At 92, Dame Vera Lynn Has Britain's No. 1 Record

[BamaRainbow]

On a new U.K. album chart otherwise dominated by Beatles remasters, 92-year-old Dame Vera Lynn yesterday (Sept. 13) became the oldest living artist to have a bestselling title as "We'll Meet Again - The Very Best of Vera Lynn" (Decca/Universal) climbed 2-1.

http://www.billboard.com/#/news/beat...04011742.story

The article notes how the Beatles broke two other records on the UK album chart but a woman whose greatest successes came when the individual members of the Fab Four were literal babes in arms managed to achieve an even greater accomplishment. (By comparison, the oldest solo artist to top the US pop album chart was Bob Dylan whose Modern Times topped the chart in 2006 when Dylan was 65 years old.)

[Ramblin' Dave]

I'll bet Sir Paul, with his well-known affinity for classic pop tunes, is perfectly happy with this turn of events.

[Steve Eisenberg]

Googling, the only explanation I find for this is that the purchasers of CD's, at least in the UK, are now disproportionately elderly. But I wonder if this is the whole story. Anyone have any other hypotheses?

I just did a quick scan of the top selling 200 CD's in the US, and failed to find any World War II-era artists until Frank Sinatra at #162. And his greatest appeal is likely to people a decade younger than Vera Lynn. Any ideas as to why the US is so different?

[Richard W]

Originally Posted by Steve Eisenberg

Googling, the only explanation I find for this is that the purchasers of CD's, at least in the UK, are now disproportionately elderly. But I wonder if this is the whole story. Anyone have any other hypotheses?

People in general like her music and want to buy it?

The Beatles' albums have been out on CD for ages. Personally I have most of the ones I wanted already; I'm not going to buy the remastered versions simply to hear the improvement. I might pick up some of their earlier albums in the re-released versions, but I'm not rushing out to buy anything because, despite the new Beatles publicity, as far as most people are concerned there's nothing new to buy.

Whereas the Vera Lynn hits album might not have been widely available (or widely publicised) before this, so there's a real reason to go and buy it. I haven't yet got any of her music...

[AnglRdr]

Originally Posted by Richard W

The Beatles' albums have been out on CD for ages. Personally I have most of the ones I wanted already; I'm not going to buy the remastered versions simply to hear the improvement. I might pick up some of their earlier albums in the re-released versions, but I'm not rushing out to buy anything because, despite the new Beatles publicity, as far as most people are concerned there's nothing new to buy.

On NPR last week, they played part of the remastered Eleanor Rigby, and it sounded like almost a completely different song.

Not that I can afford to buy the new ones now. Or perhaps ever.

[Christie]

Originally Posted by Steve Eisenberg

Googling, the only explanation I find for this is that the purchasers of CD's, at least in the UK, are now disproportionately elderly. But I wonder if this is the whole story. Anyone have any other hypotheses?

Her autobiography was recently released. Perhaps that has also motivated sales of her CD.

[Ramblin' Dave]

In celebration for a very successful business trip, I picked up Abbey Road and the White Album yesterday, two of the few I didn't already have on CD anyway. The improvement really is noticeable.

As for Vera Lynn, I can't think of any reason to look for deep meaning or a fundamental UK/US difference. Don't we already spend too much time dwelling on those anyway?

[Eddylizard]

Originally Posted by Ramblin' Dave

I can't think of any reason to look for deep meaning or a fundamental UK/US difference. Don't we already spend too much time dwelling on those anyway?

I think most of that is either a gentle ribbing on each side of the ocean, or genuinely meant, if seemingly silly to the respondant, questions to explain cultural differences. Admittedly when I first joined the board I saw some heated and rather silly posts about spelling (humor - no it's humour) who cares I know what it means however you spell it, but I haven't seen one recently.

I rib on the revolutionary wars sometimes. I can do that because a) we lost and b) I don't care that we lost.

It is just kind of hard to understand why Dame Vera Lynn should rise to the top of the charts from nowhere. Maybe it's all the BNP supporters buying her records (didn't they use 'We'll meet again' as a rallying call, much to Vera Lynns disgust a while back?)

[Ramblin' Dave]

Originally Posted by Eddylizard

It is just kind of hard to understand why Dame Vera Lynn should rise to the top of the charts from nowhere. Maybe it's all the BNP supporters buying her records (didn't they use 'We'll meet again' as a rallying call, much to Vera Lynns disgust a while back?)

I'm somewhat embarrassed to admit that was the first time I ever heard of her. I have ever since been meaning to get a CD of hers, as I love that era in music.

If I had to guess, it does occur to me that WWII might still hit closer to home for Brits than Americans because it was fought on and near your turf and, with the exception of a single attack, not ours.

[Eddylizard]

Originally Posted by Ramblin' Dave

I'm somewhat embarrassed to admit that was the first time I ever heard of her. I have ever since been meaning to get a CD of hers, as I love that era in music.

