Dio, come ti amo - Gigliola Cinquetti

Domenico Modugno represented Italy in the 1966 Eurovision Song Contest with 'Dio come ti amo' ('God how I love you'). The song was not a success, as it was the first and only Italian entry in Eurovision history to receive the dreaded nul points.

When Gigliola Cinquetti, who had represented Italy in the Contest in 1964, recorded the song, she had considerably more success. Her version of 'Dio come ti amo' became a worldwide hit. At the San Remo festival in 1966, she performed the song together with Domenico, which is why this single mentions that festival on the sleeve.

My collection: 7" single no. 5739
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 11, 2015
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Dio come ti amo' / 'Vuoi'

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Go (before you break my heart) - Gigliola Cinquetti

I'm not exactly thrilled when I buy a damaged 7" single (the pronged center is missing) without a picture sleeve (although this single was not released in a picture sleeve, apparently). However, in this case, the single was very cheap, and so I just decided to order it along with a couple of other discs that were, fortunately, in better shape. Sometimes collecting records is just about the music contained on the disc...

So what is this? The English version of Gigliola Cinquetti's 1974 Eurovision entry, 'Si'. Entitled 'Go (before you break my heart)'. This version actually got to number 8 in the UK singles chart, which is a remarkable achievement for any non-winning song from the Contest.

My collection: 7" single no. 5599
Found: Discogs.com, received August 5, 2014
Cost: 40 pence
Tracks: 'Go (before you break my heart)' / 'Si'

Non ho l'eta'... [1990 version] - Gigliola Cinquetti

Re-recording songs is seldom a good idea. Too many artists have re-recorded their hits from the beginning of their career, and it usually signalled a lack of creativity or it was motivated by legal complications involving greedy record companies.

Gigliola Cinquetti decided to re-record 'Non ho l'eta' in 1990. I have found no information why she did it, but one would guess it was prompted by Italy's Eurovision win that year, when Toto Cotugno performed 'Insieme: 1992' in Zagreb and won the Contest. She went on to present the 1991 edition together with Toto. This version is unfortunately not as charming as the original track from 1964.

My collection: 7" single no. 5477
Found: Kringloop Hebbes, Den Haag, July 25, 2014
Cost: 1 euro
Tracks: 'Non ho l'eta'... [1990 version]' (Gigliola Cinquetti) / 'Gli occhi miei' (Dino)

Ja - Gigliola Cinquetti

After winning the Eurovision Song Contest in 1964 singing 'No ho l'età', Gigliola Cinqutti returned to the Contest ten years later, again representing Italy. She performed the song 'Si' ('Yes') and finished second, behind Abba, who won the contest with the legendary 'Waterloo'.

Just like the winners, Gigliola recorded several versions of her song, one in English (entitled 'Go (before you break my heart)') and one in German (simply titled 'Ja'). I was pleasantly surprised to find this German single cheaply.

My collection: 7" single no. 5241
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, November 19, 2011
Cost: 0,8 euro
Tracks: 'Ja' / 'Es singt die Nachtigall'

No tiene edad - Gigliola Cinquetti

Gigliola Cinquetti won the 1964 Eurovision Song Contest with 'Non ho l'eta per amarti'. The song was released as a single and became a hit all over Europe. As a result, Cinquetti recorded the song in several other languages besides Italina. The English got 'This is my prayer', the French were promised 'Je suis à toi' and there waseven a Japanese version, 'Yumemiro omoi'.

This Spanish EP features four Spanish recordings from Cinquetti, including the Spanish version of her Eurovision hit, 'No tiene edad'. It is a charming version of a timeless classic.

My collection: 7" single no. 4822
Found: Record fair, Utrecht, April 10, 2010
Cost: 3 euro
Tracks: 'No tiene edad', 'Eres un buen muchacho' / 'Cuando veo que todos se quieren', 'Pienso en las cosas perdidas'

Si - Gigliola Cinquetti

After winning the Eurovision Song Contest in 1964 with 'Non ho l'eta per amarti', Gigliola Cinquetti competed again in 1974. The live broadcast of the song was banned in her home country by the Italian national broadcaster RAI as the event partially coincided with the campaigning for the 1974 Italian referendum on divorce which was held a month later in May.
RAI censored the song due to concerns that the name and lyrics of the song (which constantly repeated the word 'Si') could be seen as being a subliminal message and a form of propaganda to influence the Italian voting public to vote 'yes' in the referendum. The song remained censored on most Italian state TV and radio stations for over a month.

Cinquetti ended as number two in the Contest, just behind the legendary 'Waterloo' by Abba.

My collection: 7" single no. 3127

Found: Disco Market, Den Haag, July 24, 1999

Cost: 1 guilder

Tracks: 'Si' / 'Il pappagallo verde'

Download: here

Non ho l'eta per amarti - Gigliola Cinquetti

Gigliola Cinquetti was born on December 20, 1947 in Verona, Italy. She won the 1964 San Remo festival singing 'Non ho l'eta per amarti' ('I'm not old enough to love you'). As was usual for Italy, the winner of the San Remo festival also represented the country in the Eurovision Song Contest. She won this contest as well, making it the first ever victory for Italy in Eurovision. What's more, the single made no. 17 in the UK singles chart, usually a no-go area for Italian music. In the Netherlands, it reached number three.

The single which I bought recently was made in Belgium, but only states that Cinquetti was '1st price Festival SAN REMO'. Presumably the sleeve was created after an Italian original.

My collection: 7" single no. 3503

Found: Record Mania, Amsterdam, December 27, 2008

Cost: 1 euro

Tracks: 'Non ho l'eta per amarti' / 'Sei un bravo ragazzo'

Download: here