Mockin' Bird Hill is a song, written in 3/4 time, by George Vaughn Horton, and perhaps best known through recordings by Patti Page, Donna Fargo, and by Les Paul and Mary Ford in 1951.
The music of "Mockin' Bird Hill" is based closely on a Swedish waltz called "Livet i Finnskogarne" ("Life in the Finnish Woods"), recorded by Karl Jularbo in 1915, which enjoyed some popularity in the U.S.
Several sources say this is a composition by Karl Jularbo (1893-1966).
SEE: Carl Jularbo
Other sources say it is a composition by Herman Gellin (1895-1965).
A meeting with the Swedish STIM in 1962 resulted in an anouncement that Jularbo heard "Livet in Finnskogarne" around 1910 by a man, who had died in the meantime, and this Vals is actually a piece of Danish folkmusic.
Most likely Karl Jularbo was the first artist to make a recording of this song.
(o) Karl Karlsson Jularbo and Helge Erichsson (1915) (as "Livet I Finnskogarne")
Karl Jularbo: accordion / Helge Erichsson: violin
Recorded 1915 in Stockholm
Matrix Sto 961
Released in 1915 on Odeon A 148 243
In February 1916 Herman Gellin recorded his version of the song on the Beka-label
(c) Hermann Gellin (1916) (as "Livet I Finnskogarne")
Recorded February 1916 in Berlin
Released on Beka 49796
(c) Vilgot Malmqvist & Sven Lindqvist (1920) (as "Livet I Finnskogarna")
Recorded on June 10/11, 1920 in Berlin
Released on Beka # 51315
Listen here:
(c) Arvid Franzen and Eric Berg (1921) (as "Livet I Finnskogarna")
Recorded November 21, 1921 in New York
Released on Victor 73175
In 1922 Herman Gellin made a new recording of the song on the Polyphon-label, this time with longtime collaborator Ernst Borgstrøm.
(c) Gellin and Borgstrøm (1922) (as "Livet I Finnskogarna")
Recorded in May 1922 in Berlin
Released on Polyphon XS 49004
Livet i Finnskogarna : Gellin og Borgstrom : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive
Listen here: /Livet i Finnskogarna - Gellin og Borgstrom.mp3
Re-released on Polyphon N.S99050
(c) E. Jahrl - Nyhetskvintetten (1927) (as "Livet I Finnskogarna")
Recorded July 27, 1926 in New York
Released on Columbia 22038-F
SEE: Columbia
Listen here:
(c) Ivar Lindeberg and Oscar Lundin (1927) (as "Livet I Finnskogarna")
Recorded on May 11, 1927 in Stockholm
Released on His Master's Voice A.L. 825
(c) International Octette (1928) (as "Livet I Finnskogarna")
(=Jahrl Instrumental Quintet)
Recorded April, 30, 1928 in New York
Released on Victor 81456
(c) Jularbos Dragspelsorkester (1930) (as "Livet I Finnskogarna")
Recorded November 6, 1930 in Stockholm
Matrix Sto 4501
Released on Odeon A 162 737 in Sweden
And on Odeon D-2193 in the UK
Or here:
In 1922 Anna Myrberg wrote lyrics to the music.
Only a few lines of these lyrics were sung by Hilmer Borgeling in 1934.
(c) Tore Svensson & Co (1934) (as "Livet I Finnskogarna")
Lyrics by Svarta Masken = Anna Myrberg
Vocals by Hilmer Borgeling.
Recorded October 1934 in Stockholm
Released on Sonora 3014
Listen here:
The son of Carl Jularbo, Eberhardt, recorded his father's composition in 1939 (released in 1941).
In this version the complete first verse and the last 4 lines of the Anna Myrberg lyrics were sung.
(c) Jularbo Jr & Nisse Lind (1940) (as "Livet I Finnskogarna")
Lyrics by Svarta Masken = Anna Myrberg
Vocals by Sven-Olof Sandberg
Recorded August 26, 1939 in Stockholm
Released on Sonora 3580
Re-released on Sonora Elit # 7004
Listen here:
And here's the composer himself with yet another version.
