"Suikerbossie" is a popular song supposedly composed in 1930 by Fred Michel (1898-1969). Fred Michel sold the rights to Polliacks Music Company for a small sum of money.
SEE the next Fred Michel Tributepage with many newspaper articles: https://www.facebook.com/suikerbossieFredMichel/
Translated into English and recorded by Josef Marais in 1946 as "Sugarbush".
Incorporating the well-known Dutch tune "En We Gaan Nog Niet Naar Huis" ("Oh We Never Not Gonna Go Home"), Doris Day and Frankie Laine's recording of "Sugarbush" in 1952 became a big US Hit and a version by Eve Boswell was a bestseller in the United Kingdom.
"Suikerbossie" (Protea Repens) is named after a beautiful South-African plant, which was the National Flower of South Africa up to 1976.
Most likely the first recording :
(o) Malan En Sy Kêrels (1933) (as "Suikerbossie")
Frankie Malan: violin
Louis Brocker: guitar
Fred Michel: vocals
Released on Columbia AE556
Listen here:
(c) Chris A. Blignaut (1935) (as "Suikerbossie")
Recorded in South-Africa
Released on Columbia DE 100
Matrix CEA 2023
Listen here:
(c) Dawid de Lange met die Welgens Orkes (1936) (as "Suikerbossie")
Released on Gallotone GE 264
This recording (Gallotone Singer GE 264) by David de Lange and Willie Welgens' band sold over 200,000 copies - a record for those days.
After this runaway success Welgens' band became known as the "Welgens Suikerbossie Orkes".
David de Lange - vocals
Willie Welgens - concertina
Rup Meyer - double bass
Gert Naudé - guitar
George Abrahams - banjo
Dan Truter - clarinet
Listen here:
(c) Faan Harris
en sy Boslansers (1930's) (as "Suikerbossie")
Vocals Danie du Plessis
Released on Decca SD 205
In 1939 South-African born artist Josef Marais went to the USA and there he translated "Suikerbossie" into English (as "Sugarbush"), and this was published in 1942 in the book "Songs From The Veld".
He first recorded that version of "Sugarbush" (which also contains the original South-African verse) in 1946
(c) Josef Marais and his Bushveld Band with Chorus (1946) (as "Sugarbush")
Recorded January 29, 1946 in New York
Released on Decca 23691 (as part of Decca album A-471)
And here's a page from the album-notes .
Listen here:
(c) Vrij en Blij olv Wessel Dekker (1950) (as "Suikerbossie")
This Dutch cover of the "Suikerbossie" follows the original South-African version, and adds a few Dutch lyrics by Lia de Vos.
This Dutch version DOESN'T contain the "En We Gaan Nog Niet Naar Huis" ("Oh We Never Not Gonna Go Home") tune, which popped up in later versions of "Sugarbush"
On Dutch sheetmusic it says: South-African lyrics and music by S.M. Eyssen / arrangement by Wessel Dekker / Dutch lyrics by Lia de Vos
Released in 1950 on Decca M 32869
Listen here:
Somewhere around 1951, Josef Marais added the wellknown Dutch tune "En We Gaan Nog Niet Naar Huis" ("Oh We Never Not Gonna Go Home"), which was most likely the idea of his Dutch wife Miranda.
Notes from Josef Marais from a paperback songbook called "World Folk Songs", by Marais and Miranda: "Worldwide popularity was attained by this song when I joined two folk songs (from Africa and Holland) and added an English lyric in 1952. "Suikerbos" is a term of endearment somewhat like "sweetie-pie." The vastrap dance is a kind of polka. Vas (pronounced fuss) meaning firm, and trap(pronounced trupp) meaning step".
This medley was first recorded by Doris Day and Frankie Laine.
(c) Doris Day and Frankie Laine (1952) (as "Sugarbush")
(in a medley with "Oh We Never Not Gonna Go Home")
Recorded February 7, 1952
Released June 1952 on Columbia 39693
Listen here:
Josef Marais and Miranda recorded their own version of the "Sugarbush" medley in June 1952.
(c) Josef Marais and Miranda (1952) (as "Sugarbush")
(in a medley with "Oh We Never Not Gonna Go Home")
Recorded June 1952
Released on Columbia 39847
Also released on Columbia album # 6226:
Listen here:
(c) Eve_Boswell (1952) (as "Sugar Bush")
(in a medley with "Oh We Never Not Gonna Go Home")
Released August 1952 on Parlophone R. 3561
Listen here:
(c) Stargazers (1952) (as "Sugar Bush")
(in a medley with "Oh We Never Not Gonna Go Home")
Released September 1952 on Decca F 9960
Listen here:
(c) David MacKersie (1952) (as "Sugarbush")
(instrumental version)
Released on Omega 21859 and also on Decca 21859
Listen here:
(c) De Notenkrakers (1952) (as "Suikerbossie")
with the Orchestra of Ger van Leeuwen.
