Azzurro
Encyclopedia
"Azzurro" is an Italian
pop
song composed by Paolo Conte
and Michele Virano. Its most famous version was recorded by Adriano Celentano
in 1968.
Conte wrote the song together with Vito Pallavicini
especially for Celentano. Together with "Via con me" and "Sotto le stelle del Jazz", it is one of his most famous works. It is about love, loneliness and summer in the city.
The song was covered by numerous Italian singers, like Mina
, Gianni Morandi
and Fiorello
. Even the Italian football national team has sung the song on one occasion. German covers were done by Peter Rubin
, Dieter Thomas Kuhn, Die Toten Hosen
and Peter Alexander.
In Israel, it is a famous song known for its Hebrew version by Arik Einstein
"Amru Lo" (Hebrew: "They told him...").
It was also turned as a film with the same name.
The song is typical for Conte's way of writing, combining simple melodies with catchy but unusual compositions; here he combines military march music
with an everyday story, told in a poetic language full of images. Although typical, it is from Conte's early work with pop songs and not resembling his style later on. He recorded the song himself in 1985, not until having had a 10-year solo career as a singer.
for the album Auf dem Kreuzzug ins Glück as a tribute to 1990 FIFA World Cup
.
The single was released with differently coloured covers: green
, orange
, pink
and yellow
.
The band drives around Italy
in an Opel
, having to push-start it every time. In the end it gets stolen right before them.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
song composed by Paolo Conte
Paolo Conte
Paolo Conte is an Italian singer, pianist, composer, and lawyer notable for his grainy, resonant voice, his colourful and dreamy compositions and his wistful, sometimes melancholic...
and Michele Virano. Its most famous version was recorded by Adriano Celentano
Adriano Celentano
Adriano Celentano is an Italian singer, songwriter, comedian, actor, film director and TV host.-Biography:Celentano was born in Milan at 14 Via Gluck, about which he later wrote the famous song "Il ragazzo della via Gluck"...
in 1968.
Conte wrote the song together with Vito Pallavicini
Vito Pallavicini
Vito Pallavicini was an Italian lyricist.Born in Vigevano, he wrote numerous songs, during his career for Adriano Celentano , Caterina Caselli and many others. He died at the age of 83....
especially for Celentano. Together with "Via con me" and "Sotto le stelle del Jazz", it is one of his most famous works. It is about love, loneliness and summer in the city.
The song was covered by numerous Italian singers, like Mina
Mina (singer)
Anna Maria Quaini, Grand Officer , known as Mina, is an Italian pop singer. She was a staple of Italian television variety shows and a dominant figure in Italian pop music from the mid-1960s to mid-1970s known for her three-octave vocal range, the agility of her soprano voice, and her image as an...
, Gianni Morandi
Gianni Morandi
Gianni Morandi is an Italian pop singer and entertainer.He made his debut in 1962 and quickly placed high at or won a number of Italian popular song festivals, including the Canzonissima festival in 1969. In 1970, he represented Italy at the Eurovision Song Contest with "Occhi di ragazza"...
and Fiorello
Rosario Fiorello
Rosario Tindaro Fiorello , known just as Fiorello, is an Italian comedian, singer, radio and television presenter.-Career:...
. Even the Italian football national team has sung the song on one occasion. German covers were done by Peter Rubin
Peter Rubin
Sir Peter Charles Rubin is the current Chair of the General Medical Council of the United Kingdom, replacing Professor Sir Graeme Catto on 20 April 2009....
, Dieter Thomas Kuhn, Die Toten Hosen
Die Toten Hosen
Die Toten Hosen is a German punk band from Düsseldorf. They have enjoyed decades-long mass appeal in Germany.The band's name literally means "The Dead Pants" in English, although the phrase "tote Hose" is a German expression meaning "nothing going on" or "boring"...
and Peter Alexander.
In Israel, it is a famous song known for its Hebrew version by Arik Einstein
Arik Einstein
Arik Einstein is an Israeli singer-songwriter.Einstein was a vocalist for Batzal Yarok , Shleeshiyat Gesher Hayarkon and Hahalonot Hagvohim . His collaboration with Shalom Hanoch and the Churchills planted the seeds for the first Israeli rock albums...
"Amru Lo" (Hebrew: "They told him...").
It was also turned as a film with the same name.
The song is typical for Conte's way of writing, combining simple melodies with catchy but unusual compositions; here he combines military march music
March (music)
A march, as a musical genre, is a piece of music with a strong regular rhythm which in origin was expressly written for marching to and most frequently performed by a military band. In mood, marches range from the moving death march in Wagner's Götterdämmerung to the brisk military marches of John...
with an everyday story, told in a poetic language full of images. Although typical, it is from Conte's early work with pop songs and not resembling his style later on. He recorded the song himself in 1985, not until having had a 10-year solo career as a singer.
Die Toten Hosen cover
"Azzurro" (on many releases mistitled "Azzuro") was covered by Die Toten HosenDie Toten Hosen
Die Toten Hosen is a German punk band from Düsseldorf. They have enjoyed decades-long mass appeal in Germany.The band's name literally means "The Dead Pants" in English, although the phrase "tote Hose" is a German expression meaning "nothing going on" or "boring"...
for the album Auf dem Kreuzzug ins Glück as a tribute to 1990 FIFA World Cup
1990 FIFA World Cup
The 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event twice. Teams representing 116 national football associations from all six populated...
.
The single was released with differently coloured covers: green
Green
Green is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 520–570 nanometres. In the subtractive color system, it is not a primary color, but is created out of a mixture of yellow and blue, or yellow and cyan; it is considered...
, orange
Orange (colour)
The colour orange occurs between red and yellow in the visible spectrum at a wavelength of about 585–620 nm, and has a hue of 30° in HSV colour space. It is numerically halfway between red and yellow in a gamma-compressed RGB colour space, the expression of which is the RGB colour wheel. The...
, pink
Pink
Pink is a mixture of red and white. Commonly used for Valentine's Day and Easter, pink is sometimes referred to as "the color of love." The use of the word for the color known today as pink was first recorded in the late 17th century....
and yellow
Yellow
Yellow is the color evoked by light that stimulates both the L and M cone cells of the retina about equally, with no significant stimulation of the S cone cells. Light with a wavelength of 570–590 nm is yellow, as is light with a suitable mixture of red and green...
.
Music video
The video was directed by Hanns Christian Müller.The band drives around Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
in an Opel
Opel
Adam Opel AG, generally shortened to Opel, is a German automobile company founded by Adam Opel in 1862. Opel has been building automobiles since 1899, and became an Aktiengesellschaft in 1929...
, having to push-start it every time. In the end it gets stolen right before them.
Track listing
- "Azzurro" (Conte, Virano/Conte, Pallavicini) − 2:32
- "Herzlichen Glückwunsch" (Sincere congratulation) (v. Holst/Frege) – 2:03
- "Dr. Sommer" (Dr. Summer) (Breitkopf/Frege) – 1:57
- "Feinde" (Enemies) (Frege/Frege) – 2:20
Charts
| Year | Country | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... |
23 |
| 1990 | Switzerland Switzerland Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition.... |
17 |