(c) Carl Jularbo med sin Stjärntrio (1942) (as "Livet I Finnskogarna")
Recorded September 1937 in Stockholm
Released August 1942 on Sonora Elit 7172
Listen here:
More versions here; see "Livet I Finnskogarna" : Skiv-titlar L - R
In the meantime various English versions were released as "Life In The Finnish Woods", "Woods of Finland" and "Life In The Finland Woods".
But as I said on top of theis page around 1950 the famous song "Mockin' Bird Hill" was derived from "Livet I Finnskogarna".
The first recording of "Mockin' Bird Hill" was made by The Pinetoppers, a group consisting of the composer George Vaughn Horton and his brother Roy Horton plus four other men: this recording, which featured a female duo billed as the Beaver Valley Sweethearts, was issued on Coral Records in October 1950. This was a # 3 C&W Hit.
(c) The Pinetoppers (1950) (as "Mockin' Bird Hill")
Colleen And Donna Wilson (vcl), Ray Smith (gt), Arrett Keefer (Mandolin), Roy Horton (bass), Phil Kraus (drums), Frank Signorelli (piano).Vaughn Horton : Contractor.
Recorded August 18, 1950 Decca Recording Studio, New York City
Released on Coral 64061
Listen here:
2 cover-versions of "Mockin' Bird Hill" became MILLIONSELLERS in the USA.
(c) Les Paul & Mary Ford (1951) (as "Mockin' Bird Hill")
Nr 2 Hit USA
Recorded January 1951 in Hollywood
Released on Capitol F 1373
Listen here:
(c) Patti Page (1951) (as "Mockin' Bird Hill")
Nr 2 Hit USA
Recorded January 27, 1951 in New York
Released on Mercury 5595
Listen here:
In 1951 2 Swedish versions, in turn, rather use the "Mocking Bird Hill" version, than the "Livet I Finnskogarna" version.
The Swedish lyrics are not a direct translation of Horton's text though.
For the first version Gösta Carje wrote a Swedish-language version of the "Mocking Bird Hill" version, which was titled "Adress Rosenhill".
This was recorded by Alice Babs in 1951 on the Metronome-label. This was a # 1 Hit in Sweden.
(c) Alice Babs (1951) (as "Adress Rosenhill")
Recorded May 7, 1951 in Stockholm
Released on Metronome J 182
Listen here:
For the second version the Swedish comedian Povel Ramel wrote a Swedish-language version of the song called "Småfoglarne" (The little birds), which contained a large number of puns on birds' names.
It was performed and recorded by Ramel and Martin Ljung in 1951.
(c) Povel Ramel and Martin Ljung (1951) (as "Småfoglarne")
Recorded November 8, 1951 in Stockholm.
Released on His Master's Voice X 7780
Listen here:
In the Netherlands it was covered as "Als de Spotvogel Fluit", with Dutch lyrics by Andre Meurs, although the label says Wim Bos.
(c) De Spelbrekers (1951) (as "De Spotvogel")
Released on the Olympia-label (# 5657)
Or here:
Early 1964 British pop group The Migil 5 made a new arrangement of "Mockin' Bird Hill", recording a bluebeat version of the song.
(c) Migil 5 (1964) (as "Mockin' Bird Hill")
Top 10 Hit UK
Listen here:
(c) Claude Francois (1964) (as "La Ferme Du Bonheur")
Using the Migil 5 arrangement
Listen here:
(c) The Firebirds (1964) (as "Naar 't Strand")
Also using the Migil 5 arrangement.
Listen here:
(c) Donna Fargo (1977) (as "Mockingbird Hill")
Top 10 C&W Hit USA
Listen here:
In 1993 Dutch group Roots Syndicate also used the Migil 5 arrangement, which was featured on an advertisement for insurance company Centraal Beheer in 1992.
Because of the overwhelming success of this commercial, they made a full song of it and it was officially released
Listen here:
More cover versions here:
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