World War 2 schlager: Reginella Campagnola, 1939

Reginella Campagnola Fox-trot (E.di Lazzaro) Orkiestra St. Godarskiego (uncredited German band from 1930/40s), Melodje ca 1947 (Poland)

NOTE: Reginella Campagnola (The Woodpecker Song) (Am Abend Auf Der Heide) was composed in Italy in 1938 by Eduardo di Lazzaro as a simple and charmful polka. The main subjects inspiring Italian popular music during the 30s were the "evergreen" love and country life. Music authors were drawn to writing about it by Mussolini's penchant for agricultural life as opposed to city life which he regarded as immoral (city life with its cultural cultural growth was a potential danger for the regime). One of the greatest hits of these rural values celebration genre was "Reginella Campagnola", soon an international hit mostly favoured by German bands which performed it as a danceable foxtrot. In first years of World War Two "Reginella Campagnola" was present day and night on air - along with Lale Andersen's "Lili Marleen" - in Germany and in occupied Europe.

This record was produced in Poland in ca 1947 from a German matrix. "Melodje" Records was a small privately owned company in Poznań, specialising in promoting the resurrected postwar Polish jazz bands and popularisation of American or European hits. Between 1945-48 "Melodje" (also using the label name "Mewa") issued many sides with jazz tunes by original Polish bands (Charles Bovery, Konrad Bryzek, Łopatowski Brothers' jazz orchestras) or sung by excellent post war singers: Marta Mirska, Chór 4 Asy, Tadeusz Miller. Also, many sides were produced on basis of matrixes with recordings of German swing bands, that were left behind by Nazis at Odeon Records factory in Warsaw: the only record production in occupied Poland that was allowed by German administration during war years. Such recordings - hence their predominantly very high artistic standard, but originating from the hated Nazi occupation times - were therefore hidden under name of nonexistent "St.Godarski Orchestra". "Melodje" factory was closed as soon as the falsified election in 1948 gave full power to the Communist Party and soviet-style Stalinist regime was installed in Poland.

See another nice dance side from "Melodje" Records http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BCehoRQ1Sw

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[gbpico]

Rare version, thank you!, and very interesting explanation of the historical framework. One could add that it was a huge success in Italy thanks to the appeal of the music, but also of the lyrics and the voice of the great Carlo Buti (on YT, the year is 1939). The American versions are also nice, e.g. by Glenn Miller, but the charming Reginella is missing and the picks of the woodpecker do not sound as the trot of Butis horse. Good trot here!

[240252]

Thank you for your very useful comment! I had the name of Carlo Buti in the scrap version of my note and now I see what a shame it had disappeared. Carlo Buti was a great singer and I only wish I had his original recording of "Reginella" in my collection to upload it here some day. I agree, that changing the lovely trot of a little donkey into the sound of a woodpecker was not the most fortunate idea of Glenn Miller's.

[ANATOLIACHTZEIN]

promoting hate crimes & crimes against humanity through glamorizing 'nazi chic' is more than appalling or even more than disgusting.

[IsItEarthYet]

Nazi chic????

you've just lost my subscription

i can find beautiful music elsewhere

[JonesArmandoHoward]

Drag Queen, Fashion for the contemporary SS/Gestapo/GoodGerman...

I don't mean that in a bad way its just the type of society that they had...

For SS and Gestapo if you could get a girl/Women from a fallen or type 3 camp you would get high-heels and stockings and "Time" in the Brothels...

Which is bizarre...

[Georgewos]

You can find this song by Carlo Buti on YouTube." Reginella Campiagnola". In America it was known as The Woodpecker song. Another big hit for Carlo was La Piccinnia, in America called The FerryBoat Seranade. Also on YouTube. I have the cd where these songs both are, called "Bella Ragazza"

[XxXEMOBOYx]

To jest wytłoczone z matrycy "Electroli" gra orkiestra Willa Glahe :) Pozdrowienia

[JCJasion]

I think this may have been the Will Glahe' Orchestra recording, released as Glahe' Musette Orchestra on the International series of American ( RCA) Victor.

[dumowska]

Tak na prawde to ork. Willa Glahe :))

[railadvocate]

Don't most countries, or cultures, have their own version of a gemuetlichkeit? Here in the US, nowadays, they don't even bother with the "sweet and enticing."

-Rude and crude, nowadays.

[whizbang47]

Shoes for industry, I see. Turn in your shoes.

[dzheger]

The familiar sweet and enticing tune. It goes so well with the elegant and appealing fashion. It is all part of Nazi Germany's gemuetlichkeit!