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| Rheiny with bow tie.
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Ruthie
& Rheiny, 1943 |
Schlitz Beer Promotion Photo, Circa
1949
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Swiss
Picnic, 1947
Canton, Ohio
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Swiss
Echo Yodeelers, 1932
One of
the earliest of the musical family
photos, this shot included Rheiny on
the accordian (instead of a very
young Betty) and to his right was
sister Helen, who would not be part
of the ultimate group with Ruth,
Betty and Papa.
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| Papa with
a 12-foot, 175-year old Alpenhorn
that was used by the Swiss to rally
for war. Photo was taken in 1932
somewhere in California. |
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1950s Yodel Melody Record of
"Hold Me Tight Polka." It features Rheiny's comic singing
to Betty that "Oh my gosh, you hold me tight" as
they take a dance lesson together. Betty responds with,
"One , two, three, four...round and round, what a dancer
I have found! " Ruth was not on this Oregon recording
done by the remaining trio. The song was composed by
Papa and distributed on a 78 rpm record. Records were
also released on red-colored "vinyl" as 45-rpm versions.
Some of the record manufacturing was done by The
Charles Eckart Co. of San Mateo, Calif.
Click on the record to hear
the polka.
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Download Music
1. Polka A La Swiss ##
2. Rudee Rulla Polka *
3. Swiss Chalet
4. The Glarner Bueb
5. Swiss Warbler *
6. Drunten Im Unterland
7. Ski Yodel Waltz *
8. Hoppla Trudi Polka ****
9. Milkmaid's Song
10. Flueheli Waltz *
11.
Cuckoo Yodel
12. Cuckoo Yodel (Rondo) ***
13. Midnight Waltz *
14. Happy Sunday
15. Forever and Ever
16. Let's Be Happy
17. "Hali Halo" Yodel
18. Swiss Lullaby
19. Siebe Buebe (Seven Boys)
20. "Hold Me Tight" Polka *
21. "Yodel Laendler" **
22. "The Herd Song" ***
23. Garibaldi Schottisch ###
24. "Meiringer Laendler" x
25. "Heidi - Waltz" xx
26. "Rocky Mountain Milk" #
27. "Rocky Mountain Instrumental" #
* Indicates songs believed to be written by Papa Fraunfelder (R.
Fraunfelder, Sr.)
** Yodel Laendler, a traditional Swiss tune, was recorded from
an original Rondo Records 78 rpm disc from the 1947-1950 era.
Courtesy of Robert L. Campbell, Clemson University.
*** This is an earlier version of the Cuckoo Yodel song above
it. It features the quartet. The other version featured a Betty
solo as part of the trio. It was also provided by Dr. Campbell.
*** Another Rondo Recording (569A.) Probably recorded in 1947.
**** This song is nearly identical to "Polka A La Swiss. It is
either mismarked or a second title. If you have more
information, let us know.
# Recorded by John Keating Portland Studios, probably 1950-1953.
Words and music by R. Fraunfelder, Sr. Vocal by Betty
Fraunfelder. Courtesy of Ryan Fraunfelder, Tigard, Ore.
Transferred to digital recording by Chinook Wind Recording,
University Place, WA. See original record label, below right on
this page. These songs were advertising for "Rocky Mountain"
brand milk, a product of the Cache Valley Dairy Association,
founded in 1941 by a Swiss emigrant, Edwin Gossner. The Gossner
family still operates Gossner Foods and specializes in Swiss
cheese and milk.
# # Recorded by John Keating Portland Studios, probably 1950-1953.
Transferred to digital recording in 2012 by Chinook Wind Recording,
University Place, WA. This digital recording was made from a
June 27, 1953 acetate master in Rheiny Fraunfelder's collection.
Last released on the Yodel Melody Record Company Label (706B).
# # # An instrumental Schottisch recorded by
on the Rondo Record Label between 1947 and 1950. It was Rondo
Record R-569-B, the flip side of Herd Song. Digitally remastered
from a very worn 78 rpm record in 2012 by Chinook Wind
Recording, University Place, WA. Master No.1001-B
x A traditional Swiss Alpine waltz.
