The "Insane World Of Mike Sain" airs every Wednesday at 9:00 AM Eastern Time on WPON-AM 1460 Detroit. Today's show was "Foreign And Domestic II (Italian And American)," a continuation of last week's theme in which a foreign language version of a well known song is played back-to-back with its original English version. All foreign language songs played this morning were in Italian and from the hard-to-find CDs, "Rock Around The World, Vol. 1" and "Oldies Italiano."
- Tu Non Lo Sai (Breaking Up Is Hard To Do) - Neil Sedaka - 1962
- Breaking Up Is Hard To Do - Neil Sedaka - 1962
- Judy's Turn To Cry (Italian version) - Lesley Gore - ca. 1963-1969
- Judy's Turn To Cry - Lesley Gore - 1963
- Honey (Amore Mi Manchi) - Bobby Goldsboro - 1968
- Honey - Bobby Goldsboro - 1968
- Dianna - Paul Anka - ca. 1958 (by request)
- Diana - Paul Anka - 1957 (by request)
- La Ballata Di Bonnie E Clyde - Georgie Fame And The Blue Flames - 1968
- The Ballad Of Bonnie And Clyde - Georgie Fame And The Blue Flames - 1968
- Tema Dei Monkees (Theme From The Monkees) - The Monkees - ca. 1967-1968
- (Theme From) The Monkees - The Monkees - 1966
- Goodbye Cruel World (Italian version) - James Darren - ca. 1961-1964
- Goodbye Cruel World - James Darren - 1961
Notes:
- Neil Sedaka has recorded in many languages including Spanish, German, Italian, Japanese, Hebrew, and Yiddish. His Italian version of "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do," entitled "Tu Non Lo Sai," was released as a single in 1962 (RCA Victor 45N 1308 b/w "Finche Vivro"). This song became a chart hit in Italy that same year.
- Neil Sedaka has a long and distinguished career as a singer, songwriter, and pianist and he has written many hit songs for himself and other artists. His famous "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do" topped the charts in 1962. This song later also charted for the Happenings (1968), Lenny Welch (1970), the Partridge Family (1972), Heaven Bound With Tony Scotti (1972), and Con Hunley (1977, Country charts). Sedaka re-recorded a slow version of this song in 1975 which reached the Top 10 on the Pop/Rock charts and topped the Adult Contemporary charts. The American Comedy Network later also charted with a parody version in 1984, "Breaking Up Is Hard On You (a.k.a. Don't Take Ma Bell Away From Me)."
- Lesley Gore recorded in a variety of foreign languages including French, German and Italian. Her Italian version of "Judy's Turn To Cry" was recorded ca. 1963-1969 while she was with Mercury Records.
- Lesley Gore's 1963 smash hit, "Judy's Turn To Cry," is the well known sequel to her chart topping "It's My Party" (1963). Gore had a string of hits from 1963-1968 that also included "She's A Fool" (1963) and "You Don't Own Me" (1964). Over the years, she has also appeared and performed in many movies and TV shows. With brother Michael Gore, she co-wrote some of the songs for the "Fame" (1980) soundtrack.
- Bobby Goldsboro recorded an Italian version of "Honey" entitled "Honey (Amore Mi Manchi)." This song was released as a single in 1968 on the United Artist label.
- "Honey" topped the Pop/Rock, Country, and Adult Contemporary charts for Bobby Goldsboro in 1968. This song was also a hit for several other artists on different charts: O.C. Smith (1969, Pop/Rock), Distant Galaxy (1968, Adult Contemporary, as a medley), and Orion (1979, Country charts). Bobby Goldsboro had many hits on the pop and country charts and also hosted his own TV show in the early 1970s.
- Over the years, Paul Anka has recorded in Spanish, French, Japanese, German and Italian. The Italian version of his famous "Diana," entitled "Dianna" in Italian, was released ca. 1958 as a single (Columbia SCMQ 1080 b/w "Don't Gamble With Love").
- "Diana" topped the both the R&B and Pop/Rock charts for Paul Anka in 1957 and this song later also charted for Bobby Rydell in 1965. "Diana" was Anka's chart debut song and he was only 16 years old when it became a hit. Anka wrote this song in tribute to former babysitter Diana Ayoub.
- Georgie Fame made many recordings in different languages of his 1968 smash hit, "The Ballad Of Bonnie And Clyde;" the full title in Italian is "La Ballata Di Bonnie E Clyde." The Italian version was released in 1968 as a single (CBS 3254 and CBS 3307 b/w "Nel Tuo Mondo (Try My World)").
- British jazz pianist and organist Georgie Fame had several hits that included "Yeh, Yeh" (1965) and "The Ballad Of Bonnie And Clyde" (1968) as played this morning. The latter song was inspired by but not included in the 1967 movie, "Bonnie And Clyde." In both this song and its Italian version, police siren and machine gun sound effects can be heard.
- The Monkees recorded several foreign language versions of their "(Theme From) The Monkess;" the ones in Italian are entitled "Tema Dei Monkees." "Tema Dei Monkees" was first included on a 1967 Italian album, then edited and later released as a single in 1968 (RCA 1546 b/w "Valleri").
- The Monkees were a made-for-TV band with many Top 40 hits who starred in 58 episodes of "The Monkees" from 1966-1968. After they disbanded in 1969, Michael Nesmith, Davy Jones, and Mickey Dolentz all went on to record solo. Their noncharting TV theme song, "(Theme From) The Monkees," was included on their 1966 debut album, "The Monkees" (Colgems COS-101; COM-101). The Monkees reunited in 1986 without Nesmith and re-recorded "(Theme From) The Monkees" which became the B-side of their 1986 hit, "That Was Then, This Is Now."
- James Darren recorded an Italian version of his 1961 smash hit, "Goodbye Cruel World," in Italian. The version played today is on the CD, "Rock Around The World, Vol. 1." The original recording date is not known but is estimated at around 1961-1964 during Darren final years with Colpix Records.
- Singer, actor, TV director, and former teen idol James Darren is famous for his role as "Moondoggie" in the Gidget movies. He also had several hits from 1959-1977 including "Goodbye Cruel World" (1961) as heard this morning. In this song, excerpts from circus music are interspersed throughout.
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