This Dutch version DOES contain the "En We Gaan Nog Niet Naar Huis" ("Oh We Never Not Gonna Go Home") tune, nearly at the end.
Released on Omega 21868
Listen here:
In Norway the song (with Norvegian lyrics by Egil Hagen) was covered by Leif Juster
(c) Leif Juster and Robert Levis Orkester (1952) (as "Krølltopp")
(incorporating the "Oh We Never Not Gonna Go Home" tune)
Listen here:
In France the song (with French lyrics by Noël Barcy and Roger Varnay) was also quite famous.
Apparently it was based on the Dutch version by Vrij en Blij olv Wessel Dekker (SEE ABOVE), because Wessel Dekker was mentioned as the composer of the music on the French sheetmusic.
And all the French versions below, also, DON'T contain the "En We Gaan Nog Niet Naar Huis" ("Oh We Never Not Gonna Go Home") tune.
(c) Annie Cordy (1952) (as "La Petite Marie")
Recorded around September 1952
Released in 1952 on Columbia BF 508 (78 rpm)
Released in 1953 on Columbia SCRF 119 (45 rpm)
Listen here:
(c) Tohama (1952) (as "La Petite Marie")
Listen here:
(c) Patrice et Mario (1952) (as "La Petite Marie")
Listen here:
(c) Jacques Helian et Jean Marco (1953) (as "La Petite Marie")
Released on Pathe PG 700 (78 rpm)
Also released on Pathe 45 G 1013 (45 rpm)
Listen here:
In Germany the song (with German lyrics by Georg Bürger) was also quite popular.
But the German versions below DO contain the "Heut Gehen Wir Nicht Nach Haus" ("Oh We Never Not Gonna Go Home") tune
(c) Fred Rauch with Herbert Beckh and the Münchner-Rundfunkorchester (1952) (as "Zucker-Lili")
(in a medley with "Heut Gehen Wir Nicht Nach Haus" ("Oh We Never Not Gonna Go Home")
Released December 1952 on Polydor 48906
Listen to a sample here:
(c) Peter Alexander and Erni Bieler (1954) (as "Zucker-Lili")
(in a medley with "Heut Gehen Wir Nicht Nach Haus" ("Oh We Never Not Gonna Go Home")
Listen here:
And in Italy the song was also covered, with Italian lyrics by Nisa (=Nicola Salerno)
This Italian version also DOES contain the "Oh We Never Not Gonna Go Home" tune, but with quite different lyrics.
(c) Nilla Pizzi and Gino Latilla (1953) (as "Sugar Busch")
Recorded April 17, 1953
Released on Cetra DC 5700
Listen here:
Some time later the song was also sung in Russia (with lyrics by Nikolay Dorizo)
This Russian version ("Little Marie") was based on the French version ("La Petite Marie") and therefore also DOESN'T contain the "En We Gaan Nog Niet Naar Huis" ("Oh We Never Not Gonna Go Home") tune,
(c) Александра Коваленко (=Alexandra Kovalenko) (1954) (as "Маленькая Мари") (= "Little Mary")
Listen here: kkre-29.narod.ru/kovalenko/mam.mp3
or here.
(c) Гелена Великанова (Helena Velikanova) (1955) (as "Маленькая Мари") (= "Little Mary")
Listen here:
Eve Boswell, who had already recorded "Sugar Bush" in 1952, made a disco-version in 1976.
Listen here:
In 1977 South-African singer Thembi recorded a medley of famous South-African songs, including a part of "Suikerbossie". This was a #3 Hit in the Netherlands and a #4 Hit in Belgium.
(c) Thembi (1977) (part of "Take Me Back To The Old Transvaal" medley)
Listen here:
In 2000 Dutch singer Stef Bos, made his own arrangement of "Suikerbossie".
(c) Stef Bos (2000) (as "Suikerbossie")
Here's a live-version from 2005, which he recorded in the University of Pretoria in South-Africa.
I also found an article in the South-African magazine Opskommel, with information about the history of "Suikerbossie".
