Here is one for my friend, Buster, whose blog I checked before posting it. (To make sure he had not) It's "A Collection of Tangos: Inspired by the Technicolor Motion Picture Valentino - The Loves and Times of Rudolph Valentino." The movie stars Anthony Dexter and Eleanor Parker. More about it can be discovered here: http://www.gildasattic.com/valentino1951.html The performances here are by The Castilians under Victor Young. I believe they played many, if not all of the same pieces in the movie.
My love affair with tangos probably began as a kid watching Warner Brothers' cartoons in the 50s, but it took off watching Jack Lemmon (Daphne) and Joe E. Brown (Osgood Fielding III) dancing to La Cumparsita in Some Like It Hot, surely a contender for the funniest movie ever made. It has left me with the unfortunate and inappropriate urge to giggle when I hear a tango, especially that one, but it has not compromised my unfettered enjoyment of these wonderful dance tunes.
Here's a single white carnation to clench in your teeth (like Daphne!) while you dance.
Link to All Files
I had the Valentino Tango on 78 and have been searching for a "digital" version for a long time now. And here it is in lossless, yet!Lawrence, you have made my day.
ReplyDeletePhillip: I'm happy to have helped. It's always especially satisfying to hear that someone has found an item for which they have been searching. Thanks for letting me know.
ReplyDeleteLarry - I do have the LP, but I have not posted it! As you may know, I love Latin music of the 40s and 50s, even anglo renditions like this one. Thanks for this!
ReplyDeleteBuster: I figured you would probably have the record. This post is from 2 45rpm discs that a friend picked up for me when he was out thrifting. I knew immediately it was blog material. Glad you like it.
ReplyDeleteLarry, Maybe you or Buster could digitise some of the fine Continental European tango recordings; there was a "tango boom" in Europe during the second, third, and fourth decades of the past century. I have a goodly quantity on 78s by, for example various Italian and French orchestras or smaller ensembles, and they are almost as delightful as the recordings from Argentina and Cuba. There must be some European 10" or 12" LP transfers of these 1930s and 1940s 78 r.p.m. discs to work from. ¡Olé!
ReplyDeleteThere's something fragant and "remembered" about Heinz Roemheld's Valentino Tango (which was written for the film), rather like the "old standards" Harry Warren was asked to conjure up for Fox and which resulted in You'll Never Know and the like: well-attuned pastiche, I guess.
ReplyDeleteFYI my Decca 78 of it was coupled with this version of The Sheik of Araby.
I don't think I've ever posted a tango - not sure whether I have any European versions - have to look and see!
ReplyDeleteHi
ReplyDelete(anyone still reading this? ;-)
Just found your post by mere chance ... Thanks for sharing!