Will Glahé

Will Glahé (February 12, 1902 – November 21, 1989) was a German accordionist, composer, and bandleader.

Glahé was born at Elberfeld, Germany. In the 1930s, he was, along with Heinz Munsonius and Albert Vossen, one of the most successful accordionists in Germany. He led his own orchestra from 1932 and became successful particularly in popular music.

One of his most famous songs in Germany was his 1936 recording of "Rosamunde" (a German female forename), a cover version of the song "Škoda lásky" ("Wasted Love") by Jaromir Vejvoda. Under the title "Beer Barrel Polka", the tune hit No. 1 on the Hit Parade in the United States in 1939. It sold over one million copies by 1943, and was awarded a gold disc by the RIAA. After World War II he was known as the "Polka King" in the U.S., and did both big band and folk music arrangements with his orchestra.

His "Liechtensteiner Polka" was also a hit in the U.S., hitting No. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1957. The follow-up single "Sweet Elizabeth" (1958) appeared in all major U.S. charts, nearing the top 40 in Cashbox and Music Vendor.

He had some success with "The Cuckoo Waltz" by Swede E. I. Jonasson in 1969, and the song is now used widely, in the Alice in Wonderland dark ride at Blackpool Pleasure Beach and in Efteling, Holland.

His album, Oktoberfest peaked at number 53 in Australia in 1973.

He died at Rheinbreitbach.

Birth and Death Data: Born February 12, 1902 (Elberfeld), Died November 21, 1989 (Rheinbreitbach)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1933 - 1939

Roles Represented in DAHR: leader, accordion, composer

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 1-25 of 122 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor BAVE-012987 10-in. 10/25/1939 Cervecinas calientes (Hot pretzels) Orquesta Típica Francisco J. Lomuto Instrumental ensemble composer  
Victor BS-034688 10-in. 5/22/1939 Hot pretzels Shep Fields ; Rippling Rhythm Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal trio composer  
Victor BS-035786 10-in. 4/24/1939 Hot pretzels Harry's Tavern Band Instrumental ensemble, with male vocal trio composer  
Victor BS-038342 10-in. 7/12/1939 Jelly roll polka Elisse Cooper ; Eddie De Lange Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo composer  
Gramophone 0RA7 10-in. 8/9/1934 Luana Orchester Will Glahé Instrumental ensemble, with male vocal solo leader  
Gramophone 0RA8 10-in. 8/9/1934 Tausend rote Rosen blüh'n Orchester Will Glahé Instrumental ensemble, with male vocal solo leader  
Gramophone 0RA84 10-in. 9/20/1934 Mensch ärgere dich nicht! Erwin Hartung ; Orchester Will Glahé Instrumental ensemble, with male vocal solo leader  
Gramophone 0RA85 10-in. 9/20/1934 Heut' denk' ich nicht an Morgen Orchester Will Glahé Instrumental ensemble, with male vocal solo leader  
Gramophone 0RA86 10-in. 9/20/1934 Holzhackerlied Orchester Will Glahé Instrumental ensemble, with male vocal solo leader  
Gramophone 0RA87 10-in. 9/20/1934 Ist noch jemand da, der zu merckern hat Orchester Will Glahé Instrumental ensemble, with vocal trio leader  
Gramophone 0RA158 10-in. 10/19/1934 Scherenschleifer Orchester Will Glahé Instrumental ensemble leader, composer  
Gramophone 0RA162 10-in. 10/26/1934 Der treue Husar Orchester Will Glahé Instrumental ensemble, with vocal group leader  
Gramophone 0RA163 10-in. 10/26/1934 Leichtes Spiel Orchester Will Glahé Instrumental ensemble composer, leader  
Gramophone 0RA309 10-in. 1/15/1935 Ja, das sind Sächelchen Karl Berbuer ; Orchester Will Glahé Instrumental ensemble, with vocal leader  
Gramophone 0RA458 10-in. 3/14/1935 Du kannst nicht treu sein Erwin Hartung ; Orchester Will Glahé Instrumental ensemble, with vocal leader  
Gramophone 0RA477 10-in. 3/21/1935 Schön ist die Liebe im Hafen Orchester Will Glahé Instrumental ensemble, with male vocal solo leader  
Gramophone 0RA480 10-in. before 4/6/1938 Eine Seefahrt, die ist lustig Orchester Will Glahé Instrumental ensemble, with vocal leader  
Gramophone 0RA713 10-in. 9/6/1935 Shore leave kisses Will Glahé Orchestra Instrumental ensemble leader  
Gramophone 0RA716 10-in. 9/6/1935 Fang' nie im April was an Metropol-Vokalisten ; Will Glahé Orchestra Instrumental ensemble. with vocal chorus leader  
Gramophone 0RA948 10-in. 12/10/1935 Santuzza Glahé Musette Orchestra Instrumental ensemble leader  
Gramophone 0RA949 10-in. 12/10/1935 Mirabella Glahé Musette Orchestra Instrumental ensemble leader  
Gramophone 0RA996 10-in. 1/8/1936 Die Namenlose (Bezejmenna) Orchester Will Glahé Instrumental ensemble leader  
Gramophone 0RA997 10-in. 1/8/1936 Bezejmenna Orchester Will Glahé Instrumental ensemble composer, instrumentalist, accordion, leader  
Gramophone 0RA999 10-in. 1/8/1936 Ich spiel' auf der Harmonika Glahé Musette Orchestra Instrumental ensemble leader  
Gramophone 0RA1001 10-in. 1936 Schiffsjungentanz Glahé Musette Orchestra ; Will Glahé Instrumental ensemble leader  
(Results 1-25 of 122 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Glahé, Will," accessed April 25, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/107148.

Glahé, Will. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 25, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/107148.

"Glahé, Will." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 25 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/107148

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