Bert Kaempfert appreciation thread (Mrs. Kaempfert sez: "Bert had a dark side")

I have always wanted to own at least one Burt Kaempfert LP and here it is in all its glory.

Bought it for 1 euro (about $1.20) absolutely mint - LP itself and the sleeve.

It has the following on it.
A Swingin' Safari
That Happy Feeling
Market Day
Take Me
Similau
Zambesi
Afrikaan Beat
Happy Trumpeter
Tootie Flutie
Wimoweh
Black Beauty
Skokiaan

There is no doubt about it but Burt definitely had his own recognisable sound.
JG

 

That bass beat has always drawn me towards his music. It's like a trademark in so many of his recordings. The one album I like is Wonderland Christmas, which is also on Taragon.

BTW Steve, the original title of BK's Spanish Eyes is "Moon over Napoli".

 

Forget the price guides: '50s & '60s pop albums can be had, mint, for next to nothing: Bert, Vaughn, Welk, Faith, Kostelanetz(the latter far more versatile and adv enturous than the others, I would sumbit), Andy Williams, Streisand, Jack Jones, you name it....but Bert was definitely among the best, and mono and stereo pressings of his Decca Lp's are very commonplace. He was of a time, and his fan base pretty much grew too old and moved on or died out. I've got some of his early '70s Lp's--and even one or two on MCA--but by then he was off the US charts for good.

 

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CD ordered following your recommendations sir. It had better be good...

Blue Roses For a Red Lady will bring back memories of my ex's home, me playing rhythm on the 12 string and she playing the flute. Sadly now I have to play it as a solo.

 

Probably the definitive Kaempfert photo...in the studio, serious, smoking incessantly. Always wondered what he thought about his small but important role in recording the early Beatles. Had to feel strange to be an accidental part of rock history....

 

His music was featured on "The Sandy Becker Show", my favorite NYC kid's show from the early '60s.

http://christophergross.com/becker/bert.html

 

Uh ... how much ground beef?

 

Steve,

Did you ever meet or talk to Bert? I would like to have heard his stories about the pre-fame Beatles....



Evan

 

http://www.spaceagepop.com/kaemsong.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bert_Kaempfert

 

'A Walk in the Black Forest' was a hit single here in the UK in 1960-something. I remember my Mum liked it a lot and bought the sheet music. My Dad may still have the single somewhere, too.

 

That was by Horst Jankowski, though.

 

"A walk in the Black Forest" is by the underrated german piano player, composer and orchestra leader Horst Jankowski not by Bert Kaempfert. I don't even remember Bert Kaempfert did a version of this track. But the 60ies hit single is definitely by Horst Jankowski making his unique piano playing style popular then.

Achim

 

Yeah, but did Jankowski do titanic versions of "Proud Mary" and "Theme From Shaft"? I think not!

 

D'oh! Now why did I think it was Kaempfert? Yes, of course... Horst Jankowski.

Well it was a long time ago. Hey, Kaempfert/Jankowski - German surnames, nine letters...(stop with the pathetic excuses, Avery, where's the redface 'embarrassed' smiley when you need it! ).

 

Nope !
But that was not the question was it ?

Achim

 

From the bizarre excerpt from Ms. Kaempfert's book,it sounds like Bert may have recorded "Lola Takes a Walk in the Black Forest" ,that great Ray Davies/Horst Jankowski instrumental hit. Anyway,no discussion of Bert's hits would be complete without further mention of his Christmas recordings. Instead of the Decca CHRISTMAS WONDERLAND that Taragon released,I own a Columbia Record Club vinyl titled CHRISTMAS With Kaempfert(Polydor Stereo SPH 36408/also available in mono as LPH 46408). The original "Jingo Jango" was used as a musical bed for MOR stations since it was recorded. With that syncopated bass combined with what sounds like a glockenspiel,it makes for a jolly European holiday sound. A favorite around my house. No thanks, I'll pass on those meatballs.... Mac

 

Love ... Wonderland By Night ... with Charly Tabor's haunting trumpet ... use to fall asleep at night with my transistor radio pressed against my ear listening to it ... and other hits from late '60 and early '61 ... including Are You Lonesome Tonight, Exodus, Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow and North To Alaska ... Kaemphert is one of at least 2 artists to have a BB #1 record in the U.S. ... and also produce a Beatles record ...

 

I too remember Sandy Becker and "A Swinging Safari" and Herb Oscar Anderson (WABC AM - NYC) singing to "That Happy Feeling" - live.

 

(Another NYC reference):Channel 5 (WNEW-TV) must've had a copy of Bert Kaempfert's Greatest Hits album on cue, because they always used it as background music when something went wrong. Whenever playing his stuff, to someone in the right age frame, all you have to do is add "Please Stand By, We're Experiencing Technical Difficulties". They get it!

 

I just got my copy of "The very best of Bert Kaempfert" (Taragon Records) that was recommended in this thread. I must say wow!
Never heard Mr. Kaempfert sounding this good. Absolutely breathtaking especially if you consider how old these recordings are.
Thanks to all who recommended this cd.
Another reason why I love this forum ( and my purse doesn't )

Achim

 

Philly area folks might remember the old Channel 48 (WKBS-TV) using Bert's "That Happy Feeling" over their station IDs. As an early UHF channel here, they'd often have time to fill, and "That Happy Feeling" was used over and over.

Bert's "A Swingin' Safari" was used as the theme for THE MATCH GAME, the afternoon game show on NBC. I remember loving that tune as a kid and asking my parents to find it for me. The best they could come up with was the Billy Vaughn version, which was darn close. It would be years until I actually came up with the Kaemfert track.

I've been a proud owner of that Taragon comp for a number of years now, and it sounds great. Thanks Steve, for bringing up the subject.