Saturday 29 October 2011
Tune of the Day: While Strolling Through the Park One Day
aka “The Fountain in the Park”
This song was first published in 1884 as “The Fountain in the Park” by Ed Haley. However, “Ed Haley” was just a pseudonym of Robert A. King (born Robert Keiser), a prolific American composer and songwriter of popular music who published hundreds of songs under various assumed names for different publishing companies, perhaps as a means of getting around the "exclusivity clause" prevalent in most publishing contracts of the day.
The song has survived through the years in pop culture through its use in plays, musicals, television, and films. It was even sung on the moon by NASA astronauts Harrison Schmitt and Eugene Cernan during the Apollo 17 mission, as “I was strolling on the Moon one day”.
Thanks to Brian for suggesting this piece!