R. Fraunfelder Sr. (Papa) did this arrangement and added yodels.
Record courtesy of Cathy Dangremond, daughter of Helen
Fraunfelder Kleser. Slight remastering fromYodel Melody 78 rpm record 705-A;
Hood River, Ore.
xx An instrumental composed by
Papa. Record courtesy of Cathy Dangremond, daughter of Helen
Fraunfelder Kleser. Slight remastering fromYodel Melody 78 rpm record 705-B;
Hood River, Ore. Fraunfelder promotional material claimed this
tune was "praised" by Billboard Magazine.
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| Ruthie |
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Rondo Records of Chicago put
out this Swiss Family Fraunfelder recording about a Cuckoo
bird. This was a folk song from St Gallen, Switzerland, with an
arrangement by Papa that they had been performing since the
1930s.
On the flip side, a traditional Swiss yodel song
called "Yodel Laendler." Rondo recordings provided by Dr. Robert L.
Campbell, Clemson University.
Click on the record label above to
hear or download the song. |
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| Betty and Rheiny |
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| Betty in the 1930s |
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Milwaukee Journal; June 12, 1941
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Performing at the Swiss Hall, 1940
Portland, OR
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| Circa 1941 |
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Swiss Picnic Performance, 1949 |
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Left is Betty at cow show |
Rocky
Mountain Milk and the Fraunfelders
Below is the label for a unique 78 rpm record recorded
by the John Keating Co. in Portland, Ore. According to
HistoryLink.Org, Keating was the Pacific Northwest's
first recording studio, established in 1940. Keating was
known for recording jingles and delayed radio
programming. On this record, the Fraunfelders performed
yodel songs that are advertising for Rocky Mountain
brand milk, produced by a Utah dairy managed by Edwin
Gossner, a Swiss emigrant (1909-1987).
When the Fraunfelders were promoting it in the 1950s, the Rocky Mountain
Dairy was the world's largest supplier of Swiss cheese,
producing 10 tons per day, usually shipping them in
200-pound cheese wheels. Rocky Mountain milk was
produced by 1,600 dairies in Utah, Idaho and Wyoming.
Today, the Gossner family still produces Swiss cheese
and milk. Since 1966, it has been under the
"Gossner Foods" brand name in Logan, Utah. The firm also
has plants in El Centro, California and Heyburn, Idaho. Today's
Gossner Foods milk is processed under a high temperature
so that it requires no refrigeration until the package
is opened. For this reason, Gossner Foods ships milk to
American soldiers around the world.
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Blurbs in Billboard Magazine 1951-54
During,1950-1954, there were frequent short references
and reviews in Billboard Magtazine's International section
about Swiss Family Fraunfelder records marketed by Alpine Record Co. of San
Mateo, Calif. and later by Yodel Melody
records. The reviews often referenced a narrow
potential audience for European music but were usually positive.
For instance, a 1954 brief review of the song
Hali Halo was called "a fine piece of wax of
its kind...aimed at the defined German market, it
will have appeal." Left, the Billboard reviewer suggests the music "could
be used as an eye-opener by pop, early-morning
deejays." Right, a 1953 notice refers to the
Fraunfelder group as having a limited market but
features "a gal who yodels very well."
The record label above features the traditional song
"Siebe Buebe" or Seven Boys. A later release of that
song is available on this page. (Label courtesy Ryan
Fraunfelder.)
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Help Us With The Search!
There may be many
Fraunfelder records out there that we have not
discovered and preserved.
For instance, we believe that the Rondo
Record Company sold a 78 rpm
number 570 in 1947 with two Fraunfelder songs but
we do not know the titles.
We know 569 (below) and 571 were Rondo/Fraunfelder
records that have been identified and copies can be
heard on this page. (United Broadcasting Studio,
Chicago, matrix 21737-21739). So, it is logical that 570
is also a Fraunfelder tune. These records may have been
sold with the maroon and silver label below or a
brighter red and silver label.
We are looking for any record copy of the tune, "Hoppla
Trudi Polka," probably produced on the Alpine label.
We are also interested in any Fraunfelder tunes on the
Alpine Record label or promotional records that may have
been distributed for dairy cooperatives, radio
programming, or other commercial purposes.
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