Bill Ramsey
William "Bill" McCreery Ramsey (born April 17, 1931 in Cincinnati , Ohio ; † July 2, 2021 in Hamburg ) was an American - German jazz and pop singer , journalist, radio presenter and actor . It became popular in the 1960s with German-language hits such as souvenirs , sugar dolls (from the belly dance troupe), Mimi never goes to bed without a thriller or Pigalle (The Great Mousetrap) , but his real genres have always been jazz,Swing and Blues .
Life
Youth and education
Bill Ramsey, the son of a teacher and an advertising manager, sang in a college dance band when he was young. When he began to study sociology and economics at Yale University in New Haven from 1949 to 1951 , he sang jazz , swing and blues on the side. His role models included Count Basie , Nat King Cole , Duke Ellington and, above all, Louis Jordan .
Military service
Because of the Korean War , general conscription was reintroduced in the USA and Ramsey had to do his service in the United States Air Force in Germany . During this time he also appeared in clubs and was seen by an employee of the AFN soldier broadcaster in the then famous and still existing Jazzkeller in Frankfurt am Main and employed as an employee in the area of GI support . There Ramsey became chief producer and, although still in the service of the Air Force, had more time to appear at festivals.
From 1953 he appeared at jazz events with Ernst Mosch , Paul Kuhn , Kurt Edelhagen and James Last, among others . The jazz pianist and music producer Heinz Gietz arranged for Ramsey to appear on the Hessischer Rundfunk in 1955 and engaged him for playback recordings for the music film Liebe, Tanz und 1000 Schlager with Peter Alexander and Caterina Valente . After completing his military service, he continued his studies in his home country and from 1957 in Frankfurt.
Career in Germany
In 1958 the producer Heinz Gietz offered him a recording contract , and that same year Ramsey's first single was released by Polydor . The hits on it became a small success and thus established the style with which the "man with the black voice" was able to land numerous sales successes and catchy tunes from now on. With souvenirs Ramsey conquered the top of the German charts in 1959. In 1960 he reached place 39 in the top 50 of the specialist journal Musikmarkt with the foxtrot Gina, Gina by Heinz Gietz . His next number one hit came in 1961 with Pigalle (The Big Mouse Trap) .
His music was based on the hits of Anglo-American pop music of the time . Ramsey's hits published in the 1950s and 1960s included German-language covers by Hank Ballard , The Beatles , Fats Domino , Ivory Joe Hunter , Roger Miller , Elvis Presley , Jimmie Rodgers , Andy Williams , Sheb Wooley and others. There were also numerous originals, which were initially composed almost exclusively by Heinz Gietz. The ironic texts , preferably by Kurt Feltz or Hans Bradtke , often commented on current affairs .
In 1962, Ramsey and producer Gietz moved to the Columbia label of the EMI Group , where he was initially able to continue his success. Until the mid-1960s, when beat music significantly reduced the hit market, Ramsey was regularly represented in the German single charts . His popularity also gave him numerous appearances in film and television, where he was seen as a singer and in comic supporting roles.
From the second half of the 1960s, Ramsey recorded mostly English-language songs and devoted himself primarily to jazz and blues. In the musically varied decade, however, operettas , musicals and beat titles as well as an LP with children's songs by Ramsey were released. In 1966 Ramsey switched to Heinz Gietz 'record company Cornet and in the same year again to Polydor. Since the 1970s, Ramsey's numerous new and re-releases have appeared under various labels. He still appeared regularly as a hit and jazz singer, including. in a duo with the guitarist Juraj Galan , with whom he presented several records. The LP of the duo Live im Unterhaus won the German Record Critics' Prize . In 2008 and 2009 he was a. with Max Greger and Hugo Strasser as "swing legends" on tour. From 2005 he played a weekly guest game in Vienna's Jazzland - permanent members of his band were: Martin Breinschmid vib, Richard Oesterreicher hm, Gerd Bienert g and Herbert Swoboda p & cl. On the occasion of his 85th birthday, Ramsey released the double CD My Words in 2016 .
Film, radio and television
Bill Ramsey starred in about 30 films, had countless television appearances and tours through Europe, the USA and North Africa . Among other things, he moderated the television programs Schlager für Schlappohren (1971), Talentschuppen (1974 to 1980) and Show ohne Schuh ' (1973 to 1982). For many years he was a lecturer at the Hamburg University of Music and Performing Arts . From the end of the 1980s he moderated the program Swingtime at hr2 Kultur (as the successor to the swing party, one of the oldest radio programs on ARD , which celebrated its 60th birthday in May 2018). The last edition was broadcast on March 1, 2019 because Ramsey gave up moderation for reasons of age.
