Daddy Dear - Isä ja lapsi

Kauko Käyhkö (see earlier entry) recorded "Isä ja lapsi" (Father and child) under his pseudonym "Justeeri" in 1956 together with Peppina (real name Peppina von Deringer). Peppina recorded half a dozen children songs in the 50's, both as a solo, and duetting with Georg Malmsten and Tapio Rautavaara. We present here also a newer popular version by Pasi Kaunisto (see earlier entry) and Susanna Nio (see earlier entry) recorded in 1972. Both versions use the lyrics by Sauvo "Saukki" Puhtila. The original song was made popular by actor/singer/comedian Danny Kaye, who recorded "Daddy Dear" (aka "Little Child") in 1955. Danny sings it with his daughter Dena Kaye. The original version is said to be the one by Bud Roman and Laurie Wayne. You can hear it, here. However, the writer of the song was American composer and producer Wayne Shanklin, whose best known song is "Chanson D'Amour".

Here's the triplet:

The Snake Charmer - Kuningaskobra

Annikki Tähti was perhaps the first really succesful Finnish female artist in popular music. She started her career in 1952 and made her first recording in 1953 along with a first appearence in a movie. In 1955 her single with the song "Muistatko Monrepos'n" in the a-side became the first Finnish Gold Record. In 1956 she had a big hit with "Kuningaskobra" (King of cobras). For some reason this song was so popular in Finland that it was recorded by 4 different artists at that same year! What's more peculiar, the lyrics of the song didn't tell a word about love but - snakes! Does this say something about the nature of Finnish people ;-). The original song "The Snake Charmer" is an old foxtrot from USA. It was composed by Teddy Powell (real name Alfred Paolella) in 1937, and was a sizeable hit in the big band era. I haven't got hold of any vocal version of this song but let's hear one of the earliest recordings by Ben Pollack and his Pick-A-Rib Boys, one of the most interesting 'small big bands' of the era. The recording was made on the 21st of September 1937.

Here's the pair: