[Dixielandjazz] Si Tu Vois Ma Mere

[Bill Haesler]

> On 15 Dec 2018, at 10:21 AM, Charles Suhor <csuhor at zebra.net> wrote:
> If that's the meaning, it doesn't seem to match the lovely melody. I wonder too what the lyrics would be, if there are any. :), :) 


Dear Charlie,
I posted the following on the DLML on 15 March 2006.
	
"Dear friends,
In reply to my request, Rich sent me the French and English lyrics, off-list, with the following comment:
"I'd post these on the DJML but, when using plain text, I can't figure out how to format the lyrics so they come out readable.  Maybe you can transcribe them and post to the DJML - that WOULD make lots of DJML'ers happy!!".
OK then.

"Si Tu Vois Ma Mere (Lonesome)"
"If You See My Mother" (1952. Music, Sidney Bechet. 1958. Lyrics, Jean Broussole)

English version:
'If you are going to see her and the great love that has abandoned me
Far from the thoughts that start to go away for-ever.'
[8 bars]

'And if you see my mother,  tell her,  tell her that I haven't written her
So great the pain it breaks my heart
Tell her for me my sadness I would have needed tender looks,
And her soft hand, to take my hand and tell her
And I shall return, sadly, close to her white hair.
Re-find my childhood heart.'
[24 bars]

I have several band versions of the song (including Bechet and Wilber) but none with a vocal.
Therefore, I am having some difficulty matching the sentimental (soppy?) words to the fine tune. It probably makes more sense in French, which I would not dare attempt to transcribe.
Over to the singers.
Kind regards,
Bill. "

•PS (Dec. 2018):
It is in my copy of 'Anderson', 1294 under the title "If You See My Mother" (Lonesome) 1958 (Lyrics. Jean Broussole. Music: Sidney Bechet) with both English and French lyrics, using the above lyrics. (Copy attached in a separate email.)

•While on the subject, you may also be interested in listmate Dick Baker's research in the supplementary Annotated Notes to his 2014 publication: 
Stomp Off Records Index of 3,828 Tunes and Composers.

Si tu vois ma mère [If You See My Mother] [I Remember When] [Lonesome] (Sidney Bechet–Jean Broussolle)
Paramount JB of Boston 1247
Grand Dominion JB 1379
<4--Aha--8/13/96 in DJML discussion of Bechet’s Si tu vois ma mere, Michael Kott (makott at mosquito.com) wrote:
The words were published in a French biography/songbook by Import Diffussion Music (42-44 rue du Fer-a-Moulin, 75005 Paris, telephone 535.44.25) in 1982. The book is entitled "Sidney Bechet, Mon Ami
Sidney". I do not have the book, only a poor copies of some of the dozen or so songs in it. The words to "SI TU VOIS MA MERE" were written by Sidney Bechet and Jean Broussolle and the music was by Sidney Bechet alone.
And Phil Crumley added:
Last week there were several postings inquiring about this tune. Yes, it does have lyrics which are:

Si tu vas la voir, dis-lui dema part, Que le grand amour ,’Quim’avait laisse etc.---

The sheet music states that the music was by Sidney Bechet, lyrics by Bechet & Jean Broussolle. It was copyrighted in 1958 by Vogue Records, Paris.
The tune is NOT about a person being lonesome for his/her mother. It is instead about a person who has lost the love of his/her life and now, because of the grief, "must return to her for her mother’s love to find some way to heal my poor broken heart."
Realized that here & elsewhere folks are referring to the song in English as "Lonesome." We have Lonesome as alternative title, but don’t have cross-ref under that title. Will put one there now. --4>
1/13/16 note from Jan Mulder says the lyricist’s name is spelled Bronsolle (it’s not), which prompted me to look for an American copyright--and I found it:

SI TU VOIS MA MERE; slow, paroles et
musique de Sidney Bechet. Piano & chant.
France. © Vogue -Records; 20May58;
EP132979.

Neither spelling is in the copyright books anywhere.

Bechet first recorded it with Claude Luter on 12 Jan 52, as an instrumental only. I’ve found the labels of the original 78 release (Vogue 5076), the original 45 release (Vogue EPL 7.488, and the original 16 2/3 rpm LP release (Vogue V.16.25001), and all credit Bechet only--and don’t have vocals. Can it be that Brousolle/Bronsolle wrote lyrics for tune later?
Jim Armstrong sings French lyrics on the Grand Dominion CD, but it credited only Bechet as well. But Phil Crumley says the sheet music he has was copyright 1958, the same year as the copyright I found in the book saying by Bechet only. Very puzzling.
I found several refs to the original 1952 Bechet recording being used in Woody Allen’s 2011 film Midnight in Paris; the credits there are

Lyrics by Sidney Bechet & Jean Broussolle 
Music by Sidney Bechet 
© Warner Chappell Music France - 1952

So obviously, Jean Broussolle was involved in the lyrics to the song, perhaps something between the original 1952 recording and 1958.
What’s hard to explain is that 1958 copyright filing leaving him off the credits at the very same time that Vogue was publishing a sheet
with his name on it.

•More than you needed to know - again.
Cheers,
Bill.