I think the punctuation should be Lovers’, not Lover’s, on the grounds that it is a concerto for all lovers, not just one. It was recorded in 1965 by the Toys, who reached No 2 in America and No 5 in Britain. I love this video – the girls look as if they have no bones in their arms.
This is the tune on which the song’s melody is based, Minuet in G Major, formerly attributed to J S Bach but now thought to have been written by Christian Petzold.
It was altered by 1940s bandleader Freddy Martin from the original 3/4 time signature to 4/4, and he released it as an instrumental under the name A Lover’s Concerto. I can’t find a recording. The words for the pop song were written by Sandy Linzer and Denny Randell.
No bones in their arms and extra-long hands!
That’s a great 1960s tune. I associate it with fairgrounds; I probably first heard it at a fair, all warped and wobbly sounding, and inevitably followed by “1-2-3” by Len Barry.
“Pop hits that nick bits from the classics” would be a good theme to explore!
“Whiter Shade Of Pale”, “My Mind’s Eye”, “Sabre Dance”…
Any more?
Greg Lake: Jerusalem (I just love that); the Nice: America (has a bit of Dvorak New World Symphony in it), Karelia Suite, Brandenburg Concerto, Tchaikovsky Sixth Symphony – but I am not sure if any of these count as ‘nicking’ in the sense of those you mention. Will keep thinking.