The recording, made between January 28 and February 16, 1922 by sound engineer Harold Fleming, includes the song “Xenychtides” (“Night Owls”) from the  revue “Peirasmos 1920” (Temptation 1920), with music by Ermis Pongis and text-lyrics by Aimilios Dragatsis. The revue premiered on June 17, 1920, at the Panorama Theatre, staged by the Samartzis troupe.

As noted by Thodoros Chatzipantazis (1977: 95):

“What distinguished ‘Peirasmos’ from other annual revues of the time was its systematic cultivation of bold innuendos in both dialogue and spectacle. In this respect, it far surpassed ‘Papagalos’ [the annual revue (1914–1921) by Antonis Vottis] and established a tradition of sexual suggestiveness that characterized all the winter revues that followed. It still shared with ‘Papagallos’ its cabaret-like showiness, its fancy dances, and its shapely female performers [...] Among the work of its composers, the most notable was Ermis Pongis’ contribution to ‘Peirasmos 1920’, from which comes the well-known song ‘Xenychtides’ (‘In the Silence of the Night’). Generally speaking, ‘Peirasmos’ began its run during a period of decline for the Annual Revue, and naturally it was not unaffected by the surrounding atmosphere.”

The musical score was published in Athens in 1920 by the Gaitanos publishing house (see here, here, and here), in Constantinople by S. Christidis Publications (see here and here) and Moderne Editions (see here) and in New York by Apollo Publications (see here).

“Xenychtides” was recorded several times in the Greek historical discography. For example:

– “Xenychtides”, Elliniki Estudiantina (Greek Estudiantina), Constantinople (Istanbul), 1920 (Orfeon S 3139 – 12933).
– “Oi Xenychtides”, Marika Papagika, New York, September 1921 (Columbia 87756-2 – E-7560 and Columbia UK 87756-2 – 7610).
– “Xenychtides”, Tetos Dimitriadis, New York, May 15, 1922 (Victor B-26358 – 73389-A).
– “Oi Xenychtides”, Dimitris Krionas with Choir and Mandolinata, Athens, 1922 (His Master’s Voice BS-150 – AO-27), this recording.
– “Xenychtides”, Vivi Antonopoulou and Tetos Dimitriadis, New York, 1922 (Panhellenion 305-B).
– “Oi xenychtides”, Nikos Moraitis – Artemis Kyparissi, New York, September 1924 - March 1925 (Acropolis M-25119a).
– “Xenychtides”, Eva Styl – Nikos Gounaris, with a Mandolinata conducted by Giorgos Vitalis, USA, 1950s (Liberty L 141B; later reissued on the LP “Nick Gounaris sings Greek Melodies”, Liberty Record Co. LP-102 and Grecophon GR-102).

The tune is also found in other “national” discographies, performed by foreign orchestras, in recordings not intended exclusively for the Greek audience. This practice forms part of the broader recording industry strategy, whereby companies, through their agents and local branches, seek to promote selected recordings across diverse markets. The aim of this strategy is not only to address the needs of specific local communities, but also to shape a repertoire with international appeal, capable of functioning as a cultural product on a global scale.

According to the catalogues of the Odeon Records, two of these recordings, under the title “I Xenychtides (Der Nachtbummler)”, were made on April 7, 1922, in Berlin by the orchestra of the violinist and conductor Sándor Józsi, also known as Dajos Béla, pseudonyms of the Jewish Leon Golzmann (Лев Гольцман), who was born in Kyiv in present-day Ukraine. One one was issued on a 27 cm record in Greece (Odeon XBo 7563 – X 65110, Gx 169 – X 65110 and Gx 184 – X 65111) and in the United States (Odeon USA XBo 7563 – 82022-A) under the title “Oi Xenychtides”. The second recording was released on a 30 cm record in Greece (Odeon GXX-3001 – XX 79815), in Germany [Odeon BL (Germany) xxBo 7564 – AA 79815], as well as in the United States on the labels of OKeh Records and Odeon USA (3077-B) under the title “Der Nachtbummler (The Midnight Rounder)”.

In America, the song was recorded on October 24, 1928, in New York, in an arrangement by the American Leonard W. Joy, performed by the International Novelty Orchestra conducted by Nathaniel Shilkret (born Natan Schüldkraut), an American composer and conductor of Jewish descent from Lviv in present-day Ukraine. According to the DAHR (see here), this recording was issued for the Greek market (Victor CVE-47781 – 26-8300, 38-3077, and Orthophonic S-701-B), for the international market (Victor V-50010), under the title, in English and Spanish, “Night Owls – Waltz (Trasnochadores – Vals)” and by Gramophone Switzerland (FM-11).

The tune also found its way into the Romanian repertoire. In 1928, it was recorded in Bucharest by Petrică Moțoi and his orchestra under the title “Tamita sa” (Edison Bell Electron R 628C – Z 1503). The violinist, composer, and bandleader Petrică Moțoi (Bucharest 1897 – Bucharest 1946) was a Romanian musician of Romani origin and belonged to a family tradition of lăutari musicians (for further information see here).