Mambo Italiano (song)
"Mambo Italiano" | |
---|---|
Single by Rosemary Clooney and the Mellomen | |
B-side | "We'll Be Together Again" |
Released | October 11, 1954 |
Label | Columbia |
Songwriter(s) | Bob Merrill, Frankie Laine, William S. Fischer |
Producer(s) | Buddy Cole, Paul Weston |
"Mambo Italiano" is a
Background
Merrill reportedly wrote it under a recording deadline, scribbling hastily on a paper napkin in an Italian restaurant in
Merrill's song provides an obvious
The nonsense lyrics[4][6] were originally couched in English, mixed together with a comic jumble of Italian, Spanish, Neapolitan and gibberish (invented) words, including:
- Italian: baccalà(salted codfish), bambino (child), vino (wine).
- Spanish: mambo, enchilada, rumba, (the Spanish words mambo and rumba are commonly used in Italian with the same meaning).
- Neapolitan: paisà (in Italian paesano; in English villager or fellow countryman).
- A number of Italian words are deliberately misspelled ("Giovanno" instead of "Giovanni", and "hello, che se dice" for "hello, what's up?"). Other words are in Italiese (goombah, from cumpà, literally godson/godfather but more broadly fellow countryman, and 'jadrool' or 'cidrule", a stupid person, closely related to cetriolo, Italian for "cucumber", but in Sicilian meaning jackass. The word tiavanna is a malapropism for Tijuana.
Chart history
Weekly charts
The song reached No. 8 on the U.S. Cash Box Top 50 Best Selling Records chart, in a tandem ranking of Don Cornell, Nick Noble, Kay Armen, and Roy Rogers & Dale Evans's versions, with Don Cornell and Nick Noble's versions marked as bestsellers.[7] The song also reached No. 7 on Billboard's Honor Roll of Hits, with Don Cornell and Nick Noble's versions listed as best sellers.[8]
In Australia, the song charted regionally. It entered the Brisbane charts in January 1956, and reached No. 3. In Sydney, it charted twice: in January, when it reached No. 10 (in a 10-song Hit Parade), and again in March 1956 when it went to No. 4.
Chart (1954–55) | Peak position |
---|---|
France (IFOP)[9] | 8 |
UK Singles Chart[10]
|
1 |
US Billboard Best Sellers in Stores[11] | 10 |
US Billboard Most Played in Juke Boxes[11] | 9 |
US Billboard Most Played by Jockeys[11] | 13 |
US Cash Box[7] | 8 |
Dean Martin version
It was successfully covered in 1955 by the popular Italian-American singer/actor Dean Martin.[12] In 2022, Martin's version was played briefly in a streaming commercial for Airbnb.
In 2006, German nu jazz and lounge music act Club des Belugas officially released a remix of the Dean Martin version on their album Apricoo Soul, with official authorization on behalf of Capitol Records/EMI and Martin's estate.
Carla Boni version
"Mambo Italiano" became popular in Italy when
Shaft version
"Mambo Italiano" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Shaft | ||||
from the album Pick Up on This | ||||
Released | 2000 | |||
Length | 2:51 (radio edit) | |||
Label | Wonderboy | |||
Songwriter(s) | Bob Merrill, Frankie Laine, William S. Fischer | |||
Producer(s) | Al and El | |||
Shaft singles chronology | ||||
|
British
Charts
Weekly charts
Chart (2000) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australia (ARIA)[15] | 17 |
Denmark (IFPI)[16] | 8 |
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[17] | 41 |
Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[18] | 5 |
Ireland (IRMA)[19] | 33 |
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[20] | 22 |
Scotland (OCC)[21] | 14 |
12 |
Year-end charts
Chart (2000) | Position |
---|---|
Australia (ARIA)[23] | 86 |
Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[24] | 9 |
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA)[25] | Gold | 35,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Other versions
Cover versions of the song made in other languages include a French translation made by the Turkish polyglot singer
Usage in film
In the 1955
The song was also used in the beginning credits of the 1988 mob comedy Married to the Mob starring Alec Baldwin, during a dancing scene in the 1996 film Big Night, and in the 1999 comedy Mickey Blue Eyes starring Hugh Grant and James Caan.
In 2023, the song featured prominently in Kaurismäki's film Fallen Leaves, and as the travelling music and final credits in Book Club: The Next Chapter.
References
- ISBN 978-0-85112-250-2.
- ^ O sole mio."
- ^ "Search results for: 'mambo italiano merrill lidianna gabba'". www.canzoneitaliana.it. Portale della canzone italiana. Archived from the original on 18 July 2019.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-19-979857-5.
- ^ S2CID 254481419.
- ^ "Rosemary Clooney - Mambo Italiano lyrics". lyricstranslate.com. Archived from the original on 18 July 2019.
- ^ a b "Cash Box Top 50 Best Selling Records", Cash Box, October 1, 1955. p. 28. Retrieved April 14, 2018.
- ^ "Honor Roll of Hits", Billboard, September 17, 1955. p. 36. Retrieved April 14, 2018.
- ^ "Toutes les Chansons N° 1 des Années 70" (in French). InfoDisc. 1954-10-12. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
- ISBN 978-1-904994-10-7.
- ^ Billboard Publications, Inc.p. 137.
- ^ ISBN 978-88-586-1742-7.
- ^ "Addio Carla Boni, regina del Mambo italiano (obituary)". Corriere della Sera (in Italian). October 17, 2009. Retrieved March 22, 2017.
- ISBN 978-88-09-75625-0. Retrieved March 23, 2017.
- ^ "Shaft – Mambo Italiano". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
- ^ "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 17, no. 19. May 6, 2000. p. 13. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
- ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 17, no. 22. May 27, 2000. p. 15. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
- ^ "Íslenski Listinn Topp 20 (15.7–22.7 2000)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). July 14, 2000. p. 10. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
- ^ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Shaft". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
- ^ "Shaft – Mambo Italiano". Singles Top 100. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
- ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
- ^ "ARIA Top 100 Singles for 2000". ARIA. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
- ^ "Íslenski Listinn Topp 100". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). January 5, 2001. p. 10. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
- ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2000 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
- ^ a b Wright, Joseph (July 15, 2015). "Five Good Covers: Mambo Italiano (Rosemary Clooney)". Cover Me. Archived from the original on 20 October 2021. Retrieved 21 February 2019.
- ^ Katsilometes, John (October 15, 2021). "Lady Gaga — and Stefani — jazz it up in Strip return". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on October 16, 2021. Retrieved October 16, 2021.
- ^ "Iggy Azalea & Alice Chater Sample A 1950s Classic On "Lola"". Genius.
- ISBN 978-3-319-40835-4.