The Bridge (Deane Waretini song)

Last updated

"The Bridge"
Single by Deane Waretini with the Rising Stars
A-side "The Bridge"
B-side "Luckenback Texas"
Label CBS
Songwriter(s) Nini Rosso, George Tait

"The Bridge" was a #1 chart hit in 1981 for New Zealand singer Deane Waretini, and his backing group The Rising Stars. This also marked a first. It was the first Maori language record to hit the no 1 spot in New Zealand. "The Bridge" is an example of an artist in the 1980s contributing to the success of a record. This was done by kick starting the process in the beginning by self-financing the record, having a hand in its own promotion by employing various tactics to get the record heard by the public.

Contents

Background

It was sung in Māori language, and set to Nini Rosso's tune "Il Silenzio". [1] The words were written Waretini's cousin, George Tait, a Te Arawa elder. [2] It pushed John Lennon off the charts when it climbed to the top. [3]

The Bridge was originally independently and self-released. It wasn't picked up CBS until later. After that it became the first no 1 song to be sung in the Maori language. It stayed at the top of the charts for two weeks. [4]

The song has a meaning to it. It centers around the construction of the Mangere Bridge. The song's lyrics refer to the linking of two cultures in New Zealand, Māori and Pakeha. [5]

Making the record

Recording

It was recorded in Auckland in the suburb of Henderson. The session took place in a garage studio that belonged to a country singer. The ensemble that backed him on the recording included musicians from the Blind Institute. According to Alan Perrotts article, "You must remember this" in the March 30, 2009 edition of The New Zealand Herald , the group that backed Waretini, referred to there as The Rising Suns, was formerly called The Radars. The trumpet player on the song who happened to be married to the niece of George Tait was Kevin Furey formerly of the Quincy Conserve. Waretini didn't have money to pay the musicians so he paid them in Kentucky Fried Chicken.

Production & promotion

He used a tactic first employed by Gary Havoc & The Hurricanes of self-financing a record, [6] Waretini paid for his own record. He had a pile of the singles produced, which cost him $96. Some singles were sent to Radio 1ZB. Waretini then bombarded them with play requests. He also managed to get it played at intermission time at Auckland's Civic Theatre. Another tactic was recruiting a news paper boy to sell copies to passing people for 50 cents a piece. (His backing band, The Rising Stars, [1] [7] two years later in 1983 would use the same approach to getting the single out there.) [8] The single which Allan Witana produced, and originally released on the Innovations label. [7] A short time later, people going into record shops looking for "The Bridge". Not long afterwards, CBS wanted to put it out. On the third of April 1981, the song went to no 1, pushing John Lennon's "Woman" from the top spot it previously held. [1] It also reached no 7 in Australia. [9]

For his part, Warentini he received $27,000 from CBS and also gave up his rights to the song. [1]

Other versions

Alternative version

There is an Unreleased Alternative Version by Waretini that appears on the Waiata Maori Showbands, Balladeers & Pop Stars , various artists compilation that was released by His Master's Voice and EMI in 2011. [10] [11]

Parody version

In 1981, the song became victim to a parody by Kevin Blackatini and the Frigids, and a record was released on the RTC label. Kevin Blackatini was actually Radio Hauraki DJ, Kevin Black. [12] [13]

Chart progress

New Zealand (R.I.A.N.Z.) Weekly Single ChartsChart position history of "The Bridge",
from Week of March 8, 1981 to Week of June 14, 1981
WKTWLWTINo 1 song
March 8, 198116216"Woman" by John Lennon
March 15, 198113167"Woman" by John Lennon
March 22, 19816138"Woman" by John Lennon
March 29, 1981569"Woman" by John Lennon
April 5, 19811510"The Bridge" by Deane Waretini
April 12, 19812111"Counting The Beat" by The Swingers
April 19, 19811212"The Bridge" by Deane Waretini
April 26, 19811113"The Bridge" by Deane Waretini
May 3, 19812114"Counting The Beat" by The Swingers
May 10, 19812215"Counting The Beat" by The Swingers
May 17, 19813216"Being With You" by Smokey Robinson
May 24, 19813317"Being With You" by Smokey Robinson
May 31, 19818318"Being With You" by Smokey Robinson
June 7, 198115819"Being With You" by Smokey Robinson
June 14, 1981191520"(Morning Train) Nine To Five" by Sheena Easton

[14]

Releases

Singles releases
TitleRelease infoYearNotes
"The Bridge" / "Luckenback Texas"Innovation INN 0091980Produced by Allan Witana
New Zealand release [7]
"The Bridge" / "Luckenback Texas" CBS BA 2227671980New Zealand release [15]
"The Bridge" in compilations
TitleRelease infoYearTrack(s)Notes
Waiata Maori Showbands, Balladeers & Pop StarsHis Master's Voice – 50999 6802952
EMI – 50999 6802952 4		2011"The Bridge"
(Unreleased Alternative Version) [10]
Nature's Best: 40 NZ Number Ones, 1970-2013 Sony Music 022392013"The Bridge" [16]
Aotearoa: The Very Best Of Our Music2014"The Bridge"Appears on DISC RUA 1975-1993

Related Research Articles

Traditional Māori music, or pūoro Māori, is composed or performed by Māori, the indigenous people of New Zealand, and includes a wide variety of folk music styles, often integrated with poetry and dance.

