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

The real secret of the Bert Kaempfert records was guitarist Ladi Geisler...

 

Kaempfert fans will enjoy this short clip ...

 

Well, there evidently is an actual full film about Bert's life, which part of it is seen in the above post. Here is the final part, but I can't find the rest?

 

Alright, now we're talking! Bert and his infamous Beatles pass ...

 

Absolutely! And I was lucky to have met that man in his final years several times. Amazing stories he could tell about recording with Kaempfert and also how one day he got a phone call from Kaempfert, asking him to bring his amps along to the studio. Cause he was recording with a "certain band", that appeared in the studio with unusable equipment.....

 

Yes. Both are on the old aluminum MFSL disc.

 

I just started a thread to see if anyone had any info on Dreams by James Galway. Who wrote it? Was it a hit? I figured this thread would also be a place to ask. this isn't his version but it's the only I could find.
I love me some good Muzak

 

I lived through this era and always enjoyed his music when presented as his. Only later did I learn how much great stuff he wrote that others made famous.

I think the secret was the Central European feel to most of the melodies, that slight "Weimar" sadness you might say, to me he brings back the era of Kurt Weill and Brecht but in a commercialized more accessible setting. (Think of Strangers In The Night, it sounds like something a romantic would whistle walking down the Danube, or Seine river, with his honey).

I think smoking got him relatively young. It is good to see him remembered, and music really is a continuum - good music and good bandleading and production - that crosses all boundaries. Nelson Riddle, same thing and yes - Lawrence Welk. I like watching the reruns on TV, although sometimes there are unexpected moments for someone who basically is a rock and roll era guy. Like recently, one of the ex-glamour babes on the show, maybe it was JoAnn Castle, mentioned that Dick Dale would be interviewed at the end of the hour. So I watched the whole show, which I normally wouldn't, waiting to see why Dick Dale would have played on Lawrence Welk, perhaps in the early 70's after his early surf success had faded, I wasn't sure. Anyway I had no trouble watching, the singing and playing were mostly excellent, talented people for the most part who could play and sing up a storm. And Welk was always a charmer. Finally Dick Dale comes on, a tall white-haired gent from the mid-west and he was a long-time vocalist on the show, it was a different Dick Dale! I watched through to the end anyway and it was very interesting.

P.S. Jimi quoted Strangers In The Night in a solo at Monterey...

 

I posted earlier in this thread, but I just want to say this:
Although sometimes the negativity and snarkiness on this forum is distressing (I posted a comment about that in the "God Only Knows -BBC Music Video" thread), it is threads like this that make me love this forum and make me keep coming back every day. Where else could we talk about wonderful music from the past that 99.9% of the members of the Hip Hop generation have never heard, or even heard of? This place can be a "wonderland by night" (and day!)

 

Glad that you got to meet Ladi, as he seems like a nice guy, from the clips that I've seen on him and he was happy to have been a part of the Kaempfert "sound".

 

Thanks for this post, and as a member of this former since 2002, I agree, that there are some days when I just want to quit this forum, thanks to some "opinions" that sometimes ring too loudly for me, but it's always a few choice members and/or topics that interest me, that always keep me hanging around.

 

People can say what they like about Lawrence Welk, but he had some top flight musicians on his show, like Bob Ralston, Jo Anne Castle, and Myron Floren. I still find the Calcutta album to be a nice piece of wax (as we said back in the '60s), graced with tasty harpsichord.

 

And the B-side of the single, "Dreaming the Blues", is also nice.

 

He was a real music lover, just lived for his art. He played until his very end. And although he was in nearly his 80s when I met him, you would have never guessed that. He was far from moving like an old man and you could ask him anything of any part of his career - and he came up with extremely detailed answers.

 

Since I have worked in radio for many years, I have had the chance to meet many singers and groups through the years and I have come to the conclusion, that it is usually best to NOT meet your heroes, as they can sometimes let you down in reality. With that said, I'm happy that you had some quality time to spend with Ladi and that he was a genuinely nice guy towards you and that he was kind to answer all of your questions.

I still have my own list of people whom I'd like to spend that kind of "quality" time with, like, Herb Alpert and Steve Hoffman, but what I said above always makes me fear ever doing it! I actually got close to meeting Steve last year when I was in Hollywood for a few days, but he cancelled on me, so I have to go with what my wife always says and that is, "That things happen for a reason"!

 

Chris, certainly grist for a different thread, but would be interesting to read of meeting famous musicians in general, experiences good (as here) and less so. Usually when I read of a fan's meeting they are almost always very complimentary, or e.g. Steve Rosen's impressions of Pete Townshend as reported on a recent thread. But I guess there is another side as well.

 

Great title, especially for a European musician to use or perform.

 

I wouldn't confirm your conclusion. Coming from a similar working field like you I never had a real bad experience so far. They are all human. Some more...some less...;-)

 

Bert's "Jingo Jango" was a staple in my house during the holidays when I was growing up. It was on the Columbia House comp "The Magic of Christmas" and my dad had it on reel to reel going nonstop on an auto reverse deck.

BTW, if anyone is looking for BK music on Spotify, the top result is "Bert Kaempfert", but halfway down you will find a lot more under "Bert Kaempfert And His Orchestra".

 

I was just cataloging my 45s (most come from my parents and beyond Elvis, Roy Orbison, and Duane Eddy, I really had no idea what all was in those 800+ records.) There are 3 from Kaempfert:
Kaempfert, Bert Now and Forever / Only those in Love Decca 31279
Kaempfert, Bert Afrikaan Beat / Echo in the Night Decca 31350
Kaempfert, Bert Wonderland by Night / Dreaming the Blues Decca 9-31141

And, I just bought a Best of album at a garage sale for a quarter.

 

Steve,

Did you ever talk with Milt about Nat and "L-O-V-E?"

 

Perhaps my favourite in this oeuvre:



(He did a couple of versions of this, but this is the best). At the time I was into heavy proto-metal but I always liked this, not sure why. Maybe it's that 'European' sadness, a similar mood to say, mid-60's films set in Europe or filmed there that had a big impact here.

By the way the first bar was reprised by … I can't remember … yes Neil Young for Harvest Moon! Come on guys doesn't it sound just like it? Just that first little bit. Old Neil knew a thing or two..

 

Just one more, Africaan Beat (1960) has a rustling acoustic guitar intro, what does it remind you of (just that short little bit)?

 

If he were more current, he could have released an album called KAEMPFERT FOOD.

Harry