Nel Blu, Dipinto Di Blu (song)
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"Nel blu, dipinto di blu" (; 'In the blue ky s I waspainted blue'), popularly known as "Volare" (; 'To fly'), is a song originally recorded by Italian singer-songwriter
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", for which he received the fir ...
, with music composed by himself and Italian lyrics written by himself and
Franco Migliacci Francesco "Franco" Migliacci (; 28 October 1930 – 15 September 2023) was an Italian lyricist, producer, and actor. Biography Migliacci studied in Florence where his family had settled, here he entered in a competition for young players, in ...
. It was released as a single on 1 February 1958. After winning the eighth edition of the
Sanremo Music Festival The Sanremo Music Festival ( ), officially the Italian Song Festival (), is the most popular Italian song contest and awards ceremony, held annually in the city of Sanremo, Liguria, organized and broadcast by (RAI). It is the longest-running ...
, the song in the of the
Eurovision Song Contest The Eurovision Song Contest (), often known simply as Eurovision, is an international Music competition, song competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) among its members since 1956. Each participating broadcaster ...
held in
Hilversum Hilversum () is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of North Holland, Netherlands. Located in the heart of the Gooi, it is ...
, where it came in third place out of ten songs. The song spent five non-consecutive weeks atop the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in August and September 1958, and subsequently became ''
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 advertis ...
'''s number-one single for the year. In 1959, at the
1st Annual Grammy Awards The 1st Annual Grammy Awards were held on May 4, 1959. They recognized musical accomplishments by performers for the year 1958. Two separate ceremonies were held simultaneously on the same day: one in the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, C ...
, Modugno's recording became the first ever
Grammy The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...
winner for both
Record of the Year The Grammy Award for Record of the Year is presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without re ...
and Song of the Year. The combined sales of all the versions of the song exceed 18 million copies worldwide, making it one of the all-time most popular songs to come out of Sanremo and Eurovision. The song was later translated into several languages and recorded by a wide range of performers. The song is also used as the basis for numerous
football chant A football chant or terrace chant is a form of vocalisation performed by supporters of association football, typically during football matches. Football chanting is an expression of collective identity, most often used by fans to express their ...
s.


Background


Writing

Franco Migliacci Francesco "Franco" Migliacci (; 28 October 1930 – 15 September 2023) was an Italian lyricist, producer, and actor. Biography Migliacci studied in Florence where his family had settled, here he entered in a competition for young players, in ...
began working on the lyrics of the song in June 1957, inspired by two paintings by
Marc Chagall Marc Chagall (born Moishe Shagal; – 28 March 1985) was a Russian and French artist. An early modernism, modernist, he was associated with the School of Paris, École de Paris, as well as several major art movement, artistic styles and created ...
. He had planned to go to the sea with
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", for which he received the fir ...
, but while waiting for Modugno to show up, Migliacci started drinking wine and eventually fell asleep. He had vivid dreams, and when he woke up, he looked at the Chagall paintings (reproductions) on the wall. In "Le coq rouge" was a yellow man suspended in mid-air, while in "Le peintre et la modelle", half the painter's face was coloured blue. So he began penning a song about a man who dreams of painting himself blue, and being able to fly. Later that same night, Migliacci discussed his lyrics with Modugno, and for several days they worked on the song, tentatively entitled "''Sogno in blu''" ('Dream in blue'). In 2008, Modugno's widow, Franca Gandolfi, recalled that her husband, after a storm forced open his window, had the idea of modifying the chorus of the song, introducing the word "Volare", which is now the popular title of the song.


Musical style and lyrical content

The song is a
ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and song of Great Britain and Ireland from the Late Middle Ages until the 19th century. They were widely used across Eur ...
in a dramatic
chanson A (, ; , ) is generally any Lyrics, lyric-driven French song. The term is most commonly used in English to refer either to the secular polyphonic French songs of late medieval music, medieval and Renaissance music or to a specific style of ...
style, in which Modugno describes the feeling he has when with his lover; a feeling that resembles flying. The song opens with a surreal prelude, which the cover versions often left out: The English lyrics were written by
Mitchell Parish Mitchell Parish (born Michael Hyman Pashelinsky; July 10, 1900 – March 31, 1993) was an American lyricist, notably as a writer of songs for stage and screen. Biography Parish was born to a Jewish family in Lithuania, Russian Empire in July 190 ...
. Alternative English lyrics were written in 1958 by
Gracie Fields Dame Gracie Fields (born Grace Stansfield; 9 January 189827 September 1979) was a British actress, singer and comedian. A star of cinema and music hall, she was one of the top ten film stars in Britain during the 1930s and was considered the h ...
, and were used from then in most concerts she performed in until her death in 1979; she often changed the words to suit her performance and age.