The Yandall Sisters were a popular New Zealand-born Samoan all-female singing group of the 1970s, who made a major contribution to music in New Zealand. The members of the group were Caroline, Mary and Adele Yandall, and later younger sister Pauline Yandall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Il Silenzio (song)</span> 1964 instrumental by Nini Rosso

"Il Silenzio" is an instrumental piece, with a small spoken Italian lyric, notable for its trumpet theme. It was written in 1965 by trumpet player Nini Rosso, its thematic melody being an extension of the same Italian Cavalry bugle call Il Silenzio d’Ordinanza used by Russian composer Tchaikovsky to open his Capriccio Italien.

Deane Waretini is a musician from New Zealand. He had a #1 chart hit in 1981 with the song "The Bridge", a Māori language song set to Nini Rosso's tune "Il Silenzio". He is also the son of a historically significant Maori baritone singer and recording artist. In later years, Waretini was featured in a New Zealand television production that was built around him.

Kevin Black, known professionally as Blackie, was a New Zealand radio broadcaster. A former breakfast host on Auckland's Radio Hauraki, he was once the highest-paid private radio DJ in New Zealand.

Bunny Te Kokiri Miha Waahi Walters was a New Zealand singer who had a number of New Zealand hits during the 1970s. He is best known for the hits "Brandy" and "Take the Money and Run".

RTC is a New Zealand record label which licensed recordings from overseas Independent labels in the United States and in the United Kingdom.

Deane Waretini Snr was a famous Maori baritone singer from Rotorua. He was possibly the first Maori singer to be commercially recorded, together with his cousin Ana Hato. His son Deane Waretini would also be a first with his no 1 hit The Bridge, which became the first Maori language song to be no 1 in the New Zealand music charts.

<i>Now Is the Hour</i> (Deane Waretini album) 2012 studio album by Deane Waretini

Now is the Hour is an album by New Zealand singer Deane Waretini, best known for his 1981 hit single The Bridge. The album contains songs from the Bridge era as well as later recorded songs. Around the same time, Waretini also starred in a Scottie Douglas Productions television series of the same name.

Now is the Hour is a mockumentary television series starring New Zealand singer Deane Waretini who had a #1 hit with The Bridge in 1981.

<i>Waretini</i> 1981 studio album by Deane Waretini

Waretini is an album by Deane Waretini which features his hit single "The Bridge".

<i>The Mauri Hikitia</i> 1981 compilation album by Various

The Mauri Hikitia is a various artists album released in 1981. It reached no 4 on the New Zealand charts. It features Rhonda, Ken Kincaid, Deane Waretini, and the Lightwood family.

The Quincy Conserve was a New Zealand group that were active from 1967 to 1975. Originating from Wellington, they were one of the biggest bands in the lower North Island.

Ode Records is a New Zealand record label. Artists recordings released through the label include Herb McQuay, Deane Waretini. The first release on the label was a single in 1968, "Sally I Do" by Abdullahs' Regime. The label also became an important outlet for ethnic and world music, especially music from Melanesian and Polynesian sources.

The Radars were a New Zealand group that was made up of mainly visually impaired musicians. They backed Deane Waretini on his no 1 hit "The Bridge" in 1981, and they won the Best Polynesian Album award at the 1983 New Zealand Music Awards. They played mainly around Auckland.

Tony McCarthy Recordings was a New Zealand record label owned by record producer Tony McCarthy. Some of the artists on the label were Deane Waretini and Mahia Blackmore. The label is also a representation of the only released recordings by singer Abe Phillips who was killed in an accident in 1971.

Waiata : Maori Showbands, Balladeers & Pop Stars is a compilation album of historical performances by various artists released on compact disc in 2001 by the His Master's Voice and EMI labels. It features recordings by Prince Tui Teka, the Maori Volcanics, the Howard Morrison Quartet, The Quin Tikis, Billy T. James, and John Rowles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hei Konei Rā</span> 1984 single by Pātea Māori Club

"Hei Konei Rā", also known as "Hei Konei Ra (Farewell)" on its original release, is a song by Pātea Māori Club. Originally written in sessions with Ngoi Pēwhairangi and Dalvanius Prime in Tokomaru Bay in 1982, it was released as their third single in late 1984 or early 1985, prior to the band's tour of the United Kingdom. The song peaked at number 21 in New Zealand, and was later included in their 1987 debut album Poi E.

Maimoa is a New Zealand musical group. Formed from current and former presenters from the Māori Television show Pūkana, the group debuted in 2016 with the single "Maimoatia", which was released to celebrate te Wiki o te Reo Māori. Since their debut, the group has continued to release pop singles sung in te Reo Māori, including "Wairua" (2017), a viral hit produced by members of the New Zealand band Sons of Zion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maisey Rika</span> Māori singer-songwriter

Maisey Rika is a New Zealand singer, songwriter and composer, performing in both English and Māori. Her five original albums have each reached the Top 40 in the Official New Zealand Music Chart. She was named an Arts Foundation Laureate in 2021, has received awards at the Waiata Māori Music Awards and APRA Awards, including APRA Best Māori Songwriter in 2010 and 2013, and has twice won Best Māori Language Album at the NZ Music Awards.

References

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.