Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Another version of the Friesenlied


Lale Andersen - "Wo die Nordseewellen"


Here is another version of "Where the North Sea Waves" or "Friesenlied." This version was recorded by Lale Andersen, probably in 1961. Andersen was born in 1905 and became very famous in 1939 with their hit recording of "Lili Marleen," a soldier song originally written as a poem in 1915 by the German soldier Hans Leip, before he went into war. In 1937, Norbert Schultze composed a tune to the text and Andersen cut the song in the summer of 1939 in Berlin for the Electrola label.

When Andersen cut "Wo die Nordseewellen," she was still very popular in Germany, although her hit making days were over. I couldn't find any information on the recording details, but I guess this version was cut for Polydor. Andersen also sings one verse in Low German.

If you are interested in more traditional German songs, please let me know!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Great rendition of a beautiful song. Lale Andersen was well-loved in Bremerhaven, where I spent a year or so in the late fifties. The North Sea German coast and islands are beautuful and largely under-appreciated. This song and other of the area recall pleasant memories.