Sanremo Music Festival

In 1958, the song participated in the selection process for the eighth edition of the
Sanremo Music Festival The Sanremo Music Festival ( ), officially the Italian Song Festival (), is the most popular Italian song contest and awards ceremony, held annually in the city of Sanremo, Liguria, organized and broadcast by (RAI). It is the longest-running ...
. The jury charged with selecting the entries to the competition was going to reject "Nel blu, dipinto di blu"; however, in the end, it was one of the twenty admitted songs. On 31 January 1958, the song was performed for the first time, during the second night of the Festival, by both Domenico Modugno and
Johnny Dorelli Giorgio Guidi (born 20 February 1937), known professionally as Johnny Dorelli, is an Italian actor, singer and television host. Early life Giorgio Guidi was born in Meda, Lombardy, Italy. In 1946, he moved with his family to New York City, ...
. It was Dorelli's first appearance at the Festival, and according to his team-partner, Dorelli was so nervous that he had to be punched by Modugno to be persuaded to perform on stage. After being admitted to the final, held at the
Sanremo Casino Sanremo Casino (official ) is a gambling and entertainment complex located in Sanremo, on the Italian Riviera. History The Casino's building was designed by French architect Eugène Ferret, opening 14 January 1905. Seven different projects we ...
on 1 February 1958, the song was performed again, winning the Festival, beating the song " L'edera" by
Nilla Pizzi Adionilla Pizzi (; 16 April 1919 – 12 March 2011), known by her stage name Nilla Pizzi, was an Italian singer and actress. Born in Sant'Agata Bolognese, Italy, she was particularly famous in Italy during the 1950s and 1960s. She is well know ...
and
Tonina Torrielli Antonietta "Tonina" Torrielli (born 22 March 1934) is an Italian singer. She is best known for representing in the Eurovision Song Contest 1956 with the song "Amami se vuoi". Career A worker at a candy factory in Novi Ligure (after which she w ...
, which came in second place. Whilst Dorelli's performance had a lesser impact on the audience, Modugno's is now considered to be the event that changed the history of Italian music. During his performance, Modugno opened his arms as if he was going to fly, which would contribute to making it the most successful Sanremo Music Festival song. It would also mark a change in the way of performing, as Italian singers were used to standing with their arms on their chest, without moving on the stage.


Eurovision Song Contest

As Sanremo was used by
Radiotelevisione italiana (), commercially styled as since 2000 and known until 1954 as (RAI), is the national public broadcasting company of Italy, owned by the Ministry of Economy and Finance (Italy), Ministry of Economy and Finance. RAI operates many terrestrial ...
(RAI) to select for the of the
Eurovision Song Contest The Eurovision Song Contest (), often known simply as Eurovision, is an international Music competition, song competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) among its members since 1956. Each participating broadcaster ...
, the song became the , and Modugno the performer, for Eurovision. On 12 March 1958, the Eurovision Song Contest was held at the
AVRO Studios AVRO Studios is a building complex and national heritage site in Hilversum, where the radio and TV studios and the head office of the Dutch public broadcasting system, Dutch public broadcasting association AVRO (Algemene Vereniging Radio Omroep or ...
in
Hilversum Hilversum () is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of North Holland, Netherlands. Located in the heart of the Gooi, it is ...
hosted by (NTS), and broadcast live throughout the continent. Modugno performed "Nel blu, dipinto di blu" first on the evening, preceding "" by
Corry Brokken Cornelia Maria "Corry" Brokken (3 December 1932 – 31 May 2016) was a Dutch singer, television presenter and jurist. In 1957, she won the second edition of the Eurovision Song Contest with the song " Net als toen", representing the Netherlands ...
from the . However, he would have to perform again at the end as well—before the voting took place—due to a transmission fault during his performance that caused the song to not be heard in all countries broadcasting the event. Alberto Semprini conducted the event's live orchestra in the performances of the Italian entry. At the end of the voting, the song had received 13 points, placing third in a field of ten. Despite this, it became one of the most successful songs ever performed in Eurovision Song Contest history. It was succeeded as Italian entrant at the by " Piove (Ciao, ciao bambina)", also performed by Modugno.


