2007 JULY 23 #204
Magic Oranges From Spain
MP3:
1. Magic Oranges From Spain (6:14)
2. Magic Oranges From Spain (5:49)
This is a weird one. It appears to be a mini musical about the wonders of oranges with narration, stirring orchestral musical, operatic singing and flamenco guitar. There is no date but it sounds as though it was recorded in the 1950s and it's probably the soundtrack from an advertising film. There are no artists or writers credited although the label text indicates that it was made in Spain for a South African company called Iberofon.
I love the deliciously over-the-top style of the narrator who is, after all, only talking about oranges. You have to admire the many ways he manages to describe the spherical fruits: "The daughters of the sun", "Golden orbs", "Symbols of virtue and love", "A fruit only equalled in paradise", etc. Thank God no one showed him a pomegranate or he might have had a multi orgasm!
Some of the language is very pompous and over-blown and reminds me of those '50s travelogues with its flowery, descriptive style. "Spain cradles her oranges among gardens, and rocks them in the gentle breezes blowing from the rippling Mediterranean, whose glinting waves once felt the prows of Greek and Roman vessels." The next time you have marmalade for breakfast think of this record and smile.
- Contributed by: David Noades
Images: Record
Media: Single
Label: Ediphone
Credits: Fabrico En Espana Por Iberofon SA (Made in Spain for Iberofon S.A.)
