On September 25, 1966, the cult series debuted (available on ) directed by Konrad Nałęcki, based on the novel by Janusz Przymanowski. Not only the story of the crew of the “Rudy 102” tank and their four-legged companion, Szarik, but also the song with which each episode began was a hit among viewers.
They created a song for “Czterech pancerni i pies”. The production abandoned the first verse
After the spectacular success of the production, the song known by many as “The Restless Rains” became a huge hit. The lyrical layer of “Ballad o pancernych”, as its original title is, was created by , for whom it was one of the first great hits in her career. Adam Walaciński, the author of the soundtrack to many outstanding productions, was responsible for composing it, including: “Pharaoh” or “Mother Joan of the Angels”. – I wrote it quickly, because there’s no point in musing over a simple melody for long – in an interview with “Dziennik Polski”.
In turn, the performance was entrusted to Edmund Fetting, who stood out from other artists with his specific and, according to many, sad singing. Although the ballad’s popularity has not waned for over five decades, only a few people still know it in its full glory. It turns out that it begins with the words “on the meadows marigolds”, but for reasons still unknown, the first verse was completely omitted from the opening credits. The first lines read as follows:
marigolds in the meadows,
and the wind in the sky,
and we are in war
we watch the world.
We will return to the meadows,
We’ll just take care of some important matters.
Maybe not the same ones
we’ll go back to mom
and to school desks.
The producers didn’t want this song. It was considered “too difficult”
Before the ballad was finally accepted, the producers had a lot of reservations because they did not share the admiration of its creators. Not only did they have completely different expectations, but they also believed that both the words and the melody were too complex to be remembered by the audience. Initially, they even wanted Wojciech Kilar to compose the entire music, but his cooperation with the series ended after creating the famous song “I’m calling you”.
Ultimately, they agreed to Walaciński’s proposal, which turned out to be a bull’s-eye. – There were some sulks, there were other ideas about the series hit. They thought my ballad would be “too difficult”. Reality made a mockery of the tastes of these skeptics – the composer said with pride many years later. Interestingly, the entire soundtrack from “Four Tank Men and a Dog” was lost just after the filming of the series ended. For the next 50 years, attempts were made to regain it, but in vain. Only when all hope was lost, archival tape recordings were found at the Audiovisual Technology Center in Wrocław.
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
