Sailor (Song)

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The first recording of the English version of "Sailor" was made by Anne Shelton, with her session arranged and conducted by Wally Stott, featuring guitarist Big Jim Sullivan, who would also play on the version by Petula Clark.

Shelton had spent four weeks at number 1 UK with "Lay Down Your Arms" in 1956,

but had since only had one further charting record, "The Village of St. Bernadette" number 27 in 1959, when her version of "Sailor" reached number 10 in January 1961.

Although she had been recording solo since 1943, "Sailor" was only her fifth UK chart appearance, as her most intense period of popularity had predated the UK singles chart, and "Sailor" would mark Shelton's final chart appearance.

Shelton's strongest association was as an entertainer of the forces in World War II; while this made "Sailor" a good thematic choice for her, this association also perhaps made her seem outmoded, despite only being nine years senior to Petula Clark, whose version of "Sailor" would best Shelton's. Although Shelton's and Clark's versions of "Sailor" both debuted on the UK Top 50 for 28 January 1961, there was immediate preference apparent for Clark's version at number 18 over Shelton's at number 27. The 4 February chart had Clark rise to number 4 for the first of six weeks in the Top Five three of them at number 2 and one at number 1, while Shelton's version in its second week rose to number 19 and in its third week to number 10 which proved to be its peak as it subsequently descended the charts over the next five weeks for a total eight-week chart span: Clark's version had almost double the chart span at fifteen weeks.

Petula Clark recorded "Sailor" with her regular producer Alan A. Freeman who was assisted with the track's production by Tony Hatch, marking the first collaboration between Clark and her future hit making mentor. Clark, based in Paris since 1957, had been pitched "Sailor" by Hatch and orchestra leader Peter Knight while in London for a conference: (Petula Clark quote:)"I said yes, yes, yes. It's a nice sounding song [that] I liked". In addition to the Peter Knight Orchestra and Chorus, the session personnel for Clark's recording of "Sailor" included guitarists Vic Flick and Big Jim Sullivan, and also Harry Pitch whose harmonica playing was a striking feature of the track.

Originally scheduled for 20 January 1961, the release of Clark's version of "Sailor" was moved up a week to 13 January due to Anne Shelton's version of the song being released within the first two weeks of the year. Clark's version of "Sailor" debuted at number 18 on the UK Top 50 dated 28 January 1961, becoming Clark's first UK chart entry since "Baby Lover", number 12 in March 1958, an intermittent ten UK single releases having failed to chart.

A sales total of 250,000 units for Clark's "Sailor" was announced by Pye Records the week of 18 February 1961 when the single was in its second week at number 2: on the chart for the following week: that of 23 February 1961, Clark's "Sailor" moved to the number 1 position of the UK chart, besting Clark's previous strongest UK charter: With All My Heart" which in 1957 had peaked at number 4. On the tally of the biggest UK hits of 1961 "Sailor" by Petula Clark is ranked at number 16.

Although "Downtown" was to become Clark's signature song its UK chart peak would be number 2: the second Petula Clark single to reach number 1 in the UK Singles Chart would be "This is My Song" in 1967.

Both of Clark's UK number 1 hits would compete with rival versions: "Sailor" would be a number 10 hit for Anne Shelton while Harry Secombe's version of "This is My Song" would rise as high as number 2. (The relevant recordings by both Shelton and Secombe have Wally Stott perform arranging and conducting duties.)

Clark's "Sailor" became the third hit version of the song in the Low Countries, reaching number 13 in the Netherlands and - in a tandem ranking with "Seemann (Deine Heimat ist das Meer)" by Lolita - number 12 on the chart for the Flemish Region of Belgium, where the Dutch-language rendering "Zeeman" had already been a Top Ten hit for Caterina Valente. Number 1 in New Zealand and Israel in, respectively, March and September 1961, "Sailor" also afforded Clark a hit in Denmark (number 9) and Spain (Top 20). In South Africa, "Sailor" would twice become a Top Ten hit for Clark, first reaching number 2 in its original 1961 release and subsequently afforded a number 9 chart peak via a local re-release in the summer of 1968.

