Various - 1000 Nadelstiche Vol.09, US Girls - Amerikaner & Briten singen deutsch (CD)

1-CD with 52-page booklet, 26 tracks, playing time 66:43 minutes.

1000 needlesticks (US Girls)

Since episode 2 the CD cult series '1000 Nadelstiche' is sorted thematically. To a certain extent as a 'female counterpart' to the 'High School Princes' (episode 4, BCD 16493) this compilation now appears: The offer includes stylistically rather different US singers who have only one thing in common - at some point in their career they had to make foreign-language sounds in the recording studio in order to achieve even greater publicity in Germany, for example. Even top stars like the Supremes, Sue Thompson, Lesley Gore or Dionne Warwick did not escape the strategists of the respective record companies - although they hardly needed it anymore. For others, such as Eileen, Katja Hollaender or Marcie Blane, an additional publicity boost might have been quite useful; but the bottom line was - high the bar! - almost all experiments presented in this compilation were not very successful. Only the Supremes (even with a custom-made German song) and Eileen with the cover version of a Nancy Sinatra hit reached the local charts.

Of course, collectors will miss at least three names on the present coupling. This is correct, but at the same time justifiable: Bear Family has already re-released all German-language recordings of these artists on separate CDs. There is Connie Francis' highly acclaimed 5-CD box 'Laß mir die bunten Träume' (BCD 15786), Brenda Lee is represented with the single CD 'Wiedersehn ist wunderschön' (BCD 15644) and all German titles by Wanda Jackson are included on the single CD 'Santo Domingo - Ihre deutschen Aufnahmen' (BCD 15582); two previously unreleased recordings are on 'Tausend Nadelstiche', episode 2 (BCD 16449). The eight German songs by Lesley Gore can be found on the 5-CD box 'It's My Party' (BCD 15742). Since the majority of the songs in the Gore set are American original versions, at least Goodbye, Tony is also offered here, the German version of their second most successful US hit You Don't Own Me (no German edition of the No. 1 hit It's My Party is known).

HASTEN. If you listen to her German recordings, you will probably put this singer under 'F' like 'France' - understandable, as the accent is unmistakable. But Eileen Goldsen is American, born on 16 May 1941 in New York. Language studies in Los Angeles and the later move to Paris are reasons for this potential error. On the Seine she got a contract with the Vogue label, recorded numerous singles and EPs and made a good name for herself in the pop business in France. Her four German recordings appear here for the first time on CD, with Die Stiefel sind zum Wandern (= These Boots Are Made For Walking) there is even a hit parade song (#40; 1966) among them. The second cover version of a Lee-Hazlewood title, I won't even be sorry for that (= How Does That Grab You Darling), didn't make it into the German charts though. Eileen still lives in France today as a music publisher.

SUPREMES. That even the most famous and successful ladies soul combo recorded four songs in German was not known for a long time. Diana Ross (born March 26, 1944), Florence Ballard (June 30, 1943 - February 22, 1976) and Mary Wilson (born March 6, 1944) were the young primettes behind microphones as early as 1959. This line-up also recorded the four German titles in 1965. Between 1962 and 1969 the Supremes in the USA brought 28 singles into the charts (12 landed at number 1). Amazing, amazing: The local hit lists were not able to include the rewritten cover versions of tried and tested US hits, but rather the German-sung commissioned composition Thank You Darling from the song factory of Werner Scharfenberger & Fini Busch, who otherwise supplied Connie Francis, among others, with material. Three German Supremes songs are included on this compilation; the fourth, Baby, Baby, wo ist unsere Liebe (= Where Did Our Love Go), can be found on episode 1 of '1000 Needlestiche' (BCD 16366).

DIONNE WARWICK. Marie Dionne Warrick (born on December 12, 1940 in New Jersey) had only one single attempt in German - but neither the A- nor the B-side could convince the buyers in 1965, Geh' vorbei and Ich wait every day remained lying down. The American started her career with her sister Dee Dee and Cissy Houston (mother of Whitney) as a singer in the trio The Gospelaires. The composer legend Burt Bacharach and his lyricist Hal David became aware of the extraordinary voice, and from 1962 the singer/maker trio was signed to Scepter Records. Soon Warwick's repertoire consisted largely of songs by Bacharach/David (including the two tracks linked here). Between 1962 and 1987, the singer laid down a track with 57 (!) hits in the USA. At the same time she could be seen in several movies as an actress. The popular artist has received various awards for her diverse charitable commitment. Both German-language titles will be officially released on CD for the first time, and the original single on the Vogue label is one of the most sought-after in this collection area.

