Volare (song)

"Nel blu, dipinto di blu"
Domenico Modugno at the Eurovision Song Contest 1958
Eurovision Song Contest 1958 entry
Country	Italy
Artist(s)	Domenico Modugno
Language	Italian
Composer(s)	Domenico Modugno
Lyricist(s)	Domenico Modugno, Franco Migliacci
Conductor	Alberto Semprini
Finals performance
Final result	3rd
Final points	13
Appearance chronology
◄ Corde della mia chitarra (1957)
Piove (Ciao, ciao bambina) (1959) ►

"Nel blu dipinto di blu" ("In the blue, painted blue"), popularly known as "Volare" (Italian for the infinitive form of the verb "to fly"), is Domenico Modugno's signature song.

Modugno's recording became the first Grammy winner for the Grammy Award for Record of the Year and Grammy Award for Song of the Year in 1958. It is the only foreign-language recording to achieve this honor. It spent five non-consecutive weeks atop the Hot 100 in August and September 1958 and was Billboard's number-one single for the year. It is one of only three USA one-hit wonders to become single of the year in the history of the Hot 100 (followed by "Stranger on the Shore" by Acker Bilk in 1962 and "Bad Day" by Daniel Powter in 2006). (Note: Domenico Modugno was a prolific singer/songwriter in Italy).

Composition

Written by Domenico Modugno (music and lyrics) and Franco Migliacci (lyrics), "Nel blu dipinto di blu" was presented by Domenico Modugno and Johnny Dorelli at the 1958 Sanremo Music Festival, winning the contest and achieving instant popularity. It was then chosen to represent Italy at the 1958 Eurovision Song Contest, where it came third.

The song is a ballad in a dramatic chanson style, in which Modugno describes the feeling he has, which resembles flying when with his lover. The song opens with a surreal prelude which the cover versions often left out: "Penso che un sogno così non ritorni mai più. Mi dipingevo le mani e la faccia di blu; poi d'improvviso venivo dal vento rapito, e incominciavo a volare nel cielo infinito." ("I think that a dream like that will never return; I painted my hands and my face blue, then was suddenly swept up by the wind and started to fly in the infinite sky.")

The English lyrics were written by Mitchell Parish. Alternative English lyrics were written in 1958 by Dame Gracie Fields, and they were used in most concerts she performed in from then until her death in 1979. She often changed the words to suit her performance and age.

At Eurovision

The song was performed first on the night (preceding the Netherlands' Corry Brokken with "Heel De Wereld"). At the end of the voting, it had received 13 points, placing 3rd in a field of 10.

Due to a transmission fault, the song was not heard in all countries transmitting the event, so it was performed at the end as well, before the voting took place.

It was succeeded as Italian entry at the 1959 contest by "Piove (Ciao, ciao bambina)," also performed by Modugno.

Popularity

A recording of the song was brought to America by Irving Lorber. His brother, Murray Lorber, an executive at Decca Records, gave the recording to Decca's A&R Director, Milt Gabler. Volare became an instant hit and a year after the Eurovision, the 1st Grammy Awards ceremony was held, and Modugno received awards for both Song of the Year and Record of the Year. Billboard awarded Modugno a prize for best song of the year, and he received three gold records from the recording industry: best singer, best song, best-selling album.

The song's popularity endures, and it was voted as the second favourite entry in the history of the Eurovision Song Contest at the 50th anniversary concert in Copenhagen, Denmark, 2005.

• Sports: A version was used by fans of Arsenal to serenade the midfielder Patrick Vieira, and Manchester United fans have created versions for cult heroes Diego Forlan and Nemanja Vidić, as well as a parody of Arsenal's song for Vieira, mocking the midfielder's error in the 1999 FA Cup Semi-Final replay which led to Ryan Giggs' famous extra-time winner.

• Samba Adaptation: The sixth season of the American version of Dancing with the Stars featured Kristi Yamaguchi and Mark Ballas dancing Samba to the Gipsy Kings version of the song.

• In Film: The 1980 comedy film The Hollywood Knights uses the song in a witty version performed by Newbomb Turk (Robert Wuhl) to the delight of a High School Pep Rally audience, albeit with adverse reactions from the sponsoring adults in the scene due to Newbomb's use of flatulence to punctuate between verses. In the movie Absolute Beginners (1986) a radio bradcast a cover of the song performed, in Italian, by David Bowie (who also appeared in the film), though the cover was not included on the soundtrack. The song was recorded by singer Vitamin C for The Lizzie McGuire Movie Soundtrack and can also be heard in the film while Lizzie and Paolo are roaming Rome, as well as in I cento passi while the family is arriving to a celebration. Kevin Kline sings an excerpt from this song in the movie A Fish Called Wanda

• TV: The TV series Columbo featured the Volare as the theme to a murder in the episode "Troubled Waters". Air Date February 9, 1975 (1975-02-09).