Commercial success

"Nel blu, dipinto di blu" became an instant success in Italy, selling more than 20,000 copies in its first twelve days. As of February 2013, according to RAI's estimates, the single had sold 800,000 copies in its domestic market. ''Search the article by typing ''I "divi" della musica sono più popolari dei leggeva eielisti'' in the search field.'' Following the results obtained in Italy, the song was also released in the United States and in the rest of Europe and the single obtained global acclaim, becoming an international hit. In the United States, the single debuted at number 54 on the very first ''
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 advertis ...
''
Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100, also known as simply the 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), o ...
, on 4 August 1958, and the next week it climbed at number two, marking the biggest jump to the runner-up spot in the chart's history. On 18 August 1958, it topped the Hot 100, becoming the second song to reach the top spot on the chart, after
Ricky Nelson Eric Hilliard "Ricky" Nelson (May 8, 1940 – December 31, 1985) was an American musician and actor. From age eight, he starred alongside his family in the radio and television series ''The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet''. In 1957, he began a ...
's "
Poor Little Fool "Poor Little Fool" is a song written by Sharon Sheeley and first recorded by Ricky Nelson in 1958. Background Sheeley wrote the song when she was 15 years old. She had met Elvis Presley, and he encouraged her to write. It was based on her disap ...
". The song later completed a run of five non-consecutive weeks at the top of the chart, selling two million copies in the United States during 1958. During its US release, fifteen other recordings of the song were also on release, including
Dean Martin Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti; June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an American singer, actor, and comedian. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Cool", he is regarded as one of the most popular entertainers of ...
's "Volare", which in total sold over 1.5 million records. "Nel blu, dipinto di blu" and "Volare" were both in the top 10 at the same time. "Nel blu, dipinto di blu" was ''Billboard'''s Song of the Year and was the first non-American, -Canadian or -British single to achieve this honour in the rock era, and it would be the only one to do so until 1994's " The Sign" by Swedish group
Ace of Base Ace of Base is a Swedish pop group formed in 1987, originally consisting of siblings Jonas, Linn, and Jenny Berggren, with Ulf Ekberg. They achieved worldwide success following the release of their debut album, '' Happy Nation'', in 1992. L ...
. It is also one of the only two songs by Modugno charting on the Hot 100, together with " Piove (Ciao, ciao bambina)", which peaked at number 97. In the United Kingdom, Modugno's single was released on 23 August 1958 and debuted at number 15. The following week it rose and peaked at number ten on the UK Singles Chart. Eight other versions recorded by international artists were also released in the UK. It peaked at number two on the Norwegian
VG-lista VG-lista is the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from Norwegian and international artists. It is presented weekly in the newspaper ''Verdens Gang, VG''. The data is collected by Nielsen SoundScan, Nielsen Soundscan Inte ...
Topp 20 Singles and on the Dutch
Mega Single Top 100 The Dutch Single Top 100 or Single Top 100 is a Dutch chart, based on official physical single sales, legal downloads and since July 2013 streaming and composed by Dutch Charts. It is one of the three official charts, the other two being the Dutc ...
. The song's popularity endures, and in 2004, according to the
Italian Society of Authors and Publishers Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...
, it was the most played Italian song in Italy as well as in the whole world. Moreover, the combined sales of all the recorded versions of the song exceed eighteen million units.


Accolades


Awards

During the
1st Grammy Awards The 1st Annual Grammy Awards were held on May 4, 1959. They recognized musical accomplishments by performers for the year 1958. Two separate ceremonies were held simultaneously on the same day: one in the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, C ...
, held on 4 May 1959 at
Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...
's Beverly Hilton Hotel, "Nel blu dipinto di blu" received two awards: for
Record of the Year The Grammy Award for Record of the Year is presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without re ...
and for Song of the Year. The song is the only foreign-language recording to achieve this honour, and it is the only song competing in the Eurovision Song Contest to receive a Grammy Award. In 2001, seven years after his death, Modugno was awarded with the Sanremo Music Festival Special Award, "given to the one who,...in 1958, with 'Nel blu dipinto di blu', turned the Sanremo Music Festival in a stage of worldwide relevance." During 2008's Sanremo Music Festival, lyricist
Franco Migliacci Francesco "Franco" Migliacci (; 28 October 1930 – 15 September 2023) was an Italian lyricist, producer, and actor. Biography Migliacci studied in Florence where his family had settled, here he entered in a competition for young players, in ...
and Modugno's widow, Franca Gandolfi, received the special Award for Creativity for the song, presented by
Italian Society of Authors and Publishers Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...
' chairman Giorgio Assumma. In 2023, it received a nomination at the first SIAE Music Awards for the category Song in Clubs with Live Music. The nomination was based on 2023 music consumption data collected by
SIAE The Italian Society of Authors and Publishers (SIAE) is a non-profit collective management organization in the form of a public economic entity with an associative basis, responsible for protecting intellectual works and managing copyright int ...
.


