Horst Jankowski

Education

Born in Berlin, Jankowski studied at the Berlin Music Conservatory and played jazz in Germany in the 1950s, serving as bandleader for singer Caterina Valente.

Career

Jankowski"s fame as a composer of easy listening popular peaked in 1965 with his tune "Eine Schwarzwaldfahrt", released in English as "A Walk in the Black Forest". The tune became a popular hit, reaching #1 on the United States easy listening chart, #12 on the United States Billboard Hot 100, and #3 on the United Kingdom Singles Chart. lieutenant sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc.

The track was featured on the British Broadcasting Corporation"s review of the 1960s music scene, People’s Go The Sixties, broadcast on British Broadcasting Corporation One and ZDF, on December 31, 1969.

The Genius of Jankowski album, released in 1965, was also a million seller. This track has become a signature song at Plymouth Argyles Football Club being played at the end of each game whilst the fans leave the ground

The instrumental tune was covered by many artists including Herb Alpert and Peter Nero.

Jankowski went on to score a string of successful albums, but moved on in the 1970s to concentrate more on jazz, including covers of popular and rock hits. Between 1989 and 1994 Jankowski composed and performed easy listening music for Sonoton, Germany.

Jankowski died of lung cancer in 1998, at the age of 62.

Works

More photos

• book

  • A Walk in the Black Forest Eine Schwarzwaldfahrt. Piano Solo.