Al di là
{{Short description|1961 single}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}
{{Infobox song contest entry
| song = {{flagicon|Italy}} "Al di là"
| image = Betty Curtis-Al di là.jpg
| caption =
| year = 1961
| country = Italy
| artist = Roberta Corti
| as = Betty Curtis
| with =
| language = Italian
| languages =
| composer = Carlo Donida
| lyricist = Mogol
| conductor = Gianfranco Intra
| place = 5th
| points = 12
| lyrics = [http://www.diggiloo.net/?1961it from Diggiloo Thrush]
| clip =
| prev = Romantica
| prev_link = Romantica (song)
| next = Addio, addio
| next_link = Addio, addio
}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Al di là
| cover =
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Emilio Pericoli
| album =
| B-side = Sassi
| released = 1961 (Italy); May 1962 (US)
| recorded = 1961
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = Traditional pop
| length = 2:04
| label = Warner Bros. Records
| composer = Carlo Donida
| lyricist = Mogol
| producer =
}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Al Di La
| cover =
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Connie Francis
| album =
| A-side = I'm Gonna Be Warm This Winter
| released = December 1962
| recorded = 11 November 1962
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = Traditional pop
| length = 2:25 (A-side)
3:17 (B-side)
| label = MGM Records K 13116
| composer = Carlo Donida
| lyricist = Ervin Drake
| producer = Danny Davis
| chronology = Connie Francis
US
| prev_title = I Was Such a Fool (To Fall in Love with You)
| prev_title2 = He Thinks I Still Care
| prev_year = 1962
| next_title = Follow the Boys
| next_title2 = Waiting for Billy
| next_year = 1963
}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Al Di La
| cover =
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Ray Charles Singers
| album = Command Performances
| B-side = Till The End Of Time
| released = 1964
| recorded = 1964
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = Easy listening
| length = 2:05
| label = Command
| composer = Carlo Donida
| lyricist = Ervin Drake
| producer = Enoch Light
| chronology = Ray Charles Singers
| prev_title = Love Me with All Your Heart
| prev_year = 1964
| next_title = One More Time
| next_year = 1964
}}
"Al di là" ("Beyond") is a song written by Italian composer Carlo Donida and lyricist Mogol, and recorded by Betty Curtis. The English lyrics were written by Ervin Drake. The song was the {{esccnty|Italy|t=Italian|y=1961}} entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1961, performed in Italian by Curtis at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes, France, on 18 March 1961, after Curtis had won the Sanremo Music Festival 1961 on 2 February.
Donida is best known in America for writing "Uno dei tanti", or "I (Who Have Nothing)". English lyricist Drake also wrote the lyrics for such songs as "Quando, quando, quando" and "Good Morning Heartache", and both the music and lyrics for "It Was a Very Good Year".
Cover versions
- In the United States, Emilio Pericoli is the artist most associated with the song. He sang "Al di là" in a nightclub, with a small combo, in the popular 1962 film Rome Adventure, starring Troy Donahue and Suzanne Pleshette,{{Citation|last=Jose-Juan Porcar Cano|title=Emilio Pericoli - AL DI LA ("Más allá") subtitulada en castellano.|date=2017-03-04|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srAhgK6PrBg |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211218/srAhgK6PrBg |archive-date=2021-12-18 |url-status=live|access-date=2018-06-22}}{{cbignore}} and his single that year on Warner Bros. Records reached number six on Billboard{{'}}s pop chart and number three on the easy-listening chart.[http://www.billboard.com/charts/1962-08-18/hot-100 ] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130325094052/http://www.billboard.com/charts/1962-08-18/hot-100 |date=25 March 2013 }} Pericoli's version ranked #48 on Billboard's 1962 Year-End chart.[http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=411&cfgn=Year-end+Singles&cfn=The+Billboard+Hot+100&ci=3077223&cdi=9013022&cid=12%2F31%2F1962]{{dead link|date=July 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} Pericoli's album version of the song is not the same as in the film. It is much slower and recorded with a full orchestra. (In the film, Donahue's character interprets the song's title as meaning "Beyond the Beyond".) In the UK Singles Chart, Pericoli's version peaked only at number 30, but spent 14 weeks in the Record Retailer Top 50, beginning on 30 June 1962.The Complete Book of the British Charts by Tony Brown, Omnibus Press, 2000, page 668