Honours

The song was one of fourteen songs chosen by Eurovision fans and a
European Broadcasting Union The European Broadcasting Union (EBU; , UER) is an alliance of Public broadcasting, public service media organisations in countries within the European Broadcasting Area (EBA) or who are member states of the Council of Europe, members of the ...
(EBU) reference group, from among the 992 songs that had ever participated in the contest, to participate in the fiftieth anniversary competition '' Congratulations: 50 Years of the Eurovision Song Contest'' held on 22 October 2005 in
Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...
. At the event, "Nel blu dipinto di blu" was ranked second on the list of the "all time favourite songs of the Eurovision Song Contest," behind
ABBA ABBA ( ) were a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. They are one of the most popular and successful musical groups of all time, and are one of the List ...
's " Waterloo". ABBA member
Benny Andersson Göran Bror Benny Andersson (; born 16 December 1946) is a Swedish musician, composer and producer best known as a member of the pop group ABBA and co-composer of the musicals ''Chess (musical), Chess'', ''Kristina från Duvemåla'', and ''Mamm ...
, while receiving the prize, commented: In 2008, the 50th anniversary of the song was celebrated in Italy by releasing a
postage stamp A postage stamp is a small piece of paper issued by a post office, postal administration, or other authorized vendors to customers who pay postage (the cost involved in moving, insuring, or registering mail). Then the stamp is affixed to the f ...
showing a man who is flying on a blue background. During the
2010 Viña del Mar International Song Festival The '' Viña del Mar International Song Festival 2010'' was held from February 22, 2010 until Friday February 26, 2010. The musical event was broadcast on Chilean TV channels Televisión Nacional de Chile and Canal 13, and will be held in Viña d ...
, the song, performed by Italian singer Simona Galeandro, was also declared the most popular song of the 20th century, winning the international competition of the contest.


Plagiarism allegation

Immediately after the release of "Nel blu dipinto di blu", Antonio De Marco accused Domenico Modugno and lyricist
Franco Migliacci Francesco "Franco" Migliacci (; 28 October 1930 – 15 September 2023) was an Italian lyricist, producer, and actor. Biography Migliacci studied in Florence where his family had settled, here he entered in a competition for young players, in ...
of
plagiarising Plagiarism is the representation of another person's language, thoughts, ideas, or expressions as one's own original work.From the 1995 '' Random House Compact Unabridged Dictionary'': use or close imitation of the language and thoughts of anothe ...
his 1956 song "Il castello dei sogni". ''Search the article by entering ''Domenico Modugno plagio'' in the field ''Cerca nell'archivio storico dal 1867 al 2005''.'' Though the song was not released, it had been played during some concerts in the previous years. During the trial for plagiarism, De Marco claimed that he lost his
sheet music Sheet music is a handwritten or printed form of musical notation that uses musical symbols to indicate the pitches, rhythms, or chords of a song or instrumental musical piece. Like its analogs – printed Book, books or Pamphlet, pamphlets ...
in Rome while registering his song with the
Italian Society of Authors and Publishers Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...
, suggesting that Modugno somehow found it ''Search the article by entering ''Domenico Modugno plagio'' in the field ''Cerca nell'archivio storico dal 1867 al 2005''.'' and plagiarised both the lyrics and the music of his composition. However, the Rome court of justice absolved Modugno and Migliacci, following the opinion of an expert who stated that the two songs did not have any relevant similarity. As a response, Modugno sued De Marco for
defamation Defamation is a communication that injures a third party's reputation and causes a legally redressable injury. The precise legal definition of defamation varies from country to country. It is not necessarily restricted to making assertions ...
, and in July 1958 De Marco was convicted by the Milan court of justice.


