Despite characterizing jazz as "Entartete musik", ironically the Third Reic… Read Full Bio ↴Despite characterizing jazz as "Entartete musik", ironically the Third Reich had their own swing band for propaganda purposes. German propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels conceived of using the style in short wave radio broadcasts aimed at the United States and particularly the United Kingdom. British listeners heard the band every Wednesday and Saturday at around 9 pm.
The purpose of the band was to stir pro-Nazi sympathy, draw attention to World War II Allied losses, and carry Adolf Hitler's messages in an entertaining form. The songs stressed how badly the war was going for the target audience, and how it was only going to be a matter of time before they would be beaten.
Led by German accented front man Karl Schwedler ("Charlie"), conducted by Lutz Templin, and paced by drummer Fritz "Freddie" Brocksieper, the band included Kurt Abraham on reeds and Willy Berking on trombone. The group formed in 1940, making over 90 recordings between March 1941 and February 1943. Arrangements were by Templin, Willy Berking, and Franz Mück, with lyrics written by the Propagandaministerium. Schwedler was allowed permission to travel to neutral and occupied countries to collect jazz and dance music, which helped the band and propaganda ministry to craft more recordings.
Popular American swing songs - and popular British tunes/songs - were initially performed true to the original, until about the second or third verse which were replaced by pro-German lyrics and monologues. For example, in the tune You're Driving Me Crazy, Schwedler croons about the confusion of new love, and in the third verse continues: Here is Winston Churchill's latest tear-jerker: Yes, the Germans are driving me crazy / I thought I had brains / But they shot down my planes..." Later, the entire lyric would be modified, clearly based on the original. The band even recorded some "cover versions" of the originals, unaltered.
Indeed, anecdotal accounts indicate that Winston Churchill enjoyed the broadcasts, finding the lyrics hilarious.
Many of the members of Charlie and his Orchestra went on to successful careers in music after the war.
The purpose of the band was to stir pro-Nazi sympathy, draw attention to World War II Allied losses, and carry Adolf Hitler's messages in an entertaining form. The songs stressed how badly the war was going for the target audience, and how it was only going to be a matter of time before they would be beaten.
Led by German accented front man Karl Schwedler ("Charlie"), conducted by Lutz Templin, and paced by drummer Fritz "Freddie" Brocksieper, the band included Kurt Abraham on reeds and Willy Berking on trombone. The group formed in 1940, making over 90 recordings between March 1941 and February 1943. Arrangements were by Templin, Willy Berking, and Franz Mück, with lyrics written by the Propagandaministerium. Schwedler was allowed permission to travel to neutral and occupied countries to collect jazz and dance music, which helped the band and propaganda ministry to craft more recordings.
Popular American swing songs - and popular British tunes/songs - were initially performed true to the original, until about the second or third verse which were replaced by pro-German lyrics and monologues. For example, in the tune You're Driving Me Crazy, Schwedler croons about the confusion of new love, and in the third verse continues: Here is Winston Churchill's latest tear-jerker: Yes, the Germans are driving me crazy / I thought I had brains / But they shot down my planes..." Later, the entire lyric would be modified, clearly based on the original. The band even recorded some "cover versions" of the originals, unaltered.
Indeed, anecdotal accounts indicate that Winston Churchill enjoyed the broadcasts, finding the lyrics hilarious.
Many of the members of Charlie and his Orchestra went on to successful careers in music after the war.