If I had to guess, it does occur to me that WWII might still hit closer to home for Brits than Americans because it was fought on and near your turf and, with the exception of a single attack, not ours.

I don't see any need for embarassment at not having heard of her.

By the one attack I am presuming you mean the balloon bomb attack from Japan - IIRC one landed in Washington State and caused minimal damage, the rest failed.

I suppose it should not affect me, but I'm collecting to oral histories from people I know who lived in London during the blitz which gives me cause for pause. I cannot begin to imagine what it was like to emerge from a shelter to see your entire street had disappeared to rubble, or to find out your best friend was dead. It all sounds bloody terrifying to me. I have shedloads more of this stuff but it would be boring. But inbetween times there are laugh out loud stories.

Yet I'm told that after a while nobody gave a NFBSK - if they were in a cinema and the sirens went off, then the film would keep playing and everyone just sat through the film.

WWII wasn't fought on American turf, but a lot of brave US soldiers, sailors and airmen risked and gave their lives in that conflict; despite the old "bloody yanks think they won the war on their own" jibe, let's not forget their very important contribution.

[Ramblin' Dave]

I meant Pearl Harbor, actually. Sounds like you've been browbeaten by the Republicans into believing Hawai'i isn't part of the US.

And certainly, I've always been aware of the role Americans played in the war. I had a great uncle who was shot down over the English Channel and survived, but spent the rest of his life in a mental hospital.

[Andrew of Ware]

A couple of weeks ago it was the 70th anniversary of the start of World War II and it was in that week that the CD was released. The anniversary has got quite a bit of publicity over here (but not as much as I would have thought) and I am sure this has helped push Dame Vera to the top of the charts.

I have 30 to 40 compact discs of war time/1940s music, many of them compilations. As a result I have many - if not all of the tracks - on the disc. We'll Meet Again is a staple of these compilations. It is a wonderful song and inspired that generation. After Churchill (and the forces themselves) I think Vera Lynn did more than anyone to help win the war.

[Jay Tea]

I've no need to buy this new album, I already have most of her music, so very evocative, and it breaks my heart to hear she won't get a brass farthing in royalties for this new successful release.

[Eddylizard]

Originally Posted by Ramblin' Dave

I meant Pearl Harbor, actually. Sounds like you've been browbeaten by the Republicans into believing Hawai'i isn't part of the US.

Yeah there was that too. Memo to self, sleep occasionally.

And certainly, I've always been aware of the role Americans played in the war. I had a great uncle who was shot down over the English Channel and survived, but spent the rest of his life in a mental hospital.

That part of my post wasn't directed at you, I was just putting it out there as a generality.

[DesertRat]

I guess this answers Roger Waters' question...

[bthyb]

Originally Posted by DesertRat

I guess this answers Roger Waters' question...

And that sums up what I know about her.

[Andrew of Ware]

Originally Posted by DesertRat

I guess this answers Roger Waters' question...

Originally Posted by bthyb

And that sums up what I know about her.

Oh dear. I'm lost now.

[A Turtle Named Mack]

Originally Posted by Andrew of Ware

Oh dear. I'm lost now.

In Pink Floyd's The Wall (almost entirely written by Roger Waters), there is line in a song where he wails out "Does anybody here remember Vera Lynn, remember how she said that we would meet again, some sunny day,... Vera! Vera! What has become of you?"

Waters' father was killed in WWII. IIRC, he was in the RAF. There are references in Pink Floyd that make much more sense when you realize that his father's death was traumatic to him and that this was his primary reference point regarding war, rather than the Vietnam War, which dominated the war-related thoughts of so many boomer-era songwriters. For instance, you can hear it in "Us and Them' in the lines:

"Haven't you heard, it's a battle of words?" the poster-bearer cried.
"Listen, son,"' said the man with the gun, "there's room for you inside."


Elsewhere in The Wall, there are lyrics such as "Daddy's flown, across the ocean, leaving just a memory. Daddy, what'd you leave behind for me?" So the reference to Vera Lynn, a predominant singer of the WWII era, and especially her famous song about getting back together, is his way of referencing the devastating loss of his father and how it shaped his emotional development.

[Andrew of Ware]

Thanks for the info. I only have two Pink Floyd records. One is 'Dark Side of the Moon' and the other isn't.

I'm surprised that 'We'll Meet Again' is not known better in the USA. It became the iconic song for British (and I thought American as well) families. The lyrics are fairly open. For example,

We'll meet again, don't know where,
Don't know when,
But I know well meet again.
Some sunny day.

suggests that even if a loved one died then they will be united somewhere.

[Ramblin' Dave]

Originally Posted by Andrew of Ware

'm surprised that 'We'll Meet Again' is not known better in the USA. It became the iconic song for British (and I thought American as well) families.

It's not unknown there. Peggy Lee did a great version of it in 1942.