Op 13 Februarie 1963 skryf die Kaapstadse verteenwoordiger van Die Vaderland dat die komponis van Suikerbossie 'n beskeie bestaan as haarkapper in Kaapstad voer. Hy was toe 64 jaar oud. Die komponis, mnr Fred Michel, het in 1933 'n vierman orkessie gehad wat onder die naam Fred Michel en sy Lekker Kêrels opgetree het. Michel het aan die verslaggewer verduidelik dat hy en 'n paar vriende een nag op Langebaan se strand, naby Saldanhabaai se kant, gaan visvang het. Hy het op sy kitaar sit en tokkel terwyl die ander kêrels half aan die slaap was. 'n Deuntjie wat al 'n paar dae lank in sy kop gedraai het, het daar in die maanlig begin vorm aanneem. Die ander manne het hulle glo nugter geskrik toe hy die finale wysie begin uittokkel. Woorde was 'n probleem totdat hy eenslag opkyk om te sien dat hy reg onder 'n suikerbossieblom (protea) sit...". Die woorde Suikerbossie het pragtig met die eerste note van die liedjie saamgesmelt. Twee lede van sy orkes. Louis Brockner en Frankie Malan, het help dig en voor die nag om was, is Suikerbossie gebore. 'n Kaapstadse besigheid het in daardie tyd [1930? - Red.] 'n apparaat ingevoer om plaatonames te maak, en die bestuurder was so beindruk met die liedjie dat hulle dit 'n paar dae later op plaat opgeneem het. Die orkes het glo ongeveer 55 pond (R110) vir die opname ontvang . Dit was so 'n groot gebeurtenis in die viertal se lewe dat hulle nooit daaraan gedink het om die liedjie te laat registreer nie en deur hierdie versuim het hulle goot skade aan tantiėmes gely. 'n Foto van Fred Michel wat met die berig verskyn het. is ongelukkig nie goed genoeg om te reproduseer nie. , Mnr Stephen Eyssen. die bekende musiekkundige en medewerker aan die FAK'sangbundel. skryf op 30 Augustus 1968 oor die onderwerp in Die Oosterlig dat 'n vriend van hom in Pretoria. kmdt Chris'toffel Buys. hom meegedeel het dat hy die komponis van Suikerbossie ken. Dit is 'n haarkapper in Soutrivier naby Kaapstad. wat destyds bekend was vir die talle liedjies waarvoor hy beide die woorde en die musiek geskep het. Ek is doodseker dat dit dieselfde haarkapper, mnr Michel is wat die liedjie Suikerbossie gemaak het..." het kmdt Buys aan mnr Eyssen vertel. Verder stem mnr Eyssen se inligting ooreen met dié wat in Die Vaderland in 1963 verskyn het. ln die FAK-tydskrif van 24 Junie 1969 verskyn 'n berig van ene J Van Walsem waarin hy die volgende inligting verskaf: Mnr Frederick Stavro Michel wat vir 50 jaar lank 'n haarkapper in Observatory, Kaapstad, was, is op 9 Junie 1969 oorlede. Die skrywer se informant het hom meegedeel dat hy 'n aantal jare gelede 'n plaat raakgeloop het waarop mnr Michel self Suikerbossie sing. Die betrokke Columbia-plaat is. sover vasgestel kan word, die heel eerste opname van hierdie liedjie. Op die etiket word die tempo as 'n vastrap aangedui; die oorsprong is tradisioneel en die sanger is Fred Michel
Here' the translation into English https://translate.google.nl/?
SEE PAGE 12 and 13 of the following article:
And here's a reaction on the article above also from South-African magazine Opskommel.
I read the article about Suikerbossie in Opskommel with the greatest interest but l`m still not convinced that Fred Michel actually wrote the song. l have two Columbia 78's which came out of the 1933 session where Michel first sang Suikerbossie : AE556 Suikerbossie / Tot Son-Op and AE597 Blou Blommetjies / Perdeby. (A gap in the matrix numbers on these indicates the possibility that there could have been at least one additional coupling, Does anyone in the club have such a record? lncidentally, these were issued under the name Malan en Sy Kêrels, not Michel en sy Lekker Kêrels. The song credit for Suikerbossie on the record label is listed as traditional whereas the other three titles are all credited to (Frankie) Malan. In view of the fact that Columbia always seems to have been fairly fastidious about composer credits, l find it difficult to believe Michel`s story that he was so excited about recording that he simply forgot to register his composition. I have a feeling that Suikerbossie was actually a Cape Coloured song which Michel and Co. adapted, perhaps originating some of the verses. I believe that there is a well-known but naughty verse which uses a word usually associated with Coloured slang, When Suikerbossie made its appearance in the FAK Sangbundel, the word was changed for something more polite! A Coloured origin might also explain why the FAK could not trace the song's existence before 1930 (or perhaps some unknown Coloured musician wrote the song not long before Michel first recorded it in 1933).
SEE PAGE 8 and 9 of the following article
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