Although "Sarie Marais" became known as a typical South African song, its origins go back to the American Civil War, where a song called "Carry Me Back To Tennessee" or "Ellie Rhee" was published in 1865 by Septimus Winner (1827-1902).
But this song has a confusing history:
Charles E. Stewart and James W. Porter published "Ella Ree" in 1852 or 1853.
In 1865, Septimus Winner altered the lyrics of the song to fit the post-Civil War circumstances. That seems to be the original of most of the traditional versions, although they cannot agree on whether the girl is Ella or Ellie, and Ree or Rhee or Rhea, or even Allalee.
This song was heard being sung by Americans working the Transvaal gold mines by Afrikaans journalist Jacobus Petrus Toerien, who adapted the song into the Afrikaans language sometime around 1889 (between the First and Second Freedom Wars, as the Boer War was known in South Africa). He substituted the name of Ellie Rhee with that of his own sweethart Sarie Maré, who he later married and with who he had 16 children, 8 of whom survived.
The first recording of the original American version I could find:
(c) Carroll Clark (1910) (as "Carry Me Back To Tennessee")
Recorded early 1910 in New York
Released on Columbia A852
Listen here:
(c) Lester McFarland and Robert A. Gardner (1927) (as "Sweet Allalee")
Recorded December 8, 1927 in New York
Released on Vocalion 5199
Listen here:
(c) Kanawha Singers (1929) (as "Ella Ree (Carry Me Back To Tennessee")
Recorded August 27, 1929 in New York
Released on Brunswick 459
(c) Blue Sky Boys (1936) (as "Sweet Allalee")
Released on Bluebird 6854
Or here:
Die Afrikaanse woorde van Sarie Marais het die eerste keer in 1927 in druk verskyn in Joan van Niekerk se “Groot Afrikaanse-Hollandse Liederbundel” waarin dit bloot as ‘n Afrikaanse volkswysie beskryf is.
This is what the above African words mean: The African words of Sarie Marais appeared in print for the first time in 1927 in Joan van Niekerk's "Groot Afrikaanse-Hollandse Liederbundel" in which it was merely described as an African folksong.
SEE PAGE 130 : niek008groo01_01.pdf
"Sarie Marais" was also the title of the first South African talking picture, directed by Joseph Albrecht and made in 1931. Filmed in Johannesburg, Sarie Marais manages to pack a lot into its 10-minute running time. Set in a British POW camp, the film concentrates on a group of Boer prisoners as they pass the time under the watchful eye of their British captors.
One of the internees, played by Billy Mathews, lifts his voice in song with the popular Afrikaans patriotic tune "My Sarie Marais". His enthusiasm catches on with the other prisoners, giving them hope for the future.
Chris Blignaut also sang some songs in the Sarie Marais talking picture referred to above,
Blignaut's recording, with the Melodians as backing band, is from the same year as the movie.
Released in South-Africa on Columbia LE 13
Listen here: Chris A Blignaut - Sarie Marais - Columbia LE 13.mp3
Or here:
The version below by Chris Blignaut with the Welgens Suikerbossie Orkesis a variation of the original song in which he is backed by a boeremusiek band.
(c) Vier Vrolike Kerels (1930's) (as "Sarie Marais")
Conducted by Alec Benjamin
Released in South-Africa on Columbia LE 44
Matrix WEA.444
Or here:
(c) Albert de Booy (1933) (as "Sarie Marijs")
Dutch lyrics Wilhelm Ciere
Matrix PR 2112
Released on Triumph 581 and also on Regina S 3479
Also released on the Astra-label
Listen here:
(c) August de Laat (1933) (as "Sarie Marijs")
with the Ramblers Orchestra
Recorded end December 1933 on Decca F 42012
Listen here:
(c) AVRO band Kovacs Lajos (vocals: Bob Scholte) (1933) (as "Sarie Marys")
Recorded end 1933
Released on Parlophon B 17816 and Odeon A 164997
Matrix 148121
AVRO band Kovacs Lajos, Bob Scholte - Dat gaat nu met de Pelikaan / Sarie Marys (Shellac) at Discogs
Listen here:
(c) Welgens Orkes (1930's) (as "Sarie Marais")
Released on Gallotone 286
(c) Joseph Marais and his Bushveld Band (1939) (as "Sarie Marais")
Recorded December 18, 1939 in New York
Released on Decca 18048 as part of Decca album A-113
this was re-released in 1949 on Decca album DL 5014
Listen here:
(c) Anne Shelton (1945) (as "My Beautiful Sarie Marais")
with Stanley Black and his Orchestra
English lyric and musical adaption by Michael Carr and Tommie Connor
In 1949 Anne Shelton re-recorded "My Beatiful Sarie Marais" (sung in English and Afrikaans)
with John Massey and his Orchestra
Listen here:
In 1950 Dutch singer Eddy Christiani made a very free adaptation of "Sarie Marais"
(c) Eddy Christiani (1950) (as "O mijn Sarie, mijn Sarie Marijs")
Listen here:
(c) Kilima Hawaiians (1954) (as "Sarie Marei")
German lyrics by Bruno Balz and Norbert Schultze
Also sung in the movie "Ein Leben Für Do"
Recorded March 17, 1954 in Hamburg
Released on Philips P 44588 H
Listen here:
(c) Eve Boswell (1956) (as "Saries Marais")
Released on Parlophone R 4189
Listen here:
(c) Bobbejaan Schoepen (1959) (as "Sarie Marijs")
Incorporated in the Bobbejaan in Transvaal medley
Listen here:
(c) The Giants (1962) (as "Sarie Marijs")
A rockin' guitar-instrumental.
Listen here:
In June 1934, a gentleman by the name of A. Kloosterman wrote to a Dutch newspaper to have a song he wrote published in the newspaper. He claimed that it was written to be sung on 31st August (Queen Wilhelmina"s birthday). In the song, simply called "Vlaggelied" (Flag song) is expressed the close relationship between the Netherlands and the House of Orange. He also claimed that the song was already being taught in all Dutch schools and sung by Orange associations, in political circles, in the army and by the fleet. In this capacity he offers his song as a national anthem alongside the classical Wilhelmus to our Great Netherlands.
The melody to be used was that of Sarie Marijs (Sarie Marais) SEE: Vlaggelied - Geheugen van Nederland
(c) Thembi (1977) (as "Take Me Back To The Old Transvaal")
Nr 3 Hit in The Netherlands
In 1977 South-African singer Thembi recorded the medley "Take Me Back To The Old Transvaal", which was a medley of "Suikerbossie", "Boere" and "Sarie Marijs"
Listen here