Marin : French-language version

"Sailor" is the title of the English-language rendering of the 1959 schlager composition "Seemann (Deine Heimat ist das Meer)" originally written in German by Werner Scharfenberger (de) and lyricist Fini Busch (de): featuring lyrics in English by Norman Newell (writing as David West), "Sailor" would in 1961 afford Petula Clark her first UK number 1 hit, simultaneously granting Top Ten success to Anne Shelton while also bringing her chart career to a close. Clark was also afforded international success with both her recording of "Sailor" and "Marin", the French-language rendering of the song.

When Petula Clark charted in her native UK with the English-language rendering of "Sailor" reaching #1 in February 1961 she ended a UK chart absence of almost three years. However, during those same three years Clark did enjoy a string of hit singles in France and she expediently rendered her UK hit "Sailor" with French-language lyrics - by Jean Broussolle (fr) - with the resultant track "Marin" becoming Clark's eighth French chart hit, its #2 peak - reached in May 1961 - matching Clark's previous best French charting that being with "Java Pour Petula" #2 in 1959. (Clark's English-language recording of "Sailor" had been issued in France in February 1961 failing to chart.) Clark's next French chart hit after "Marin": "Roméo" (also a French rendering a UK hit by Clark), would be the first of Clark's five French #1's,

and also in english.

"Marin" reached #10 on the charts for the French-speaking sector of Belgium and the single also entered the Montreal charts (as "Sailor") in January 1961 peaking at #13 marking Clark's first appearance on an accredited North American chart almost four years before her breakout hit "Downtown".

A cover version of "Marin" - so entitled - was recorded by Québécois singer Pierrette Roy and was ranked at #22 on the annual tally of Québécois hits for 1961.

"Marin" has also been recorded by Charles Level (fr), Florence Passy (fr), John William (fr), Antoni Williams, and by Alain Morisod & Sweet People for their 2009 album which is entitled Marin.

Original German-language version

Prior to "Seemann (Deine Heimat ist das Meer)", Viennese singer Lolita had based her career on schlager numbers with Latin or Polynesian themes. Making her recording debut in 1957, Lolita had had four Top 20 hits on the German charts notably with "Der Weiße Mond Von Maratonga" (number 2, 1957). This was her career best charting as in 1958–59 Lolita's seventh through eleventh single releases all peaked outside the Top 20.

"Seemann..." was recorded by Lolita in a 15 December 1959 session at the Austrophon-Schallplatten-Studio located in the Konzerthaus, Vienna, overseen by Gerhard Mendelson (de) The song's composers Werner Scharfenberger—who was the regular conductor on Lolita's recordings—and Fini Busch had written "Der weiße Mond von Maratonga" and other songs previously recorded by Lolita: however it was another track from the 15 December session which was intended to be Lolita's next A-side release: a cover of the Italian single "Quando la luna" by Corrado Lojacono entitled "La Luna", "Seemann..." having been expediently written to serve as a B-side. Lyricist Fini Busch recalled that she and Scharfenberger "were commissioned to write a song completely 'on the fly'" to serve as B-side for the completed track "La Luna"; "the producer said 'I couldn't care less.

Write anything you want to back it'." However it was "Seemann..." which entered Germany's Top 20 in March 1960: peaking at number two that June. It remained in the Top 20 for ten months and was the fourth biggest hit in Germany for the year 1960. ("La Luna" would have a belated turn as an A-side reaching number thirty on the German charts in December 1960.) 

After Decca Records, who had first refusal on US release for Polydor recordings, passed on "Seemann..." the track was optioned by Kapp Records, a US independent label headed by Decca president Jack Kapp's brother David Kapp.

"Banjo-Boy" a German number one hit sung in German by Jan and Kjeld (de) had recently afforded Kapp Records a regional US hit with a number fifty-eight peak on the Billboard Hot 100 in Billboard magazine, and the label evidently saw potential for similar success with "Seemann..." by Lolita.

To increase the appeal of "Seemann..." for the US market, a section spoken in English by Maureen René (de) was overdubbed on to the track at Polydor Studio Hamburg (Rahlstedt). For writing the new English recitation the name of Alan Holt—a pseudonym for label head David Kapp—was listed with Werner Scharfenberger and Fini Busch in the songwriting credits for the modified version of "Seemann..., which was re-titled "Sailor (Your Home is On the Sea)" and issued in the US in September 1961.

