Waso - UK (Sevenoaks), March 1982

François RAVEZ

Hi Buco,

Thanks for sharing these wonderful tracks.

Just a tiny remark about the title of #6 "Verte Champagne" which some of us may know as "The Green Leaves of Summer" the original soundtrack (by Dimitri Tiomkin) of the movie "The Alamo" (with John Wayne). Probably you had in mind an expensive sparkling french beverage made from grape, but it is Campagne (countryside) not Champagne (the drink mentioned before). I remember that this tune was a hit of the time and that Ninine and Mondine Garcia played it too at 'La Chope des Puces'.

Best

François RAVEZ

TonyRees

Hi Francois, actually I am the original poster, but no worry... Looks like the error is mine, I mis-transcribed the title from the Waso LP "Gipsy Swing Vol. 5" where indeed it is "Verte Campagne" and I did not pick the likely confusion of the two words. I will fix it in my original post, maybe Buco can fix the track title... It is not a song I was familiar with (not in the Django canon); according to https://secondhandsongs.com/work/82865/all it dates from 1957 or thereabouts (or maybe 1958?) in its original, English (American!) version. The subsequent French version apparently has lyrics by Raymond Mamoudy, Roger Varnay.

A copy of the original version by Terry Gilkyson & The Easy Riders, composers of the track, dated 1958, available on youtube here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Re59PF_DOrk

The group and the song new to me but certainly interesting... precursors of the Kingston Trio more or less - Thanks! - Tony

Buco

Yes Francois, it's all thanks to Tony, I'm kinda like a waterboy here haha. I'll change that one track title.

TonyRees

Actually I checked, a friend of mine who shall remain nameless inscribed "Verte Champagne" instead of "Verte Campagne" on the track list of a cassette copy of the Waso album that he made for me 30+ years ago. So I cannot even claim credit for the error... a pity though, because the concept of "green champagne" is rather attractive! - does not seem to exist in the bottle (as compared with e.g. pink champagne) although one can of course make it as a cocktail... :)

TonyRees

Also on checking further - The Green Leaves (not Fields) of Summer (1960) from "The Alamo" soundtrack is a different song again - sorry Francois! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7Kvcy_WhOQ - but an interesting diversion none the less. It seems like "The Brothers Four" popularised both songs, possibly hence the confusion... OK, time to play the Waso track again!

A snippet from discogs.com:

Raymond Mamoudy - Profile: French singer famous during 1960's

Best known for hit Verte Campagne - his 1960 french version of 1957 song Green Fields by Terry Gilkyson And The Easy Riders

Plus not for the faint hearted, perhaps - more on French cover versions of the song here (including a transcription of the melody etc.): http://www.rock6070.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=204&p=3640

François RAVEZ

Thanks Tony and Buco,

You are right, Green Leaves is 1960 while Green Fields is from 1956. Here is the music sheet.

Verte campagne (Green Fields).pdf

Best

François

BillDaCostaWilliams

A copy of the original version by Terry Gilkyson & The Easy Riders, composers of the track, dated 1958, available on youtube here:

Getting a bit off message here but ... I was interested to see that Gilkyson was also responsible for the rather naff 1957 hit Marianne (all day, all night) that I remember from my youth: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUYDl-foMpk

The 4 Brothers also had a go at it.

Adapted from a Trinidadian calypso: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marianne_(Terry_Gilkyson_song)

François RAVEZ

Funny that here in France, I had never heard of the Easy Riders and of Gilkyson though I had memories of the Kingston Trio and of the Brothers Four.

TonyRees

After some delay ... all tracks (hopefully I did not miss any) now uploaded to youtube as a single continuous track (as per the original concert) - enjoy and / or tell your friends! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcozC-ryJmM

Youtube sound quality is kinda like 128 kbps mp3 quality I am told, but seems OK in this context. One day I may find a method to distribute the original uncompressed wav files...

Cheers - Tony Rees (original taper and custodian of this copy for 38 years...)

djangology

I just found this in the forum. Arriving to the party late. Thanks!