The song was first performed by the ''Michalis Patrinos rebetiko band'' in Athens, Greece in 1927. . Patrinos, who originally lived in Smyrna, named the song Mısırlı or Misirlou which means specifically a Muslim Egyptian girl, as opposed to Egyptian Christians who were referred to as 'Aigyptioi' in Greek.
Initially, the song was composed as a Greek (Asia Minor) tsifteteli dance, in the rebetiko style of music, at a slower tempo and a different key than the orientalized performances that most are familiar with today. This was the style of the first known recording by Michalis Patrinos in Greece, circa 1930 (which was circulated in the United States by Titos Dimitriadis' Orthophonic label) a second recording was made by Patrinos in New York, in 1931.
In 1941, Nick Roubanis, a Greek-American music instructor, released a jazz instrumental arrangement of the song, crediting himself as the composer. Since his claim was never legally challenged, he is still officially credited as the composer today worldwide, except in Greece where credit is variably given to either Roubanis or Patrinos. Subsequently S. Russell, N. Wise, and M. Leeds wrote English lyrics to the song. Roubanis is also credited with fine-tuning the key and the melody, giving it the oriental sound that it is associated with today. The song soon became an "exotica" standard among the light swing (lounge) bands of the day.
In 1944 maestro Clovis el-Hajj, an Arabic Lebanese musician, performed this song and called it "amal." This is the only Arabic version of this song.
The song was rearranged as a solo instrumental guitar piece by Dick Dale in 1962.
The Beach Boys recorded a Dale-inspired "Miserlou" for the 1963 album Surfin' USA, forever making "Miserlou" a staple of American pop culture.
Hundreds of recordings have been made to date, by performers as diverse as Agent Orange and Connie Francis.
In 1994, Dale's version of "Miserlou" was used on the soundtrack of the motion picture ''Pulp Fiction''.
More recently, the song was selected by the Athens 2004 Organizing Committee as one of the most influential Greek songs of all time, and was heard in venues and at the closing ceremony-it was performed by Anna Vissi .
In 2006, his version once again found popularity, this time as the basis of The Black Eyed Peas' single "Pump It."
Also in 2006, a cover of Dale's version was included as a playable song in the rhythm game Guitar Hero II.
Check this photo of the original record:
[ Ссылка ]


Ο Αμερικανός εθνομουσικολόγος Ρίτσαρντ Σπότσγουντ, στη μελέτη του «Ethnic Music on records. Volume ΙΙΙ. Easter Europe. 1893-1942» (1990) υποστηρίζει ότι o ρεμπέτης Τέτος Δημητριάδης (ψευδώνυμα: Τάκης Νικολάου, Νώντας Σγουρός) ηχογράφησε πρώτη φορά το 1927 στην Αμερική τη «Μισιρλού» και όχι ο Ελληνοαμερικανός Νικ Ρουμπάνης, ο οποίος το παρουσίασε το 1941 σε τζαζ εκδοχή, αναφέροντας τον εαυτό του ως συνθέτη.
Ο Τέτος (Θεόδοτος) Δημητριάδης ήταν κιθαρίστας, συνθέτης, στιχουργός και τραγουδιστής από ιστορική οικογένεια της Κωνσταντινούπολης (αδελφός του διακεκριμένου σκιτσογράφου μας Φωκίωνα Δημητριάδη). Σταδιοδρόμησε στις ΗΠΑ του Μεσοπολέμου και είναι γνωστός από την εκεί δισκογραφία του. Στο διάστημα 1929-1935 πραγματοποίησε αρκετά ταξίδια στην Ελλάδα για να ηχογραφήσει ως εκπρόσωπος της αμερικανικής Εταιρείας RCA Victor (και της θυγατρικής της Orthophonic) φημισμένους ρεμπέτες, λαϊκούς οργανοπαίκτες, και κλασικούς τραγουδιστές της εποχής.
Ο Τέτος, μαζί με την αδελφή του Τασία Δημητριάδου, στο διάστημα 1922-42 κατέγραψαν σε δίσκους 78 στροφών 300 περίπου ελληνικά επιθεωρησιακά "σουξέ" και δεκάδες επιθεωρησιακά ντοκουμέντα, διασώζοντάς τα.
Αυτή είναι μία εικόνα του πρωτότυπου δίσκου:
[ Ссылка ]


Keep hand music alive.
Enjoy!
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