Lady of Spain (song)
Encyclopedia
"Lady Of Spain" is a popular
song, written in 1931
by Robert Hargreaves, Tolchard Evans
, Stanley J. Damerell, and Henry Tilsley.
. Starting in 1947, Dick Contino
popularized the song in a Horace Heidt
-Philip Morris
series of talent contests. This was the theme song of Myron Floren
, the accordionist on The Lawrence Welk Show
.
A recording by Eddie Fisher
with Hugo Winterhalter
and his orchestra was made at Manhattan Center
, New York City
, on July 18, 1952. It was released by RCA Victor Records as catalog number 20-4953 (in USA) and by EMI
on the His Master's Voice label as catalog number B 10362.
The song has also been covered by Bing Crosby
and as a guitar instrumental with Les Paul
on Capitol Records
.
as one of the few songs that the band that some of the members of the Drones Club
actually know. They went on to perform this in several locations as black faced minstrels; in one scene, Hugh Laurie
(as Bertie Wooster
, hiding from the father of an erstwhile girl-friend), performed as their vocalist.
In his novel Gravity's Rainbow
, Thomas Pynchon
references the song. It is mentioned briefly in the description of a party being held by Lieutenant Slothrop.
The song was also featured in the 1977 film Slap Shot
, where player/coach Reggie Dunlop (played by Paul Newman
) tears up the organist's music and tells him "Don't ever play 'Lady Of Spain' again!". This line is still popular today in several teams' arenas, where the fans will respond with Newman's line if Lady Of Spain is played during the game.
"Lady of Spain" was performed by Marvin Suggs
on his Muppaphone on The Muppet Show
and appears on the Muppet Show 25th anniversary compilation The Muppet Show: Music, Mayhem, and More
.
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
song, written in 1931
1931 in music
-Events:*May 21 - RCA Victor's first commercially issued 33⅓ rpm record, "Salon Suite, No. 1" by The Victor Salon Orchestra, directed by Nathaniel Shilkret, was recorded*Roy Rogers' musical career begins*Mary Garden retires from the Chicago Opera...
by Robert Hargreaves, Tolchard Evans
Tolchard Evans
Sydney Edmund Tolchard Evans was a British songwriter, composer, pianist and bandleader, whose works were popular from the 1920s to the 1960s....
, Stanley J. Damerell, and Henry Tilsley.
Performance
The song is often played on the accordionAccordion
The accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
. Starting in 1947, Dick Contino
Dick Contino
Dick Contino is an American accordionist and singer.Contino studied accordion primarily with San Francisco-based Angelo Cognazzo, and occasionally with Los Angeles-based Guido Deiro. Early on he exhibited great virtuosity on the instrument...
popularized the song in a Horace Heidt
Horace Heidt
Horace Heidt was an American pianist, big band leader, and radio and television personality. His band, Horace Heidt and His Musical Knights, toured vaudeville and performed on radio and television through the 1930s and 1940s.-Biography:Born in Alameda, California, Heidt attended Culver...
-Philip Morris
Philip Morris USA
Philip Morris USA is the United States tobacco division of Altria Group, Inc. Philip Morris USA brands include Marlboro, Virginia Slims, Benson and Hedges, Merit, Parliament, Alpine, Basic, Cambridge, Bucks, Dave's, Chesterfield, Collector's Choice, Commander, English Ovals, Lark, L&M, Players and...
series of talent contests. This was the theme song of Myron Floren
Myron Floren
Myron Floren was an American musician best known as the accordionist on The Lawrence Welk Show between 1950 and 1982...
, the accordionist on The Lawrence Welk Show
The Lawrence Welk Show
The Lawrence Welk Show is an American televised musical variety show hosted by big band leader Lawrence Welk. The series aired locally in Los Angeles for four years , then nationally for another 27 years via the ABC network and first-run syndication .In the years since first-run syndication...
.
A recording by Eddie Fisher
Eddie Fisher (singer)
Edwin Jack "Eddie" Fisher , was an American entertainer. He was one of the world's most famous and successful singers in the 1950s, selling millions of records and hosting his own TV show. His divorce from his first wife, Debbie Reynolds, to marry his best friend's widow, Elizabeth Taylor, garnered...
with Hugo Winterhalter
Hugo Winterhalter
Hugo Winterhalter was an American musician.An easy listening arranger and composer, Winterhalter was born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Mount St. Mary's near Emmitsburg, Maryland in 1931, where he played saxophone for the orchestra and sang in two of the choirs...
and his orchestra was made at Manhattan Center
Manhattan Center
The Manhattan Center building, built in 1906 and located at 311 West 34th Street in Midtown Manhattan, houses Manhattan Center Studios , its Grand Ballroom, and the Hammerstein Ballroom, one of New York City's most renowned performance venues...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, on July 18, 1952. It was released by RCA Victor Records as catalog number 20-4953 (in USA) and by EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
on the His Master's Voice label as catalog number B 10362.