Private life
Ramsey lived in Zurich for almost 20 years , later in Wiesbaden and since 1991 with his fourth wife Petra in Hamburg . He had been a German citizen since 1984 . His wife was a doctor, but also worked as a manager for Ramsey.
Trivia
In the 1950s Ramsey lived in the Frankfurt Pension Noelle. His roommate was Rosemarie Nitribitt , who, according to his memories, "kept blocking the shared bathroom for hours and ate the refrigerator empty". In connection with her subsequent death, Ramsey was also questioned by the police.
Filmography
- 1955: love, dance and 1000 hits
- 1955: Music in the blood
- 1959: La Paloma
- 1959: No man to marry
- 1960: hit parade 1960
- 1960: The riddle of the green spider
- 1960: Everything goes better with raspberry spirit
- 1961: hit parade 1961
- 1961: The adventures of Count Bobby
- 1961: Young people need love
- 1961: Music is trumps ( The Hazy Osterwald Story )
- 1961: Adieu, farewell, goodbye
- 1961: My sweetheart wants to go sailing with me on Sunday
- 1961: Our great aunts
- 1961: Today we're going for a stroll
- 1962: Café Oriental
- 1962: The sweet life of Count Bobby
- 1962: Between Shanghai and St. Pauli
- 1962: Mimi never goes to bed without a crime thriller
- 1963: Sing, but don't play with me
- 1963: Masked ball at Scotland Yard
- 1963: homesickness for St. Pauli
- 1964: Old Shatterhand
- 1964: Greetings from Tyrol
- 1970: Emigration (TV)
- 1971: Hurray, things are going well with us
- 1978: The Swiss makers
- 1990: Peterchen's trip to the moon
- 1993: Alpine rush and powder snow : The uncle from America (TV)
- 1997: Crime Scene: Played Out (TV)
- 2009: Kiss the Frog (German voice actor for Louis)
Discography (selection)
Singles
year | title | Chart positions ( DE ) | Label / catalog number |
---|---|---|---|
1958 |
Yes, Fanny, I'm doing that. Such a stroll in Tyrol |
Polydor NH 23 738 | |
1958 |
Wumba-Tumba chocolate ice cream seller Casa Bambu |
4th | Polydor NH 23 883 |
1959 |
He was from the Constantinople Choral Society of Cecilia |
Polydor NH 24 002 | |
1959 |
Souvenirs Don't do a heck-meck |
1 | Polydor NH 24 037 |
1959 |
Caldonia Big Fat Mama |
Columbia C21 261 | |
1959 |
Sailors can anchor here Go Man Go |
Polydor NH 24 090 | |
1960 |
Go Man Go (English) Rockin 'Mountain |
Polydor NH 66 812 | |
1960 |
Telephone from Paris Gina, Gina |
39 | Polydor NH 24 211 |
1960 |
A different party every day The world is round |
Polydor NH 24 330 | |
1961 |
Pigalle (The Great Mousetrap) Café Oriental |
1 | Polydor NH 24 428 |
1961 |
Telefon fra Paris (Danish) Pigalle (Danish) |
Polydor NH 22 974 | |
1961 |
I am always drawn to her (with Peter Alexander) Missouri Cowboy (with Peter Alexander) |
10 | Polydor NH 24 437 |
1961 |
Sugar doll (from the belly dance troupe) The girl with the exciting walk |
5 | Polydor NH 24 553 |
1961 |
Life is great. I've tried both - no comparison |
45 | Polydor NH 24 616 |
1962 |
Nothing against the women (with Bibi Johns ) Take a picture of it |
25th | Polydor NH 24 663 |
1962 |
Old Jonny was a child prodigy Hilly Billy Banjo Bill |
47 | Polydor NH 24 774 |
1962 |
Brauner Señor Mexicano (with Peter Alexander) No time and no money (with Peter Alexander) |
Polydor NH 24 915 | |
1962 |
Without Crime Mimi never goes to bed Flotter steamer |
3 | Columbia C22 197 |
1962 |
Mimi Needs A Thriller When She Goes To Bed Sailors Need A Girl In Every Port |
Columbia F 4948 | |
1963 |
Masked ball at Scotland Yard Hello, Boss, Hello |
8th | Columbia C22 333 |
1963 |
Do you tell everything to your wife (with Chris Howland ) Two old friends (with Chris Howland) |
Columbia C22 397 | |
1963 |
Parlez-vous Francais? Canary blues |
51 | Columbia C22 456 |
1963 |
Molly firewater and love |
Columbia C22 512 | |
1963 |
There is always trouble (with Peter Weck ) Well, well? (only Peter Weck) |
Electrola E 22 515 | |
