Parade of the wooden soldiers

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Sheet music cover from Parade of the Wooden Soldiers (1922)

Parade of the wooden soldiers is a song that Leon Jessel published in 1911. With the English lyrics written by Ballard Macdonald , the novelty song was published as Parade of the Wooden Soldiers in 1922 and soon became popular in the United States.

background

Jesse's song was initially created as a German instrumental number “Die Parade der Holzsoldaten”; published in 1911 by Heinrichshofen's Verlag, Magdeburg.

A Russian music producer discovered the number and used "Parade of the Wooden Soldiers" for the Russian revue "Chauve Souris", which came to New York's Broadway from Paris and London , where it was called "Chauve Souris (The Russian Bat Theater)" by F. Ray Comstock and Morris Gest premiered at the Forty-Ninth-Street Theater and then enjoyed success at the Century Theater . The big attraction of the show was when the Emcee Nikita Balieff announced "Phooden Soldjurs" with idiosyncratic accentuation. Ballard Macdonald, who at that time had written lyrics for "George White Scandals of 1924" and "Ziegfeld's Midnight Frolic", wrote a text in English. The song was published by Edw music publisher. B. Marks Music Co. The song, which - especially through the Christmas show "Radio City Christmas Spectacular" from the Radio City Music Hall - is associated with Christmas , became known, but primarily in the instrumental version.

First recordings and later cover versions

The American Navy Band at a performance in Washington DC (2008) of Parade of the Wooden Soldiers

Paul Whiteman was particularly successful in the United States with his two recordings of the song for Victor in 1923 (which was a number one hit in April 1923 ) and 1928, as well as Vincent Lopez and Carl Fenton with their orchestras. Other musicians who covered the song from 1922 onward included the California Ramblers (cameo) and the piano duo George Stanley & Bob Alden (Imperial Piano Roll). Parade of the Wooden Soldiers was also used in the Betty Boop cartoon of the same name (1933) and in the Shirley Temple film Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (1938, directed by Allan Dwan ), which resulted in further cover versions , among others. a. the orchestras of Horace Heidt , Larry Clinton , Jan Savitt and Kay Kyser . The song was also popular with marching bands ; in later years the International Novelty Orchestra (1946), The Andrews Sisters , also took part in jazz Red Nichols (arranged by Heinie Beau ), Pee Wee Erwin , David Qualey and Harry Connick junior ( When My Heart Finds Christmas , 1993) Song on. The discographer Tom Lord lists a total of 13 (as of 2016) cover versions in the field of jazz .

Notes and individual references

  1. ^ A b Arnold Shaw: The Jazz Age: Popular Music in the 1920's . 1987, p. 121.
  2. ↑ a b c Don Tyler: Hit Songs, 1900-1955: American Popular Music of the Pre-Rock Era . Jefferson, North Carolina & London, McFarland, 2007, p. 129 f.
  3. ↑ Known in French-speaking countries as “La parade des soldats de plomb”: cf. at worldcat
  4. ↑ Julius Mattfeld Variety music cavalcade, 1620-1969: a chronology of vocal and instrumental music popular in the United States in 1971
  5. ↑ March music notes , ed. by Norman E. Smith. Program Note Press, 1986
  6. ^ Parade of wooden soldiers: From "La chauve-souris" at worldcat
  7. ↑ John Sforza: Swing It !: The Andrews Sisters Story . 2015, p. 241.
  8. ↑ a b Tom Lord: Jazz discography (online)