Sailing and singing, Wim's old "singing career", a retrospective

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Today I rediscovered my old "dots" (orchestral scores, written to the pitch of my voice). In my early years on cruises, we sometimes took voyages of one month, two months (for example, around South America), or three months (around the globe).

Competition among assistant cruise directors on the fleet's ships was fierce, and the more talent you could deploy for all those many evenings of entertainment, the better. Later, on luxury cruises, they simply flew in new acts every week on world cruises. But that early period was also a lot of fun.

Before my first world cruise, I'd learned some tap dance routines privately with Rose De Leyn. I'd rehearsed two mime acts with Geert Hoste, and I'd taken some singing lessons with Ph. De Pillecyn. But the truth was: I'd never be a truly great singer. I simply couldn't handle a few of my personal dream songs.

I definitely wanted to croon "Orange Colored Sky" (Sarah Vaughan) just for that Flash, Bam, Alakazam. I was walking alone, minding my business when out of an orange-colored sky, Flash, Bam, Alakazam, wonderful you came by. And also: I've been hit, this is it, this is it. Thanks Nat!

And the wonderful, but incredibly difficult song "Sophisticated Lady." Smoking, drinking, never

thinking of tomorrow, nonchalant. Diamonds shining, dancing, dining with some man in a restaurant. Is that all you really want? No. 😊 All those lovely half notes. But I'm neither Billie H, nor Sarah V, nor Ella F, of course. Still, thank you, Duke, for so much impossible beauty.

But opportunism was my middle name back then. The then-famous jazz conductor André-Jean (of the Big Band at the Kursaal Beirut, among others), at home because of the ongoing war there, wrote out all my chosen songs in my vocal range for four or five basic instruments. I was able to work with more than ten orchestras without any difficulty, even though they cursed his almost illegible hieroglyphs. A musician friend later wrote them out again for me, larger and clearer, during a long transatlantic crossing. Thanks, Andy!

I re-examined this overview with a look of wonder and decided to share this slightly bewildering list. Let the frowning, snickering, and grinning commence.

1) SOLO ROUTINES

Nathalie (Gilbert Becaud) was my absolute guaranteed hit, a Jacques Brel-esque version, full of pathos, waving my arms, groaning and coughing, calling for Nathalie, accelerating the rhythm, and literally throwing myself. My heart rate reached 150 afterward.

It don't mean a thing (if it ain't got that swing) (Duke Ellington) incl. tap dance routine

I'm just a gigolo - I ain't got nobody (Louis Prima) , sometimes black painted, afro wig (this is no longer possible), glitter costume, acting out and freaking out at the end “Got nobody, nobody!”

Sailing (Rod Stewart) yeah, everybody arms in the air

Let's face the music and dance (Frank Sinatra) , ideal show opening number

La mer/ Beyond the sea (Charles Trenet) alternately in French and English

Summer holiday (Cliff Richard) , light and airy

Those Were the Days (Mary Hopkin) during farewell shows, a quickened rhythm as a closing act automatically led to clapping. Always a winner (and with a joke when I sang: " I heard you called my name. Someone from the orchestra: "Wi-im!!!")

Begin the Beguine (Cole Porter) Julio Iglesiasversion in Spanish, when lot of Spanish on board or in Spanish waters.

Marina (Rocco Granata) in Italian, when many Italians or in Italian waters

Griechischer Wein (Udo Jurgens) in German when in Greek waters

From Russia with love (James Bond theme) when on the way to Odessa/Yalta or St. Petersburg (then still Leningrad)

Je veux de l'amour (RVHG/Robert Charlebois) in a unique, idiosyncratic English translation, where, for example, "the prime minister" became Maggie (Thatcher). I only did that once, on a world cruise, it was an experiment. All those Brits were rather bewildered.

Merci Chérie (Udo Jurgens) for German audience

She's always a woman to me (Billy Joel)

Buona sera (Louis Prima) , especially when near Naples (it's time to say goodnight to Napoli) , freaking out with my crazy dance moves. A hilarious success.

I've got you under my skin (Sinatra)

2) IN THE CONTEXT OF SPECIAL EVENINGS OR THEME SHOWS

(Everything's coming up) Roses (from 'Gypsy') opening number Captain's Welcome Aboardshow, with five scantily clad dancers full of feathers parading around me, moulin rouge-like yes, sometimes sung in a duo with singer Cassandra.

Ta Paidia Tou Piraia (the boys of Pireaus)/ Never on a Sunday (Melina Mercouri) from the film of the same name, during Greek Show, in Greek sometimes with a piece of English version

Tulips from Amsterdam , sing-along, when sailing from or to Amsterdam, in three languages, German, English and Dutch

Oh, When the Saints (Louis Armstrong) as the closing act of a jazz evening, together with a wonderful 12-piece (!) band, “Oh lord I want to be in that number”. MaRRRRvelous.

(We Ain't Got) Dames (from the musical South Pacific) during Tropical Night, Island Show, or when in the South Pacific, as part of a trio or male quartet. We got sunlight on the sand. We got moonlight on the sea.

We got mangoes and bananas, we can pick right off a tree. We got volleyball and ping-pong and a lot of dandy games. What ain't we got? We ain't got dames"

Copacabana (Barry Manilow) + interaction with six dancers, during South-American Show or when sailing nearby

Puttin' on the Ritz (Irving Berlin) Fred Astaire look, including some tap dancing, during the Hollywood show or “50 years of golden Music” show

Fever (Elvis Presley) with two dancers writhing and yearning around me. Yes, I had a hard life.

Coach coming in, Riders in the sky , … during Western shows

3) AND FURTHERMORE...

Strangers in the night (Sinatra) , pre-cruise period (on tape)

La ballade des zenzeureu (heu, gens heureux ) with my guitar, acoustic.

If I Had a Hammer (Trini Lopez) , solo vocal with only my own guitar accompaniment, having people sing along, sometimes with adapted lyrics, bottles and a hammer...

So much for this bit down memory lane, when Bibi was also a bit of an entertainer before he eventually became a cruise director at Cunard (then that was less necessary, or - my choice - occasionally...).