Bert Kaempfert
Bert Kaempfert arrived in the world on the 16th of October 1923 within the bustling port city of Hamburg. Locals immediately nicknamed him Fips, a moniker that followed him through decades of musical evolution. He studied at the Hamburg School of Music while mastering multiple instruments including accordion and clarinet. Hans Busch hired this young multi-instrumentalist to play with his orchestra before the war years intervened. During World War II he served as a bandsman in the German Navy. After the conflict ended he formed his own big band and toured extensively across Europe. In 1945 he met Hannelore who would become his wife by August 1946. They raised two daughters named Marion and Doris during these early formative years.
July 1959 marked the recording session for what became his first major hit titled Wonderland by Night. The track failed to gain release approval in Germany so Kaempfert took it directly to Decca Records in New York. Fall 1960 saw the single released in the United States where it topped the American pop charts. A haunting solo trumpet by Charles Tabor defined the sound alongside muted brass sections and lush strings. This international success transformed Bert Kaempfert and Orchestra into global stars overnight. He subsequently revived popular tunes like Tenderly and Red Roses for a Blue Lady. His original compositions included Spanish Eyes which later became Moon Over Naples. Wayne Newton recorded Danke Schoen while Elvis Presley performed Wooden Heart. Nat King Cole eventually recorded L-O-V-E bringing him immense personal satisfaction.
1961 brought a pivotal moment when Kaempfert hired the Beatles to back Tony Sheridan on an album called My Bonnie. Sheridan had been performing in Hamburg and needed musicians to play behind him on proposed tracks. Kaempfert auditioned and signed the group before recording two specific tracks with them during these sessions. Ain't She Sweet featured rhythm guitarist John Lennon singing lead vocals. Cry for a Shadow stood as an instrumental written by Lennon and George Harrison. Polydor Records released both the album and its singles making them the Beatles' first commercially available recordings. On the 28th of October 1961 a customer asked Brian Epstein for a copy of My Bonnie at his Liverpool music store. The shop did not have it but Epstein noted the unusual request from a local band. That inquiry led directly to his discovery of the group and their eventual signing by George Martin to Parlophone Records.
Frank Sinatra recorded Strangers in the Night originally part of his score for the 1966 film A Man Could Get Killed. Charles Singleton and Eddie Snyder added lyrics to the melody which became a number one hit despite Sinatra's personal hatred of the song. Joe Dowell reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on the 28th of August 1961 with Wooden Heart. Elvis Presley sang this track in the film G.I. Blues while Kaempfert arranged the traditional German folk song Muss i denn. Al Martino achieved early success with Spanish Eyes after Snyder provided words for Moon Over Naples. Wayne Newton made Danke Schoen his signature song through Kurt Schwabach and Milt Gabler adding lyrics. Nat King Cole found massive popularity with L-O-V-E thanks to Gabler's lyrical contributions. Andy Williams recorded Almost There reaching No. 67 on U.S. charts and No. 2 in the U.K. Patti Page and Jack Jones both released Love After Midnight derived from a 1962 movie theme.
Ladislav Geisler popularized the distinctive knackbass sound that defined many Kaempfert recordings. He initially played a Gibson EB bass guitar before switching to a Fender Jazz Bass Guitar. The technique involved plucking the bass string with a pick then immediately suppressing it to cancel sustain. An acoustic bass played a simple pattern in unison creating a unique treble staccato texture. Drummer Rolf Ahrens supplied characteristically simple but steady beats often using just a snare drum with brushes. Trumpeters Charly Tabor Werner Gutterer Manfred Moch and Ack van Rooyen featured prominently in the orchestra. Trombonists Åke Persson and Jiggs Whigham added depth while Herb Geller handled saxophone and flute duties. Geisler lent his amplifier to The Beatles for their recording session with Tony Sheridan when band equipment proved inadequate.
Sales of Kaempfert's music declined significantly during the 1970s yet he continued to record new material. His version of the Theme from Shaft received admiration from composer Isaac Hayes and remained popular with audiences. He expanded the musical scope of his band to include wide variety of styles including funk themes. Live concerts began in 1974 with an appearance at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Jimi Hendrix included the melody of Strangers in the Night in his improvised guitar solo during Wild Thing at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967. The Anita Kerr Singers released Bert Kaempfert Turns Us On! as a tribute album featuring standard hits. Johnny Mathis issued Sings the Music of Bacharach & Kaempfert in 1970 containing twenty-one tracks in a heavyweight gatefold picture sleeve.
Kaempfert died suddenly following a stroke at his home in Mallorca on the 21st of June 1980. He was only fifty-six years old shortly after a successful appearance in the United Kingdom. A square in the Barmbek district of Hamburg bears his name as Bert-Kaempfert-Platz. Both he and Herb Rehbein were posthumously inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Rehbein's death in 1979 had shaken Kaempfert deeply before his own passing. BMI awarded accolades to five songs in 1968 including Lady Spanish Eyes and Sweet Maria. His music appeared in films like An Elephant Called Slowly and Backbeat where actor Wolf Kahler portrayed him. The song One Week by the Barenaked Ladies sampled his work while declaring that Bert Kaempfert got the mad hits.
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Common questions
When and where was Bert Kaempfert born?
Bert Kaempfert arrived in the world on the 16th of October 1923 within the bustling port city of Hamburg. Locals immediately nicknamed him Fips, a moniker that followed him through decades of musical evolution.
What major hit did Bert Kaempfert record in July 1959?
July 1959 marked the recording session for what became his first major hit titled Wonderland by Night. The track failed to gain release approval in Germany so Kaempfert took it directly to Decca Records in New York before topping American pop charts in fall 1960.
How did Bert Kaempfert discover the Beatles?
In 1961 Bert Kaempfert hired the Beatles to back Tony Sheridan on an album called My Bonnie during sessions in Hamburg. A customer asked Brian Epstein for a copy of My Bonnie at his Liverpool music store on the 28th of October 1961 which led directly to his discovery of the group.
Who played the distinctive knackbass sound in Bert Kaempfert Orchestra recordings?
Ladislav Geisler popularized the distinctive knackbass sound that defined many Kaempfert recordings using a Gibson EB bass guitar and later a Fender Jazz Bass Guitar. He initially played a Gibson EB bass guitar before switching to a Fender Jazz Bass Guitar and employed a technique involving plucking the bass string with a pick then immediately suppressing it to cancel sustain.
When and how did Bert Kaempfert die?
Kaempfert died suddenly following a stroke at his home in Mallorca on the 21st of June 1980. He was only fifty-six years old shortly after a successful appearance in the United Kingdom.