(If Paradise Is) Half as Nice

Last updated

"(If Paradise Is) Half as Nice" is a popular 1968 song originally written by the Italian singer-songwriter Lucio Battisti under the title "Il paradiso" ("The Paradise"). It was first recorded by the Italian singer Ambra Borelli and released as a single through Dischi Ricordi under alias La Ragazza 77. [1] Although her version did not chart, it was later covered by other artists to much success, most notably by Patty Pravo and Amen Corner in 1969.

Contents

Patty Pravo version

"Il paradiso"
Single by Patty Pravo
from the album Concerto per Patty
Released1969
Genre
Length2:44
Label RCA Italiana
Songwriter(s)
Patty Pravo singles chronology
"Tripoli 1969"
(1968)		"Il paradiso"
(1969)		"Concerto per Patty"
(1969)
"Il paradiso" (audio) on YouTube

Patty Pravo recorded the song under the shortened title "Il paradiso" for her second studio album Concerto per Patty. The track was released as a single in early 1969 and reached the top 10 in the Italian chart. It was performed at Festivalbar. [2] Pravo re-recorded the song on her 2019 album Red to mark the 50th anniversary of the original version.

Track listing

A. "Il paradiso" (Lucio Battisti, Giulio Rapetti Mogol) – 2:44
B. "Scende la notte, sale la luna" (Gianni Meccia, Bruno Zambrini) – 3:03

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1969)Peak
position
Italy ( Musica e dischi ) [4] [5] 8

Amen Corner version

"(If Paradise Is) Half As Nice"
Single by Amen Corner
from the album Farewell to the Real Magnificent Seven
Released1969
Genre Pop rock
Length2:50
Label Immediate
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Shel Talmy
Amen Corner singles chronology
"High in the Sky"
(1968)		"(If Paradise Is) Half As Nice"
(1969)		"Let the Good Times Roll and Feel So Good"
(1969)

The song was translated into English by Jack Fishman. When it was offered to The Tremeloes as a potential single, they rejected it. It was then recorded by Amen Corner as their debut single for their new record label, Immediate Records, and was produced by Shel Talmy. [6] The most successful of the band's six hit singles, it reached number one on the UK Singles Chart for two weeks in February 1969, [7] and number 34 when it was reissued in 1976. [8] There are two differing versions of the song by Amen Corner; one with orchestra and a prominent horn through the middle eight, and one version without either. However, the basic track and vocals appear the same in both.[ citation needed ]

Track listing

A. "(If Paradise Is) Half As Nice" (Lucio Battisti, Jack Fishman) – 2:50
B. "Hey Hey Girl" (Andy Fairweather Low) – 3:05

Charts

Chart (1969)Peak
position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) [9] 14
Belgium (Ultratop Flanders) [10] 15
Belgium (Ultratop Wallonia) [10] 27
Germany (Media Control) [9] 12
Ireland (IRMA) [11] 4
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [12] 15
Norway (VG-lista) [13] 7
UK Singles Chart (OCC) [14] 1

Other cover versions

Related Research Articles

Paradiso ; may refer to:

Amen Corner were a Welsh rock group formed in Cardiff, Wales. They are best known for their hits "Bend Me, Shape Me" (1967), "High in the Sky" (1968) and the chart-topper "(If Paradise Is) Half as Nice" (1969).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lucio Battisti</span> Italian singer-songwriter and composer (1943–1998)

Lucio Battisti was an influential Italian singer-songwriter and composer. He is widely recognized for songs that defined the late 1960s and 1970s era of Italian songwriting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mogol (lyricist)</span> Italian lyricist Giulio Rapetti (b. 1936)

Giulio Rapetti, in art Mogol, is an Italian music lyricist. He is best known for his collaborations with Lucio Battisti, Gianni Bella, Adriano Celentano and Mango.

Patty Pravo is an Italian singer. She debuted in 1966 and remained most successful commercially for the rest of the 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Having suffered a decline in popularity in the following decade, she experienced a career revival in mid-late 1990s and reinstated her position on Italian music charts. Her most popular songs include "La bambola" (1968), "Pazza idea" (1973), "Pensiero stupendo" (1978), and "...E dimmi che non vuoi morire" (1997). She scored fourteen top 10 albums and twelve top 10 singles in her native Italy. Pravo participated at the Sanremo Music Festival ten times, most recently in 2019, and has won three critics' awards. She also performed twelve times at the Festivalbar.

Dennis Bryon is a Welsh rock drummer from Cardiff, best known for his work with the Bee Gees from 1974 to 1979.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Il mio canto libero (song)</span> 1972 song by Lucio Battisti

"Il mio canto libero" is a song written by Italian singer-songwriter Lucio Battisti and lyricist Mogol. The song was recorded by Battisti for the album of the same title, and released as a single in November 1972 for Mogol's recording label Numero Uno. The song was a commercial success in Italy, topping the Musica e dischi singles chart for nine consecutive weeks in 1973 and becoming the third best-selling single of the year. During the following years, it was covered by several artists, and it became a classic of Italian popular music. It was certified platinum by the Federation of the Italian Music Industry in 2021, for domestic equivalent sales exceeding 70,000 units since 2009.

