The Fureys   •   The Fureys Sing Chaplin

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  • The Fureys Sing Chaplin
    • 2001 - Brud BRCD 1002 CD (IRL)
  • Tracklist
    1. Nonsense Song
    2. Smile
    3. Flea Trainer
    4. Eternally
    5. Its Love
    6. Beautiful Wonder Eyes
    7. Life Of A Sardine
    8. Spring Song
    9. A Million Dollars
    10. Sing A Song
    11. Weeping Willows
    12. You Are The Song
    13. Swing Little Girl
    14. This My Song
    15. Dictator Speech
    16. Monsieur Verdoux Speech

  • Musicians
    • Guitars: George Furey and Dave White
    • Accordions: Paul Furey
    • Mandolin: Eddie Furey
    • Pianos: Noel Kelehan and Chris Kineavey
    • Bass guitar: Geraint Roberts
    • Fiddle: Pat Collins
    • Clarinet: Ciaran Wild
  • Credits
    • String arrangements: Noel Kelehan
    • Musical Supervisor (on Fureys recordings): Noel Kelehan
    • Co-production by Josephine Chaplin and Eddie, Paul and George Furey
    • Executive Producer: Roy Export Company Establishment
    • All songs composed by Charlie Chaplin except 'Smile': Music C. Chaplin, Lyrics John Turner / Geoffrey Parsons.
    • Music Published by Bourne Co. New York except 'This my song': Universal / MCA Publishing Group and "Titine": Les Nouvelles Editions Meridian and "Nonsense Song":Les Nouvelles Editions Meridian, Paris.
    • Recorded in Westland Studios, Dublin
    • Mastered by Aidan Foley, Windmill Lane Master Labs. Dublin.
    • Engineers: Bill Sommerville-Large and Dave Slevin
    • Assistant Engineer: Greg French.
    • All tracks are the property of Roy Export Company Establishment
    • Art & Design: Still of Charles Chaplin and cover artwork © 2001 Roy Export Company Establishment
    • All rights reserved Brud Records BRCD 1002,

Sleeve Notes

My father Charlie Chaplin was one of the only filmmakers of this century to compose himself the music for his films, and he obviously also took pleasure in writing humourous or romantic Lyrics for songs. Some of them are very funny indeed but tend to be overlooked when in context of the films themselves.

Having discovered in the cellar of his house in Switzerland a suitcase full of his musical "work" tapes, and taking the more well known songs straight from the films, modern technology has enabled us to make this first ever CD of Chaplin singing his own songs.

But my father wrote many other songs, and the CD would not have been complete without them. I have admired the Fureys for years and they seemed to be the perfect choice to interpret them. Some of the songs are well known, others never on CD before. The Fureys unique talent contributes immensely to maintaining Chaplin's musical spirit.

Josephine Chaplin


Charlie Chaplin remembered precisely the moment when, as he said, "music first entered my soul". As a small boy, living in poverty in Kennington, he heard a pair of street musicians playing 'The Honeysuckle and the Bee' on clarinet and harmonica at Kennington Cross. "It was here that I first discovered music, or where I first learned its' rare beauty, a beauty that has gladdened and haunted me from that moment."

As soon as he was able to afford instruments, Chaplin taught himself to play the violin and cello and spent hours improvising on piano and organ. In 1916 he published three songs of his own composition. In 1925 he wrote and published theme songs for 'The Gold Rush'. Later, the advent of sound enabled him to compose scores to accompany his films as they were released. Here for the first time is a compilation of songs that Chaplin himself wrote and recorded for inclusion in his soundtracks.

By 1936 'the little tramp' had become one of the most famous and instantly recognisable figures in the world — instantly recognisable and internationally loved. When he sang in the film 'Modern Times' the world heard for the first time Charlie Chaplin's voice. The song 'Swing Little Girl' from the film 'The Circus' is the last time his singing voice was recorded for his films.

Charlie Chaplin sings six of his compositions from films on this album, which also presents his two famous speeches from the 'The Great Dictator' and 'Monsieur Verdoux' — controversial at the time of the films' releases, but still very much relevant today.

The Fureys were chosen to interpret the songs composed but not actually recorded by their father because Charlie Chaplin loved Ireland and Irish music. It seems fitting to remember his love for music and for Ireland in this way.

Humour, Politics, Romance, Ireland — it's all there on this wonderful recording