1964 |
Bossa Nova Baby Who's called Jonny here? |
14th | Columbia C22 635 |
1964 |
I'm not a comfortable worker, Captain Brown from Clipper 107 |
Columbia C22 689 | |
1964 |
A student from Heidelberg Beautiful girls like it |
21 | Columbia C22 701 |
1964 |
Zicke Zacke Hoi When I hear violins, I cry |
Columbia C22 842 | |
1965 |
Chug-a-lug What can I do for it |
Columbia C22 884 | |
1965 |
I'm just a tramp kiss me candy |
Columbia C22 888 | |
1965 |
Crazy Cowboy Grand Hotel Underwater |
Columbia C23 012 | |
1966 |
Fat Man (& The Jay Five) What You Gonna Do Now Girl (& The Jay Five) |
Cornet 3012 | |
1966 |
Hollywood rocking song Le Tour de France |
Polydor 52 699 | |
1966 |
Yellow Submarine Find something love |
Polydor 52,725 | |
1967 |
Lemonade would have been better if the big crocodiles nodded |
Polydor 52 770 | |
1967 |
Body Building Bill from Boston No, no - not like that! |
Polydor 52 874 | |
1968 |
Otto is keen on women Don't fall in love with a hippie girl |
Polydor 53 043 | |
1968 |
Piccadilly Circus The world that's broken |
Polydor 53 066 | |
circa 1968 |
Blue-Eyed Lady (& The Jay Five with Bruno Spoerri ) Early in the Morning (& The Jay Five with Bruno Spoerri) |
Heco S 45 007 | |
1969 |
Board Games (as William Ramsey III ) A Magical Summer (as William Ramsey III ) |
Polydor 53 130 | |
1969 |
Sing a Little Song of Peace (as William Ramsey III ) Bye, bye, Sadie (as William Ramsey III ) |
Polydor 53 155 | |
1970 |
Hashish Halef Omar High And Happy |
Cornet 3165 | |
1993 |
Try it with comfort (Jungle Book Groove) Try it with comfort (Jungle Book Groove Jungle Club Mix) Theme from Panic At The Jungle |
ZYX Music 706012 |
EPs
- Go Man Go / Sailors can anchor here / Souvenirs / Don't make a Heck-Meck (1959; Polydor)
- Pigalle / Missouri Cowboy / Are you lonely tonight / I'm always drawn to her (with Peter Alexander; 1961; Polydor)
- Viktoria and her Husar (with Sonja Knittel , Sári Barabás , Conny Froboess , Jacqueline Boyer , Willy Hagara , Heinz Hoppe , Harry Friedauer , Rex Gildo , Paul Kuhn and the Botho Lucas Choir ; approx. 1964; Electrola)
- My Fair Lady / Kiss Me, Kate (with Rex Gildo, Gitte , Willy Hagara, Ralf Bendix , Paul Kuhn and the Botho Lucas Choir; 1964; Electrola)
LPs
- William "Big Bill" Ramsey (A-side) / Riverside Syncopators Jazz-Band (B-side) (split LP with live recordings from the Sopot Jazz Festival 1957; Polskie Nagrania Muza)
- Flower of Hawaii / Viktoria and her hussar (with Peter Alexander , Rita Bartos , Margot Eskens , Franz Fehringer , Willy Hofmann, Margrit Imlau, Bibi Johns , Sándor Kónya , Willy Schneider and Herta Talmar ; approx. 1961; Polydor)
- Evergreens from the Schlagerkeller (with Ralf Bendix , Chris Howland and Dany Mann ; 1962; Electrola )
- The flower of Hawaii / Viktoria and her hussar (with Sonja Knittel , Sári Barabás , Conny Froboess , Jacqueline Boyer , Willy Hagara , Heinz Hoppe , Harry Friedauer , Rex Gildo , Paul Kuhn and the Botho-Lucas-Chor; approx. 1964; Electrola )
- Bill Ramsey's Schlagerparty (1964; Electrola)
- Sing a song with Uncle Bill (children's party with Bill Ramsey; with Conny Froboess, Paul Kuhn, Ralf Paulsen and the Westphalian Nightingales ; 1965; Electrola)
- Bill Ramsey sings songs from his homeland - Songs from Home (1965; Electrola)
- Ballads & Blues (with Paul Kuhn; 1965; Electrola)
- Got A New Direction (& The Jay Five; 1966; Cornet)
- Be My Friend (1972; Columbia)
- Songs - Bread for the World (with Inge Brandenburg and Ingfried Hoffmann ; 1974; Schwann)
- Hard Traveling (with Don Paulin ; 1975; Warner Bros. )
- Uncle Bill. Bill Ramsey sings many new songs and tells funny stories (1976; Intercord)
- The Other Side - Dedicated to Nat King Cole (ca.1977; Polydor)
- On the Spot (with Dieter Reith , Matts Björklund, Jimmy Patrick, Dave King and Keith Forsey ; approx. 1977; Polydor [?])
