"Those Were the Days" -- No, the Real One

Yesterday, I mentioned that I had been looking for something and by accident came upon a video of Theodore Bikel.  This here below isn't what I was looking for -- but it's a cousin.

Many years ago on a talk show, I saw Theodore Bikel tell a story about how the big hit, "Those Were the Days," that Mary Hopkin had recorded was actually a Russian Gypsy folk song, which he'd recorded years earlier.  And he then played the original Russian song, which was wonderful.  I'd never forgotten that peformance.

(Remembering the performance stood me in good stead.  A few years back, I was at a Writers Guild event, and Theodore Bikel was there as a guest of a friend, Lynn Roth.  We had a very enjoyable conversation, and I mentioned that TV appearance quite a few decades earlier.  Needless-to-say, he was stunned and very appreciative.)

It was a Bikel recording of that song I was looking for, but couldn't find.  I'll keep trying, but in the meantime, I did come up with this.  It's the Russian song, as performed by Manca Izmajlova, who seems to have made it a signature song of hers, since I came across at least three different TV performances of her singing it.

Here then is the original "Those Were the Days," in Russian -- "Dorogoi Dinnoyu."  Feel free to clap along with the chorus...