to consult a doctor. As Mr. Weiss recounted in a 1995 interview with The Miami Herald, the prescription was simple. The doctor asked: "Mrs. Weiss, what would you rather have? A live bum of a musician or a dead lawyer?" |
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29 Aug 10 - 04:08 AM (#2974997) Subject: RE: Obit: 'What a wonderful world' songwriter Weiss From: ChanteyLass You're right, katlaughing, I did miss the link you posted. Sorry. |
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29 Aug 10 - 08:19 AM (#2975094) Subject: RE: Obit: 'What a wonderful world' songwriter Weiss From: JJ Yes, George Weiss did not write "Mbube." What he did write is described thusly in the NYT obit: "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" (1961), based on a South African Zulu song first recorded in the 1930s, was given a reworked melody and new lyrics ("In the jungle, the mighty jungle/The lion sleeps tonight") by Mr. Weiss, Mr. [Hugo] Peretti and Mr. [Luigi] Creatore. Their adaptation, which kept the refrain — "Wimoweh, wimoweh" — popularized in a 1950s version by the Weavers, became a million-selling hit for the Tokens. Widely recorded since, the song has been used in many motion pictures, including "The Lion King" (1994). ========== Should there be any corrections to the obit, I'll try to post them. |
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29 Aug 10 - 09:26 AM (#2975129) Subject: RE: Obit: 'What a wonderful world' songwriter Weiss From: leeneia2 I play two of those songs on my fretted dulcimer - 'It's a Wonderful World' and 'I Can't Help Falling in Love with You.' I didn't even know they were written by the same composer. Thanks for posting, kat. |
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30 Aug 10 - 05:44 AM (#2975722) Subject: RE: Obit: 'What a wonderful world' songwriter Weiss From: Allan C. The story is told that Louis Armstrong heard the demo tape of "What a Wonderful World" over the phone. He loved it from the start and told his producers to get the background musicians together and well-practiced. He said he would be at the studio in a day or two to record the song but was insistent that he was not going to fiddle around with it. He said he would do it in one "take" and one only. That's exactly what he did! |
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30 Aug 10 - 06:29 AM (#2975748) Subject: RE: Obit: 'What a wonderful world' songwriter Weiss From: fat B****rd Wonderful World has always been, and always will be, awful to me. On the other hand Can't Help Falling In Love is great (IMO) as done by Lick The Tins. RIP Mr. Weiss. |