- Relapse (1990; Papagayo)
CDs
- Caldonia and more… (Bear Family Records), contains recordings from 1957, 1966 and 1980
- Souvenirs (1992; Bear Family Records ), contains recordings from 1958 to 1961
- Mimi never goes to bed without a crime thriller (1994; Bear Family Records), contains recordings from 1962 to 1965
- Ballads And Blues / Songs From Home (with Paul Kuhn; Bear Family Records), contains recordings from 1965
- The Other Side - A Dedication to Nat King Cole (Bear Family Records), contains recordings from 1975 to 1977
- On the Spot (with Dieter Reith; Bear Family Records), contains recordings from 1977
- When I See You (with Toots Thielemans ; Bell Records), contains recordings from 1979 to 1980
- Underneath the Apple Tree (with Juraj Galan; Tyrostar), contains recordings from 1983 and 1984
- Relapse (1990; Papagayo)
- Gettin 'Back To Swing (& The SDR Big Band, conducted by Dieter Reith; 1994; Bear Family Records)
- Hamburg, nobody is like you (CD-Maxi; 1999; Bear Family Records)
- Ballads, Streets & Blues (with Peter Less and the Achim-Kück-Trio ; 2001; Mons Records)
- Big Band Boogie (with the Thilo Wolf Big Band; 2002; Mons Records)
- Send In The Clowns (with Jean-Louis Rassinfosse ; 2005; Swingland Records)
- Here's To Life - Here's To Joe (with the hr big band , conductor: Jörg Achim Keller ; 2006; HR music)
- Ramsey Swings! (4-CD box; 2011; Bear Family Records), contains recordings from 1958 to 1999
- My Words (double CD; 2016; Bear Family Records)
Awards
- 2020: Federal Cross of Merit on ribbon
literature
- Pit Klein: Bill Ramsey - Send in the Clown. Seitenweise, Bühl 2021, ISBN 978-3-943874-37-2 .
- Jürgen Wölfer : Jazz in Germany. The encyclopedia. All musicians and record companies from 1920 until today. Hannibal, Höfen 2008, ISBN 978-3-85445-274-4 .
Web links
- Bill Ramsey in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Bill Ramsey at Discogs
- Official website
Individual evidence
- ↑ On the death of Bill Ramsey, with an appreciation from Götz Alsmann. In: bear-family.de. July 5, 2021, accessed July 5, 2021 .
- ↑ Show without a shoe '. In: fernsehserien.de.
- ↑ Bill Ramsey quits hr2 Swingtime after 30 years. In: radioszene.de. February 25, 2019.
- ↑ He fell asleep peacefully at home. Bill Ramsey died at the age of 90. In: Bild.de. July 5, 2021.
- ↑ Mourning for pop star: Schlager legend Bill Ramsey († 90) died. In: RTL.de. July 5, 2021.
- ↑ A short life in the fast lane. ( Memento of August 7, 2016 in the Internet Archive ). In: General-Anzeiger-Bonn.de. Retrieved August 7, 2016.
- ↑ We post-war children. ( Memento of December 3, 2016 in the Internet Archive ). ZDF documentation.
- ↑ The Nitribitt kink. ( Memento of August 7, 2016 in the Internet Archive ). Retrieved August 7, 2016.
- ↑ Honor. Bill Ramsey was awarded the Cross of Merit on Ribbon. In: hamburg.de. February 21, 2020.
personal data | |
---|---|
SURNAME | Ramsey, Bill |
ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Ramsey, William McCreery |
BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American-German jazz and pop singer, journalist, radio presenter and actor |
DATE OF BIRTH | April 17, 1931 |
PLACE OF BIRTH | Cincinnati , Ohio |
DATE OF DEATH | July 2, 2021 |
Place of death | Hamburg |