The lanterns from the city park

Vom Stadtpark die Laternen is the title of a hit that was originally sung by the singing duo Gitte and Rex Gildo . It was composed by Heinz Gietz and written by Kurt Feltz . The song was number one in the German charts in 1963.

Original version

people

Heinz Gietz (1924–1989) composed the title as Foxtrot . He had already become known through his film music for the music film Love, Dance and 1000 Schlager and through the million seller Steig in der Traumboot der Liebe with Caterina Valente . The lyricist Kurt Feltz (1910–1982), who had worked with Gietz for many years, was able to refer to an extensive list of number one hits. Most recently he had provided the text for Connie Francis ' number one hit Barcarole that night . The singing duo Gitte (* 1946) and Rex Gildo (1936–1999) was founded by the record company Electrola when the North German Radio was looking for a partner for a TV show with the young Danish singer in 1963. While Gitte had already completed a career as a child star in her home country, but had not yet made a breakthrough in Germany despite several recordings, Rex Gildo could already look back on a number of record successes. With Speedy Gonzales he had just been at number one on the German charts.

text

After both performers have established that you can look deep into the heart when the lanterns go out in the city park, they exchange information about the fact that Gitte's mother warned against the men's quick oaths and that Rex's friends are stupid because they are can't understand that he likes Gitte. Nevertheless, they find that it is nice when a thousand stars stand in the sky for young people in love in the evening.

production

The title Vom Stadtpark die Laternen was recorded on April 24, 1963 at 7 p.m. in the Electrola Studio in Cologne's Maarweg under the direction of Heinz Gietz. It was intended by the record company as the A-side title for the single with catalog number 22418. The song Hey-Hey, olé , which Gitte and Rex Gildo had already recorded on April 4th, was pressed as the B-side . Although the last singles by both Gitte and Rex Gildo had been released under the Electrola label, the duo record was released on sister label Columbia . The record did not hit German record stores until the end of August 1963, as Gitte with Ich will 'nen Cowboy as a man and Rex Gildo with two blue forget-me-nots had previously hit the charts.

successes

The lanterns from the city park were first mentioned in the hit parade in the September 20, 1963 issue of the music magazine Musikmarkt at number 43. After the title then appeared in the German radio hit parades in the last week of September, the youth magazine Bravo recently reported the song in its Musicbox hit list from October 22nd at 12th place. In November, the duo Gitte and Rex Gildo came out on top in both print media. On the radio, Vom Stadtpark only came first in Bavaria .

Cover versions

A cover version of the Gietz / Feltz title sung in the near future is only known from the duo Gregory Twins. It was also produced in 1963 by the Bavarian low-cost label Tempo . There the title of the song was changed slightly to In the city park the lanterns . The instrumental musicians Will Glahé ( Decca , 1964) and Fritz Schulz-Reichel ( Der weird Otto: Die Tipsy Hit Parade , LP Polydor ) also published the title. Ireen Sheer sings on her compact disc of the same name from 2006 Vom Stadtpark die Laternen, also in a duet with Rex Gildo.

literature

Frank Laufenberg: Rock & Pop Lexicon . Econ Taschenbuch Verlag 1998, ISBN 3-612-26206-8 , Volume 1, p. 606.
CD booklet: Gitte - I want a cowboy as a man , Bear Family BCD 15997, 1999