Gondolier (song)
Dalida's second major hit, a chart-topping French pop standard.
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"Gondolier" is a song by French singer Dalida, first released on an EP in December 1957. It became her second major hit after "Bambino", reaching number one on both the La Bourse des Chansons chart and the Music Hall chart in France, as well as on the Belgian and Canadian charts. The song served as the title track for Dalida's 1958 album Gondolier.
Description
The melody was composed by Peter De Angelis with lyrics by Jean Broussolle. A promotional single released on February 22, 1957, received no promotion due to the ongoing success of "Bambino". De Angelis and Bob Marcucci then wrote an English-language version that found success in the US and UK in mid-1957. Dalida stated in a 1958 interview that she heard Petula Clark singing the English version on radio and decided to use the song for her Christmas special show.
At the end of 1957, Dalida performed "Gondolier" as the title song of a French TV Christmas special, and the EP issued the next day gained instant success. It entered the charts at number one in the first week of January 1958, spending 53 weeks in the top 20. The song spent nine weeks at number one in January and February and again reached number one for ten weeks during the summer, earning Dalida her third gold disc. It became the best-selling record of 1958, and promotions through TV and concert performances made it a pop standard in France and one of Dalida's signature tracks.
Cover versions
Many artists have recorded "Gondolier." The English version, titled "With All My Heart," was first cut by Jodie Sands, who released it in early 1957. It hit number one in Belgium and reached number 15 on the US Billboard Pop Singles chart. Petula Clark put out her take in mid-1957, which climbed to number four on the UK Singles Chart.
Other English-language renditions came from Judy Scott, Eve Boswell, Dave King, and Bing Crosby in 1958. Betty Curtis sang an Italian version, "Con tutto il cuore," that same year. Dawn Robertson issued a disco maxi-single in 1977.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which label released Gondolier (song)?
Gondolier was released by Barclay.
Who wrote Gondolier (song)?
Gondolier was written by Pete DeAngelis.
More in Barclay Singles
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Gondolier (song) (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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