More Fiedler: Where Is Your Doo-Wacka-Doodle

I just had to bring you one more Arthur Fiedler record, this one a promo 78 from 1953. My reasons:

1. It has a RED promo label! (Sorry for the outburst; I am a record nerd.) RCA promos of this vintage always have white labels. I have to assume it was because Fiedler and the Pops were Red Seal artists.

2. The "A" side (at least it's the "A" side for me) is "The Song from Moulin Rouge (Where Is Your Heart)," which Fiedler later re-recorded in stereo for his Music from Million-Dollar Movies LP, available via my other blog.

3. The arrangement for "Where Is Your Heart" is by blog favorite George Siravo. I never would have guessed he did this Pops arrangement, which is different from his usual style (and quite wonderful).

4. RCA flubs almost every aspect of the information on the label, attributing the music to lyricist William Engvick and the words to composer Georges Auric, and misspelling Siravo's name. (They did get Fiedler's right.)

And now for the down side, also known as the flip side.

It is a tune called "Doo Wacka Doodle," written by Lou Singer, whose greatest hit was "One Meatball," so you know what to expect. This side is attributed to "Members of the Boston Pops Orchestra," and one can speculate that the other musicians refused to participate.

The Billboard ad at left suggests that Fiedler "swings" these tunes, but "Doo Wacka Doodle" is the antithesis of swing, and "Moulin Rouge" is a lush instrumental. Copywriters should listen to the records they promote.

Not my transfer, but I did work it over and the sound is good. Highly recommended for the "Where Is Your Heart."