"E penso a te" is a song composed in 1970 by Lucio Battisti based on the lyrics by Mogol. Initially sung by Bruno Lauzi, it was subsequently re-recorded by numerous other artists. The most popular version remains the one which its author gave in 1972.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">La bambola</span> 1968 single by Patty Pravo

"La bambola" is an Italian pop song written by Franco Migliacci, Bruno Zambrini and Ruggero Cini, and performed by Patty Pravo. The song had been previously refused by several artists, including Gianni Morandi, Little Tony, Gigliola Cinquetti, Caterina Caselli and The Rokes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pensiero stupendo</span> 1978 single by Patty Pravo

"Pensiero stupendo" is a song written by Ivano Fossati (lyrics) and Oscar Prudente (music), and performed by Patty Pravo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Autostop (Patty Pravo song)</span> 1979 single by Patty Pravo

"Autostop" is a 1979 Italian-language song performed by Patty Pravo, written by her then-husband Paul Jeffery, Maurizio Monti, and Pravo herself under her birth name Nicoletta Strambelli. It was released as the only single from Pravo's 1979 LP Munich Album, with English-language songs "New York" and "Cry, Cry, Gotta Worry" as the B-sides in Italy and Germany, respectively. The single was a moderate chart success in Italy.

<i>Mazzini canta Battisti</i> 1994 compilation album by Mina

Mazzini canta Battisti is a compilation album by Mina, released in 1994 by PDU.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">La prima cosa bella (song)</span> 1970 single by Nicola Di Bari

"La prima cosa bella" is a song composed by Nicola Di Bari and Mogol. The song ranked second at the twenth edition of the Sanremo Music Festival, with a double performance by Nicola Di Bari and Ricchi e Poveri.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pazza idea</span> 1973 single by Patty Pravo

"Pazza idea" is an Italian ballad composed by Maurizio Monti and Giovanni Ullu, with lyrics written by Paolo Dossena and Cesare Gigli. It was originally performed by Italian singer Patty Pravo and released as a single from the album of the same name in 1973.

"...E dimmi che non vuoi morire" is a 1997 song performed by Italian singer Patty Pravo. It was composed by Roberto Ferri and Gaetano Curreri, with lyrics written by Vasco Rossi.

<i>Bye Bye Patty</i> 1997 live album by Patty Pravo

Bye Bye Patty is the first live album by Italian singer Patty Pravo, released in 1997 by Epic Records.

<i>Notti, guai e libertà</i> 1998 studio album by Patty Pravo

Notti, guai e libertà is a studio album by Italian singer Patty Pravo, released in 1998 by Sony Music.

<i>Paradiso</i> (Lucio Battisti Songbook) 2018 compilation album by Mina

Paradiso (Lucio Battisti Songbook) is a compilation album by Italian singer Mina, released on 30 November 2018 by Warner Music Italy and PDU. The compilation contains all of Lucio Battisti's songs recorded by Mina throughout her career. Many of them have already been previously published on the albums Minacantalucio and Mazzini canta Battisti, released respectively in 1975 and 1994. The album also features (but only on the CD version) Spanish and French versions of songs recorded in the seventies.

<i>Tanto</i> (Patty Pravo album) 1976 studio album by Patty Pravo

Tanto is a studio album by Italian singer Patty Pravo, released in 1976 by RCA Italiana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Insieme (song)</span> 1970 single by Mina

"Insieme" is a song by Italian singer Mina, released by PDU in May 1970 as a lead single from her studio album ...quando tu mi spiavi in cima a un batticuore.... The song became one of Mina's most successful.

References

  1. ↑ "Ambra Borelli" (in Italian). www.lavocedelledonne.it. Archived from the original on 17 December 2007. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  2. ↑ "Festivalbar - Storia - 1969" (in Italian). www.festivalbar.it. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  3. 1 2 "Patty Pravo - Il paradiso". italiancharts.com. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  4. ↑ "M&D: Classifiche" (in Italian). musicaedischi.it. Retrieved 9 April 2023. (Select "Singoli" in the "Tipo" field, enter "Patty Pravo" in the "Artista" field, and click "cerca".)
  5. ↑ "Hits of the World" (PDF). Billboard . Vol. 81, no. 18. New York, NY. 3 May 1969. p. 65. Retrieved 16 June 2023– via World Radio History.
  6. ↑ "Amen Corner – (If Paradise Is) Half As Nice (Vinyl)". Discogs. 17 January 1969. Retrieved 26 March 2014.
  7. ↑ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 229. ISBN   1-904994-10-5.
  8. ↑ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 22. ISBN   1-904994-10-5.
  9. 1 2 "Amen Corner - (If Paradise Is) Half As Nice" (in German). austriancharts.at. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  10. 1 2 "Amen Corner - (If Paradise Is) Half As Nice" (in Dutch). www.ultratop.be. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  11. ↑ "The Irish Charts - All there is to know". irishcharts.ie. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  12. ↑ "Amen Corner - (If Paradise Is) Half As Nice" (in Dutch). dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  13. ↑ "Amen Corner - (If Paradise Is) Half As Nice". norwegiancharts.com. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  14. ↑ "AMEN CORNER | full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company . Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  15. ↑ "Samantha - Vakantiedromen". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  16. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 311. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  17. ↑ "Rosetta Stone (2) – (If Paradise Is) Half As Nice (Vinyl)". Discogs. 1978. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  18. ↑ "ROSETTA STONE | (IF PARADISE IS) HALF AS NICE" (in German). www.offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  19. ↑ "Cheryl Baker – If Paradise Is Half As Nice (Vinyl)". Discogs. 1987. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  20. ↑ "CHERYL BAKER | full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company . Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  21. ↑ "Ricchi E Poveri - Allegro italiano". italiancharts.com. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  22. ↑ "Various – Ruby Trax The NME's Roaring Forty". Discogs. Discogs. 2014. Retrieved 7 July 2014.
  23. ↑ "JUDITH | IF PARADISE IS HALF AS NICE" (in German). www.offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  24. ↑ "Eliza Carthy, Norma Waterson - Gift". AllMusic . Retrieved 17 June 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.