(Tom Springfield)
UK
#1 UK #1 Sydney #1 Melbourne #1 Brisbane #1 Adelaide #1 Perth #3 NZ
Based on the melody of the Russian folk song Stenka Razin (or Stenka Rasin).
Australian folk lite quartet who found worldwide success after moving to London and recording with producer Tom Springfield, who wrote most of their biggest hits (I’ll Never Find Another You, World Of Our Own).
Tom Springfield and his sister Dusty, born Dion and Mary O’Brien , were members of folk-pop group The Springfields with Tim Field. They were best known in Australia for Silver Threads and Golden Needles and Island of Dreams.
Thanks to Helen for clarification.
(Traditional + Pete Seeger)
USA
On Folkways album Love Songs For Friends And Foes 1956.
River Of My People is an English-language version of the Russian folk song Stenka Razin, the melody later adapted for The Carnival Is Over.
Pete Seeger had copyrighted the song in 1953 and it was published in Sing Out magazine in that year.
Source: US Copyright Office title search.
(Hector Berlioz)
France
Some listeners have heard an echo of Stenka Razin in this work, others are not convinced.
Decide for yourself: Pop Meets the Classics had mp3 samples of the relevant works which I have posted below.
Thanks to Ostin Allegro at Pop Meets the Classics, now defunct but archived at Internet Archive.
(Traditional melody - lyrics by Dmitri Sadovnikov)
Russia
Original melody
Also spelt as Stenka Rasin, and known as Volga, Volga mat’ rodnaya from the lyrics.
Stenka Razin was a 17th century cossack rebel leader who has been celebrated in a number of songs. Frank Petersohn’s folk song site has a 1921 English translation by Jacob Robbins.
The lyricist’s name is rendered as Dmitri Sadovnikov or D. N. Sadovnika.
Thanks to Kees van der Hoeven for suggestion and background.
See also the Wikipedia entry on Stenka Razin.
(Tom Springfield - Yves Stéphane)
France
Later version
On Columbia EP.
♫ Listen at YouTube
Tino Rossi: French tenor, guitarist and actor (1907-1983) from Ajaccio on Corsica.
Adaptation by prolific French lyricist Yves Stéphane (b. Yves Montané).
Further reading: Yves Stéphane repertoire at SACEM.
Merci à Philippe de me signaler cette version.
From the 1986 album Kicking Against The Pricks.
This Australian singer, songwriter, poet and novelist, born in Warracknabeal, Victoria (me too!), had been in Melbourne band The Birthday Party in the early 80s. Like that other Melbourne success story The Seekers, his career took off after moving to Europe.
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Website by Lyn Nuttall. © Lyn Nuttall 2004-2024. Chart positions courtesy of Gavin Ryan’s Australian Chart Books and Dean Scapolo’s Complete NZ Music Charts. Special thanks to Terry Stacey for information, corrections and suggestions. Thanks also to Tony Watson, Philippe Edouard, Dave Overett.., More…