The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: ned
Date: 2012-02-06 02:39
Bob Draznik wrote in another thread: ''Monty Sunshine's version of Petit Fleur was more popular than Sidney Bechet's''
That's interesting Bob, do you have any statistics to back up this claim?
Whilst you're thinking about that, SB recorded Petite Fleur in January '52 & December '54, as far as I am aware. I have a recording from the latter session I believe, although the liner notes are sketchy, at best. I believe MS's version is from the 50s too....at least the Chris Barber band lineup is from this era.
Given that SB and MS recorded this number during the jazz boom era of the 1950s, it's likely that the tune was popular on both sides of the Atlantic...........and down here in Oz too, incidentally.
I'd say, in the long run, that's it's not unlikely that MS's could have been more popular, given the probability of a larger potential audience. I'm speaking of a larger white audience, predominantly from the UK.....and down under as well.........which elevated jazz to that of ''popular'' music during this era.
Let me say that this is purely supposition on my part, it's just an opinion based on my personal recollections. I'd be interested to see some data.......if there is any.
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Author: chris moffatt
Date: 2012-02-07 22:23
I think Bob's right. It's very likely MS's version was more popular in terms of sales. If I remember aright it was issued as a single around 1959 and became a million-seller and getting a golden disc for MS and Chris Barber. I think it had been on an album before that and hadn't aroused particular interest. Obviously the reissue as a single was to catch a rising wave of traddyism...
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Author: BobD
Date: 2012-02-08 14:09
Sidney himself gave Monty the credit for "making" the piece popular.
Bob Draznik
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