Steve Schwartz wrote:

> Hugo Alfven
>
> We know him best at his best: the three Swedish Rhapsodies,
> especially the first, "Midsummer Vigil," which became, believe it
> or not, a pop hit for Roy Rogers as well as for Chet Atkins in the
> Fifties.

The big hit was an instrumental by Percy Faith, called "Swedish Rhapsody",
in 1952.  It was on the other side of "Song From Moulin Rouge" and a lot
of disc jockeys turned the record over.  They were alowed to do that in
those days.  Words were added by Carl Sigman in 1954.  He added words
to the Glenn Miller hit "Pennsylvania 6-5000" and the film theme "Ebb
Tide", and many more, because sheet music sold better with words on it.
He and Faith turned a French folksong into "My Heart Cries For You", a
hit for Guy Mitchell.  No other recordings of Alven's tune are listed
in any Billboard charts.

Donald Clarke
(M. le Trivia)

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