Track listings


Credits and personnel

*
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", for which he received the fir ...
vocals Singing is the art of creating music with the voice. It is the oldest form of musical expression, and the human voice can be considered the first musical instrument. The definition of singing varies across sources. Some sources define sing ...
, composer, lyricist *
Franco Migliacci Francesco "Franco" Migliacci (; 28 October 1930 – 15 September 2023) was an Italian lyricist, producer, and actor. Biography Migliacci studied in Florence where his family had settled, here he entered in a competition for young players, in ...
– Lyricist * Alberto Sempriniorchestra conductor * Sestetto Azzurro – musicians ** Walter Beduschi –
bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Wood * Bass or basswood, the wood of the tilia americana tree Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in th ...
** Bruno De Filippi –
guitar The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted (with Fretless guitar, some exceptions) and typically has six or Twelve-string guitar, twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming ...
** Pupo De Luca
drums The drum is a member of the percussion instrument, percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system, it is a membranophones, membranophone. Drums consist of at least one Acoustic membrane, membrane, c ...
** Ebe Mautino –
harp The harp is a stringed musical instrument that has individual strings running at an angle to its soundboard; the strings are plucked with the fingers. Harps can be made and played in various ways, standing or sitting, and in orchestras or ...
**
Mario Migliardi Mario Migliardi (31 May 1919 – 8 August 2000) was an Italian composer of music for movies and television. He was born in Alessandria, Italy. Works Migliardi composed music and soundtracks for the following movies and television shows: *' ...
Hammond organ The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond and John M. Hanert, first manufactured in 1935. Multiple models have been produced, most of which use sliding #Drawbars, drawbars to vary sounds. Until 1975, sound was created ...
** Alberto Semprini
piano A piano is a keyboard instrument that produces sound when its keys are depressed, activating an Action (music), action mechanism where hammers strike String (music), strings. Modern pianos have a row of 88 black and white keys, tuned to a c ...
Credits adapted from ''Discografia Nazionale della Canzone Italiana''.


