BERT KAEMPFERT – THE MAN/THE MUSIC/THE MAGIC

PART 5

HAPPY HOURS IN HAMBURG

 

Milt Gabler, Bert’s producer in the States, remembers …….

“When I was in Hamburg, together with Bert and his family, there always was a kind of “happy feeling” – a kind of “hopeful optimism” because Bert would always come up with new musical ideas.  All I had to do was nurture Bert and sustain his momentum as a name artist in the USA and I had to do it instrumentally.  I had no way of realizing how fabulous a talent Bert Kaempfert would turn out to be.  After the success of the single disc (Wonderland by night) I immediately followed with a “Wonderland By Night” LP in November 1960

BERT KAEMPFERT AND HIS WIFE HANNE

Then, two more “Wonderland” albums followed.  After that, I wanted him to switch his style because I was afraid we might be wearing out a good thing.  American bands were copying the fat trumpet style popularized by Ralph Marterie, Louis Prima and others.  So Bert came up with a kind of “reggae rhythm” in African folk style.  I called it “Afrikaan beat” for it reminded me of the melodies I once recorded with Joseph Marais and his South African “Veldt Music”.  I even spelled it that way. Bert was well versed in every kind of musical culture

LOUIS PRIMA ORCHESTRA COVERED "WONDERLAND"

But I soon found out that the Music he really favoured was the swinging sounds of American bands like Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, Artie Shaw, Tommy Dorsey and all of the rest that he grew up with.

When “Wonderland by Night” went to number one in the USA, Bert made his First visit to the US to collect his gold record.  His wife Hanne came with him and we met at the award ceremony

GERMAN SINGLE RELEASE OF WONDERLAND BY NIGHT

Later, Bert came to my office to discuss future plans and ideas I might have for him.

I told him that he must keep composing interesting original compositions and arrange tuneful dance standards, six of each for every LP.  The best of them could then be issued as singles.

Bert had hit after hit.  In addition, I was to write English lyrics for any two tunes of my choice for each session of twelve.  He wanted me to come to Hamburg to produce his future sessions and make them more suitable for the American market.  When they happened here, they happened all over the World.  I felt that I could show his engineer how I balanced my band dates in the US and then they could follow through on any dates that I was not able to attend.

Bert Kaempfert was on his way and we all felt like we were on a musical roller coaster that could not be stopped …….