A Swingin' Safari
Encyclopedia
A Swingin' Safari is an instrumental
composed by Bert Kaempfert
in 1962. It was recorded by Kaempfert on Polydor Records
and released in the United States
on Decca Records
. It was also recorded by Billy Vaughn
whose version became a bigger hit in the U.S. where it reached #13 on the Billboard
charts. Bill Justis
also covered the tune on his album, Alley Cat/Green Onions (Bill Justis plays 12 instrumental hits).
The song features a distinctive main theme played on the tin whistle
. The original theme music to the television game show The Match Game
(1962-1969) is Kaempfert's version, although the parts played on the show are virtually indistinguishable from the corresponding parts of Vaughn's version. It is also featured as the main theme in the Swedish game show called Vi i femman, where two teams of fifth graders compete against each other.
The song was a title track of an LP consisting of orchestrations of the South African kwela
style of penny whistle music popular in the 1950s.
The tune continues to be popular: being used in television advertisements for ING Direct in the UK, and as the rolling lap theme for the saloon stock car class in UK oval racing. It also features in the 2000 motion picture The Dish
and over the end credits of the 2009 motion picture Mary and Max
. It is also used in a 2010-2011 "Become an Ex" anti-smoking PSA for the Ad Council
.
Instrumental
An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
composed by Bert Kaempfert
Bert Kaempfert
Bert Kaempfert was a German orchestra leader and songwriter. He made easy listening and jazz-oriented records, and wrote the music for a number of well-known songs, such as "Strangers in the Night" and "Spanish Eyes".-Biography:He was born in Hamburg, Germany - where he received his lifelong...
in 1962. It was recorded by Kaempfert on Polydor Records
Polydor Records
Polydor is a record label owned by Universal Music Group, headquartered in the United Kingdom.-Beginnings:Polydor was originally an independent branch of the Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft. Its name was first used as an export label in 1924, the British and German branches of the Gramophone...
and released in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on Decca Records
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
. It was also recorded by Billy Vaughn
Billy Vaughn
Richard "Billy" Vaughn was an American singer, multi-instrumentalist, orchestra leader, and A&R man for Dot Records....
whose version became a bigger hit in the U.S. where it reached #13 on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
charts. Bill Justis
Bill Justis
William E. "Bill" Justis Jr. was an American pioneer rock and roll musician, composer, and musical arranger, best known for his 1957 Grammy Hall of Fame song, "Raunchy."-Biography:...
also covered the tune on his album, Alley Cat/Green Onions (Bill Justis plays 12 instrumental hits).
The song features a distinctive main theme played on the tin whistle
Tin whistle
The tin whistle, also called the penny whistle, English Flageolet, Scottish penny whistle, Tin Flageolet, Irish whistle and Clarke London Flageolet is a simple six-holed woodwind instrument. It is an end blown fipple flute, putting it in the same category as the recorder, American Indian flute, and...
. The original theme music to the television game show The Match Game
Match Game
Match Game is an American television game show in which contestants attempted to match celebrities' answers to fill-in-the-blank questions...
(1962-1969) is Kaempfert's version, although the parts played on the show are virtually indistinguishable from the corresponding parts of Vaughn's version. It is also featured as the main theme in the Swedish game show called Vi i femman, where two teams of fifth graders compete against each other.
The song was a title track of an LP consisting of orchestrations of the South African kwela
Kwela
Kwela is a happy, often pennywhistle-based, street music from southern Africa with jazzy underpinnings and a distinctive, skiffle-like beat. It evolved from the marabi sound and brought South African music to international prominence in the 1950s....
style of penny whistle music popular in the 1950s.
The tune continues to be popular: being used in television advertisements for ING Direct in the UK, and as the rolling lap theme for the saloon stock car class in UK oval racing. It also features in the 2000 motion picture The Dish
The Dish
The Dish is a 2000 Australian film that tells the story of how the Parkes Observatory was used to relay the live television of man's first steps on the moon, during the Apollo 11 mission in 1969...
and over the end credits of the 2009 motion picture Mary and Max
Mary and Max
Mary and Max is a 2009 Australian clay-animated black comedy-drama film written and directed by Adam Elliot and produced by Melanie Coombs. The voice cast included Philip Seymour Hoffman, Toni Collette, Eric Bana, Bethany Whitmore, with narration by Barry Humphries. The film premiered on the...
. It is also used in a 2010-2011 "Become an Ex" anti-smoking PSA for the Ad Council
Ad Council
The Advertising Council, commonly known as the Ad Council, is an American non-profit organization that distributes public service announcements on behalf of various sponsors, including non-profit organizations and agencies of the United States government....
.