"Guaglione" is a

Neapolitan song Canzone napoletana (), sometimes referred to as Neapolitan song ( nap, canzona napulitana ), is a generic term for a traditional form of music sung in the Neapolitan language, ordinarily for the male voice singing solo, although well represented ...

with music by Giuseppe Fanciulli and words by Nicola "Nisa" Salerno. This original version of the song was the winning song at the IV Festival di Napoli which was broadcast on radio in 1956. ''Guaglione'' () is Neapolitan for "boy", but as slang can mean "

street urchin Street children are poor or homeless children who live on the streets of a city, town, or village. Homeless youth are often called street kids or street child; the definition of street children is contested, but many practitioners and policymak ...

", "corner boy", etc. The word ''guaglione'' has appeared as "wallyo" in New York immigrant slang. The song has been covered by various artists, including Italian bandleader Renzo Arbore, and Italian singers

Claudio Villa Claudio Villa (born Claudio Pica; 1 January 1926 – 7 February 1987) was an Italian singer and actor. Biography Tenor Claudio Villa was born Claudio Pica in the Trastevere quarter of Rome in 1926. He recorded over 3000 songs, sold 45 millio ...

Aurelio Fierro Aurelio Fierro (13 September 1923 – 11 March 2005) was a successful Italian actor and singer who specialized in songs in the Neapolitan dialect. Career He was born in Montella, in the Province of Avellino, Italy. His singing career bega ...

Renato Carosone Renato Carosone (; born Renato Carusone; 3 January 1920 – 20 May 2001) was an Italian musician. He was a prominent figure of the Italian music scene in the second half of the 20th century. He was also a modern performer of the so-called ' ...

and

Dalida Iolanda Cristina Gigliotti (; 17 January 1933 – 3 May 1987), professionally known as Dalida, was an Italian-French singer and actress born in Egypt. She sang in eleven languages and sold millions of records internationally. Her best known son ...

. Under the title "The Man Who Plays the Mandolino", with a lyric in English, Dean Martin sang it in 1956 after Fred Raphael of

Walt Disney Music Company Walt is a masculine given name, generally a short form of Walter (name), Walter, and occasionally a surname. Notable people with the name include: People Given name * Walt Arfons (1916-2013), American drag racer and competition land speed record r ...

obtained for Disney the U.S. publishing rights. The English lyrics were inspired by a little known Italian singer/songwriter Lucca Belvedere, a Mandolino player of some renown.

Connie Francis Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero (born December 12, 1937), known professionally as Connie Francis, is an American pop singer, actress, and top-charting female vocalist of the late 1950s and early 1960s. Called the “First Lady of Rock & Roll” ...

recorded the song in the original Italian language for her 1960 album ''More Italian Favorites''. The best-known version of "Guaglione" was recorded by the Cuban bandleader Perez Prado in 1958 as an uptempo

mambo Mambo most often refers to: * Mambo (music), a Cuban musical form *Mambo (dance), a dance corresponding to mambo music Mambo may also refer to: Music * Mambo section, a section in arrangements of some types of Afro-Caribbean music, particul ...

tune. As a mambo, the track rose to fame in 1994 and 1995 after it was used for the Guinness advert "

Anticipation Anticipation is an emotion involving pleasure or anxiety in considering or awaiting an expected event. Anticipatory emotions include fear, anxiety, hope and trust. When the anticipated event fails to occur, it results in disappointment (if posit ...

", which led to the song being released as a single, reaching number one in Ireland and number two in the United Kingdom. It has since been featured as the intro music for the 1996 video game '' Kingdom O' Magic'', and more recently as the opening music for the television show '' Jimmy's Farm''. The song is one of Disney's biggest profit makers. Marino Marini's version was featured in the film ''

The Talented Mr. Ripley ''The Talented Mr. Ripley'' is a 1955 psychological thriller novel by Patricia Highsmith. This novel introduced the character of Tom Ripley, who returns in four subsequent novels. It has been adapted numerous times for screen, including ''Purpl ...

''. In 2006

Patrizio Buanne Patrizio Franco Buanne (born 20 September 1978) is an Italian-Austrian baritone singer, songwriter, and producer. Biography Early life Patrizio Buanne was born in Vienna, Austria to Franco and Alina Buanne; he spent his childhood living and t ...

recorded an English version, lyrics by

Steve Crosby (music) Steve Crosby is a British record producer, songwriter and music manager. He is best known for creating the group Steps. Crosby started his career DJing at the age of 17 and, from there, he bought and ran a record shop. Crosby then moved into c ...

, titled ''Bella bella signorina'' for his album '' Forever Begins Tonight''.

1994 and 1995 release

As a mambo, "Guaglione" rose to fame in 1994 and 1995 after it was used for the Guinness advert "

", which led to the song being released as a single, reaching number one in Ireland and number two in the United Kingdom. The advert first aired in Ireland in 1994, giving way for "Guaglione" to top the Irish Singles Chart. At the same time, another Guinness advert titled "Recursive" began airing in the UK, this one using Louis Armstrong's "

We Have All the Time in the World "We Have All the Time in the World" is a James Bond theme song sung by Louis Armstrong. Its music was composed by John Barry and the lyrics by Hal David. It is a secondary musical theme in the 1969 Bond film '' On Her Majesty's Secret Service'', ...

" as a soundtrack. The rights to release the song as a single were difficult to obtain, and by the time the track was cleared for release, "Anticipation" had begun airing in the UK, leading to a concurrent release of "Guaglione" and "We Have All the Time in the World". Demand for the latter song was higher, so Guinness replaced "Anticipation" with "Recursive" on television and abandoned their promotion of "Guaglione", leading it to chart on import copies only. In early 1995, "Anticipation" began airing in the UK properly, allowing for a re-release of "Guaglione".

Critical reception

Pan-European magazine '' Music & Media'' wrote, "Fuelled by a TV ad for Guinness, the King of mambo reclaims his throne. Guaglione takes you back to the days when organists played in cinemas during the intervals."

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Release history

References

{{Authority control 1956 songs 1994 singles Irish Singles Chart number-one singles Neapolitan songs Pérez Prado songs Songs written by Nicola Salerno