Casablanca Version: "Perfidia." Where to find?

[scotrace]

In the greatest film of all time, Casablanca, Ilsa and Rick dance at a Paris club to a particular, up-tempo version of "Perfidia" (it also appears in Now Voyager, with Paul Henried and Bette Davis doing the dancing, the same exact clip). I like that version better than any other, and can't find who recorded it, or a copy of it. I doesn't appear to be on the soundtrack. Anyone know where to look ???

 

[FedoraGent]

I have it...

In the greatest film of all time, Casablanca, Ilsa and Rick dance at a Paris club to a particular, up-tempo version of "Perfidia" (it also appears in Now Voyager, with Paul Henried and Bette Davis doing the dancing, the same exact clip). I like that version better than any other, and can't find who recorded it, or a copy of it. I doesn't appear to be on the soundtrack. Anyone know where to look ???

Scott,

As you and the other Loungers know...I collect such mindless things. I have it in digital format...send me an PM and I'll email you a link where you can download that and the other versions of Perfidia.

BTW, it's one of my favorites.

FG.

 

[Marlin Fan]

Scott,

As you and the other Loungers know...I collect such mindless things. I have it in digital format...send me an PM and I'll email you a link where you can download that and the other versions of Perfidia.

BTW, it's one of my favorites.

FG.

Can I get the link too??

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

Was that Xavier Cugat??? [huh] If so, I have that,..

 

[NateGreen]

hi a was looking the perfidia song from casablanca for long time now. can you tell me where to get it or download it.
thanks

 

[David M. Ward]

Can I get the link too??

Me as well!

 

[scotrace]

If I remember correctly, the link leads to a version different from the one in the film. I've still never found it, almost eleven years later.

 

[LizzieMaine]

It probably wasn't a commercial recording -- Warners would have to pay to license such a recording for film use, and why, you can hear J. L. asking, would they ever bother to do that when they're already paying Leo Forbstien and his boys to orchestrate and perform any sort of music that might be required for any scene? Commercial records were pretty much never used on film soundtracks during the Era for such reasons -- if an "original hit" version was required for a film, you'd see the actual orchestra brought in for a guest-star bit, and they'd make a fresh recording specifically for film use. ("Oh, look, Lance -- Tommy Dorsey's playing here! Do let's go inside!")

All that said, no version of "Perfidia" beats Benny Goodman's. Gene Krupa did a nice version too, with some of the same hokey "Latin" effects that Cugat used, but with an entirely different set of lyrics, under the title "Tonight."

 

[3fingers]

All that said, no version of "Perfidia" beats Benny Goodman's.

Agreed. For some reason I have sought out different versions of the song and Goodman's is the winner. Of course, Helen Forrest is also a favorite, so I might be a bit biased by that.

 

[MikeKardec]

It probably wasn't a commercial recording -- Warners would have to pay to license such a recording for film use, and why, you can hear J. L. asking, would they ever bother to do that when they're already paying Leo Forbstien and his boys to orchestrate and perform any sort of music that might be required for any scene? Commercial records were pretty much never used on film soundtracks during the Era for such reasons --

Lizzie is right even for movies today (I doubt the rules have changed much). The original recording of a popular piece of music is expensive to license. Less expensive is a cover of the original piece. Even less expensive is to have your film's composer write you a new song that the film/the studio owns outright.

A soundtrack of original classic rock recordings was too expensive for the Son's of Anarchy TV series so they created their own cover band, The Forest Rangers, to redo all the vintage hits they wanted to use. Eventually, they produced new music for the show on their own and with guest talent and became an in-demand act at music festivals. They, or their spin off band The Reluctant Apostles, are still preforming music that has no relationship to the show.

Streets of Fire, a film nearly forgotten, still has it's rock and roll sound track played on the radio. They couldn't afford Bruce Springsteen (who's music was mostly unavailable for films at any price in those days) so they hired Rye Cooder to create them a similar sounding soundtrack and he did a pretty amazing job, channeling many Springsteen qualities without ever getting so close that he couldn't take pride in it in his own right.

 

[Fading Fast]

Lizzie is right even for movies today (I doubt the rules have changed much). The original recording of a popular piece of music is expensive to license. Less expensive is a cover of the original piece. Even less expensive is to have your film's composer write you a new song that the film/the studio owns outright.

A soundtrack of original classic rock recordings was too expensive for the Son's of Anarchy TV series so they created their own cover band, The Forest Rangers, to redo all the vintage hits they wanted to use. Eventually, they produced new music for the show on their own and with guest talent and became an in-demand act at music festivals. They, or their spin off band The Reluctant Apostles, are still preforming music that has no relationship to the show.

Streets of Fire, a film nearly forgotten, still has it's rock and roll sound track played on the radio. They couldn't afford Bruce Springsteen (who's music was mostly unavailable for films at any price in those days) so they hired Rye Cooder to create them a similar sounding soundtrack and he did a pretty amazing job, channeling many Springsteen qualities without ever getting so close that he couldn't take pride in it in his own right.

