Bert Kaempfert, born Berthold Heinrich Kämpfert (Hamburg, October 16, 1923– June 21, 1980) was a German orchestra leader, multi-instrumentalist, music producer, arranger and composer. He made easy listening and jazz-oriented records and wrote the music for several well-known songs, including “Strangers in the Night” and “Moon Over Naples”.
Kaempfert’s own first hit with his orchestra had been “Wonderland by Night”. Recorded in July 1959, the song couldn’t get a hearing in Germany, so Kaempfert took the track to Decca Records in New York, who released it in America in the fall of 1960. With its haunting solo trumpet (by Charles Tabor), muted brass, and lush strings, the single topped the American pop charts and turned Bert Kaempfert and Orchestra into international stars.
Over the next few years, he revived such pop tunes as “Tenderly”, “Red Roses for a Blue Lady”, “Three O’Clock in the Morning”, and “Bye Bye Blues”, as well as composing pieces of his own, including “Spanish Eyes” (a.k.a. “Moon Over Naples”), “Danke Schoen”, and “Wooden Heart”, which were recorded by, respectively, Al Martino, Wayne Newton, and Elvis Presley. For Kaempfert, little may have brought him more personal satisfaction than Nat King Cole recording his “L-O-V-E”.
208 recordings by Bert Kaempfert you can hear at Instrumentals Forever:
(I’ll Be With You) In Apple Blossom Time • A Man Could Get Killed’ (Main Title) • A Song For Satch • A Swingin’ Safari • A Tune For Tony • Afrikaan Beat • Airmail Special • All I Ever Need Is You • Almost There • Andorinha Preta (Brazilian Love Song) • Angelica • Apple Honey • Are We Becoming Strangers • As I Love You • At The Rainbow’s End • At The Woodchopper’s Ball • Baby Elephant Walk • Beddoes Shadows • Beddy-Bye (Strangers In The Night) • Bert’s Bossa Nova • Besame Mucho • Black Beauty • Blue Midnight • Blueberry Hill • Body And Soul • Boo Hoo • But Not Today (A Theme From The Universal Picture ”A Man Could Get Killed”) • But Not Today (Sale Fish) • Bye Bye Blackbird • Bye Bye Blues • Cachaca Mecanica • Canta De Ossanha • Cha Cha Brasilia • Chicken Talk • Children Of Peace • Clues Dropper – A Tape Sandwich – Rude Awakening • Cotton Candy • Cracklin’ Rosie • Cry Baby Cry • Daybreak Serenade • Dino’s Melody • Don’t Go • Down To The Docks – A Deadly Game • Dream • Dreaming The Blues • Dreams (Sueños) • Drifting And Dreaming (Sweet Paradise) • Every Sunday Morning • Everybody Loves Somebody • Explosive Welcome – Bi-Naveled – Key Note • Foiled In Oil • Footprints In The Sand (Huellas En La Arena) • Forever My Love • Forgive Me • Free As A Bird • Friends • Games People Play • Goodnight Sweet Dreams • Handy Brandy – Hail The Azalea • Happy Safari • Happy Trumpeter • Happyness Never Comes Too Late (Das Glück kommt nie zu spät) • Here’s My Life (Here’s My Love) • Hi-De-Ho (That Old Sweet Roll) • Highland Dreams • I Can’t Give You Anything But Love • I Can’t Help Remembering You • I Love How You Love Me • I Love You So • I Remember Loving You • I Will Never Stop Loving You • If I Had You • I’m Beginning To See The Light • In The Mood • Intermission Riff • Island In The Sun • It Makes No Difference • It’s Only A Paper Moon • I’ve Gotta Be Me • Java • Jump In The Line • Jumpin’ At The Woodside • Just As Much As Ever • La vie en rose • Limbo Lady • Little Brown Jug • Living It Up • Lonely Nightingale • Lonesome • LOVE • Love Comes But Once • Love Letters • Love Me Happy • Love Me Tender • Lover • Lullaby For Lovers • Lullaby Of Birdland • Magnolia Blossoms • Mambo Mania • Maria Elena • Marie • Market Day • Melancholy Serenade • Melina • Milica (Sweet María) • Mombasa Rock • Monkey Shuffle • Moon Over Miami • Moonglow • Moonlight Serenade • My Love • My Prayer • My Way • Never My Love • Night Train • Nightcap • No A Go-Go (End Title) • Noted Arrival • On The Alamo • On The Sunny Side Of The Street • Once In A While • One O’Clock Jump • Only Fool (Would Lose You) • Orange Colored Sky • Out Of Nowhere • Pagan Love Song • Pata Pata • Perdido • Petula’s Song • Poinciana (Song Of The Tree) • Rain • Rebel Rouser • Red Roses For A Blue Lady • Reggae Romp • Remember When • Say Si Si (Para Vigo Me Voy) • Send Me Home • Sentimental Journey • Serenade In Blue • Seven Up • Shades Of Love (Sombras De Amor) • Show Me The Way To Go Home • Similau • Skokiaan • Snowbird • Soft Shoe Safari • Soft Shoulders • Solitude • Stardust • Stay With Me • Stay With The Happy People • Steady Does It • Stoney End • Strangers In The Night (A Theme From ”A Man Could Get Killed”) • Sugar Bush • Sweet And Gentle (Me Lo Dijo Adela) • Sweet Dreams • Swing And Sway • Tahitian Sunset • Take Me • Taking De-Tour • Talk • Tammy • Tea And Trumpets • Tell Me Why • That Happy Feeling • The Aim Of My Desires (Das Ziel meiner Wünsche) • The Bandit (O’ Cangaceiro) • The Breeze And I from Suite ”Andalucia” • The Mexican Shuffle • The Way I Love You • The Way It Used To Be • The World We Knew • Theme From ”Shaft” • Theme From ”The Godfather, Part II” • This Song Is Yours Alone (Dieses Lied gehört nur dir) • Three O’Clock In The Morning • Tijuana Taxi • Time • Time On My Hands (You In My Arms) • Time To Love • Tom Hark • Tom’s Tune • Tootie Flutie • Traces • Treat For Trumpet • Tropical Sunrise • Trumpet Fiesta • Two Can Live On Love Alone • Two O’Clock Jump • VAT 96 • Wake Up And Live • Walkin’ And Shoutin’ • Walking With Fips • Wave • When You’re Smiling • Where And When • Where Flamingos Fly • While The Children Sleep • Who’s Sorry Now • Wimoweh • Wonderland By Night (Wunderland bei Nacht) • You Are My Sunshine • You Stepped Out Of A Dream • You Turned My World Around • Your Move (Tu Movimiento) • You’re Worth It All • Zambesi •
