Artist: Chorus of the Children's Opera Group
Author: Carl Orff/Gunild Keetman/Margaret Murray
Label: His Master's Voice/Trunk
Year: 1957
On Music For Children (reissued on cd in 2013); Orff wrote a lot for schools. Keetman was one of his pupils. Only the spoken word transcription by Margaret Murray holds these extra Aha-Ahaa's behind The Campbells are coming. Taptoo brass bands play it as a regular march. The tune actually dates from 1715 and was first recorded (on cylinder) by piper John MacColl in 1894.
Covers:
Napoleon XIV [obviously inspired his worldwide novelty hit They're Coming To Take Me Away, Ha-Haa]
Floris VI [hit NL as Ze Nemen Me Eindelijk Mee, Ha-Haa!]
Josephine XIII [as Down On The Funny Farm (oy vey)]
Josephine XV [as I'm Happy They Took You Away, ha haaa!]
Henry IX [as Don't Take Me Back, oh-nooo!]
The Emperor [as I'm Normal; Bubbling Under hit]
Teddy & Darrel [as They Took You Away, I'm Glad, I'm Glad]
Kim Fowley [as They're Coming To Take Me Away]
Ding-A-Ling [as You Know What Makes Me Mad]
Balordi [as Vengono A Portaci Via ah, aah! (It)]
Crazy Birds [as Napoleon (Sp)]
L'Empereur [as Ils finiront par m'enfermer (Fr)]
Malepartus II [als Ich glaab', die hole mich ab, ha haa! (GER)]
Gerard 'Nono' Deslauriers [as Ils s'en viennent pour me chercher and as Elle embrasse ben (Can)]
Esko Salminen [Finnish version]
Boots Walker [as They're Here; hit US]
Basile [as Engins bizarres et gens étranges]
Bob Bouber [as Ik Wil Me Donalddukkie]
Robert Caire [as Invasion! Martiens!!; both Basile and Robert Caire are an alias for Jean-Pierre Massiéra, French rocker from Nice]
Moog Konttinen [Finnish version]
Au Bonheur Des Dames [as Je bé-bégaie-gaiement]
Tiny Tim [as Comin' To Take Me Away]
Napoleon XIV (real name: Jerry Samuels) was obviously also inspired by the theme in Beatrice Kay's Hooray, Hooray, I'm Going Away with the Mitchell Ayers orch. (Columbia - '47). As there was no actual melody involved, royalties were not required either, explaining the multitude of parodies.
If you noticed blunt omissions, mis-interpretations or even out-and-out errors,
please let me know:
Arnold Rypens
Rozenlaan 65
B-2840 Reet (Rumst)