Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet
"Love Theme From Romeo & Juliet" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Henry Mancini | ||||
from the album A Warm Shade of Ivory | ||||
B-side | "The Windmills of Your Mind" | |||
Released | May 1969 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 2:29 | |||
Label | RCA Victor | |||
Songwriter(s) | Nino Rota | |||
Producer(s) | Joe Reisman | |||
Henry Mancini singles chronology | ||||
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"Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet", also known as "A Time for Us", is an instrumental arranged by Henry Mancini (from Nino Rota's music written for Franco Zeffirelli's film of Romeo and Juliet, starring Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey).[3]
History
The song was a number-one pop hit in the United States during the year 1969. It topped the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart on June 28, 1969, and remained there for two weeks;[4] it was also his only Top Ten single on that chart.[5]
Rearranged by Mancini, who played the piano part himself,
This release topped the U.S.
The score was used for
Personnel
- Henry Mancini – piano
- Hal Blaine – drums
Lyrics
The song has at least three different sets of English lyrics.[citation needed]
The first English version is called "What Is a Youth?", featuring lyrics by Eugene Walter, and sung by Glen Weston. This version was used in the film and was released on the soundtrack album in 1968.[citation needed]
The second English version is called "A Time for Us", featuring lyrics by Larry Kusik and Eddie Snyder.[9] This version has been recorded by Johnny Mathis, Shirley Bassey, Andy Williams, Stevie Wonder, Donny Osmond (on the LP A Time for Us), and others.[citation needed]
The third English version is called "Old Money", featuring lyrics by Elizabeth Woolridge Grant, Robert John Ellis Fitzsimmons, and Daniel Law Heath, and sung by Lana Del Rey on her third studio album, Ultraviolence (2013).[citation needed]
Two different sets of Italian lyrics have been written for the song.[citation needed]
The first Italian version is called "Un Giorno Per Noi" (A Day for Us), sung by Josh Groban, and is considered a direct translation of the Kusik and Snyder version of "A Time for Us".[10]
The second Italian version is called "Ai Giochi Addio" (Goodbye to the Games), featuring lyrics by Elsa Morante, and has been performed by prominent opera singers, such as Luciano Pavarotti and Natasha Marsh.[11]
In 1971, a Vietnamese language version of the popular melody, entitled "Chuyện tình Romeo Và Juliette," was recorded by Dạ Hương and released on a reel-to-reel compilation put out by the South Vietnamese record label Shotguns.[12]
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United States (RIAA)[13] Archived 2021-07-22 at the Wayback Machine |
Gold | 1,000,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
See also
References
- ^ Lanza, Joesph (November 10, 2020). "Sleep Safe and Warm". Easy-Listening Acid Trip - An Elevator Ride Through '60s Psychedelic Pop. Port Townsend: Feral House. p. 177.
- ^ Breihan, Tom (November 27, 2018). "The Number Ones: Henry Mancini's "Love Theme From Romeo And Juliet"". Stereogum. Retrieved June 15, 2023.
Mancini had a side hustle as an easy-listening conductor, and his version of the Romeo And Juliet love theme is grander and less subtle than the one that Rota recorded.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-252-09384-5.
- ISSN 0006-2510.
- ^ ISBN 0-8230-8298-9.
- ^ Tom Breihan (2018-11-27). "The Number Ones: Henry Mancini's 'Love Theme From Romeo And Juliet'". Stereogum. Retrieved 2020-06-09.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 154.
- ^ "Here's Why Lana Del Rey's "Old Money" Sounds So Familiar". BuzzFeed.
- ISBN 978-1-4616-7304-0.
- ISBN 978-1-137-38002-9.
- ISBN 978-88-6576-217-2.
- ^ https://cdnhacviet.blogspot.com/2002/05/shotguns-tape-021-tuyet-inh-tinh-yeu.html
- ^ "American single certifications – Henry Mancini – Love Theme". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 2021-07-20.