LESLEY GORE. Born on May 2, 1946. When the girl group boom dominated the USA around 1964, the New Yorker asserted herself as a soloist with almost 20 hits until 1967 - including the classic It's My Party, which brought her to number one in the billboard charts. The idiosyncratic interpreter never quite fit into the glamorous pop scene, she also appeared in musicals like 'Half A Sixpence' and 'Funny Girl' as well as in the movie 'Girls On The Beach'. Many of her successful titles were produced by Quincy Jones, with her brother Michael she later wrote the music for the movie 'Fame'. None of their six German songs, released on singles in 1964, left their mark on the local charts.

MARCIE BLANE. Two more CD premieres, this time by the daughter of a musician and a music teacher. The American was born on 21 May 1944 as Marcia Blank in the Brooklyn district of New York and remained largely unknown in Germany (as in Great Britain). Even in the USA she only managed to place twice in the charts. Not her top hit Bobby's Girl (# 3; 1962), but What Does A Girl Do (# 82; 1963) was published by us in German translation as Wer einmal 'A' gesagt. Blane retired early from the music business and then worked in the theatre scene of her hometown. Most recently, she worked as a consultant for a holiday center for children near New York.

KATJA HOLLÄNDER. A big name as a burden? The singer was born in Hollywood on 20 March 1944 as Melody Holländer, she is the daughter of the famous composer Friedrich Holländer. She came to Europe in the 1950s. In the middle of the 60s producer Kurt Feltz recorded several songs for the Polydor with her, of which the single titles Er heißt Peter und Wenn ich deinen Namen hören (= Come And Stay With Me by Jackie deShannon) celebrated their CD premiere on this compilation. Also still without re-publication wines were not around a Boy, which Holländer imported after a firm change for the popular label so far. A chart hit was not granted to her, she now lives in Beverly Hills and administers the musical legacy of her father there.

GALE GARNETT. The woman with the excellent voice entered the US pop charts twice in 1964. Two years earlier the German audience was to be made aware of the singer, who was born on 17 July 1942 - but neither beautiful, beautiful, beautiful is life nor her own composition Denk bitte heute an morgen left a lasting impression here in Germany. Garnett played in many episodes of US TV series like 'Bonanza' and '77 Sunset Strip'. For her big US hit We'll Sing In The Sunshine (#4; 1964) she received a Grammy (best folk song of the year). In the later 60's she sang in the psychedelic band Gentle Reign, then she lost her musical track more and more. In the following decade she was again seen as an actress in TV series and movies.

CONNIE STEVENS. She also had remarkable success in the USA as a film and television actress. Together with 'Kookie' Ed Byrnes, her partner from the legendary crime series "77 Sunset Strip", she landed the no. 4 hit Kookie, Kookie (Lend Me Your Comb) in the USA as early as 1959. As a soloist, the singer - born on 8 April 1938 as Concetta Ann Ingolia in New York - scored five US hits, including Sixteen Reasons (# 2; 1960). This success was also intended for their two German-language single titles Man soll sich so schnell nicht verlieben und La-le-lu Rückenwind verschaffen - in vain. Both songs are new productions, no lyrically raised cover versions. They were produced in Berlin by Werner Müller and were not yet available on official CDs. Special candy for collectors: You are mine. This title (the German version of And This Is Mine) is an archive find and appears here for the first time worldwide on a sound carrier.

DONNA HIGHTOWER. Born May 28, 1928 in Los Angeles. She already recorded her first records in Chicago in October 1951, afterwards she also recorded songs as 'Little Donna Hightower'. It was not until 1973 that she achieved an international hit with This World Today Is A Mess. Afterwards she was a guest in various German TV shows and received a role in the ZDF crime series 'Der Kommissar'. In 1980 she formed a gospel choir in Spain. Both songs in German language were commissioned compositions that have never been released on CD before.

