Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Bertha Collins - Don't Forget I Love You - Just Us Two





OK, today I have something special for you all.

Now some of you may not care at all for what I’m about to lay on you but to me at least it’s very special and it is definitely some very rare stuff here. How rare? How about rare as in I own the only copies in existence? Now that may not mean that the monetary value on these is high as i highly doubt anyone would really want these but to me they are priceless.

See Bertha Collins is my Great Grandmother and what we have here are some of the songs she wrote and recorded. My Grandpa or “PeePa” as we have always called him recently gave these acetates to me and now I give them to you.

As far as I can tell and from what I’ve been told my Great Granny fancied herself a “song writer” and wrote these songs as far back as my Grandpa could remember. He was born in the 20’s and says he remembers them as far back as he can recall but there is no date listed on the acetates. As far as we know these are the only copies that exist of these two songs. She did write other songs as I have at least one hand written music sheets for a song called “Tomay” but no recording. And it looks as if only “Don’t Forget I Love You” was properly published as this is the only one that has sheet music. The sheet music has a date of 1952 but we think that is only the date it was finally “published” as I said before my Grandpa says he can remember her playing these records was he was a kid, and that was a LONG time ago.

Bertha wrote these songs and is playing the piano on the recordings but no one can remember who the male vocal accompaniment was supplied by (sorry fella) as nothing is listed on the records.

Well, I told you all this would be an eclectic ride. I guess this is where I get my modest musicianship and love of music from, genes man, genes…

Please enjoy a trip back in to my family vault with the following tracks from My Great Grandmother who I don’t ever remember meeting but whom without I would not exist…

Bertha Collins - Don't Forget I Love You

Bertha Collins - Just Us Two

8 comments:

Suzy Norman said...

Wow, what a cool Grandma! My Granny was very glamorous and worked in Harrods, but this is a whole new dimension! Lovely.

Mondo said...

Wow - that is a magical post DD, I love the playing and what a voice!!

You can see where your passion for music come from - it's hard coded in the genetics

Anonymous said...

Super Special

Anonymous said...

very nice!
You should look into getting the soundfiles cleaned up and cut onto vinyl as the acetates wear so quickly

these guys are good and do one off cuttings
http://www.vinylcarvers.com
hope it helps and keep up the good work!

Devil Dick said...

thanks guys i'm glad you approve! & thanks mr Double D, i think at some point i will def look into that!!

cheers!
dd

Anonymous said...

Sweet...

Allow me to run these through my Click Repair program for you. It does a gerat job in making not so clean records sound like minty fresh ones. If that's okay with you I'll get right on it.

Devil Dick said...

Vincent, please & thank you kind sir!!!

Anonymous said...

Sorry for being tardy, some personal issues came up... The restoration is not going as well as I had hoped but I will continue to tweak with the files. I'll keep you posted.