Bert Kaempfert & His Orchestra - Good Life Music - Love That Bert Kaempfert Vol. 12

1. Caravan
2. Lonely Is the Name
3. Again
4. Steppin' Pretty
5. I Should Care
6. Just As Much As Ever
7. The First Waltz
8. My Love for You
9. The Glory of Love
10. The Sheik of Araby
11. Every Time I Dream of You
12. Time to Leave
13. I Close My Eyes (And Dream of You)
14. Oh My Lonely Way
15. Welcome to My Heart
16. Ridin' Rainbows

Love That Kaempfert

Can you remember when you heard the Bert Kaempfert Sound for the very first time? Perhaps it was one of his early hits - Danke Schoen or Wonderland By Night? Suddenly you knew that the music had you spellbound: a melody trumpet which soared to dramatic heights... a rhythm and tempo which made you want to dance and listen at the same time. That's when you probably said: "Love that Bert Kaempfert" and so joined the throngs of his millions of fans. And perhaps you are among those for whom the present album LOVE THAT BERT KAEMPFERT from 1968 (which was, incidentally, Number 1 on Decca's "Top Selling Album List") opened the door to his music. If this is the case, then you are in for a very special treat, for the Kaempfert Sound has certainly lost nothing of its attraction and timelessness over the years.

Bert Kaempfert sought out well known songs for his recordings and virtually made them his own. Himself a writer of numerous hits, he always treated the original works of his composer colleagues with great respect: his arrangements left the basic melody unchanged while his special sound lent the work new luster.

A good example of this is offered by Duke Ellington's classical jazz composition Caravan from 1937 with its unforgettable melody. The exotic timbre, bass guitar played over a "fuzz box" and growl effects of the trumpet, all of which relate directly to Ellington's "jungle style," sent this Kaempfert single (Decca DL 32241) to the top of the US hit parade in 1968. Another classic, The Sheik Of Araby, was inspired by the silent movie "The Sheik" (1921) filmed with Rudolph Valentino, the romantic idol of the Twenties. In his recording Bert Kaempfert lends the oldie a modern tone coloring. Axel Stordahl, Paul Weston and Sammy Cahn combined their talents for the film musical "Thrill Of Romance" (1945) and came up with the song I Should Care, which was to become a best-seller for Frank Sinatra. Bert Kaempfert breathes new life into this old favorite just as he did with the solemn Again from the film "Roadhouse" (1948) which took its place in the repertory of such stars as Vic Damone, Doris Day, Mel Tormé and Tommy Dorsey, and with Billy Hill's The Glory Of Love from 1936 which achieved new popularity in 1967 thanks to the film "Guess Who's Coming To Dinner" with Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn and Sidney Poitier. Country music too is represented by one song which managed to get a foothold in the pop sector: Just As Much As Ever was a Top Forty hit for Bob Beckham.

Bert Kaempfert crowns this compilation with several original compositions: The First Waltz is a lively waltz which gives prominence to the brass; Manfred Moch's trumpet is heard to great effect in the delightful My Love For You and also in Steppin' Pretty - a work which is sure to get you swinging; Lonely Is The Name was an enormous success for Sammy Davis, Jr.

The five bonus tracks on this CD are also original compositions. Welcome To My Heart was a further hit for an unforgettable performer: Dean Martin. This number, On My Lonely Way and Ridin' Rainbows all emanate from the LP production MY WAY OF LIFE from 1968. Time To Leave and I Close My Eyes (And Dream Of You), recorded in 1969, are two treasures from the tape archive and previously unreleased world-wide.

(Bert Kaempfert Music, Hamburg)