Atlantic Wall
Charlie and His Orchestra Lyrics
We have lyrics for these tracks by Charlie and His Orchestra:
A song of old Hawaii Islands of Hawaii Where skies of blue are calling me Where b…
Adieu Mon Père Ah ah ah ah ah Ah ah ah ah ah Adieu monsieur…
After You've Gone Now won't you listen honey, while I say, How could…
Alone Just picture a penthouse way up in the sky With hinges…
Aurora Aurora comes from Rio De Janeiro She dances in a little…
Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen Of all the boys I've known and I've known some Until…
Bye Bye Blackbird No one here can love or understand me Oh, what hard…
Daisy All day when I am away You got me feeling some…
Dinah Carolina Gave me Dinah; I'm the proudest one Beneath the…
F. D. R. Jones I hear, tell, there's a stranger in the Jones household (Yes…
Goody Goody So you met someone who set you back on your…
Hold Tight Hold tight hold tight hold tight hold tight Foo-ra-de-ack-a-…
Honey One thing that I know for sure When it rains it's…
I Can Gee, but it's tough to be broke, kid. It's not a…
I Double Dare You I double dare you to sit over here I double dare…
I Want to be Happy I'm a very ordinary man Trying to work out life's happy…
I'll never say "never again" I'll never say "never again" again Cause here I am in…
I'm Putting All My Eggs In One Basket I'm putting all my eggs in one basket I'm betting…
I've Got a Pocketful of Dreams Happiness comes with success And that I guess is true But su…
I've got you under my skin I've got you under my skin. I've got you deep in…
Indian Love Call Keep, keep Keep, keep Keep, keep Keep, keep When I'm calli…
Kiss the boys good-bye! We're such a happy pair, That it isn't right, no, it…
Let's Put out the Lights No More Company To Feed No More Papers Left To…
Macpherson Is Rehearsin Oh, McPherson is rehearsin' And the bagpipes are reversin' …
Makin Whoopee Another bride, another June Another sunny honeymoon Another …
Picture Me Without You When somebody loves somebody Ev'rything and ev'rybody Makes …
Playing With Fire Stop playing with me Stop playing with me (Echo) Stop playin…
Saint Louis Blues I hate to see that evening sun go down I hate…
Sing baby sing! From the island of Manhattan to the coast of gold From…
Slumming on Park Avenue Put on your slumming clothes and get your car Let's go…
So You Left You make me feel so young You make me feel as…
South of the Border South of the border Down Mexico way That's where I fell in…
St. Louis Blues I hate to see that evening sun go down I hate…
Stardust And now the purple dusk of twilight time Steals across the…
Stormy Weather Don't know why There's no sun up in the sky Stormy weather S…
Thanks for the Memory Thanks for the memory Of sentimental verse, Nothing in my pu…
The Lambeth walk Any time you're Lambeth way Any evening, any day, You'll fin…
The Sheik of Araby "I'm the Sheik of Araby, Your love belongs to me. At…
They all laughed The odds were a hundred to one against me The world…
Three Little Fishes There were three little sisters, Three little sisters, Each …
When Day Is Done When day is done And shadows fall I dream of you! When day…
Who When my time is up There'll be just enough Packaged plastic …
With A Smile And A Song Powder your face with sunshine, put on a great big…
You You always hurt the one you love The one you shouldn't…
You Can't Stop Me From Dreaming You can stop me from kissing you, You can stop me…
You Stepped Out Of A Dream You stepped out of a dream You are too wonderful to…
You're Driving Me Crazy You, you're driving me crazy! What did I do? What…
You're The Top At words poetic, I'm so pathetic That I always have…
youre driving me crazy You, you're driving me crazy! What did I do? What…
Youre The Top At words poetic, I'm so pathetic That I always have…
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Joffrey III
Thanks for an excellent report. Nice job with the airborne landings, in my current game of Battle for Normandy almost half of the 101st drifted off into the sea and drowned. In AW2 you have a lot more rolling to do when executing the drops, but very exciting.... and sometimes frustrating.
Wise Guy History
You should do some videos Joffrey, I'd be really keen to see this.
nightjarflying
Thank you for doing this & I look forward to more. In future can you run your audio through Audacity [or similar] & clean up the distortions? Clipping, lots of room echo, 'mush' & the volume is too low. Your mic is clear as a bell for short periods, but mostly I'm hearing mumbling.
nightjarflying
@Wise Guy History Moving around so much you need a headphone mic with the mic in front of the mouth. A mic on your shirt [for example] will not work in such a space with hard surfaces everywhere - that table reflects a lot of sound up to the mic so the sound of the dice is perfect, but your voice is smeared out because the mic 'hears' you directly from the mouth, but also indirectly a little later = mushy vocals - with a headphone mic you can turn the gain down so the reflected audio is hardly picked up by the mic, but the direct path sound is still audible.
nightjarflying
@Wise Guy History I don't think Audacity works live, but I could easily be wrong
Wise Guy History
Yeah I've been tweaking with this all day and trying to find a workable solution. I've used audacity at work for recordings, but not for live streaming and will look into it, thanks!
Charles L
Good Idea I am going to cut my map also. I wish I thought of it.