Merci, merci, merci fur die Stunden, cherie... I love this song.
The European Sixties...
UDO JURGENS (born Udo Jürgen Bockelmann, 30 September 1934, Klagenfurt, Carinthia, Austria) is an Austrian composer and singer of popular music whose career spans over fifty years. He has written more than 800 songs and sold over 100 million records.
He is credited with broadening German-language pop music beyond the traditional postwar schlager in the 1960s by infusing it with a modern pop appeal; his exceptionally tuneful compositions and sophisticated arrangements attract fans of all ages, and even in his 70s he continues to fill the largest concert venues in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
In 1950, he won a composer contest organized by Austria's public broadcasting channel ORF with the song "Je t'aime". He wrote the 1961 worldwide hit "Reach for the Stars", sung by Shirley Bassey.
In 1964, he represented Austria for the first time at the Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Warum nur warum?", finishing sixth. The UK participant, Matt Monro, was impressed with the melody and covered the song (with English lyrics by his manager Don Black) as "Walk Away", which reached number four in the UK Singles Chart and number 23 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Jürgens' song "Sag ihr, ich lass sie grüßen" came fourth in 1965's contest, and in 1966 he won the competition with "Merci, Chérie", which became an English-language hit for Vince Hill, another cover by Monro, and one of Jürgens' most recognized compositions. Jürgens' version alone sold over one million copies, and he was awarded a gold disc by Deutsche Vogue in 1966.
In the following years, he wrote some of his most famous songs, like "Griechischer Wein", "Aber bitte mit Sahne", "Mit 66 Jahren", and -- one of his biggest successes -- "Buenos Días, Argentina", which he performed together with the German football team in 1978.
In 1977, he invited The Supremes to appear as guests on his televised and recorded gala concert. The Supremes (Mary Wilson, Scherrie Payne, and Susaye Green), who were on a brief farewell tour of Europe at the time, performed two of their own current hits, "You Are The Heart of Me" and "You're My Driving Wheel", as well as a duet with Jürgens, "Walk Away" in English.
In 1979, he released a disco album entitled Udo '80. It produced a hit song "Ich weiß was ich will". This song was also released as a 12 inch disco single in an extended remix for discotheques.
On 2 December 2007, the musical Ich war noch niemals in New York (I've never been to New York) opened in Hamburg's Operettenhaus. It weaves songs by Jürgens into a familial storyline, similar to the treatment of ABBA songs in Mamma Mia!, the musical it succeeded at the venue.
Matt Monro was the pre-eminent interpreter of Jürgens' music in the English-speaking world. "Illusionen" was adapted by Black for Monro in 1977 as "If I Never Sing Another Song," and it was performed by Shirley Bassey and Sammy Davis, Jr..
In the early 1990s, the German thrash metal band Sodom released a 'metalized' cover of "Aber Bitte mit Sahne".
In 2009 the German band Sportfreunde Stiller covered the "Ich war noch niemals in New York" together with Jürgens on their MTV Unplugged concert in Munich. (from Wikipedia)
For more about Udo Jurgens biography, click here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Udo_J%C3%BCrgens
Lyrics: ( for this live version from 1977)
Merci, merci, merci
Für die Stunden chérie, chérie
Unsere Liebe war schön, so schön
Merci Chérie
Sei nicht traurig, muß ich auch von Dir geh'n
Schau nach vor'n, nicht zurück
Zwingen kann man kein Glück
Denn kein Meer ist so wild, wie die Liebe
Die Liebe allein, nur die kann so sein, so sein
Merci, merci, merci
Für die Stunden chérie, chérie
Unsere Liebe war schön, so schön
Merci chérie, so schön, so schön
Merci chérie, so schön, so schön
Merci chérie,
Merci.
English translation:
Thank you, thank you, thank you
For the hours darling, darling, darling
Our love was beautiful, so beautiful
Thank you, darling
Don't be sad, as I have to leave you
Look ahead, not back
You can't force luck
Because no sea is as wild as love
Only love can be like that
Be like that, be like that
Thank you, thank you, thank you
For the hours, darling, darling, darling
Our love was beautiful, so beautiful
Thank you, darling
So beautiful, so beautiful
Thank you, darling
So beautiful, so beautiful
Thank you, darling
Thank you
Entity: Music Publishing Rights Collecting Society Content Type: Musical Composition
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Udo Jürgens - Merci Cherieby Schlagermusikgirl38317 views
Never heard of this man but see he's done quite a bit in his career...nice voice...
Maskedman46 1 month ago