The song has also been covered by Bing Crosby
Bing Crosby
Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American singer and actor. Crosby's trademark bass-baritone voice made him one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century, with over half a billion records in circulation....
and as a guitar instrumental with Les Paul
Les Paul
Lester William Polsfuss —known as Les Paul—was an American jazz and country guitarist, songwriter and inventor. He was a pioneer in the development of the solid-body electric guitar which made the sound of rock and roll possible. He is credited with many recording innovations...
on Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
.
Popular culture
The song was also featured in the TV Version of Jeeves and WoosterJeeves and Wooster
-External links:*—An episode guide to the series, including information about which episodes were adapted from which Wodehouse stories.*—Episode guides, screenshots and quotes from the four series....
as one of the few songs that the band that some of the members of the Drones Club
Drones Club
The Drones Club is a recurring fictional location in the stories of British comic writer P. G. Wodehouse, being a gentlemen's club in London. Many of his Jeeves and Blandings Castle stories feature the club or its members....
actually know. They went on to perform this in several locations as black faced minstrels; in one scene, Hugh Laurie
Hugh Laurie
James Hugh Calum Laurie, OBE , better known as Hugh Laurie , is an English actor, voice artist, comedian, writer, musician, recording artist, and director...
(as Bertie Wooster
Bertie Wooster
Bertram Wilberforce "Bertie" Wooster is a recurring fictional character in the Jeeves novels of British author P. G. Wodehouse. An English gentleman, one of the "idle rich" and a member of the Drones Club, he appears alongside his valet, Jeeves, whose genius manages to extricate Bertie or one of...
, hiding from the father of an erstwhile girl-friend), performed as their vocalist.
In his novel Gravity's Rainbow
Gravity's Rainbow
Gravity's Rainbow is a postmodern novel written by Thomas Pynchon and first published on February 28, 1973.The narrative is set primarily in Europe at the end of World War II and centers on the design, production and dispatch of V-2 rockets by the German military, and, in particular, the quest...
, Thomas Pynchon
Thomas Pynchon
Thomas Ruggles Pynchon, Jr. is an American novelist. For his most praised novel, Gravity's Rainbow, Pynchon received the National Book Award, and is regularly cited as a contender for the Nobel Prize in Literature...
references the song. It is mentioned briefly in the description of a party being held by Lieutenant Slothrop.
The song was also featured in the 1977 film Slap Shot
Slap Shot (film)
Slap Shot is a 1977 film comedy starring Paul Newman and Michael Ontkean directed by George Roy Hill. It depicts a minor league hockey team that resorts to violent play to gain popularity in a declining factory town.- Plot :...
, where player/coach Reggie Dunlop (played by Paul Newman
Paul Newman
Paul Leonard Newman was an American actor, film director, entrepreneur, humanitarian, professional racing driver and auto racing enthusiast...
) tears up the organist's music and tells him "Don't ever play 'Lady Of Spain' again!". This line is still popular today in several teams' arenas, where the fans will respond with Newman's line if Lady Of Spain is played during the game.
"Lady of Spain" was performed by Marvin Suggs
Marvin Suggs
Marvin Suggs is a puppet musician in the world of Jim Henson's The Muppets, voiced by Frank Oz.Marvin Suggs is a blue "whatnot" Muppet that wears a frilly, multicolored shirt...
on his Muppaphone on The Muppet Show
The Muppet Show
The Muppet Show is a British television programme produced by American puppeteer Jim Henson and featuring Muppets. After two pilot episodes were produced in 1974 and 1975, the show premiered on 5 September 1976 and five series were produced until 15 March 1981, lasting 120 episodes...
and appears on the Muppet Show 25th anniversary compilation The Muppet Show: Music, Mayhem, and More
The Muppet Show: Music, Mayhem, and More
The Muppet Show: Music, Mayhem, and More is a Muppets soundtrack/compilation album released in 2002 by Rhino. Its release commemorates the 25th anniversary of The Muppet Show. Although the disc is considered a Muppets Show and Muppets soundtrack collection, it includes two tracks that originated on...
.