Sabre Dance

The "Sabre Dance" (Armenian: Սուսերով պար, Suserov par; Russian: Танец с саблями, Tanets s sablyami) is a movement in the final act of Aram Khachaturian's ballet Gayane (1942), "where the dancers display their skill with sabres." It is Khachaturian's best known and most recognizable work. Its middle section is based on an Armenian folk song. According to Tigran Mansurian, it is a synthesis of an Armenian wedding dance tune from Gyumri tied in a saxophone counterpoint "that seems to come straight from America."

In 1948 the "Sabre Dance" became a jukebox hit in the United States. Due to its popularity, Newsweek suggested that 1948 could be called "Khachaturian Year in the United States." In that year, three versions of the "Sabre Dance" (one played by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and conducted by Artur Rodziński; another one by the New York Philharmonic, conducted by Efrem Kurtz; and by Oscar Levant) reached number one in the Billboard Best-Selling Records by Classical Artists. These three versions were included in the Year's Top Selling Classical Artists by Billboard in 1948. The "Sabre Dance" became the first million-selling record of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. According to the Current Biography Yearbook, it was Levant's performance that "received popular attention."

Love Sculpture

Love Sculpture were a Welsh blues-rock band of the late 1960s, led by Dave Edmunds (born David William Edmunds, 15 April 1944, Cardiff, Glamorgan, South Wales), plus bassist John David (born John David Williams, 19 January 1946, Cardiff, South Wales) and drummer Rob 'Congo' Jones (born Robert Jones, 13 August 1946, Barry, Glamorgan, South Wales).

Career

Love Sculpture was founded in Cardiff in 1966 by former members of The Human Beans. The group disbanded in 1970, although Edmunds went on to enjoy solo success in the 1970s. Love Sculpture mostly performed blues standards, slightly revved-up, but still close to the originals. Their debut album, Blues Helping, included songs as "Summertime" and "Wang Dang Doodle".

They are best known for their 1968 novelty hit in the UK Singles Chart, a high speed cover version of the classical piece "Sabre Dance" by Aram Khachaturian, released on the Parlophone label (R 5744), which reached No. 5 in the UK Singles Chart in December 1968. The recording was inspired by Keith Emerson's classical rearrangements. "Sabre Dance" became a hit after receiving air play by British DJ John Peel. In December 1968, the UK music magazine, NME, reported that Love Sculpture had signed a US recording contract with London Records, guaranteeing £250,000. The band were also given an invitation to perform "Sabre Dance" live, on the German Beat-Club television programme of Radio Bremen, being broadcast in monochrome at that time.