Английская Википедия:Ferko String Band

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The Joseph A. Ferko String Band or Ferko String Band is a perennial performer in Philadelphia's Mummers Parade. They gained national popularity through their hit recordings in the 1940s and 1950s.

History

Шаблон:Prose In 1914 pharmacy student Joseph A. Ferko asked the owner of Fralinger's Drugs to sponsor a string band in the Mummers parade. The request was granted, and Ferko led the "Fralinger String Band" for several years, placing third in their 1915 attempt but winning in 1920.

The "Ferko String Band" had its beginnings in 1922. Ferko left the Fralinger pharmacy in 1921 to open his own establishment. He led the "North Philadelphia String Band" for the 1922 parade, but later that year founded his own band, co-founded by Walter Butterworth and Charles Keegan.

Ferko first won the string-band division in 1927 with an entry entitled "Cards." The 1929 incarnation not only won the event, but it was estimated that its parade float was the largest ever up to that point.

In addition to the Mummers Parade, Ferko also has a long history of performing in various parades and special occasions within the United States, Canada, as well as places far away as France and Hong Kong.

Although Ferko has always been primarily purposed for Philadelphia, highlights of 1929 contests culminated in top placement in contests in New York, Atlantic City, Baltimore, Washington, and York, PA.

They played for Franklin D. Roosevelt's 1933 Presidential inauguration.

Although Philadelphia string bands had been exclusively a "male's club", in 1935 Joseph Ferko started a ladies' auxiliary which brought women into club activities. This action influenced other string bands to follow suit, although female participation in the actual parade was almost non-existent until the late 1970s.

In 1947 they began recording sessions at the WIP studio for the Miller Brothers' new Palda Records. Their recording of "Four Leaf Clover" was picked up for national distribution by King Records. This prompted Paul Miller to commission new songs specifically for Ferko. One of the resulting songs, "Heartbreaker", became a national hitШаблон:VagueШаблон:Cn, in part thanks to the 1948 musician's strike because as amateur musicians, they were not covered by the American Federation of Musicians.

The profits from these Ferko records would later enable the Miller brothers to launch the career of Bill Haley. By Spring 1948 Billboard estimated they were among the top 25 musical attractions in 5 out of 8 national regions, and most popular in the Southeast United States where they ranked number 18 among all musical acts.

In May 1948, the band appeared on the cover of Billboard, in which it was announced that they had sold more than 350,000 records for Palda, and that their theme song "Hello", written by bandmembers Harry Leary and Robert Traub, was selected for use at the Republican National Convention.

Their 1955 recording of "Alabama Jubilee" sold more than 1 million records.

The group found popularity in Germany in 1956 with a recording of "Happy Days Are Here Again", charting as high as position 15. By the late 1950s the band was funded by the Continental Baking Company.

Founder Joseph A. Ferko died in 1964.

Performance style

The band typically has around 60 performing members, but recorded performances can involve anywhere from a couple dozen to a couple hundred participants. The age of group members is wide-ranging, known to encompass members from 15 to 80 years old. Performances consist of familiar tunes arranged specifically for the band.

Instruments used include accordion, banjo, bells, drums, Glockenspiel, guitar, mandolin, saxophone, and violin The details of musical balance are largely ignored yet often achieved. The elaborate costumes are such essential part of the performance that a 1995 theft of the apparel caused the cancellation of several shows. Marching maneuvers are a typical part of the presentation.

Appearances in film and television

The Ferko String Band can be seen briefly in the movie Miracle on 34th Street. They have also appeared on the television shows Good Morning America, The Jackie Gleason Show, To Tell the Truth and I've Got a Secret, with host Gary Moore, and Today.

Controversy

The group's 2013 performance aroused controversy when their theme for the year alluded to blackface minstrelsy in a performance entitled "Ferko's Bringin’ Back the Minstrel Days". The performance celebrated the music of Al Jolson and his contributions to early American music and theater. This performance was criticized by some, for the portrayal of performers within a vaudeville act, including the University of Pennsylvania professor of Africana Studies Guthrie Ramsey, among others.

