Adolf Steimel Swing and Movie Composer – Phantom Dancer

During the mid-1930s, Steimel played in the orchestras of Billy Bartholomew and Michael Jary.

In 1939 he founded his Organum Dance orchestra as a studio orchestra, with which he recorded for Odeon until 1944.

With his studio ensemble he created film songs such as “Bei dir war es immer so schön” (from the musical comedy Anita and the Devil from 1941) or the foxtrot “Sag mir du” from the film operetta Million Wedding.

He accompanied vocalists such as Ilse Werner on the songs Kleiner Hampelmann, and Wir machen Musik; Sven Olof Sandberg on Bleib’ immer bei mir; Herbert Ernst Groh on Bin verliebt in zwei Augen; and Rudi Schuricke on Briefe, die dich nie erreichten.

The poster heading this blog, Mr Sanders Lives Dangerously, is a 1944 film he wrote music for,

We made his last wartime recordings for Odeon on 6 March, 1944, backing Kary Barnet on Ich lass meinen Peter nie allein and Zum Abschied reich’ ich dir die Hände.

Adolf Steimel’s orchestra was considered an excellent swing-oriented dance orchestra with excellent soloists.

He created sophisticated swing arrangements from German film tunes during the Nazi era, since the use of original American titles was forbidden. He also arranged some titles for the German Dance and Entertainment Orchestra.

 In 1944, Steimel was included in the God-given list of the Reich Ministry for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda.

Steimel recorded one of the first post-war recordings, Komm mit mir in’s Chambre Separee. After the end of the war he recorded

In 1947 he recorded Über die Prärie and Lang, lang ist’s her.

He then worked primarily as a film composer until his death in 1962. His song, Die Männer sind schon die Liebe wert, was used in the film Der bewegte Mann (1994).