After breaking in San Francisco and Chicago "Sailor" made its Billboard Hot 100 debut at number seventy-six on the chart dated 24 October 1960 to rise to a Hot 100 peak of number five in December 1960, becoming the first German-language song to rise to the US Top Ten, a feat repeated only in 1984 by the number two hit "99 Luftballons" by Nena

and in 1986 by the number one hit "Rock Me Amadeus" by Falco (musician).

In the wake of Lolita's success, her album Unvergessene Melodien was issued in America by Kapp under the title Sailor, Sailor and Lolita's Greatest Hits, and a second single, "Cowboy Jimmy Joe (Die Sterne der Prarie)," was also released, though it only reached number 94.

The strong US response to "Sailor..." has been attributed to the then-current immense US media interest in Germany due to the political situation in Berlin and also Elvis Presley's serving in the US Army's Third Armored Division along the East-West German border. At the same time "Sailor" rode the U.S. charts, the German melodies "Wonderland by Night"

and "Calcutta"

were becoming number one hits in instrumental versions by Bert Kaempfert and Lawrence Welk respectively, with "Wonderland..." also reaching the Top 20 in an English-language vocal version by Anita Bryant.

Later in 1961, Joe Dowell had a number one hit with his cover of Presley's take on the German folk song "Muss I Denn" titled "Wooden Heart", sung partially in German.

A spate of other German-language 45s by other artists such as Willy Millowitsch, Heidi Bruehl, and Marlene Stolz, were also issued in the United States, although none of these were successful.

"Sailor..." also afforded Lolita a hit in Australia (number six), Japan (Top Ten), and the Netherlands (number seven). In New Zealand it reached number eight despite the number one ranking achieved there by the Petula Clark's English-language rendering "Sailor". "Seemann..." was also a hit in Flemish Belgium reaching number twelve co-ranked with Petula Clark's English rendition "Sailor". Lolita's "Seemann..." had its most intense chart impact in Norway where it was number one for nine weeks in the spring of 1961 with sales of 50,000 units recognized in October 1961 with the awarding of a Gold Disc. In Sweden "Seemann..." reached number five co-ranked with the local cover version "Sjöman" by Towa Carson : however Lolita's "Seemann..." was number one for a total of eleven weeks (3 February-21 April 1961) according to the Swedish music paper Show Business.

On 17 January 1961 Lolita was awarded a gold record for sales of one million units for "Seemann (Deine Heimat Ist Das Meer)" in Germany: the eventual estimate for global sales of her single ""Seemann (Deine Heimat Ist Das Meer)"/ "Sailor (Your Home is the Sea)" was two million units.

Lolita can be heard singing "Seemann..." on the soundtrack of the film Schick Deine Frau nicht nach Italien (de) which premiered 22 September 1960.

Lolita re-recorded "Seemann... for her 1973 album Seemannslieder while a later re-recording reportedly from the late 1980s was remixed as a dance track in 2006 and issued as Seemann 2006.

Dickie Goodman's 1961 novelty single, "The Touchables," included a sample from "Seemann..." as the Touchables' oath, which they sang repeatedly.

Remakes in German

In 1984, "99 Luftballons" by the group Nena reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100, ousting Lolita's "Seemann..." as the highest charting US hit sung in German. Coincidentally in 2008 the former vocalist of that group who pursued a solo career as Nena recorded "Seemann..." as "Seemann, lass das Träumen" for a multi-artist album of nautical-themed songs entitled Captains Club - Bis Ans Ende der Welt.

"Seemann..." has also been remade by Manuela as "Seemann, deine Heimat ist das Meer" for her 1964 self-titled album,

by the Günter Kallmann (de) Chor as "Seemann" for their 1965 album Serenade am Meer;

by Freddy Quinn as "Seemann deine Heimat ist das Meer" for his 1969 album Freddy auf hoher See;

by United Balls (de) as "Seemann (deine Heimat ist das Meer)" for their 1982 album Lieder fremder Völker;

by Klaus & Klaus (de) as "Seemann (Deine Heimat ist das Meer) on a 2007 EP;

by Géraldine Olivier as "Seemann, deine Heimat ist das Meer" for her 2009 album Maritime Welthits der 50er und 60er;

by Oesch’s die Dritten as "Seemann-Medley" (medley of "Seemann deine Heimat ist das Meer" and "Aloha ʻOe") their 2007 Jodel-Time album;

and by Andrea Berg whose dance-pop remake - entitled "Seemann, deine Heimat ist das Meer" - was included on the deluxe version (known as the "Tour Edition") of her 2011 album Schwerelos.

