No.15

I’m sure very few people will be able to name the man in that photo. He’s the Irishman who wrote the words of “Red Sails in the Sunset” and 1,999 other popular songs!!!

Jimmy Kennedy (1902-1984) contributed in a very big way to the popularity of the dance music of the 1930s, both here and in the States. For half a century, he and his music collaborators produced songs that were easy to sing and pleasant to listen to.

When he died, a New York newspaper reported that “the songwriter best known for Red Sails in the Sunset and April in Portugal died today at the age of 81. He won two Ivor Novello Awards for his contribution to music and received an honorary degree from the New University of Ulster. Mr Kennedy’s song writing career spanned 50 years. His familiar songs included The Hokey-Cokey (which was popular as the Hokey-Pokey dance in the United States) Teddy Bears’ Picnic and I’m Going to Hang out the Washing on the Siegfried Line.”

He usually wrote the words for melodies which had already been composed. A famous example of this was the English words he wrote for “My Prayer“ by the French violinist Georges Boulanger who had called it “Avant de mourir.”

This is “My Prayer” sung by The Inkspots



I wonder how many folk remember those words -

I saw the harbour lights
They only told me we were parting,
The same old harbour lights that once brought you to me.

I watched the harbour lights,
How could I help if tears were starting,
Goodbye to tender nights beside the silv’ry sea.

I long to hold you near and kiss you just once more
But you were on the ship and I was on the shore

Now I know lonely nights
For all the while my heart is whisp’ring
Some other harbour lights will steal your love from me

-o-0-o-

Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians were famous for their “sweet music” and this is their version of “Red Sails in the Sunset.”

-o-0-o-

‘Twas on the Isle of Capri that I found her
Beneath the shade of an old walnut tree,
Oh, I can still see the flowers blooming round her
Where we met on the Isle of Capri.

She was as sweet as a rose at the dawning
But somehow fate hadn’t meant her for me,
And though I sailed with the tide in the morning
Still my heart’s on the Isle of Capri.

Summertime was nearly over,
Blue Italian sky above,
I said “Lady, I’m a rover,
Can you spare a sweet word of love?”

She whispered softly “It’s best not to linger,”
Then as I kissed her hand I could see
She wore a plain golden ring on her finger,
‘Twas goodbye on the Isle of Capri.

-o-0-o-

Al Bowlly was said to be the British equivalent of Bing Crosby. He sang at one time or another with all the big bands, and his voice was well-known on the radio. Tragically he lost his life in the London blitz in 1941. Here he sings “South of the Border.”



Among Jimmy Kennedy’s huge output of hits, the older generation will remember Hometown, Ten Pretty Girls, Serenade in the Night, Misty Islands of the Highlands, The General’s Fast Asleep, Did your mother come from Ireland, Roll along Covered Wagon, The Sunset Trail, Poor little Angeline and that old classic The Teddy Bears’ Picnic.

It was Henry Hall’s version that made that number such a success, and I‘ll finish on it.



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A new blog JOHN'S GALLERY begins tomorrow 22nd January when 4 of Jan Vermeer's paintings including "The Girl with the Pearl Earring" will be shown. After that, a painting will be added to the site every week-day. The address is - http://johnsgallery.blogspot.com