Uploaded April 2015 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
AND THE GRAMMY AWARD FOR BEST SONG GOES TO - 1969
Winner : Bobby Russell for "Little Green Apples"
Performed by O.C. Smith
Other nominees that year were :
Tom T. Hall for "Harper Valley PTA" performed by Jeannie C. Riley
John Lennon and Paul McCartney for "Hey Jude" performed by The Beatles
Bobby Russell for "Honey" performed by Bobby Goldsboro
Paul Simon for "Mrs. Robinson" performed by Simon and Garfunkel
BERT KAEMPFERT
He was born in Hamburg, Germany, where he received his lifelong nickname, Fips, and studied at the local school of music. A multi-instrumentalist, he was hired by Hans Busch to play with his orchestra before serving as a bandsman in the German Navy during World War II. He later formed his own big band, toured with them, then worked as an arranger and producer, making hit records with Freddy Quinn and Ivo Robic. In 1961, he hired The Beatles to back Tony Sheridan for an album called My Bonnie. The album and its singles, released by Polydor, were the Beatles' first commercially released recordings.
Kaempfert's own first hit with his orchestra had been in 1960, "Wonderland by Night". Wonderland by Night couldn't get a hearing in Germany. Instead, Kaempfert brought the track to Decca Records in New York, who released it in America in 1959; with its haunting solo trumpet, muted brass, and lush strings, the single topped the American pop charts and turned Bert Kaempfert and His Orchestra into international stars. Over the next few years, he revived such pop tunes as "Red Roses for a Blue Lady," "Three O'Clock in the Morning," and "Bye Bye Blues," as well as composing pieces of his own, including "Spanish Eyes (Moon Over Naples)," "Danke Schoen," and "Wooden Heart," which were recorded by, respectively, Al Martino, Wayne Newton, and Elvis Presley. For Kaempfert, little may have brought him more personal satisfaction than Nat King Cole recording his composition "L-O-V-E".
Kaempfert's orchestra made extensive use of horns. A couple of numbers that featured brass prominently, "Magic Trumpet" and "The Mexican Shuffle", were played by both Kaempfert's orchestra and by Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass, whose initial Mariachi style, in fact, evolved towards the Kaempfert style as the 1960s progressed. The Brass covered "Magic Trumpet", and Kaempfert returned the favor by covering Brass compadre Sol Lake's number "The Mexican Shuffle". The latter tune evolved into a TV ad, The Teaberry Shuffle.
Many of his hits during this period were composed and arranged with the help of fellow German Herb Rehbein, who became a successful bandleader in his own right. Rehbein's death in 1979 shook Kaempfert deeply. Both Kaempfert and Rehbein were posthumously inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
LIVING EASY
Composed, arranged and conducted by Bert Kaempfert.
Taken from the Original album "Bert Kaempfert Now" (1971).
MHO
Bert Kaempfert further developped his unique style during the seventies and his album "Now" from 1971 can be considered as a kind of "bridge" album : it includes some sixties style songs such as "Grey eyes make me blue" and "Put your hand in the hand" but it also introduces a more "modern" big band approach with songs like "Oh Woman Oh Why" and this "Living easy" where Bert pulls the card of his entire brass section.
Pulsating, upbeat and jazzy, Kaempfert's "Living easy" may not fit into the category of "Kaempfert classics" but once more, this recording too, gives proof of the composing and arranging skills of this legendary musician. Enjoy !
AND THE GRAMMY AWARD FOR BEST SONG GOES TO - 1969
Winner : Bobby Russell for "Little Green Apples"
Performed by O.C. Smith
Other nominees that year were :
Tom T. Hall for "Harper Valley PTA" performed by Jeannie C. Riley
John Lennon and Paul McCartney for "Hey Jude" performed by The Beatles
Bobby Russell for "Honey" performed by Bobby Goldsboro
Paul Simon for "Mrs. Robinson" performed by Simon and Garfunkel
BERT KAEMPFERT
He was born in Hamburg, Germany, where he received his lifelong nickname, Fips, and studied at the local school of music. A multi-instrumentalist, he was hired by Hans Busch to play with his orchestra before serving as a bandsman in the German Navy during World War II. He later formed his own big band, toured with them, then worked as an arranger and producer, making hit records with Freddy Quinn and Ivo Robic. In 1961, he hired The Beatles to back Tony Sheridan for an album called My Bonnie. The album and its singles, released by Polydor, were the Beatles' first commercially released recordings.
Kaempfert's own first hit with his orchestra had been in 1960, "Wonderland by Night". Wonderland by Night couldn't get a hearing in Germany. Instead, Kaempfert brought the track to Decca Records in New York, who released it in America in 1959; with its haunting solo trumpet, muted brass, and lush strings, the single topped the American pop charts and turned Bert Kaempfert and His Orchestra into international stars. Over the next few years, he revived such pop tunes as "Red Roses for a Blue Lady," "Three O'Clock in the Morning," and "Bye Bye Blues," as well as composing pieces of his own, including "Spanish Eyes (Moon Over Naples)," "Danke Schoen," and "Wooden Heart," which were recorded by, respectively, Al Martino, Wayne Newton, and Elvis Presley. For Kaempfert, little may have brought him more personal satisfaction than Nat King Cole recording his composition "L-O-V-E".
Kaempfert's orchestra made extensive use of horns. A couple of numbers that featured brass prominently, "Magic Trumpet" and "The Mexican Shuffle", were played by both Kaempfert's orchestra and by Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass, whose initial Mariachi style, in fact, evolved towards the Kaempfert style as the 1960s progressed. The Brass covered "Magic Trumpet", and Kaempfert returned the favor by covering Brass compadre Sol Lake's number "The Mexican Shuffle". The latter tune evolved into a TV ad, The Teaberry Shuffle.
Many of his hits during this period were composed and arranged with the help of fellow German Herb Rehbein, who became a successful bandleader in his own right. Rehbein's death in 1979 shook Kaempfert deeply. Both Kaempfert and Rehbein were posthumously inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
LIVING EASY
Composed, arranged and conducted by Bert Kaempfert.
Taken from the Original album "Bert Kaempfert Now" (1971).
MHO
Bert Kaempfert further developped his unique style during the seventies and his album "Now" from 1971 can be considered as a kind of "bridge" album : it includes some sixties style songs such as "Grey eyes make me blue" and "Put your hand in the hand" but it also introduces a more "modern" big band approach with songs like "Oh Woman Oh Why" and this "Living easy" where Bert pulls the card of his entire brass section.
Pulsating, upbeat and jazzy, Kaempfert's "Living easy" may not fit into the category of "Kaempfert classics" but once more, this recording too, gives proof of the composing and arranging skills of this legendary musician. Enjoy !
