Mieczysław Fogg & Ork. Syrena Rekord pod dyr. Henryka Warsa -- Żal (Minionych dni...) Regretting (The Days Gone By) Tango z repertuaru Café Adria (Muz. J. Front, S. Ferszko -- Tekst: W. Jastrzębiec) Tango presented at Café Adria, Syrena-Electro, 1933 (Poland)
NOTE: This song was composed by Julian FRONT and Stanisław FERSZKO - two young musicians who, in the 1930s were very active on the musical scene of Warsaw. Julian Front was a violinist, who in the 1920 led a dance band at Café Oaza -- one of most trendy meeting spots of the Warsawian high life. In 1930, he created a sort of the composers' duo with Stanisław Ferszko, who in the same time was a pianist in Café Adria - another snobistic dance bar of pre war Warsaw. See one of the greatest pre war hits, composed by that talented duett: a slowfox "Bo to się zwykle tak zaczyna" sung by Tadeusz Olsza [ Ссылка ] Through 1930s, Julian Front led Heyman-Front dance orchestra, which in 1930s was on of the best jazz-dance bands in Poland. Heyman-Front's ensamble performed at the dance-cafe Paradis and their shows had regular presence on the air - directly from the club. In September 1939, Julian Front was, as Polish officer mobilised and he fought against German invasion. After the collapse of Warsaw, he managed to flee in time into the Soviet occupational zone in Lwów. (Important note: In September 1939, Poland was attacked by TWO invaders: from West, by Hitler's army and two weeksa later, from the East, by Stalin -- who was Hitler's best ally and it still remains as open question for the historians, whether without Russian help and assistance in attacking Poland and after that - murdering thousands of its most patriotic elites - 2nd World War would have ever been started, by Hitler alone).
After the Katyń Massacre of the 20, 000 of the Polish officers, who were captured in Russia, Julian Front managed to get through Soviet Russia down to Kazakhstan, where he joined the remnants of the Polish pre-war army -- who had been released from the Stalinist work camps after the June 1940, invasion of Hitler on the USSR. In the newly-formed Polish army -- which was led by general Władysław Anders - Front Julian Front played in Henryk Wars Orchestra and followed the whole Polish Emigree Army trek, through Persia, North Africa, Italy - until in 1946, he was released from the service. He never returned to Poland, that had been deceived in Yalta by Poland's Western allies and assigned by Churchill, Stalin and Roosevelt as "Russia's zone of interest" - and decided to settle down in Tel Aviw.
His colleague Stanisław Ferszko, until 1938 more-less followed the Julian Front's escapade throught the night clubs of pre-war Warsaw (it's important to mention, that in late 1930s, Ferszko also became the personal accompanist for the rising diva of Polish pre war song, who was Wiera Gran; he composed the best of her pre war repertoire [ Ссылка ] ). In 1937, however, Ferszko unexpectedly decided to join the Jewish emmigration movement to Palestine, and via Vienna, he in 1938 started his "new life" in Tel Awiw. He worked there as composer and bandleader, achieving enormous popularity in Israel (his nick name was "an Israeli Gershwin"). In later years, he emmigrated farther to the US, where he continued his successful artistic career, composing for the Broadway and film musicals. For some time, he also conducted the New York Symphony Orchestra.
Third artist -- Mieczysław Fogg, needs no presentation here. That, certainly, most popular singer in the history of Polish song, had dozens of presentations, in You Tube or elsewhere. His warm baritone and artistry in the "crooning" style of interpretations, earned him the name of "Polish Bing Crosby" (sometimes, displaced by "Polish Frank Sinatra") :-))
Considering those unusual biographies, for a slideshow I selected some vintage shots of the past days of Warsaw, that are forever gone by.
