Thursday 8 September 2022

Udo Jurgens and Don Black

 

I don't know if Don Black ever met Udo Jurgens, he doesn't say so in his "autobiography" The Sanest Man in the Room. So I guess not. Which is strange as Black wrote lyrics to two of the melodies written by Udo. Don Black says that it was Matt Monro who encouraged him to write lyrics. Matt had fallen "in love with an Austrian melody by Udo Jurgens called Warum, nur Warum and Don wrote the lyrics for Walk Away. One of my favourite songs of all time.

Warum, nur Warum was written and performed by Jurgens at the 1964 Eurovision Song Contest,where it came 6th, and is on YouTube. If only Matt had sung, it might have won. Matt's performance at that same contest came second. Although Jurgens did win later in 1966. There are many versions of both songs on YouTube, but it is Matt's version that stands out. The orchestral arrangement is absolutely superb as the strings run a counterpoint to the melody. That's why I love it so much. No wonder it reached number 2 in the charts.

The other Jurgens melody to which Don Black wrote the lyrics is the song If I Never Sing Another Song, originally recorded by Matt Monro and covered by many artists including Connie Francis, who use the song as their closing number. 

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