Chart performance


Weekly charts


All-time charts


Certfications and sales


Legacy

There were more than 100 different recordings of the song worldwide, including over thirty in France and fifteen in the United States.
Dean Martin Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti; June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an American singer, actor, and comedian. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Cool", he is regarded as one of the most popular entertainers of ...
recorded a version which alternates between the original Italian lyrics (Martin spoke fluent Italian) and English lyrics adapted by
Mitchell Parish Mitchell Parish (born Michael Hyman Pashelinsky; July 10, 1900 – March 31, 1993) was an American lyricist, notably as a writer of songs for stage and screen. Biography Parish was born to a Jewish family in Lithuania, Russian Empire in July 190 ...
. Martin's version appeared on his LP ''This Is Dean Martin!'' (1958). Martin's song, titled "Volare (Nel blu dipinto di blu)", was also released as a single, reaching number two on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number three in Norway, number fifteen on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, and number 27 in Canada. A version by Umberto Marcato also made a brief appearance on the Canadian charts at number 20 on August 4, 1958. In the United Kingdom, Italian musician Marino Marini's cover peaked at number thirteen in October, and
Charlie Drake Charles Edward Springall (19 June 1925 – 23 December 2006), known professionally as Charlie Drake, was an English comedian, actor, writer and singer. With his small stature ( tall), curly red hair and liking for slapstick, he was a popular ...
's version reached number 28.
The McGuire Sisters The McGuire Sisters were a singing trio in American popular music. The group was composed of three sisters: * Ruby Christine McGuire (July 30, 1926 – December 28, 2018) * Dorothy "Dottie" McGuire (February 13, 1928 – September 7, 2012) * P ...
' version, also released as a single, peaked at number 80 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US, and entered the Norwegian Singles Chart at number seven.
Earl Grant Earl Grant (January 20, 1931 – June 10, 1970) was an American pianist, organist, and vocalist popular in the 1950s and 1960s. Career Grant was born in Idabel, Oklahoma. Though he would be known later for his keyboards and vocals, Grant also ...
covered the song on his album ''The End'' on September 25. Also in 1958, a famous Puerto Rican group called Cortijo y su Combo, who featured the bandleader and percussionist
Rafael Cortijo Rafael Antonio Cortijo Verdejo (December 11, 1928 – October 3, 1982) was a Puerto Rican musician, orchestra leader, composer and percussion instrument craftsman. Early career As a child, Cortijo became interested in Caribbean music and en ...
with his long time friend and singer Ismael Rivera, one of the most influential figures in what later would be named
Salsa music Salsa music is a style of Latin American music, combining elements of Cuban and Puerto Rican influences. Because most of the basic musical components predate the labeling of salsa, there have been many controversies regarding its origin. Most ...
, recorded a Spanish version in their own Puerto Rican style that would immediately become one of their most well known songs. A live version can be heard in their live album ''El Alma de un Pueblo'' released in 1958 and a studio version was included in their 1960 compilation album ''Fiesta Boricua''. In 1960, the song was recorded by Italian-American singer
Bobby Rydell Robert Louis Ridarelli (April 26, 1942 – April 5, 2022), known by the stage name Bobby Rydell (), was an American singer and actor who mainly performed rock and roll and traditional pop music. In the early 1960s, he was considered a teen idol. ...
, reaching number four on the Hot 100 during the summer of 1960, number 22 in the UK, and number three in Canada. There was an instrumental version by
Ray Conniff Joseph Raymond Conniff (November 6, 1916 – October 12, 2002) was an American bandleader and arranger best known for his Ray Conniff Singers during the 1960s. Biography Conniff was born November 6, 1916, in Attleboro, Massachusetts, United S ...
on his album ''The Happy Beat'', released in 1963. Another charting version of the song was released in 1975 by American jazz singer
Al Martino Jasper Cini (October 7, 1927 – October 13, 2009), known professionally as Al Martino, was an American traditional pop and standards singer. He had his greatest success as a singer between the early 1950s and mid-1970s, being described as "one o ...
, and included in his album ''To the Door of the Sun''. His single peaked at number 33 in the US, reached number 3 on the Dutch
Single Top 100 The Dutch Single Top 100 or Single Top 100 is a Dutch chart, based on official physical single sales, legal downloads and since July 2013 streaming and composed by Dutch Charts. It is one of the three official charts, the other two being the Du ...
, and reached number 31 in the Canadian AC charts in December 1975, being certified gold by the
Canadian Recording Industry Association Music Canada is a non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 in Toronto to represent the interests of companies that record, manufacture, produce, and distribute music in Canada. It also offers benefits to some of Canada's leadin ...
. In 1986,
David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer, songwriter and actor. Regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Bowie was acclaimed by critics and musicians, pa ...
recorded a version of the song, sung entirely in Italian, for the film '' Absolute Beginners'' and its accompanying soundtrack album. In 1989,
Gipsy Kings Gipsy Kings (originally Los Reyes) are a musical group founded in 1979 in Arles, France. The band, whose members have Catalans, Catalan heritage, play a blend of Catalan rumba, flamenco, Salsa music, salsa, and Pop music, pop. They perform mos ...
recorded an
up-tempo A variety of musical terms is encountered in printed scores, music reviews, and program notes. Most of the terms are Italian, in accordance with the Italian origins of many European musical conventions. Sometimes, the special musical meanings ...
rumba flamenca Rumba flamenca, also known as flamenco rumba or simply rumba (), is a ''Palo (flamenco), palo'' (style) of flamenco music developed in Andalusia, Spain. It is known as one of the ''cantes de ida y vuelta'' (roundtrip songs), music which diverged i ...
