Stanley Black and his Orchestra - Malagueña (Ernesto Lecuona)
Available on iTunes
http://itunes.apple.com/gb/
album/spain/id484639731
http://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/spain/id484639731
From ''
Spain ''
Label:
Phase 4 Stereo -- SP 44016,
London Records -- SP 44016
Format:
Vinyl, LP,
Album,
Stereo,
Gatefold
Country: UK & US
Released:
1961
Tracklist
A1
Valencia
A2
Ay, Ay, Ay
A3
Malagueña
A4 Bullerias
A5
Ritual Fire Dance
B1
Granada
B2
Estrellita
B3 Macarenas
B4 Sevillanas
B5
Carmen Suite
------------------------
Originally the sixth movement of the Suite
Andalucia by
Ernesto Lecuona, who also provided it with
Spanish lyrics, the song "Malagueña" has since become a popular, jazz, marching band, and drum corps standard and has been provided with lyrics in several languages.
Notable vocal performances
A
German language version, sung by
Caterina Valente, with
Werner Müller's
Orchestra, was very popular in the
United States (not making the
Billboard chart, but charting on
Cash Box, peaking at position #42) in
February 1955.
She also has sung
Malaguena in Spanish.
English lyrics had been written by
Marian Banks and a later charting version was recorded by
Connie Francis in 1960 that reached #42 on
Billboard's chart as the flip side of her #1 pop smash "
My Heart Has A
Mind Of Its Own."
It is a Spanish folk song and is usually played on a piano at a fast pace with a repeating pattern.
Notable instrumental performances
"Malagueña" was recorded by the composer as a piano solo on the
1955 RCA Victor LP Lecuona
Plays Lecuona.
The recording is available on
RCA/
BMG CD compilations / reissues.
Bill Holman's arrangement for the
Stan Kenton Orchestra, reimagined the song as a fiery big band showpiece.
Performances of this arrangement appeared on
Kenton's 1961 album
Adventures in Jazz and on the 1962
American TV show,
Jazz Scene USA.
Marco Rizo solo piano performance of Malagueña can be found in Lecuona, a
Musical Legacy.
Rizo, who in
1938 became the official pianist of the
Havana Philharmonic, performed under the direction of
Maestro Ernesto Lecuona and gave duo piano recitals with Lecuona in
1939.
Carlos Montoya adapted it for flamenco style guitar, and it was the title track on his 1961 live album, "Malagueña" on the RCA Victor lablel.
This recording was influential in the piece becoming a guitar standard, even though it was originally written for piano.
Other popular versions
American guitarist
Roy Clark recorded an instrumental version of "Malagueña" and also performed the song in an episode of the
US TV show
The Odd Couple.
Rock versions have included an instrumental version by
Bill Haley & His Comets recorded live in
Sweden in
1968 (it was a staple of their live shows in the
1960s and
1970s, usually performed by guitarist
Nick Nastos).
An instrumental version by
Ritchie Valens was released years after his death.
A surf instrumental version of "Malagueña" has been performed by the
Trashmen, the
Bambi Molesters, and
Albatross, and is part of an arrangement of
Misirlou by
Dick Dale and others.
The genealogy of this arrangement is not known. Other instrumental versions were provided by
New Orleans piano virtuoso
James Booker, legendary New Orleans guitarist
Snooks Eaglin (as "
Funky Malagueña),
Brian Setzer on his album
Ignition,
Dave Salyer on
Red Hot Guitar, and
Buckethead on
From the Coop. "Malagueña" was also loosely adapted in
1991 by American thrash metal band
Tourniquet for their instrumental song "Viento Borrascoso" (an acoustic version was released in
1998).
Drum corps /
Marching band
"Malagueña" is one of the most often performed pieces in drum & bugle corps and marching competitions.
One of the most well known performances of this piece in recent years has been as part of the
Broadway musical Blast!, a fusion of
Corps style musical arrangements and field (stage) movements with traditional theatric elements.
The best known performance of Malagueña is regarded as the
Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps show in
1988, many witnesses call it a legendary moment in the
Drum Corps activity.
"Malagueña" has been performed numerous times by the
University of Massachusetts Minuteman Marching Band, and as such, has become one of the songs most identified with the group.
The University of Minnesota hockey pep band also plays the song after each home win by their men's hockey team.
The Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps won their second
DCI World Championship with a program including the work.
Performed by
Florida State University's
Marching Chiefs as well, in addition to being played by the
Pride of Oklahoma Marching Band. Other corps to perform the piece include the
Boston Crusaders, the
Velvet Knights,
The Cadets, the
Hawthorne Caballeros and the
Hanover (PA) Lancers.