If I Never Sing Another Song & Walk Away

[Bil]

Hi All,

I want to know more about the motive of Matt making these two songs. Do you know what inspired him to take these two songs? Thanks!

[Scott]

Well, as I understand it from the TV and DVD biographies, Walk Away came about because Matt asked Don Black to write English lyrics to the melody of the Austrian (maybe German?) entry in the 1962 Eurovision Song Contest that he heard when taking part himself, representing the UK of course. Hence the occasional listing of the song as Walk Away (Warum, Warum), the latter being the original title of the German language song.

If I Never Sing Another Song was another Don Black composition which can be seen as a bit biographical since at the time Matt was - like many, many stars of the 60's - no longer in vogue. That personal quality adds a special dimension to the song, even more so now as more and more people are (re)discovering what a truly great singer he was.

[Gray]

If I Never Sing Another Song was chosen this afternoon by Neil Sean as a desert island disc on Radio Leeds.

Great to hear it on the radio.

[Rmoore]

These songs were both written by Udo Jurgens, Mr Black only supplied lyrics - I have no idea if they were based on the original lyric in any way.

They weren't the only Jurgens songs either. 'Without You' is another and there is also 'Mercie Cherie' and 'The Music Played' which both had lyrics by other people.

Matt evidently had a soft spot for Udo's work. I asked Colin Keyes last year how he had got involved in the arrangement of "If I Never Sing Another Song" when he had left Matt's employment 2 years previously. He told me that his was not the first arrangement of the song it was probably 3rd or 4th. Matt & John Burgess had several arrangers attempt it before calling Colin who hit the nail on the head!

It was recorded at the Music Centre Studios in Wimbledon for the same reason. By the time the right arrangement had been found AIR studios (Matt & John's regular studio) wasn't available.

Richard

[karl]

Vince Hill does a super version of Merci Cherie - however a friend once brought me a Udo Jurgens cd from Germany I must check it again but I'm sure that song is included.