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Alpine
Records
Letterhead
and Logo
Composite from letterhead provided
Courtesy
Erika Williams
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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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"Famous Old Swiss
Yodel and Side 1, "Yodel Polka," were
tradiitional Swiss tunes recorded by Swiss
Family Fraunfelder on Nov. 22, 1938 at
Electro-Vox Recording Studio in Los Angeles,
Calif. At the time of the recording, Rheiny was
18 years old, Betty was just under 16 years old
and Ruth was 14 years old. Our digital recording is from
a 74-year old 78 rpm acetate record. Electro-Vox
Recording Studio operated from 1930 to 2000 and was
described by the Los Angeles Times as a pioneer in
early recordings, especially for radio and the
National Broadcasting Co. The Times said it was
the longest continuously-operating recording
studio anywhere.
Recordings courtesy of Dick Buckley and Megan
Buckley.
Click on the record
label to hear "Famous Old Swiss Yodel." |
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Download Music
1. Polka A La Swiss
##
John Keating Portland Studio
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 (4)
9. Milkmaid's Song
10. The Milkmaid - 1947
(9)
Rondo Records
11. Flueheli Waltz *
12.
Cuckoo Yodel
13. Cuckoo Yodel - 1947
(2)
Rondo Records
14. Midnight Waltz *
15. Happy Sunday
15B. Happy Sunday
Swiss-German
Only Version
Recorded on Acetate Blank
16. Forever and Ever
17. Let's Be Happy
18. "Hali Halo" Yodel
19. Swiss Lullaby
20. Siebe Buebe (Seven Boys)
21. "Hold Me Tight" Polka *
22. "Yodel Laendler"
(1)
Rondo Records
23. "The Herd Song"
(3)
Rondo Records
24. Garibaldi Schottisch
(5)
Rondo Records
25. "Meiringer Laendler"
(6)
Yodel Melody Records
26. "Heidi - Waltz"
(7)
Yodel Melody Records
27. "Rocky Mountain Milk" #
John Keating Portland Studio
28. Rocky Mountain Instrumental #
John Keating Portland Studio
29.
Famous Old Swiss Yodel from the 17th Century - 1938
(8)
Electro-Vox
30. Yodel Polka - 1938 (8)
Electro-Vox
31. Yodel Polka - 1947(9)
Rondo Records
32. Matterhorn Mazurka (10)
33. Alpine Life
Alpine Records, 78 RPM
Music Footnotes:
* Indicates songs believed to be written by Papa Fraunfelder (R.
Fraunfelder, Sr.)
(1) Yodel Laendler, a traditional Swiss tune, was recorded from
an original Rondo Records 78 rpm disc 571-B from the 1947-1950 era.
Courtesy of Robert L. Campbell, Clemson University.
(2) This is an earlier version of the Cuckoo Yodel song above
it. It is Rondo 571-A. It features the quartet. The other version featured a Betty
solo as part of the trio. It was also provided by Dr. Campbell.
(3) Rondo Recording 569-A Probably recorded in 1947. This
was the version featured on "Swissconsin My Homeland," a 2004
compilation by the University of Wisconsin Center for Study of
Upper Midwestern Cultures.
(4) 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.
(5) 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
(6) 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 from Yodel Melody 78 rpm
record 705-A; Hood River, Ore.
(7) 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
(8) Famous Old Swiss Yodel and this version of Yodel Polka were
recorded on Nov. 22, 1938, Recordings courtesy of Dick Buckley
and Megan Buckley. The recording was from a 74-year old 78 rpm
acetate record made at Electro-Vox Recording Studios in Los
Angeles, Calif. The company operated from 1930 to 2000 and was a
pioneer in early recordings, especially for radio and the
National Broadcasting Co.
(9) Rondo Record 570A and 570B, Recorded in approximately 1947. Arrangement
for both The Milkmaid and Yodel Polka by R. Fraunfelder, Sr.
Lyrics for The Milkmaid by R. Fraunfelder, Sr.
(10) Date unknown. Recorded on an Audiodisc brand acetate disc.
# 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).
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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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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.
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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