OVER THE WAVES! ♪♫♪
or "The Loveliest Night of the Year"
KENNETH E. HALL SEPT. 14, 2016 REVISED JULY 18, 2018 HOUSTON
Maybe you have seen a flying trapeze artist gracefully soaring high above the crowd beneath a circus Big Top, swinging back and forth as the brass band below plays an old-timey song, "Over the Waves". Maybe. Or perhaps you have heard it on a television program, a movie, or even in a commercial. It's an old stand-by - a classic, if you will. Well, if you said it was a "Classic" there would be more truth in it than you may realize.
GREAT MEXICAN SONG!!!
Yep, you read right.
Here is the story!
Back in 1884, there was a World's Fair of sorts, held in New Orleans, and intended to show off innovations in industry and to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the cotton trade with England.
Yep, you read right.
Here is the story!
Back in 1884, there was a World's Fair of sorts, held in New Orleans, and intended to show off innovations in industry and to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the cotton trade with England.
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| JUVENTINO ROSAS - 1894 |
The Mexican Pavilion had an orchestra that played classical music, among other genres. The director, Sgt. Encarnación Payén, also had a son-in-law - the renown Juventino Rosas. Señor Rosas had just written a new composition, a waltz, entitled "Sobre las Olas". The band director played this song for the very first time there at the Exhibition, and the song instantly became a hit!
Four years later, in 1888, the song was published, but by this time had been heard by a great many people. Even though it was originally written as a waltz, jazz musicians in New Orleans of course began improvising on the theme, "jazzing it up" and pretty soon the song became a permanent part of the Dixieland jazz repertoire.
Four years later, in 1888, the song was published, but by this time had been heard by a great many people. Even though it was originally written as a waltz, jazz musicians in New Orleans of course began improvising on the theme, "jazzing it up" and pretty soon the song became a permanent part of the Dixieland jazz repertoire.
It was called in English "Over the Waves, " a direct translation of the original Spanish title. I first heard the Dixieland arrangement played by clarinetist Pete Fountain while working at Jæger's Seafood Restaurant on Elysian Fields in New Orleans in 1967.
It was on the JUKE BOX! Right next to top Sixties songs.
Tell me what other city can you go to where a Dixieland Jazz song would be on a juke box ‽
It was on the JUKE BOX! Right next to top Sixties songs.
Tell me what other city can you go to where a Dixieland Jazz song would be on a juke box ‽
There actually were several jazz tunes strewn in among the top-ten tunes of the day and - being Mardi Gras time - it was played over and over. If you closed your eyes and listened, you would imagine a Carnival parade, not a flying trapeze act.
In the year I was born, Mario Lanza recorded the song, adapted by Irving Aaronson with lyrics by Paul Francis Webster for the 1951 MGM musical film The Great Caruso, [Released April 16, 1951] and this recording rose in that year's musical hit charts. Here it was titled: "The Loveliest Night of the Year."
The Loveliest Night of the Year
When you are in love,
It's the loveliest night of the year;
Stars twinkle above,
And you almost can touch them from here!
Words fall in to rhyme,
Any time you are holding me near;
When you are in love,
It's the loveliest night of the year!
Waltzing along in the blue,
Like a breeze drifting over the sand;
Thrilled by the wonder of you,
And the wonderful touch of your hand!
And my heart starts to beat,
Like a child when a birthday is near;
So, kiss me my sweet,
It's the loveliest night of the year!
Songwriters: Irving Aaronson / *Juventino Rosas / Paul Francis Webster The Loveliest Night of the Year lyrics © Guy Webster/Webster Music, BMG Rights Management
I believe in giving credit where credit is due, and am happy to add this lively tune to my list of favorite Dixieland Jazz, Early Fifties Hit Parade, Classical Music, and MEXICAN songs - all written by the same author, and performed for the very first time in my home town, New Orleans.
♪♫♪ ¡ORALE, PUÉS! ♪♫♪
THIS IS THE ORIGINAL CLASSICAL VERSION OF SOBRE LAS OLAS AS WRITTEN BY JUVENTINO ROSAS:
ESTA ES LA VERSIÓN CLÁSICA ORIGINAL DE SOBRE LAS OLAS, ESCRITA POR JUVENTINO ROSAS:
➲ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzCCQZFDkJk
HERE IS THE MARIO LANZA VERSION OF "LOVELIEST NIGHT OF THE YEAR":
AQUÍ ESTÁ LA VERSIÓN DE MARIO LANZA DE "LOVELIEST NIGHT OF THE YEAR"
➲ https://playback.fm/charts/top-100-songs/video/1951/Mario-Lanza-The-Loveliest-Night-Of-The-Year
THIS IS THE PETE FOUNTAIN DIXIELAND JAZZ ARRANGEMENT, CiRCA 1967:
ESTE ES UN ARREGLO DE "SOBRE LAS ALAS" EN EL ESTILO "DIXIELAND JAZZ", TOCADO POR EL CLARINETISTA FAMOSO DE NUEVA ORLEANS "PETE FOUNTAIN" UN EXITO DEL AÑO 1967:
AND FINALLY... THE MEXICAN (MARIACHI) VERSION OF SOBRE LAS ALAS, SUNG IN SPANISH, BY THE LATE, GREAT PEDRO INFANTE!
I'M TOLD THIS SONG IS USUALLY PLAYED AT QUINCEAÑERAS IN MÉXICO!
Y FINALMENTE ... LA VERSIÓN MEXICANA DE SOBRE LAS ALAS, CANTADO EN ESPAÑOL, POR ¡EL GRAN PEDRO INFANTE!
¡ME DICEN QUE ESTA CANCIÓN SE TOCA GENERALMENTE EN QUINCEAÑERAS EN MÉXICO!
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