[Dixielandjazz] Charlie/propaganda swing

[David W. Littlefield]

Jerry Brown offered a "Proper Box" called "Swing Tanzen verboten"--4 CDs of
German 1933-44 dance music, 2 CDs of occuipied Europe swing, and 1 
23-track CD of Charlie. I haven't had a chance to listen to any of it yet.

--Sheik

At 11:42 PM 6/1/2003 +1000, Anton wrote:
>"Charlie" was Karl Schwedler, a singer who made approx 90 recordings in
>Berlin between March 1941 and February 1943. The "orchestra" of "Charlie
>and his orchestra" was that of Lutz Templin and included such well-known
>players as Kurt Abraham (reeds), Willy Berking (trombone) and Freddie
>Brocksieper (drums).
>
>Schwedler sang in English and the format of the performances was to take a
>popular British or American song and sing it in a "propaganda" version
>(often after singing it "straight"). The nature of the propaganda varied
>from drawing attention to Allied losses to offensive attacks on the allied
>leadership, mixed with the occasional dose of anti-semitism. The quality of
>the big band swing was high, but I agree with Steve Barbone that the
>playing tended to be a bit stiff.
>
>St Louis Blues becomes Blackout Blues and is sung by "a negro from the
>London docks" who hates to see the evening sun go down "cos the Germans, he
>done bomb this town".
>
>Miss Annabelle Lee becomes Miss BBC.
>Bye Bye Blackbird becomes Bye Bye Empire and has Churchill lamenting that
>all he'll have left is the London zoo.