Bobby Helms remade "Seeman..." under the title "Sailor (Your Home is on the Sea).

His version, recorded 29 October 1965 in Nashville, was issued in January 1966 both as the B-side of his single "Those Snowy Blowy Glowy Days of Winter" and on Helms' album I'm the Man.

The Swedish dansband Vikingarna used the German title "Seemann" for the instrumental version of the song featured on their 1977 album Kramgoa Låtar 5.

English-language version

Composition

Lyricist Norman Newell would later recall that his publisher phoned him on a Friday requesting he write English lyrics for Lolita's hit "Sailor (Your Home is the Sea)": although Newell agreed to prepare the lyrics over the weekend, the assignment slipped his mind until a messenger arrived on Monday morning to pick up Newell's work. (Norman Newell quote:) "I sent [the messenger] to the canteen and wrote the lyric [for] 'Sailor' in ten minutes. I wondered it if was good enough, but it was a tremendous hit for both Petula Clark and Anne Shelton". While the original German lyrics of the song had addressed a seafaring love object with an acceptance of his wanderlust the lyrics written by Newell (as David West) inverted this sentiment turning the song into a plea for the sailor to return.

Zeeman : Dutch version

In the autumn of 1960 "Zeeman (Je verlangen is de zee)" by Caterina Valente reached number ten on the charts for the Flemish Region of Belgium: the track made its album debut on the 1962 Valente compilation Caterina On Tour.

In 1981 Ciska Peters (nl) remade the song as "Zeeman, je verlangen is de zee"; it reached number nineteen on the Netherlands hit parade.

In August 2009 Janneke de Roo (nl) performed "Zeeman" as a musical guest at Delfsail (nl) with response positive enough to warrant her recording the song with producer Kees Tel (nl). Released on 15 September 2015, this version, which set the song to a dance-pop beat, was promoted with a video—showing de Roo singing on a sandbar and aboard a clipper moored at the Delfzijl quay—which regularly aired on the Dutch music channels Sterren.nl and TV Oranje facilitating a two-week tenure for the track on the Single Top 100, ranking at number ninety-four in September 2009 and at number ninety-eight on 3 October 2009. "Zeeman" was featured on de Roo's 2010 album release Onvergetelijk.

"Zeeman" has also been recorded by the Fouryo's (as "Zeeman je verlangen is de zee") (nl),

by Annie Palmen (as "Sailor", released April 1961), by Lisa Del Bo for her 1999 album Best of the Sixties

,and by Marjan Berger (nl) for her 2014 album Jij bent een wonder.

Scandinavian versions

Denmark (Danish) "Sømand, mon du drømmer?" was recorded in 1960 by Katy Bødtger with Ole Mortensen (da) conducting the orchestra.

Norway (Norwegian) "Sjømann" was recorded in 1960 by Jan Høiland

and also by Franz Løberg (no): Høiland's version rose as high as number two on the Norwegian charts for the first and second week of February 1961 being kept from the number one spot by the original "Seemann...".

"Sjømann" was later recorded by the Kjell Karlsen Orkester for their 1973 album Spanske Øyne: the vocalist on the track being We-Be Karlsen (no); by Hans Petter Hansen (no) on his 1974 album Jeg kommer snart igjen;

and by Ronald Holmberg (no) on his 2000 album Ronald 7.

Sweden (Swedish) "Sjöman" was first recorded by Thory Bernhards (sv) in a 12 October 1960 session. Her version entered the best selling lists in Januari 1961 and peaked at number seven.

The Swedish lyrics being the work of Åke Gerhard whose composition "Ann-Caroline", first sung by Bernhards,

had coincidentally developed into "Lay Down Your Arms" the career record of Anne Shelton who had a Top Ten UK hit with "Sailor".

Bernhards' rendition of "Sjöman" was utilized in the soundtrack of the German film Schick Deine Frau nicht nach Italien (de) in its Swedish release replacing Lolita's German-language original "Seemann (Deine Heimat ist das Meer)" (see Section 1.1 for details).

