(Harry Purcell - Harold Parr Davies)
Australia
#8 Melbourne
Instrumental by Melbourne band.
Later, Danny Finley joined The Saxons as drummer before becoming the 'D' in MPD Ltd (see Little Boy Sad).
See also Farmer John by Johnny Cooper who was with The Saxons as vocalist for a time.
On CD: The W&G Instrumental Story [Amazon]
(Harry Purcell - Harold Parr Davies)
UK
Original version: live performance
From the stage musical Lisbon Story, first performed in London at the Hippodrome in June 1943.
Performed by the Vincent Tildsley Mastersingers in the original stage production.
From the mid-30s songwriter Harry Parr Davies (1911-1955) had toured with Gracie Fields as accompanist and writer: he wrote, for example, Wish Me Luck and Sing As We Go. See On A Parr – Harry Parr Davies at The Stage Online for a good career outline and photograph. There is also a Harry Parr Davies website.
An immensely popular song in its day, Pedro was also recorded by Gracie Fields, The New Mayfair Dance Orchestra and Carroll Gibbons & the Savoy Orpheans, among others.
(Harry Purcell - Harold Parr Davies)
UK
From the film version of Lisbon Story, in which Tauber starred as Andre Joubert.
(Lennon)
UK
Red herring
Same title but not the same song as "Pedro the Fisherman" by The Saxons.
Bootlegged recording made at John Lennon’s home.
(Harry Purcell - Harold Parr Davies)
UK
Popular recorded version by the chorus who performed it in the stage show.
(Harry Purcell - Harold Parr Davies)
Australia
On 1962 EP on Leedon,
Warren Williams Sings Famous Tenor Solos. The EP comprised songs from the pre-rock’n’roll era, light
classics usually associated with Joseph Schmidt (A Star Fell From Heaven) and Richard Tauber (Girls Were Made To Love And Kiss,
Pedro The Fisherman, Vienna City Of My Dreams).
Could this record have been a source of inspiration for The
Saxons?
For more on Sydney
singer Warren Williams see Where My Baby Goes (She Goes With Me), his first hit, and
the
biography of Warren Williams at All Music Guide.
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