The Woodpecker Song

1940 sheet music cover featuring Glenn Miller. Robbins Music, New York.

1940 RCA Bluebird 78 single release by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra, B-10598-A.

"The Woodpecker Song" is a 1940 hit separately recorded by Glenn Miller & His Orchestra, ^[1] The Andrews Sisters, and Kate Smith. It is the cover of a 1939 Italian folk song, "Reginella campagnola" ("Queen of the Countryside"), with music by Eldo Di Lazzaro and lyrics by Bruno Cherubini (pseudonym "C. Bruno"). The English lyrics were written by Harold Adamson. ^[2]

The Glenn Miller recording on RCA Bluebird featuring Marion Hutton on vocals reached No. 1 on the Your Hit Parade chart in 1940 where it topped the charts for seven weeks. ^[3]

Recorded versions

• Glenn Miller & His Orchestra. Vocalist: Marion Hutton. Recorded on January 29, 1940. Released on a 78 rpm A side single record by Bluebird Records as catalog number 10598 backed with "Let's All Sing Together". ^[4] It "ranked third in jukeboxes in 1940." ^[1]
• The Andrews Sisters. Recorded on February 21, 1940. Released on a 78 rpm record by Decca Records as catalog number 3065A. ^[5]
• Kate Smith with Jack Miller Orchestra. Recorded on February 25, 1940. Released on a 78 rpm record by Columbia Records as catalog number 35398. ^[6]
• Josephine Siao. Recorded in Cantonese under the title of "Swallow Flying in Pair" (燕雙飛, Jin³ Soeng¹Fei¹) in 1967 and released by Fung Hang Record ^[7] of Hong Kong under catalog number FHEP400 ^[8] as one of the theme songs of the Cantonese movie You Are My Love. ^[9]
• In South America in the 1980s, the melody was used for a Christmas carol, with the lyrics adapted with Christmas motifs.^{[ citation needed ]}

On film

• Chico Marx performs a piano arrangement of the song in the Marx Brothers film, Go West (MGM, 1940)
• Gene Autry and Mary Lee - "The Woodpecker Song" from Ride, Tenderfoot, Ride (Republic Pictures, 1940)

References

1. Gilliland, John (1994). Pop Chronicles the 40s: The Lively Story of Pop Music in the 40s (audiobook). ISBN   978-1-55935-147-8. OCLC   31611854. Tape 2, side A.
2. The Woodpecker Song Lyrics
3. Song artist 11 - Glenn Miller.tsort.info.
4. Bluebird Records in the 10500 - 10999 series
5. Decca Records in the 3000 - 3499 series
6. Columbia Records in the 35200 to 35499 series
7. http://www.funghang.com/200610/asp/00_news.asp
8. Original soundtrack EP record of movie <You Are My Love (我的愛人就是你)>
9. You Are My Love (我的愛人就是你)