Miserlou - The Journey of a Song
If music is the international language, then this song is a tale as old as time. And it is retold again and again through the genre of the time. However, it was in jazz music where "Miserlou' grew as a song, before Dick Dale's Surf Anthem version in 1963. It would not have had the journey it had to date without this vital time in existence.
Earliest Recordings:
"Misirlou" is considered a traditional rebetiko song, a genre that emerged with Greek refugees with Ottoman cultural elements. It is in Phrygian mode. It is about a Greek Christian falling in love with an Egyptian Muslim, and the taboo therein. These are the earliest known lyrics, translated from greek:
My Miserlou (Egyptian Girl), Your sweet glance
Has lit a flame in my heart.
Oh my love, oh my night
Your two lips are dripping honey
Ah Miserlou, magical, exotic beauty.
Madness will overcome me, I can’t endure this any more
Ah I’ll steal you away from the Arab land
My black eyed, my wild miserly,
My life changes with one kiss
One little kiss
From your sweet lips
The earliest known recording was by Theodotos "Tetos" Demetriades in 1927, who was an Ottoman Greek born in Istanbul
It was recorded again by Michalis Patrinos 1930 in much the same traditional style
Nicholas Roubains
The melody is often credited to Greek/American composer, music collector, music teacher and publisher, Nicholas Roubanis (1880 - 1968). He "collected" this song from folk culture and published it in America in 1941, crediting himself. His publishing company operated out of 41st Street, NY in the 1920's and 1930's. There are very few pictures of Nicholas.
It becomes a Jazz Standard
Following the song's release in written form by Roubains, the song is taken into jazz clubs and gets worked and reworked in swing bands and with jazz soloists for over 25 years. Woody Herman writes new English lyrics and it's a hit.
James and his Orchestra 1941,
Herman and his Orchestra 1941, with new lyrics in English
Cuban Jazz Orchestra took it on with Xavier Cugat & His Orchestra - Cuban Jazz 1944:
In 1946 the song makes it to Hollywood, with Charlie Ventura and his Orchestra, using it in the Colombia picture “Dead Reckoning”.
Then On Jazz Piano, Jan August, 1947 jazz piano:
Tenor Saxophonist Lynn Hope (Aka El Hajj Abdullah Rasheed Ahmad) released a recording of the song in 1955 with his orchestra
And for my personal favourite:
The fully orchestrated version by Frances Faye, in her 1961 album Frenzy; full orchestration reviving the Woody Herman Lyrics
A Rock 'n'Roll Departure
Johnny and the Hurricanes, 1959, jazz inflected rock and roll version:
But it was Dick Dale and the Del-tones who really popularized "Misirlou" in the 1962, transforming it into a surf rock anthem. No. 7 on the Billboard Jockey Charts. Dick Dale's "Misirlou" became even more widely known thanks to its use in Quentin Tarantino's 1994 cult classic film "Pulp Fiction".
Post Dick Dale
Despite the monumental success of Dick Dale, The song has been reworked again and again in the jazz idiom. Guaraldi “In Person” Album; 1963; piano and small band;
One of many modern jazz groups playing it again in 2014: Pranciškus Narušis jazz band, and again they attribute the song to Nicholas Roubanis. He was some chancer!
Sampling
This song is widely sampled, particularly from its Dick Dale incarnation in Rock and Roll. One particularly successful sample track was when the tune reappeared with the sampling of Dale's solo by The Black Eye’d Peas in 2005 with “Pump It”:
Conclusion
The exotic sound, its association with surf culture and its journey across genres have contributed to the enduring appeal of Miserlou. It has appeared in Western popular music and film music again and again, being recreated by generations. However it is through it's history in jazz that it survives the annals of time and in the jazz idiom that it remains constantly being reworked and revisited.
So tell me: When did you first hear this iconic melody? It's an earworm!
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