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Thread: Mack the Knife

  1. 7th November 2013, 08:08 PM #1
    Lionelgee
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    Mack the Knife

    Hello All,

    A while ago when I was a captive audience travelling to Brisbane on the Tilt Train they played a Mel Gibson movie and part of it had Frank Sinatra's version of Mack the Knife playing. Tonight on an ABC 2 they had a replay of Spicks and Specks and they had a version of a Frank Sinatra song which reminded me of Mack the Knife.

    I did a bit of research on the song and found out who wrote it and how many people have actually sung it.

    The lyrics are really colourful and very smart. They also represent an era of the time and crime. I wonder what sort of songs are being written about the Bikie Wars?

    The song was composed by Kurt Weill with lyrics by Bertolt Brecht for "The Three Penny Opera" and it was recorded by Louis Armstrong in 1956 and later by Bobby Darin, in 1959. The story behind the song is described in this link http://www.theguitarguy.com/mackthek.htm The guitar guy link describes how relatives of people named in the song actually wrote to the author and described their family connections to the song

    Even the commentator's introduction to the Louis Armstrong version is ... you guested it ...Interesting.

    P.S. I consulted Wikipedia and they have more background on the song ... "Mack the Knife" or "The Ballad of Mack the Knife", originally "Die Moritat von Mackie Messer", is a song composed by Kurt Weill with lyrics by Bertolt Brecht for their music drama Die Dreigroschenoper, or, as it is known in English, The Threepenny Opera. It premiered in Berlin in 1928 at the Theater am Schiffbauerdamm. The song has become a popular standard.
    http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mack_the_Knife

    P.P.S More stuff about the song including who the song could be loosely written about - again Wikipedia is the source - all interesting though ... I love researching ...

    http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captain_Macheath
    http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Sheppard


    P.P.P.S How about the German version which is sung by Kurt Weill's wife Lotte Lenya, whom the song was written for and who Louis Armstrong has an impromptu inclusion in his version of the song....

    Kind Regards
    Lionel


    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLIrS5dtTZI"]Louis Armstrong - Mack the Knife - YouTube[/ame]


    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNCBPk7_TsE"]Mack the knife - Bobby Darin - YouTube[/ame]

    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPG9GcykPIY"]Mack the Knife Sung by Lotte Lenya - YouTube[/ame]
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  2. 7th November 2013, 09:31 PM #2
    Lionelgee
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    Lap Steel Slide Guitar and Mack the Knife?

    Hello All,

    I entered a deal and was given a slide guitar with one proviso. I have to be able to play a song after I finish my PhD for the person who suggested I do a PhD in the first place - thanks Karl.

    I am new to reading music, also of course to playing slide guitar. The link to the Guitar Guy description about the song Mack the Knife starts with the written music for the song. Mack the Knife

    Do any of you forum members who play Lap Steel Slide Guitar think that Mack The Knife would be fairly achievable as my first song to learn?

    I have been thinking about what song would be suitable to play and so far this is the best one that I like. Because it is "interesting" .

    Is the arrangement on the Guitar Guy's written music the same tempo as the Louis Armstrong version?

    Kind Regards
    Lionel
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  3. 8th November 2013, 11:17 AM #3
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    shorty943
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    Should be do-able.
    Only three chords in the verse and fourth during the bridge.
    Probably sound best in the Minor Pentatonic scale.
    The version I have is transposed to the key of D, so Dm scale would work with a nice blues feel.

    That said, I gave away my converted Steel Guitar, because I just couldn't get the hang of playing that way.
    That only leaves 18 of them in my music room, so the wife is a LOT happier.
    Yep, uhuh, uhuh!
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  4. 9th November 2013, 10:08 AM #4
    Lionelgee
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    Quote Originally Posted by shorty943 View Post
    Should be do-able.
    Only three chords in the verse and fourth during the bridge.
    Probably sound best in the Minor Pentatonic scale.
    The version I have is transposed to the key of D, so Dm scale would work with a nice blues feel.

    That said, I gave away my converted Steel Guitar, because I just couldn't get the hang of playing that way.
    That only leaves 18 of them in my music room, so the wife is a LOT happier.
    Yep, uhuh, uhuh!

    Hello Shorty,

    Thank you for the reply - I thought I was writing to my self there for a couple of days.

    What do you mean by "converted Steel Guitar"? Would that be due to left-handedness?

    As for the rest of your email it seems that I have a lot to learn about music too. Just as well I like learning new stuff.

    Kind Regards
    Lionel
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