- It was also recorded by Italian-American singer Connie Francis in Italian in 1962 and in a bilingual version later during the same year, with Connie writing the English lyrics instead of using Ervin Drake's."Among My Souvenirs: The Real Story"
- Willy Alberti released a version in 1962{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Willy-Alberti-Al-Di-L%C3%A0/release/9953613|title = Willy Alberti – al di Là (1962, Vinyl)|website = Discogs| year=1962 }} and on his 1973 album, Van levenslied tot opera.{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Willy-Alberti-Van-Levenslied-Tot-Opera/release/4676327|title=Willy Alberti – van Levenslied Tot Opera (1973, Vinyl)|website=Discogs|year=1973 }}
- Al Hirt also appears in Rome Adventure and plays the song in a nightclub scene. He released a version on his 1963 album, Honey in the Horn.[http://www.discogs.com/Al-Hirt-Honey-In-The-Horn/release/1336377 Al Hirt, Honey in the Horn]
- Jerry Vale released a version on his 1963 album, Arrivederci, Roma.[http://www.discogs.com/Jerry-Vale-Arrivederci-Roma/release/2921646 Jerry Vale, Arrivederci, Roma] This version was also part of the soundtrack of the 2019 film The Irishman.
- The Ray Charles Singers scored a 1964 hit, peaking at #29 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart with their cover of the song.
- Al Martino, who would later play the fictional crooner Johnny Fontaine in the 1972 film The Godfather, recorded "Al di là" in Italian on his 1963 The Italian Voices of Al Martino album (Capitol Records).
- In 1966 Don Cornell recorded a cover of the song for the album Andiamo - Let's go with Don Cornell, orchestra directed by Joe Guercio (ABC-Paramount - ABCS 537).
- Sergio Franchi is another Italian-American singer associated with this popular song. He recorded on his 1968 RCA Victor album, Wine and Song.{{cite web|url=http://www.discogs.com |title=Explore Releases on Discogs |access-date=2012-08-05 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120421065208/http://www.discogs.com/ |archive-date=2012-04-21 }} Sergio Franchi Franchi also sang the song on the 26 December 1964, broadcast of The Hollywood Palace.http://www.tv.com {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190520230801/http://www.tv.com/ |date=20 May 2019 }} The Hollywood Palace
- In 1994 Délcio Tavares recorded a cover for the Brazilian market on the Italianíssimo II album (ACIT, 60062250).
- Patrizio Buanne recorded on his 2015 Decca Records album Viva la Dolce Vita singing in English and Italian.
- Other notable recording include Milva (1961),[http://www.secondhandsongs.com/work/102501 Al di là] SecondHandSongs Ace Cannon – Sweet and Tough (1966),{{cite web|url= http://www.allmusic.com/search/track/Al+Di+La/order:default-asc|title= Al di la|work= Allmusic.com|access-date= 21 November 2010}} {{Dead link|date=September 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} Jerry Adriani (1996).
- Janice Harper, Capitol Records, 1961.
Charts
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |
| rowspan="2" |Artist
!rowspan="2" |Year !colspan="2"|Peak chart positions |
|---|
| ITA {{Cite web|url=http://www.hitparadeitalia.it/indici/per_anno/hpy1961.htm|publisher=HitParadeItalia.it|language=it|access-date=15 August 2013|title=Tutti i successi del 1961}} ! US
|
| scope="row"|Betty Curtis
|rowspan="4"|1961 | 11 || — |
| scope="row"|Luciano Tajoli
| 3 || — |
| scope="row"|Emilio Pericoli
| 2 || 6 |
| scope="row"|Tony Dallara
| 32 || — |
| scope="row"|Connie Francis
|1962 | — || 90 |
| scope="row"|The Ray Charles Singers
|1964 | — || 29 |
References
{{reflist}}
{{Connie Francis}}
{{Sanremo Music Festival winners}}
{{Italy in the Eurovision Song Contest}}
{{Eurovision Song Contest 1961}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Al Di La}}
Category:Eurovision songs of Italy
Category:Eurovision songs of 1961
Category:Emilio Pericoli songs
Category:Sanremo Music Festival songs of 1961
Category:Songs written by Mogol (lyricist)