The hit recording of "Sjöman" was that by Towa Carson which first charted in Sweden in tandem with "Seemann..." by Lolita with a number five peak with a subsequent charting as a double A-sided hit with "Sista Dansen" (i.e. "Save the Last Dance for Me") reaching number nine in June 1961.

With three best selling versions of that song, "Seeman/Sjöman" became the most popular song in Sweden 1961 collecting 12.662 points, followed by Danish Eurovision entry "Angelique" by Dario Campeotto (7.622 points) according to the record magazin Show Business.

"Sjöman" was also recorded in 1960 by Inger Jacobsen.

Versions in other languages

The Afrikaans rendering entitled "Seeman" was recorded by Virginia Lee (af) and was ranked as the number eight hit for the year 1960 on the South African hit parade.

This version was subsequently recorded by Gé Korsten for his 1967 album Seeman, and also in 1969 by Cornelia.

"Seemann (Deine Heimat ist das Meer)" has been the source of two distinct Czech renderings: "Svítí maják" recorded by Yvetta Simonová (cs) in 1967,

and "Vím jen, že se vzdálím" recorded by Ladislav Vodička for his 1996 album Starej Voda po 20-ti letech.

The Estonian rendering "Meremees, kus on su kodu?" has been recorded by Vello Orumets (et) and also by Toivo Nikopensius (et).

Faroese singer Fríðbjørg Jensen (fo) has recorded the song as "Kom og set teg her".

The Finnish rendering "Merimies, kotimaasi on meri" was first recorded by Ritva Mustonen (fi) in 1960

and recorded in 1961 by Laila Kinnunen.

"Merimies..." has since been remade by Eino Grön for his 1983 album Merellä ja Kotisatamassa,

by Lea Laven for her 1988 album Bluebird,

and by the Charlies (fi) for their 1999 album Kauneimmat Hetket.

In 1963 Patrick Jaque a Belgian singer, resident in Spain, recorded a Spanish-language version of "Seeman..." titled "Marinero". Another Spanish-language version titled "Hombre de los Mares" was recorded by Los Paraguayos for their 2014 album Fiesta Romantica recorded for the Munich-based Telamo (de) label.

The Portuguese version "Marinheiro" was recorded in 1962 by Brazilian singer Fernando José.

"Seemann..." has also been rendered in Croatian: "Mornar" by Anica Zubović (hr) (1968),

and also in Italian: "Sailor (La tua casa e' il mare)" by Lucia Altieri (it) (1962).

Other cover versions

Besides the versions by Anne Shelton and Petula Clark detailed above, two other acts had UK single releases of "Sailor" in January 1961: veteran American vocal trio the Andrews Sisters

and also American stage musical actress Eileen Rodgers, the latter version being entitled "Sailor (Your Home Is In sic The Sea)". The version of "Sailor" by Eileen Rodgers - which featured the Stan Applebaum Orchestra - had been recorded in New York City for Kapp Records the label who had issued the US hit version "Sailor (Your Home Is On The Sea)" which featured the original German-language vocal by Lolita: unreleased in the US, Rodgers' version was afforded release by Kapp's UK licensee London Records only to be shortly afterwards withdrawn.

The Andrews Sisters, who were in London for an engagement at the Talk of the Town, made a one-off single for Decca Records (UK) comprising "Sailor" backed by "Goodnight and Sweet Dreaming"; the tracks, which featured Bernard Ebbinghouse (de) conducting his orchestra, were recorded on 29 December 1960.

In 1974, actor Peter Gilmore, then renowned for his sea-captain role in the BBC-TV series The Onedin Line, recorded the album James Onedin Songs of the Sea from which his rendition of "Sailor" - entitled "Sailor (Seemann)" - was issued as a single (the album was recorded and released in the Netherlands).

Louise Morrissey recorded "Sailor" for her 2008 album release The Gift.

An instrumental version of "Sailor (Your Home Is The Sea)" appears on the 1961 album Songs Of The Soaring '60s Volume 1 by Roger Williams :

the track later served as B-side for Williams' 1965 single release "Summer Wind".

• STUDIOCHINCHAN

• Sailor Seemann Zeeman Yamaha Tyros 4 by Rico

• Andrea Berg - Seemann, deine Heimat ist das Meer

• Charlie Dicks - Sailor

• Sailor - Petula Clark - instrumental cover by Dave Monk

• Sax Element

• Günter Kallmann Chor

• Lolita und James Last