Philadelphia Mummers Parade results

Year	Awards
1923	2nd - musicalШаблон:Cn
1924	3rd - musicalШаблон:Cn
1925	2nd - musicalШаблон:Cn
1926	2nd - musicalШаблон:Cn
1927	1st - musicalШаблон:Cn
1928	3rd - musicalШаблон:Cn
1929	1st - musical
1930	1st - musical
1931	1st - musical
1932	1st - musical
1933	no official paradeШаблон:Cn
1934	no official paradeШаблон:Cn
1935	3rd - musicalШаблон:Cn
1936	1st
1937	1st
1938	1st
1939	1st
1940	3rd - musicalШаблон:Cn
1941	5th - musicalШаблон:Cn
1942	2nd - musicalШаблон:Cn
1943	6th - musicalШаблон:Cn
1944	2nd - musicalШаблон:Cn
1945	3rd - musicalШаблон:Cn
1946	4th - musicalШаблон:Cn
1947	1st - musical
1948	2nd - musicalШаблон:Cn
1949	2nd - musicalШаблон:Cn
1950	1st - musical
1951	1st - musical
1952	2nd - musicalШаблон:Cn
1953	2nd - musicalШаблон:Cn
1954	2nd - musicalШаблон:Cn
1955	9th - musicalШаблон:Cn
1956	4th (tie) - musicalШаблон:Cn
1957	3rd - musicalШаблон:Cn
1958	1st - musical
1959	4th - musicalШаблон:Cn
1960	4th - musicalШаблон:Cn
1961	2nd
1962	4th - musicalШаблон:Cn
1963	5th - musicalШаблон:Cn
1964	4th - musicalШаблон:Cn
1965	3rd - musicalШаблон:Cn
1966	6th - musicalШаблон:Cn
1967	2nd - musical
1968	2nd - musicalШаблон:Cn
1969	1st - musical
1970	5th - musicalШаблон:Cn
1971	5th - musicalШаблон:Cn
1972	3rd - musicalШаблон:Cn
1973	4th - musicalШаблон:Cn
1974	1st - musical
1975	3rd - musicalШаблон:Cn
1976	13th - musicalШаблон:Cn
1977	3rd - musicalШаблон:Cn
1978	6th - musicalШаблон:Cn
1979	2nd - musicalШаблон:Cn
1980	2nd - musicalШаблон:Cn
1981	4th - musicalШаблон:Cn
1982	1st - musical
1983	4th (tie) - musicalШаблон:Cn
1984	5th - musicalШаблон:Cn
1985	2nd - musicalШаблон:Cn
1986	4th - musicalШаблон:Cn
1987	6th - musicalШаблон:Cn
1988	4th - musicalШаблон:Cn
1989	4th - musicalШаблон:Cn
1990	3rd - musicalШаблон:Cn
1991	5th - musicalШаблон:Cn
1992	4th (tie) - musicalШаблон:Cn
1993	2nd - musicalШаблон:Cn
1994	1st - musical
1995	2nd - musicalШаблон:Cn
1996	1st - musical
1997	1st - musical
1998	1st - musical
1999	3rd - musicalШаблон:Cn
2000	3rd - musicalШаблон:Cn
2001	5th - musicalШаблон:Cn
2002	4th - musicalШаблон:Cn
2003	3rd - musicalШаблон:Cn
2004	4th - musicalШаблон:Cn
2005	4th - musicalШаблон:Cn
2006	3rd - musicalШаблон:Cn
2007	3rd (tie) - musicalШаблон:Cn
2008	4th - musicalШаблон:Cn
2009	4th - musicalШаблон:Cn
2010	2nd - overall 1st - musical 5th - Captain
2011	2nd - musical 4th - Captain
2012	4th - musical 5th - Anthony Celenza, Captain
2013	5th - musical 11th - Anthony Celenza, Captain
2014	6th - musical 2nd - Anthony Celenza, Captain
2015	5th - musical Tied for 3rd - Anthony Celenza, Captain
2016	2nd - musical 6th - Anthony Celenza, Captain
2017	5th - musical 1st - Thomas D'Amore, CaptainШаблон:Cn
2018	5th - musical Tied for 4th - Thomas D'Amore, CaptainШаблон:Cn
2019	6th - musical 4th - Thomas D'Amore, Captain
2020	9th - musical 12th - Michael Luciany, Captain
2022	10th - musical 13th - Anthony Celenza, Captain

Discography

Файл:MediaFerkoAlabamaJubilee.jpg

"Alabama Jubilee", Ferko's biggest selling record

Singles

Year	Title	Peak chart positions	B-side	Issued on	Album
1947	Dilly Dally Polka	-	When You Wore a Tulip	Palda 101
	Hello	-	Golden Slippers	Palda 102
1948	Bowery Boys	-	I Want a Girl	Palda 104
	Alma Mater - Cornell U.	-	Fight On, Penn.	Palda 105
	Auld Lang Syne	-	Drunkard's Medley	Palda 106
	Heartbreaker	21	Kelly & H-A-R-R-I-G-A-N	Palda 109
	(I'm Looking Over a) Four Leaf Clover	-	Heart of My Heart	Palda 110
	Alibi Baby	-	Roll 'Em Girls	Palda 114
	Two Timer	-	You Darlin'	Palda 116
1955	Alabama Jubilee	14	Sing a Little Melody	Media 1010
	You Are My Sunshine	29*	Ma (She's Making Eyes At Me)	Media 1013	*"Coming Up Strong" chart
1963	Golden Slipper Strut	-	Ferko's Monkey	Argo 5451

Albums

• Circa 1956 — 'Happy Days Are Here Again' , Somerset Stereo—Fidelity - 33rpm 12" LP. Reissued on CD in 1990 on Alshire.

External links

• Шаблон:Official website
• The Ferko String Band performs at 98.1 WOGL (December 22, 2011)