During each performer’s 45-50 minute set at the Organ Grinder, there were a few routine bits that were usually included, such as a silent movie, or a round of Happy Birthday.
One well-known bit was to play “Tiny Bubbles” while running the bubble machines located high above the audience.
Children (and some adults!) would run around, trying to catch the bubbles.
Tiny Bubbles could get repetitive, hour after hour, so performers would often put their own spin on the music, even going so far as to “mash up” other tunes with it.
In this newly-acquired footage from the 1970s, organist Jonas Nordwall blends Tiny Bubbles with J.S. Bach’s “Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme“, often called “Sleepers Awake” in English, which is why we’re calling this version “Bubbles, Awake!”
A second variation is also included – can you identify the song that Jonas is mixing in? (Answer at end.)
Interestingly, “Tiny Bubbles” itself incorporates a bit of “Aloha ‘Oe”, meaning that we hear three songs in each medley.
These are excerpts from video tapes which were recently provided to the documentary project.
Around 1977, representatives from Sony visited the Organ Grinder to test an improved pro video camera for its low-light and dynamic range capabilities.
(The format was 3/4″ U-Matic, a workhorse industrial video standard.)
These tapes had sat unwatched for over 40 years until now, and are the best quality video shot at the Organ Grinder from that era found so far.
The audio was recorded in true stereo, which is rare for the time.
We hope to post the entire contents of the tapes in the near future after restoration work is completed.
Music:
Part 1 – “Tiny Bubbles” by Leon Pober (famously performed by Don Ho) combined with “Sleepers Awake” by J.S. Bach (BWV 140)
Part 2 – “Tiny Bubbles” combined with Invention #14 in B-flat Major by J.S. Bach (BWV 785)
Performed by Jonas Nordwall
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