Mike, great info as always. When a studio buys a cover version - do both the cover band musicians and the original song writers get paid? So, for example, when a no-name band does a cover of, say, The Rolling Stones "Gimme Shelter," do the cover band musicians get paid and Jagger and Richards as the writers? I would assume so, but you, I'm sure, will know.

And if so, this implies that writer royalties aren't that big, i.e., it's expensive to buy the original Stones-performed version, but not that expensive to pay the writing fees to Mick and Keith when their song is recorded by another band?

It's been a long time since I've seen "Streets of Fire," but remember it as working in a kinda campy way with a soundtrack that worked well in the movie, but can't say I've thought about the music independent of the film.

 

[Fading Fast]

It probably wasn't a commercial recording -- Warners would have to pay to license such a recording for film use, and why, you can hear J. L. asking, would they ever bother to do that when they're already paying Leo Forbstien and his boys to orchestrate and perform any sort of music that might be required for any scene? Commercial records were pretty much never used on film soundtracks during the Era for such reasons -- if an "original hit" version was required for a film, you'd see the actual orchestra brought in for a guest-star bit, and they'd make a fresh recording specifically for film use. ("Oh, look, Lance -- Tommy Dorsey's playing here! Do let's go inside!")

All that said, no version of "Perfidia" beats Benny Goodman's. Gene Krupa did a nice version too, with some of the same hokey "Latin" effects that Cugat used, but with an entirely different set of lyrics, under the title "Tonight."

Just listened to it. I haven't heard all the version of "Perfidia," so can't rank it, but that is an outstanding one.

 

[LizzieMaine]

That 1940-41 Goodman band isn't as well-known as the 1930s "Carnegie Hall" version, but it's even more sophisticated in its approach. They did a 12-inch side for Columbia of "More Than You Know" with the same vocalist, Helen Forrest, that's absolutely breathtaking.

 

[Fading Fast]

That 1940-41 Goodman band isn't as well-known as the 1930s "Carnegie Hall" version, but it's even more sophisticated in its approach. They did a 12-inch side for Columbia of "More Than You Know" with the same vocalist, Helen Forrest, that's absolutely breathtaking.

I look it up. Her vocals on "Perfidia" are impressive.

 

[Edward]

Lizzie is right even for movies today (I doubt the rules have changed much). The original recording of a popular piece of music is expensive to license. Less expensive is a cover of the original piece. Even less expensive is to have your film's composer write you a new song that the film/the studio owns outright.

A soundtrack of original classic rock recordings was too expensive for the Son's of Anarchy TV series so they created their own cover band, The Forest Rangers, to redo all the vintage hits they wanted to use. Eventually, they produced new music for the show on their own and with guest talent and became an in-demand act at music festivals. They, or their spin off band The Reluctant Apostles, are still preforming music that has no relationship to the show.

I wasn't aware they'd done that for budgetary reasons in Sons of Anarchy, but it is indeed a common approach in the entertainment industry. Pay one royalty - the copyright on the original song - and pay out the actual performers a one-of, session fee, not the ongoing royalties that an established act would undoubtedly demand.

Spills over into advertising too: for years Vauxhall (GM) in the UK used what everyone thought was Clapton's introit to Leyla on their ads. In reality, it was a cover from a session musician who had very skilfully mimicked the original for a one-of session fee, cutting the budget significantly.

The SoA soundtrack is, of course, one example where creative thinking forced by a budget actually ended up with something much more artistically interesting than just using the original cuts. (Often, I actually much preferred their cover.)

 

[MikeKardec]

Mike, great info as always. When a studio buys a cover version - do both the cover band musicians and the original song writers get paid? So, for example, when a no-name band does a cover of, say, The Rolling Stones "Gimme Shelter," do the cover band musicians get paid and Jagger and Richards as the writers? I would assume so, but you, I'm sure, will know.

And if so, this implies that writer royalties aren't that big, i.e., it's expensive to buy the original Stones-performed version, but not that expensive to pay the writing fees to Mick and Keith when their song is recorded by another band?

It's been a long time since I've seen "Streets of Fire," but remember it as working in a kinda campy way with a soundtrack that worked well in the movie, but can't say I've thought about the music independent of the film.

Yes you are correct, everyone gets paid, just different amounts. I think the real expense hurtle is the music publisher's $$$ rather than the writer's. If you remove the original recording the publisher has less to try and claim as their investment. Just a guess, however. I've been involved in negotiations like this but only to be told "No, you can't have that music, there's no budget for it."

I was wrong about Streets of Fire, the music producer was Jimmy Iovine not Cooder, though Cooder wrote a song for it. Not a great film though a fun idea. The album, though not terribly successful, just went on and on. Longevity must mean something, I guess.