"Rimmel" | ||||
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Single by Francesco De Gregori | ||||
from the album Rimmel | ||||
Released | 1975 | |||
Length | 3:41 | |||
Label | RCA Italiana | |||
Francesco De Gregori singles chronology | ||||
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Audio | ||||
"Rimmel" on YouTube |
"Rimmel" is a song by Italian singer Francesco De Gregori, released in 1975.
De Gregori composed the song in the summer of 1974 in Milan, while he was staying in a hotel and waiting to take part in a RAI TV-show. [1]
A reflection about a lost love told through metaphors and puns, [2] it is said to have been inspired by De Gregori's breakup with his then-fiancée Patrizia, who left him for comedian Ninì Salerno. [3]
The song was described by Italian music critic Claudio Fabretti as "a defining divide for the whole of Italian music", with "love taking on a broader and deeper meaning. It breaks through the narrow confines of the couple's relationship, it becomes a universal sentiment, which unites men and at the same time condemns them to pain, to distance. It is the only prospect of salvation and, at the same time, a possible permanent damnation". [4]
Artists who covered the song include Gianni Morandi, Tiziano Ferro, Fiorello and Paolo Benvegnù. [1] [5] In 2025, De Gregori recorded a duet version of the song with Checco Zalone for the album Pastiche. [6]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Rimmel" | De Gregori | 3:41 |
2. | "Piccola mela" | De Gregori | 2:45 |
Chart (1975) | Peak position |
---|---|
Italy ( Musica e dischi ) [7] | 18 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Italy (FIMI) [8] Sales from 2009 | Platinum | 100,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |