"La mamma", also known as "For Mama" in English, is a song written in 1962 by French lyricist Robert Gall and

Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the ...

- French artist

Charles Aznavour Charles Aznavour ( , ; born Shahnour Vaghinag Aznavourian, hy, Շահնուր Վաղինակ Ազնավուրեան, ; 22 May 1924 – 1 October 2018) was a French-Armenian singer, lyricist, actor and diplomat. Aznavour was known for his dist ...

History

first recorded "La mamma" for a 1962 EP with his version serving as title cut for his 1963 album release. The first single release was by

Les Compagnons de la chanson Les Compagnons de la chanson were a French harmony vocal group from Lyon, France, founded in 1946. Their best known song was "Les trois cloches" recorded with Edith Piaf in 1946. They were a nine-member group, and they were popular in France with ...

which reached #80 on the French charts in late 1963: the Aznavour version was then issued as a single to reach #1 in France in February 1964. "La mamma" also afforded Aznavour a hit on the Dutch charts of Belgium and, rendered in Italian, was a hit in Italy for both Aznavour (#13) and also

Domenico Modugno Domenico Modugno (; 9 January 1928 – 6 August 1994) was an Italian singer, actor and, later in life, a member of the Italian Parliament. He is known for his 1958 international hit song "Nel blu, dipinto di blu (song), Nel blu dipinto di blu", ...

(#36). "La mamma" became Aznavour's first million seller. An English-language rendering of "La mamma" by lyricist Don Black entitled "For Mama" was recorded by

Matt Monro Matt Monro (born Terence Edward Parsons, 1 December 1930 – 7 February 1985) was an English singer. Known as "The Man with the Golden Voice", he performed internationally during his 30-year career. AllMusic has described Monro as "one of the m ...

and released in December 1964 in the UK where it had a chart peak of #36. "For Mama" became a minor US hit in 1965 for

Jerry Vale Jerry Vale (born Gennaro Louis Vitaliano; July 8, 1930 – May 18, 2014) was an American singer, songwriter and actor. During the 1950s and 1960s, he reached the top of the pop charts with his interpretations of romantic ballads, including a cover ...

whose version debuted on the

Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online streaming ...

in ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' magazine dated March 6, 1965 at #88 (Vale): in the previous issue of ''Billboard'', that dated February 27, 1965, the Matt Monro version of "For Mama" had appeared in the "

Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (also known as Bubbling Under the Hot 100) is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. The chart lists the top songs that have not yet charted on the main ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Chart ...

" chart at #135 along with the Jerry Vale version at #121, but Monro's version did not subsequently advance into the Hot 100. Jerry Vale's version of "For Mama" rose to a peak of #54 (Vale) on the Hot 100 dated April 3, 1965.

Vic Damone Vic Damone (born Vito Rocco Farinola; June 12, 1928 – February 11, 2018) was an American traditional pop and big band singer and actor. He was best known for his performances of songs such as the number one hit " You're Breaking My Heart", an ...

also recorded a

cover version In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...

of "For Mama" which failed to chart.

Connie Francis' version

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” ...

' recording of "For Mama" was released as a single in 1965 and became a minor hit in the United States, peaking at No. 48 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. In the Philippines, the single reached No. 2 on the national chart.

Adaptations

*''La mamma'', written by Nelly Byl (Dutch) *''La mamma'', written by Gerrit den Braber (Dutch) *''Mamãe'', written by Nazareno de Brito (Portuguese) *''For Mama'', written by Don Black (English) *''Mama'', written by Dragutin Britvić (Croatian) *''La mamma'', written by Mogol (Italian) *''La mamma'', written by Charly Niessen (German) *''Den bompa'', written by Leo Rozenstraten (Brabantian dialect of Antwerp) *'' Ya yemma'', written by Lili Boniche (Algerian Arabic) *''La mama'', written by Rafael Gayoso, sung by

Peret Pedro Pubill Calaf ( ; 24 March 1935 – 27 August 2014), better known as Peret, was a Spanish Romani singer, guitar player and composer of Catalan rumba from Mataró (Barcelona). Known for his 1971 single, "Borriquito" (Ariola Records), Per ...

(Spanish) - 1964 *''Mama'', written by Odysseas Ioannou, sung by

Vasilis Papakonstantinou Vasilis Papakonstantinou (Βασίλης Παπακωνσταντίνου) (born 21 June 1950) is a Greek singer known mostly for his work in Greek rock. Most of his songs have gained considerable popularity, mainly in Greece and Cyprus. Early ...

(Greek)

Cover versions

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 ...

(For Mama) *De Strangers (Den bompa) *

Anna German Anna Wiktoria German-Tucholska (14 February 1936 – 26 August 1982) was a Polish singer, immensely popular in Poland and in the Soviet Union in the 1960s–1970s. She released over a dozen music albums with songs in Polish, as well as several ...

Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson Sr. (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential singers in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Ge ...

(For Mama "La Mamma") *Lisa del Bo *Domenico Modugno *

Marla Glen Marla Glen (born January 3, 1960) is an American singer from Chicago, Illinois, United States, who has been based in Germany since 1998. Life Marla, daughter of Dell Glen ( American-Jamaican) and Cortez Glen (Mexican-American), grew up on the ...

(''Our World'' album, 1997) *Agnaldo Timóteo *Jean Vallée *

Demis Roussos Artemios "Demis" Ventouris-Roussos ( ; el, Αρτέμιος "Ντέμης" Βεντούρης-Ρούσσος, ; 15 June 1946 – 25 January 2015) was a Greek singer, songwriter and musician. As a band member he is best remembered for his work in ...

*Corry Brokken *Will Tura *Chico & The Gypsies (La mama) *Elvina Makaryan *

Isabelle Boulay Isabelle Boulay, (born 6 July 1972) is a French Canadian singer. Biography Born in Sainte-Félicité, Quebec, where her parents owned a restaurant, Boulay moved to the nearby city of Matane at the start of her adolescence, and studied litera ...

(2002) *

Yoyoy Villame Roman Tesorio Villame (November 18, 1932 – May 18, 2007), better known as Yoyoy Villame, was a Filipino singer, composer, lyricist, actor and comedian. Early life A native of Calape, Bohol Province, Villame was the youngest of ten children ...

(parody in Cebuano titled "Mamay Maliya") *

Heino Heinz Georg Kramm (born 13 December 1938), known professionally as Heino, is a German singer of Schlager music, Schlager and traditional Volksmusik. Having sold a total of over 50 million records, he is one of the most successful German musici ...

br>La mamma (clip)
*Daki
Dakis La Mamma

References

External links