MMD > Archives > November 2005 > 2005.11.05 > 02Prev  Next


Hamm's Beer Jingle is Dagger Dance from Natoma
By Robbie Rhodes

Several years ago a message to MMDigest asked the identity of the
melody heard in the 1950s and 60s radio and TV adverts for Hamm's
beer.  See http://mmd.foxtail.com/archives/KWIC/H/hamm_s.html 
and http://mmd.foxtail.com/Sounds/hamms.html 

I stumbled upon the answer yesterday while researching Herbert's
famous song, "Indian Summer".  The 'Indian drums' melody of the Hamm's
beer jingle seems to be adapted from "Dagger Dance" by Victor Herbert,
performed in his grand opera, "Natoma", which premiered in 1911.

Piano arrangements of pieces from "Natoma" were published in 1911,
including "Four Dances" consisting of No. 1, Habanera; No. 2, Minuet;
No. 3, Panuelo; No. 4, Dagger Dance.

There is at least one piano roll performance of the song, on Duo-Art
69138: Indian Summer; Dagger Dance from "Natoma" / played by Robert
Armbruster (August 1925).

Images of the sheet music of "Dagger Dance" are available at the
web site of the Lester S. Levy Sheet Music Collection, at
http://levysheetmusic.mse.jhu.edu/advancedsearch.html 

A MIDI file of "Dagger Dance" and much useful information about
Victor Herbert is presented at http://www.pdmusic.org/herbert.html 
A synopsis of "Natoma" is presented at http://www.jmucci.com/opera/natoma.htm 

Robbie Rhodes
Etiwanda, California


(Message sent Sat 5 Nov 2005, 22:48:27 GMT, from time zone GMT-0800.)

Key Words in Subject:  Beer, Dagger, Dance, Hamm's, is, Jingle, Natoma
Enter text below to search the MMD Website with Google

Please Support Publication of the MMD with your Generous Donation
No PayPal account required
SSL Certificate
by
Let's Encrypt