• TV Commercial: Italian-American tenor Sergio Franchi sang the song, with modified lyrics, while appearing as the television spokesman for the Plymouth Volaré in the 1970s.

Quotations

When ABBA’s "Waterloo" was voted as the "all time favourite song of the Eurovision Song Contest" ("Volare" came second), the creators Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, said when they received the prize

I myself voted for "Volare" but I am pleased that so many people voted for us.

― Benny Andersson^{[citation needed]}

Recordings

The song has been covered at least 100 times over the years. Versions were quickly recorded after the initial success - partly in English, partly in Italian - by The McGuire Sisters and Dean Martin. Bobby Rydell had a hit with his version, reaching #4 on the Hot 100 in the summer of 1960 (this version was later played over the end credits of the 1986 movie Vamp). An up-tempo Spanish version (partly in Italian) was recorded by the Gipsy Kings in 1989, and an English/Spanish salsa version is also sung by Son Boricua of Jimmy Sabater and Jose Mangual Jr. in 2000.

Later, English lyrics were written by Mitchell Parish. A Spanish version (partly in Italian) is sung by the Gipsy Kings. An English/Spanish salsa version is also sung by Son Boricua of Jimmy Sabater, Sr. and Jose Mangual Jr. The British pop-singer singer Russell Watson covered the song in 2002.

Sergio Franchi recorded two RCA Victor compilation albums featuring this song: 1.) Sergio Franchi Sings Volare, a 1976 Chrysler Corporation Promotional album, and 2.)Sergio Franchi/Volare, a 1977 tribute to Sergio Franchi by RCA on their 15th Anniversary of association.^[1]

101 Strings Orchestra Adriano Celentano Al Martino Albano Carrisi Alex Chilton Alex Prior André Hazes Andre Kostelanetz Barney Kessel Barry White Bobby Rydell Brave Combo Captain Jack Caterina Valente Charlie Drake Chet Atkins Claudio Baglioni Cliff Richard Connie Francis Cortijo y su combo Cyril Stapleton Dalida (as "Dans le bleu du ciel bleu") David Bowie

Dean Martin Dolores Duran Domenico Modugno Earl Grant Ella Fitzgerald Emilio Pericoli Engelbert Humperdinck Fariborz Lachini Ferrante & Teicher Frank Sinatra Frank Zappa G4 Gianna Nannini Gigi D'Agostino Gipsy Kings Gracie Fields Herman Foster Hugo Montenegro Ismael Rivera Jerry Vale John Arpin Joni James Johnny Branchizio

Julius LaRosa Kirby Stone Laura Pausini with Eros Ramazotti (Duet) Lionel Hampton Lisa Ono Lost Amigos with Ray Costello Louis Armstrong Lucho Gatica Luciano Pavarotti Marino Marini Marvin Santiago Masafumi Akikawa Mina Nelson Riddle Oleksandr Ponomaryov Oscar Peterson Patrizio Buanne Paul McCartney Petty Booka Petula Clark Ray Conniff

Richard Clayderman Rita Pavone Roger Williams Russell Watson Sergio Franchi Sofia Rotaru Son Boricua Stefano Bollani The Ames Brothers The Jive Aces The McGuire Sisters The Platters Thomas Anders Trini Lopez Vitamin C Wayne Newton Willy Alberti Ximena Sariñana Youth Brigade Yukihiro Takahashi Yvonne Catterfeld

See also

• List of number-one singles in Australia during the 1950s
• List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 1958 (U.S.)
• List of number-one Billboard Hot Latin Tracks of 1990

References

1. ^ http://www.discogs.com Sergio Franchi

External links

• Song details from Eurovision Song Contest 1958
• Web Karaoke with Italian lyrics
• Karaoke version by the Gipsy Kings (in Flash)
• 50 anni di un mito (Italian)
• Volare, storia di una canzone (Italian)

Preceded by "All Shook Up" by Elvis Presley

Billboard Hot 100 number-one single of the year 1958

Succeeded by "The Battle of New Orleans" by Johnny Horton