version of the song, with lyrics partly in Italian and partly in Spanish. Their version topped the ''Billboard''
Hot Latin Songs The ''Billboard'' Hot Latin Songs (formerly Hot Latin Tracks and Hot Latin 50) is a record chart in the United States for Latin music, Latin songs, published weekly by Billboard (magazine), ''Billboard'' magazine. Since October 2012, chart ranki ...
chart in April 1990 and reached number 86 in the UK chart. It also charted in France and the Netherlands, peaking at number 16 and at number 26 and also, earn a platinum award in Spain. respectively. The
music video A music video is a video that integrates a song or an album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device intended to ...
won two awards in the Latin field, one for the group (Best Duo or Group) and Best Director for Markus Blunder. In 1991,
Barry White Barry Eugene White (né Carter; September 12, 1944 – July 4, 2003) was an American singer and songwriter. A two-time Grammy Award winner known for his bass voice and romantic image, his greatest success came in the 1970s as a solo singer and ...
covered the song for his album '' Put Me in Your Mix''. In this version, the first verse is sung in Italian, the second verse is in English, and the chorus and bridges are in both languages. Near the end, he credits Domenico Modugno as the writer and original performer. In 2003,
Vitamin C Vitamin C (also known as ascorbic acid and ascorbate) is a water-soluble vitamin found in citrus and other fruits, berries and vegetables. It is also a generic prescription medication and in some countries is sold as a non-prescription di ...
recorded a
pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop! (British group), a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Album ...
cover for the
soundtrack A soundtrack is a recorded audio signal accompanying and synchronised to the images of a book, drama, motion picture, radio program, television show, television program, or video game; colloquially, a commercially released soundtrack album of m ...
for ''
The Lizzie McGuire Movie ''The Lizzie McGuire Movie'' is a 2003 American teen comedy film directed by Jim Fall. The film serves as the finale of the Disney Channel television series ''Lizzie McGuire'' and was the first theatrical film based on a Disney Channel series ...
'' which was recorded in both English and Italian. In 2006, G4 recorded a cover for their third album '' Act Three''. In February 2010, a cover of the song performed by Italian singer Simona Galeandro won the international competition of the
2010 Viña del Mar International Song Festival The '' Viña del Mar International Song Festival 2010'' was held from February 22, 2010 until Friday February 26, 2010. The musical event was broadcast on Chilean TV channels Televisión Nacional de Chile and Canal 13, and will be held in Viña d ...
. One year later, a version of the song performed by
Emma Marrone Emmanuela "Emma" Marrone (; born 25 May 1984), known professionally as simply Emma, is an Italian singer-songwriter and actress. After working with several bands, she won the Italian talent show ''Amici di Maria De Filippi'' in March 2010, and ...
was included in the soundtrack of the Italian movie '' Benvenuti al Nord'', directed by
Luca Miniero Luca Miniero (born 17 January 1967) is an Italian director and screenwriter. Life and career Born in Naples, after graduating in Letters Miniero moved to Milan where he started working as a director of commercial shorts. In 1998 he started col ...
. Marrone's cover reached number 70 on the Italian Singles Chart.
Ann-Margret Ann-Margret Olsson (born 28 April 1941), credited as Ann-Margret, is a Swedish-American actress and singer with a career spanning seven decades. Her many screen roles include '' Pocketful of Miracles'' (1961), ''State Fair'' (1962), '' Bye Bye B ...
covered the song on her 2023 album, '' Born to Be Wild''. In June 2024,
David Bisbal David Bisbal Ferre (born 5 June 1979) is a Spanish singer, songwriter, and actor. He gained his initial fame as the runner-up on the first edition of the reality television talent show '' Operación Triunfo''. He has since released five studi ...
covered the song as "Andaré" in an advertising campaign for
AENA ENAIRE is the air navigation manager in Spain, certified for the provision of enroute, approach and aerodrome control services. As a Statutory corporation, public corporate entity attached to the Ministry of Public Works (Spain), Spanish Minis ...
. Lucio Corsi covered the song as a duet with
Topo Gigio Topo Gigio () is a fictional anthropomorphic mouse, originally the lead character of a children's puppet show on Italian television in the early 1960s. The character, created in 1958 by artist Maria Perego, her husband Federico Caldura and fello ...
at the
Sanremo Music Festival 2025 The Sanremo Music Festival 2025 (), officially the 75th Italian Song Festival (), was the 75th edition of the annual Sanremo Music Festival, a television song contest held at the in Sanremo, organised and broadcast by (RAI). It was held betwe ...
in which he ultimately placed second.


Dalida version


See also

*
List of number-one singles in Australia during the 1950s The following lists the number one singles on the Australian Singles Chart during the 1950s. The source for this decade is the "Kent Music Report". These charts were calculated in the 1990s in retrospect, by David Kent, using archival data. N ...
* List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 1958 (U.S.) * List of number-one Billboard Hot Latin Tracks of 1990


References


External links


Volare
storia di una canzone {{DEFAULTSORT:Nel blu, dipinto di blu (song) Italian songs Songs in Italian Songs written by Domenico Modugno 1950s ballads 1958 songs 1958 singles 1960 singles Eurovision songs of 1958 Eurovision songs of Italy Congratulations Eurovision songs The McGuire Sisters songs Dean Martin songs Bobby Rydell songs Gipsy Kings songs Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles Cashbox number-one singles Number-one singles in Australia Grammy Award for Record of the Year Grammy Award for Song of the Year Songs with lyrics by Mitchell Parish Songs with lyrics by Franco Migliacci Sanremo Music Festival songs of 1958 Songs involved in plagiarism controversies Decca Records singles Cameo Records singles Pop ballads