DONNA GAINES. Born under this name on 31 December 1948 in Boston, Massachusetts. At the age of 16 he made a guest appearance in the rock band The Crow and came to Europe in 1967. Here she became a musical star in Munich, Hamburg and Vienna ('Hair', 'Godspell', 'Showboat' and others) and married the actor Helmut Sommer. Since then her stage name has been Donna Summer. Discovered by producer Giorgio Moroder, she became the ultimate disco star of the 70s - worldwide chart successes like Love To Love You Baby or I Feel Love came off the assembly line. After her music career she worked as a painter and lithographer. Wassermann is a single from the original German soundtrack of the musical 'Hair'.

SUE THOMPSON. Paper Tiger, a song from the ideas kitchen of the great John D. Loudermilk, was the template for Blonder Tiger, released in Germany in 1965 as a single A page. The interpreter was born on July 19, 1926 in Nevada, Missouri, as Eva Sue McKee and recorded records for labels such as Mercury, Decca and Columbia from 1951. Ten years later she got two top hits in the USA, Sad Movies (Make Me Cry) and Norman, both on Hickory. Five further chart successes followed until 1965. In the 70s her releases landed in the US country charts, three as a soloist, nine more in duet with her colleague Don Gibson. Unfortunately, their German single went up in smoke without a noteworthy response.

The two missing singers fall into the realm of obscurity. While researching for '1000 pinpricks' on US labels, songs in German language or at least with German lyrics appear again and again - often they are releases from regional small labels, more rarely from established majors. The conventional literature is silent about the interpreters, often even skilled specialists have to 'fit' - name unknown, info zero. For example:

LUCY LYNN. This American is probably from Texas. The exact release date of Ist es denn Liebe was not to be determined, the songwriters are no longer registered with the US copyright company BMI mentioned on the label. Even experts of the US small label scene shrug their shoulders. The single (without picture cover) never appeared in Europe.

MARIE ANN. Only thanks to a found admission protocol from 29 July 1961 (New York) her real name is known: Mary Imbasciani. She tried her hand at an answer song to Joe Dowell's US hit Wooden Heart; German-language lyrics are also integrated into her version, but they demand some imagination from the listener. were involved in the recording: Al Chernet (guitar), M. Ross (organ), E. Alexander (drums), D. Butterfield (tuba) and the orchestra Robert Mersey. Nothing could be learned about the singer's biography.

BERND MATHEJA

1000 Nadelstiche - Bernd Matheja

They tormented themselves with prehistoric cardboard prompters or stuck their tongues out because they simply had thick faxes: World stars such as Connie Francis and Johnny Cash (see front page) were among the countless Anglo-American performers to whom their respective record companies have devoted special attention since the 1950s: Lyrics in German language - and singing them if possible......

The result sounded either simply touching in the buyer's ears here, or one could get so wonderfully excited about bumping. However, it was not inconvenient for those responsible, because the artists were either talking or at least talking in this way.

Connie and Johnny were still among the few singers who had hardly any problems with what was demanded. Francis, for example, released a single on single, and by means of such mass production, the initial syllable plumbing quickly regulated itself - in other words, lörning at duing.

Country expert Cash, on the other hand, was - like his compatriot Elvis Presley, for example - one of those who had been able to preserve German residual articulation: JC, very professional, reactivated stored words from his time with the US Army in Landsberg am Lech.

However, the majority of the victims, mostly confronted for the first time in their lives with "ä", "ö" and "ü", struggled with the sweaty poems for them, so they struggled with the umlaut and often delivered end products as if a whisk had fallen into a bucket of alphabet soup. Who could convince an ex-Cowboy from Colorado or a trained telephonist from Littlehampton that after their successful retraining as singing artists, the thing with the "ch" would now also have to work out alternatively as a tongue or throat sound? From now on, of course.....

In such cases of hardship, the phonetic pastoral care provided by producers and language teachers in the studios, who were set on march, usually also failed. However, in order not to completely annoy the tormented and to keep the costs of admission within reasonable limits, they gladly agreed on the formula "fits, wobbles and has air".

The result, as in 1964 in the case of the Searchers, was an opening line like: "Ick sasi heute nackt....". And already - scandalous mess! the trouble about her actually harmless "Tausn Naddelschtischa" really started.....

 

1000 Nadelstiche Bernd Matheja - 1000 Nadelstiche - 3.Auflage
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