Artist: Infantry Regiment #8
Author: Jacques Offenbach
Label: Victor
Year: 1902
Instrumental. Originally composed as overture (Elves' song) in opera Les Fées du Rhin (Die Rheinnixen) in 1864. Same melody recycled as aria Belle nuit, ô nuit d'amour in Les Contes d'Hoffman, first staged (posthumously) in 1881 (libretto by Jules Barbier & Michel Carré). A barcarolle is a song set to the rhythm of Venetian gondoliers rowing.
Covers:
John McCormack [with Fritz Kreisler on violin]
Comedian Harmonists [as Schöne Nacht, O Liebesnacht]
Tommy Dorsey [swing version]
Andrews Sisters [as Lovely Night]
Elvis Presley [in Tonight Is So Right For Love in film G.I. Blues; no kidding (see also: Geschichten aus dem Wienerwald)]
Gerd Böttcher [as Adieu, leb wohl, goodbye]
Electric Johnny & The Skyrockets [instrumental Indo-rock]
Bob Benny [as Droom Van Mij]
Jerry Vale [as On And On]
Donald Peers [in Please Don't Go; n°3 UK]
Eddy Arnold [idem]
Jack Jersey [as Tonight Is Allright For Love]
Helmut Lotti [as Hold Me Tight]
Bob Dylan [main theme inspired the melody line in I've Made Up My Mind To Give Myself To You]
Copyright problems blocked the European release of his cover of Offenbach's Barcarolle on the G.I. Blues soundtrack. The European Tonight Is So Right For Love, as Tonight's All Right For Love is set to a different tune: that of Johann Strauss Jr.'s Geschichten aus dem Wienerwald. That's the version on Elvis box set Platinum - A Life In Music. Ferruccio Giannini's Barcarolle (Berliner - 1896) was his own composition.
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)