swingin safari theme song

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A Swingin' Safari by Billy Vaughn

Songfacts®:

• This song was written by German band leader Bert Kaempfert, and was released as the title track of his 1962 album. The album went Gold in his native country. Whereas Kaempfert's recording failed to chart, Vaughn's cover reached #13 on the Billboard chart. Vaughn was Dot Records' staff producer.
• The song and the album reflect the influence that Kwela music had on Bert Kaempfert. Kwela is a genre of music originating in Southern Africa, which prominently features the use of a penny whistle. This sound was also adapted in other successful Western music, notably Paul Simon's 1986 album Graceland . In the liner notes to The Bert Kaempfert Collection , Ladi Geisler, the orchestra's bass guitarist, said: "Bert Kaempfert tried to swap the penny whistle for a piccolo. Now that was a real piece of innovation. Then, finally, it was all ready and Bert was really pleased, he had managed it, he had captured the sound of the penny whistle using the piccolo."
• This was the original theme of the TV game show The Match Game ('60s version). It was reused as a theme for several later game shows.
• More songs from Billy Vaughn
• More instrumental songs
• More TV show theme songs
• More songs from 1962

Comments: 7

• Night Heron from Etna Ca I can well remember this from the first version of The Match Game. Nice little song.
• Barry from Sauquoit, Ny On July 15th 1962, "Swingin' Safari" by Billy Vaughn & his Orchestra entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #70; and on September 2nd, 1962 it peaked at #13 and spent 12 weeks on the Top 100... It reached #5 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary Tracks chart... Between 1954 and 1966 he had twenty-eight recordings make the Top 100; with four reaching the Top 10, "Melody of Love" at #2 (for 1 week) in 1955, "Shifting Whispering Sand" at #5 in 1955, and in 1958 he released a record were both sides made the Top 10; the A-side, "Sail Along Silvery Moon", peaked at #5 while the B-side, "Raunchy", reached #10... The week "Melody of Love" was at #2 on Billboard's Best Sellers chart, the #1 record was "Sincerely" by the McGuire Sisters... R.I.P. Mr. Vaughn (1919 - 1991).
• Barry from Sauquoit, Ny In 1957 Billy Vaughn pulled off a feat that no other instrumentalist has ever matched; he had a two-sided Top Ten hit record. "Sail Along Silvery Moon" peaked at #5 while the flip-side, "Raunchy", reached #10!!!
• Steve Dotstar from Los Angeles, Ca cool little instrumental....
• Kelley from Hickory, Ky This song is vaguely similar to "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" by the Tokins though there is no direct connection that I know of. Lion was released earlier and may have been an inspiration for Kaempfert
• Murph from Peoria, Il This song was not used as an advertising jingle for Clark Teaberry Gum. The song was called "The Mexican Shuffle" (renamed for the ad campaign as "The TeaBerry Shuffle," and was played by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass. Incidentally, the exposure the song and band got through the TeaBerry gum ad is what propelled them to fame. Swingin Safari is similar enough to Mexican Shuffle that I think it would be easily confused. Murph
• Rato from Lisbon, Portugal The original version, by Bert Kaempfert (in the album of the same name) is much better than this cover. The single was released in March 2, 1962.

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A Swingin' Safari (Remastered)

September 1, 1962 12 Songs, 32 minutes ℗ 1962 Universal Music Domestic Pop, a division of Universal Music GmbH

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A Swingin' Safari

Bert kaempfert & his orchestra / bert kaempfert.

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Bert Kaempfert…And The Story Of “The Match Game” Song

Some of our readers enjoy the back stories to popular songs and tunes from yesteryear.  One in particular wrote to ask…”I’d like to know more about the “Match Game” song? We’re happy to share the story.

So wrote Carla recently, to ask about a familiar song of the 60s and 70s, one that everyone whistled and hummed, but misidentified.

“I loved the ‘Match Game’ growing up, and I loved that song.  They haven’t played it for years.  I’d like to know more about it?”

I’m glad you asked.

The Match Game was a daily game show on NBC with a long run, hosted by popular personality Gene Rayburn from its inception in 1962 until Rayburn left the cast in 1969.  The show was funny, had a great set of panel personalities, including the recently deceased Betty White, and came on each day with one of the most recognizable theme songs of that generation.

The song was actually titled, “A Swingin’ Safari” , not the “Match Game Song” (which people mistook), a composition from German composer Bert Kaempfert originally penned in that same year that The Match Game made its debut, 1962. When it was originally released as an instrumental single, it failed miserably with popular appeal. But when it was selected as the theme to the popular game show, it shot up in popularity.

It featured a lot of unique characteristics of the ‘Kaempfert’ sound, so popular at the time.  It had a happy sound, a distinctive flute lead, Kaempfert’s heavy use of amplified electric bass, and the chorus trumpet solo of famous German trumpet player, Manfred Moch.

Kaempfert’s popular touring orchestra disbanded at the time of his death, but periodically over the years reorganized and performed on the road, playing the popular songs from the height of his popularity – Spanish Eyes , Wonderland By Night, L-O-V-E, That Happy Feeling , and the old Wayne Newton hit, Danke Schoen .

Bert’s tunes are easily recognizable, and so popular still that it’s actually hard to find CDs or albums on the secondary market. Many consider his music…collectible!

Here’s a great copy of the Match Game song.  Enjoy!

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