Singer ID of Old Song

Cafe Society
1

When I was a kid, my sisters and I would listen to my mom’s 45s on her old record player. A record player my dad gave her for Christmas when they were dating. My mom was a teenager in the 50s, so when we were listening to the records in the late 60s, the music wasn’t really all that old. There was one song that we played over and over and knew all of the words. Land of the Midnight Sun. My sisters and I were trying to remember who the singer was. We’ve Googled the title and we’ve Googled some of the lyrics. Nowhere to be found. There are a few songs with a similar title, but not our beloved song.

Land of the Midnight Sun

Where the Kodiak bear and the big moose run

The mountains are high and (the valleys are low - I think)

Way up yonder, where a man is a man.

It almost sounds like a movie or TV show theme song. It kind of has the sound of Liberty Valance.

Does anyone remember it?

2

“North to Alaska” by Johnny Horton? The lyrics don’t really match, although it does include the line “In the land of the midnight sun” and the description otherwise matches.

3

Nope! I was kind of excited when I saw your post and noticed the name, Johnny. That name sticks in my mind, but I could be way off.

Thanks!

4

Well. I googled it, and this was the first hit !

5

I was going to suggest The Brothers Four, as well, but your YouTube link doesn’t work for me and I haven’t been able to find any other audio alternatives or lyrics to verify. If it helps jog OP’s memory, this song was released only as a single in 1962 and the b-side was “Five Weeks In A Balloon”.

6

Try this direct link.
The lyrics match pretty well.
It’s on Spotify too.

7

Afraid not. Both video links just say “Video not available” (country restriction, maybe) for me and I don’t do Spotify. I trust you, though. :slightly_smiling_face:

8

Strange ! It’s usually the other way round (ie, links don’t work in the UK !)

9

I think that may be it! I can’t see the video either. I remember Five Weeks in a Balloon! We loved that one too.

I can’t believe it came up right away when you Googled it. The Brothers Four did not come up for me.

I didn’t even think of Spotify. But I can’t find either Midnight Sun or Five Weeks in a Balloon on there.

Elusive!

Thanks!

10

Try this…(it’s just a preview - the full version is on spotify)

(BTW, the “video” on YT is just the still picture shown above
and is missing the first couple of seconds !)

11

Nope, it’s completely blocked in all forms in the US. Like the OP says, it doesn’t even come up in general google searches for the song unless you explicitly include the band name.

12

Bizarre !
Maybe they’ve posted some anti trump stuff on their social media !

13

I found a 30-second sample that works in the US:

14

Try this one.

15

Yes! There it is. Hearing it made me emotional. I haven’t heard that song since I was a kid, maybe 55 years ago. I see I had some of the words wrong. But that’s it.:grinning_face:

Thank you :blush:

16

Just curious…how did that link work when the others failed? I often look for obscure songs, and this info might be useful.

17

Take a look at the avatar of the user who uploaded the song to Youtube.

And enjoy it now, it will probably be removed from Youtube as soon as someone notices.

18

I’m just a bystander here (and in the US) but on Spotify (at least for me) that song cannot be played, as well as a few others on that album. I find that to be weird.

I DID listen to it on youtube.

19

Yes, in fact I will delete it now that it’s been confirmed.