"Auf Wiedersehen", or "Auf Wiederseh'n, Sweetheart", is a song written by German composer Eberhard Storch around 1950.
Storch wrote the song in the hospital for his wife Maria as he was ill for a long time. It was originally sung in
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
by
Rudi Schuricke
Rudi Schuricke (born Erhard Rudolf Hans Schuricke; 16 March 1913, Brandenburg an der Havel – 28 December 1973) was a popular German singer and actor. In the 1930s he was Second Tenor with the Kardosch Singers, a popular vocal ensemble of the ...
and released on the 78 rpm record
Polydor
Polydor Records Ltd. is a German-British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in the United States. ...
48 374 H in 1950.
Vera Lynn version
The
English language
English is a West Germanic language of the Indo-European language family, with its earliest forms spoken by the inhabitants of early medieval England. It is named after the Angles, one of the ancient Germanic peoples that migrated to the is ...
lyrics were written by
John Turner and
Geoffrey Parsons. The best-known version of the song was recorded by
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
singer
Vera Lynn. The story goes that Vera was on holiday in
Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
and heard people singing the song in
beer parlour
A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption Licensing laws of the United Kingdom#On-licence, on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in ...
s, and when she got back she felt she had to record it, so found the music and had lyrics written.
Charts
The recording of the song by
Vera Lynn, which featured accompaniment by Soldiers and Airmen of HM Forces and the Johnny Johnston Singers, was the first song recorded by a foreign artist to make number one on the U.S. ''Billboard'' charts, in 1952. Reaching the summit on the ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' "Best Sellers in Stores" chart on July 12, the song spent nine weeks at No. 1 (as well as six weeks on the "Most Played by Jockeys" chart and four weeks on the "Most Played in Jukeboxes").
In reaching number-one, it would be almost six years before another British artist would top the U.S. pop chart; that song was
Laurie London's "
He's Got the Whole World in His Hands," in April 1958. Additionally, the song's nine-week run at number one on the U.S. pop charts by a British act was a record that stood for 16 years, until
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...
matched the longevity record (of nine weeks) in 1968 with "
Hey Jude
"Hey Jude" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles that was released as a non-album single in August 1968. It was written by Paul McCartney and credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership. The single was the Beatles' first release o ...
." Currently, "Auf Wiederseh'n Sweetheart" is tied with "Hey Jude" for third amongst longest-running number-one songs by British artists on the ''Billboard'' pop charts, behind "
Candle in the Wind 1997
"Candle in the Wind 1997", also known as "Goodbye England's Rose" and "Candle in the Wind '97", is a song by English musician Elton John and songwriter Bernie Taupin, a re-written and re-recorded version of their 1973 song "Candle in the Wind" ...
"/"
Something About the Way You Look Tonight" by
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...
(14 weeks, 1997-1998) and "
We Found Love" by
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman. Born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown, Barbados, Rihanna auditioned for American record producer Evan Rogers who invited her to the ...
with
Calvin Harris
Adam Richard Wiles (born 17 January 1984), known professionally as Calvin Harris, is a Scottish DJ, record producer, singer, and songwriter who has released six studio albums.
His debut studio album, ''I Created Disco'', was released in June ...
(10 weeks, 2011). In addition, for more than 12 years Lynn was the only female solo artist from the UK to have a number-one hit in the United States, a feat finally matched by "
Downtown
''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central business distric ...
" by
Petula Clark in January 1965.
Demis Roussos version
Greek singer
Demis Roussos covered the song on his 1974 German-language album ''
Auf Wiedersehn''. It was also released as a
single
Single may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Single (music), a song release
Songs
* "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004
* "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008
* "Single" (William Wei song), 2016
* "Single", by ...
(in 1974 on
Philips Records
Philips Records is a record label founded by the Dutch electronics company Philips. It was founded as Philips Phonographische Industrie in 1950. In 1946, Philips acquired the company which pressed records for British Decca's Dutch outlet in A ...
). The recording was produced by
Leo Leandros.
The song reached no. 6 in the Netherlands and no. 19 in Belgium (Flanders)
Track listing
7" single Philips 6009 526 (1974, Austria, Belgium, Germany, etc.)
7" single RTB / Philips S 53796 (1974, Yugoslavia)
: A. "Auf Wiedersehn" (3:35)
: B. "Walzer für zwei" (3:12)
Charts
Other versions
*
Teddy Johnson
Pearl Lavinia Carr (2 November 1921 – 16 February 2020) and Edward Victor "Teddy" Johnson (4 September 1919 – 6 June 2018) were English husband-and-wife entertainers who gained their highest profile during the 1950s and early 1960s.
Early d ...
- a single release (1952).
*
Connie Francis
Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero (born December 12, 1937),
known professionally as Connie Francis, is an American pop singer, actress, and top-charting female vocalist of the late 1950s and early 1960s. Called the “First Lady of Rock & Roll” ...
(1960)
*
Jerry Vale - for his album ''The Language of Love'' (1963).
*
Jim Reeves
James Travis Reeves (August 20, 1923July 31, 1964) was an American country and popular music singer-songwriter. With records charting from the 1950s to the 1980s, he became well known as a practitioner of the Nashville Sound. Known as "Gentleman ...
on his LP, ''
The International Jim Reeves'' (1963).
*
Mantovani - an orchestral version on his album ''Mantovani Magic'' (1966).
See also
*
List of number-one singles of 1952 (U.S.)
This is a list of number-one songs in the United States during the year 1952 according to ''Billboard magazine''. Prior to the creation of the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, ''Billboard'' published multiple singles charts each week. In 1952, the follow ...
References
External links
Demis Roussos — "Auf Wiedersehn / Walzer für zwei"at
Discogs
Discogs (short for discographies) is a database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. While the site was originally created with a goal of becoming the la ...
{{authority control
German songs
1950 songs
Vera Lynn songs
Songs with lyrics by Geoffrey Parsons (lyricist)
Songs with lyrics by John Turner (lyricist)
Number-one singles in the United States
Songs about parting
1974 singles
Demis Roussos songs
Philips Records singles
Song recordings produced by Leo Leandros