From: Christer Gustafson (chrisgus@HOTMAIL.COM)
Date: Sat Apr 17 1999 - 03:26:27 PDT
Hi ! This is a translation from an article in a Swedish magasine a few years ago. I apologize for my spelling... Lili Marlene - the true story. "The 89 years old Hans Leip died in his home at the Bodensee the 6th of June 1983. During WWI, he was in the german infantry, and 1915 he wrote the poem that was issued 22 years later in his book "Die Hafenorgel". Two years before the printing of the book, in 1935, Lili Marlene was sung by a young cabaréartist who performed under the name Liselott Wilke. It took place at a restaurant in Munich called "Simplizissimus" and the composer of the music was Rudolf Zink. A recording was made four years later, but now with a new melody. The singer was the same as in 1935, and now she used her real name: Lale Andersen. The new composer was Norbert Schultze, and it is version that became famous. In the beginning, Lili Marlene was no "hit" at all. It wasn't until August 1941. There was a german officer, Karl-Heinz Reintgen, who found the record in a box and played it at the new Belgrad radio-station. Now strange things happend. Thousands of letters and telegrams came to the small radio-station. It was wishes from front soldiers to hear the dark voice sing the sad song again and again. From the Nordkap in the north to el Alamein in Africa, they all wanted Lili Marlene. At this time, back in Germany, Lale Andersen was forbidden to perform at all. Joseph Goebles, the minister of propaganda, had found out that she was seeing jewish friends and other "not wanted persons". Now, beeing furious about it, there was very little he culd do but to let her travel around the country, visit consert-halls and military bases to sing the popular song about the girl and the soldat. His anger wasn't less, as he reallised that the enemy also had heard the record, and had started to whissle the melody on the other side of the front ! It is said that the english version was written in just 25 minutes by a man named Tommy Connor. In England, the first record was made by Anne Shelton. One million records was sold within a month ! It has also been recorded by Marlene Dietrich, Edith Piaf, Amanda Lear, Bing Crosby (!) , Perry Como and Jean Claude Pascal a.o. So, did she really excist, this Lili Marlene ? The writer, Hans Leip, awnsered once and for all, that there was two girls; a doctors daughter - Marlene, and a girl in a green-grocery - Lili. And it is said that more than 250 "sweetharts" of mr Leips has claimed to be the "source of inspiration" ! Lale Andersen was born near Bremen, she died in Wienna the 29th of August 1972." Regards - Chris ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com