

It was on one of several records Lomax lent to Seeger. The song became so popular that Mbube lent its name to a style of African a cappella music, though the style has since been mostly replaced by isicathamiya (a softer version).Īlan Lomax brought the song to the attention of Pete Seeger of the folk group The Weavers. "Mbube" became a hit throughout South Africa and sold about 100,000 copies during the 1940s. Gallo Record Company paid Linda a single fee for the recording and no royalties. One of the best nights out I ever had."Mbube" ( Zulu for "lion") was first recorded by its writer, Solomon Linda, and his group, The Evening Birds, in 1939. What a night, I felt I needed an ambulance my sides hurt that much as I cried with laughter. He sang and tap danced around the club floor between the tables followed by more pies and pasties as he ran for the door on his first song.

announced the next act who was also a singer who no body had heard of. The club filled again as the ones in the snooker room came back in having heard he was gone. I am sorry Denver fans but by this time I was on my knees in hysterics with laughter and my sides aching it was so hilarious. Denver walked off the stage waving his arms and heading for the door followed by more pies and pasties. jumped on stage trying to calm the situation down asking the audience to behave but to no avail. The club got noisy with shouting and yelling for him to get off and he got pelted with pies and pasties and a lot of the club members walked out to go and have a pint in the snooker room. I can't recall what he sang next, had never heard it before but it was terrible.

This club had a reputation of being very critical with acts there and after he finished there was barely a clap and a lot of muttering. Unfortunately it did not go down well at all in the working class club of a working class town. Having heard his hit Wimoweh in the charts I went to see Denver perform at the Derby Ward Club in Bolton Lancashire UK and he sang this song. Karl Denver died from a brain tumour in 1998, at the age of 67.ĥ "A Little Love a Little Kiss" - 1962 - UK #19ġ1 "Love Me with All Your Heart" - 1964 - UK #37ġ2 "Lazyitis - One Armed Boxer" - 1990 - UK #46ĭenver's song "Never Goodbye" was an entry in A Song for Europe in 1962. however, he adopted the new name that he retained for the remainder of his singing career.Īfter the mid 1960s, Denver worked mainly on the cabaret circuit, and 1989 he enjoyed a brief return to fame as guest vocalist with Manchester band 'The Happy Mondays', on the single 'Lazyitis: One Armed Boxer'. He was not totally without real country music credentials either having lived in Nashville, Tennessee for a short time before being deported as an illegal immigrant in 1959. This unique artist, whose yodel-laced style added colour and contrast to the charts, reached the Top 20 with his first five singles.ĭenver was well travelled by the time he took up singing, having had a previous career in the British Merchant Navy. Most famous of these was a 1961 version of "Wimoweh" which showed off Denver's falsetto yodelling register.
#Karl denver wimoweh lyrics full
Read Full Bio Karl Denver (born Angus Murdo McKenzie) was a Scottish singer, who, with his trio (Kevin Neil & Gerald (Gerry) Cottrell), had a series of UK hit singles in the early 1960s.

Karl Denver (born Angus Murdo McKenzie) was a Scottish singer, who, with his trio (Kevin Neil & Gerald (Gerry) Cottrell), had a series of UK hit singles in the early 1960s.
