The last two tracks on the second CD of the "Polydor Singles Collection 1958-1972" are vocal. They were issued in Germany in 1972.

Why did Bert Kaempfert release "Only a Fool Would Lose You" and "Lonely is the Name" in these vocal versions?

Even the arrangements and the recording placements (drums and bass guitar to the right of the soundstage) are not strictly characteristic of the usual Kaempfert recordings.

In a way it was a pity (in my opinion) that no other vocal versions were made than these two. Now the question is : the singers are they German or recruited from elsewhere ? Part of Anita Kerr Singers ? I am not able to hear if there is any distinct German accent. What do you think ?

Nils Folke Persson

I know that James Last brought out an LP with vocal tracks ("Love Must Be the Reason") in 1972. Maybe it was the same singers.

James Last's brother (Werner Last, or Kai Warner as he called himself) also brought out similar sounding material e.g. "Moonlight and Roses" (late '60s).

I guess Bert Kaempfert had come to a crossroads where he had to decide his strategy or "profile" for the remaining part of the 1970s. Perhaps that single was an experiment to see whether the approach would be popular.

There has been some debate on the James Last website about the nationality of the singers he used. For his English language vocal albums (eg. Love Must Be The Reason), he used London-based session singers, while for some of his German language party albums (the Sing mit series), he used German singers. Some albums, he may have used a mixture of the two. Kai Warner used only German singers, as is evident on his English language vocal albums (eg. "Jusst walk on bei/Wait on ze corner/ I luff you but ve're stranchers ven ve meet"). I suspect that Kaempfert used English-language singers, as to my ears there's no trace of German accent, but I'm not sure if they're English or American.

Very amussing!

The Anita Kerr singers accompanied BK during the Albert hall performances in 1974.

Was there any connection between them before that? I know that the singers did a "tribute to" type of album to BK - in the late 60s (?)

This was just a thought, because the singing on the"World We Knew" track on the Bert Kaempfert Story double CD album sounds very like the singers on BK's two vocal tracks.

The album "Bert Kaempfert Turns Us On" by The Anita Kerr Singers was issued in 1967 on WB 1707 with 12 tracks. One track is the tribute "For Bert" composed by Anita Kerr/Rod Mc Kuen. The song was included on the BK "Gallery" album.

Although not credited, the Anita Kerr Singers are featured on the double CD "Bert Kaempfert in London" track 12 "Danke Schoen".

Nils Folke Persson.