Bert Kaempfert –

Live In London

Selections from the concert recorded live at the Royal Albert Hall

“I was often asked to go on a concert tour. Earlier, when I still worked as a musician myself, I went on tour a lot, by bus or by truck.
I wouldn’t like to go back to that! But there’s another reason why I don’t go on tour: I wouldn’t get the musicians that I’ve got in the studio. I can’t just take them with me - they don’t want to lose their jobs. Most of my people have got permanent jobs, in radio, in television or in a record company. They can’t get out of their contracts. They’ve got too much to do with recording deadlines, and then I’d just get second-class or third-class musicians. Besides, all my records are recorded in Hamburg studios. The sound that people are used to getting on a record is virtually impossible to reproduce in a concert hall. But one day, someone else came up to me, John Martin, and asked me that question again: ‘How about a tour of England?’ I replied that I don’t do tours. For years, I kept saying no. His next question was: ‘What about just one date in the Albert Hall in London?’ And I asked: ‘Just one date? One concert?’ − ‘Yes!’ − I’d never thought about that. He said: ‘You’ll get the best musicians you could ever want, the best in London. You can also bring your own musicians with you, as many as you like.’ And I said: ‘Why not? Let me think about it.’ Yes, that’s how the concert came about.”
Bert Kaempfert

In addition to his greatest hits, Bert Kaempfert also selected some classics from the swing era and more recent compositions of his own for the program. All the songs had to be newly arranged for the concert orchestra. Bert Kaempfert brought his key musicians to England with him. In addition, British instrumentalists were hired. Rehearsals took place a few days before the concert, in an old cinema in the London district of Chelsea. These premises were anything but comfortable and did nothing to provide a pleasant working environment. Working together proved more difficult than anticipated. Moreover, there were differences of opinion between the guest interpreter, Anita Kerr, and the production company recording the entire concert for television. Bert Kaempfert tried to mediate, but without success. Consequently, the performance by the Anita Kerr Singers, who had brought out a complete album of Kaempfert hits back in 1968, was not recorded in the end.
“The Brits kept taking breaks all the time and referring to their trade union. In the end, their concertmaster, who was also orchestra manager and trade unionist, got so drunk that he couldn’t play anymore. When something like that happens, a musician can normally forget about playing again for years. He’s fired. But Fips handled it well, and simply sent the man home without making a big fuss. The next day, he came back with his tail between his legs and apologized profusely. Now Fips could have the breaks when it suited him. From then on, he was well in with the Brits, and they all suddenly had a lot of respect for him.″
Lucas Lindholm, bass guitar

On April 22, 1974, Bert Kaempfert went on stage with his great orchestra for the first time in the venerable Royal Albert Hall in London and gave two live concerts on the same day. Following a spectacular introduction, he greeted the audience with a simple “Good evening”. With his reserved, charming manner and his slightly faltering commentaries in English with American accent he won the hearts of the audience, who nevertheless immediately saw that Bert Kaempfert was a musician through and through. After just a few bars, he managed to fill the normally cool English audience with enthusiasm in both performances. The 7,000 people at each concert were enraptured, even in the boxes occupied by the aristocracy and prominent figures, where the ladies and gentlemen normally only used to clap discreetly, there was lively applause that evening. Both performances were an unprecedented success.
Shortly afterwards, Polydor released 1975 the LP ‘Live In London’, a selection of 12 songs from the concert. Due to other productions with Bert Kaempfert and his Orchestra in the years that followed, the second LP ‘Live In London’ Vol. 2 that was planned at the time was subsequently forgotten.

Label: Universal