CAMPBELLS ARE COMING, THE

Created on 11/09/2013
Latest update on 17/07/2023

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:

1966:

Napoleon XIV [obviously inspired his worldwide novelty hit They're Coming To Take Me Away, Ha-Haa]

1966:

Floris VI [hit NL as Ze Nemen Me Eindelijk Mee, Ha-Haa!]

1966:

Josephine XIII [as Down On The Funny Farm (oy vey)]

1966:

Josephine XV [as I'm Happy They Took You Away, ha haaa!]

1966:

Henry IX [as Don't Take Me Back, oh-nooo!]

1966:

The Emperor [as I'm Normal; Bubbling Under hit]

1966:

Teddy & Darrel [as They Took You Away, I'm Glad, I'm Glad]

1966:

Kim Fowley [as They're Coming To Take Me Away]

1966:

Ding-A-Ling [as You Know What Makes Me Mad]

1966:

Balordi [as Vengono A Portaci Via ah, aah! (It)]

1966:

Crazy Birds [as Napoleon (Sp)]

1966:

L'Empereur [as Ils finiront par m'enfermer (Fr)]

1966:

Malepartus II [als Ich glaab', die hole mich ab, ha haa! (GER)]

1966:

Gerard 'Nono' Deslauriers [as Ils s'en viennent pour me chercher and as Elle embrasse ben (Can)]

1966:

Esko Salminen [Finnish version]

1967:

Boots Walker [as They're Here; hit US]

1968:

Basile [as Engins bizarres et gens étranges]

1968:

Bob Bouber [as Ik Wil Me Donalddukkie]

1968:

Robert Caire [as Invasion! Martiens!!; both Basile and Robert Caire are an alias for Jean-Pierre Massiéra, French rocker from Nice]

1974:

Moog Konttinen [Finnish version]

1988:

Au Bonheur Des Dames [as Je bé-bégaie-gaiement]

1995:

Beavis & Butthead

2006:

Biz Markie

2010:

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.

Contact


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)

info@originals.be

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