"Città vuota" (English: Empty city) is a song recorded by Italian singer Mina in 1963. This song is Italian version of "It's a Lonely Town" by Gene McDaniels. The song was written by Doc Pomus, Mort Shuman, and adapted by Giuseppe Cassia.
| "Città vuota" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Artwork for 1963 release | ||||
| Single by Mina | ||||
| from the album Studio Uno | ||||
| Language | Italian | |||
| B-side |
| |||
| Released | December 1963[1] | |||
| Genre | Pop | |||
| Length | 2:34 | |||
| Label | Ri-Fi | |||
| Songwriter(s) |
| |||
| Producer(s) | Piero Gosio | |||
| Mina singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Original version
editIt was the singer's first single on the RiFi label. After the release, the song quickly became popular and rose to number three on the Italian singles chart.[2] The songs "E inutile" (written by Ricky Gianco and Gian Pieretti) and "Valentino vale" (by Vittorio Buffoli and Vito Pallavicini) were used as a b-side. Mina also recorded Spanish version called "Ciudad solitaria".
This single marked Mina's return to television after she was banned by RAI TV because of the singer's personal life.[3]
Track listing
edit- 7" single – 1963
- A. "Città vuota" – 2:34
- B1. "È inutile" (Gian Pieretti, Ricky Gianco) – 1:56
- B2. "Valentino vale" (Vito Pallavicini, Vittorio Buffoli) – 2:11
- 7" single – 1978 (Ri-Fi)[4]
- A. "Città vuota" – 2:34
- B. "Un anno d'amore" (Mogol, Alberto Testa, Nino Ferrer) – 3:10
Charts
edit| Chart (1963–1965) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Italy (Musica e dischi)[2] | 3 |
| Peru (La Prensa)[5] | 1 |
| Chart (2012) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US World Digital Songs (Billboard)[6] | 8 |
1978 remake
edit| "Città vuota (It's a Lonely Town)" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Mina | ||||
| from the album Live '78 | ||||
| Language | Italian | |||
| B-side | "Ancora, ancora, ancora" | |||
| Released | May 1978 | |||
| Recorded | 12 May 1978[7] | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 5:00 | |||
| Label | PDU | |||
| Songwriter(s) |
| |||
| Producer(s) | Piero Gosio | |||
| Mina singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
In 1978, Mina released a disco-style remake, conceived and arranged by Pino Presti with the inclusion of a jazz part. Combined with "Ancora, ancora, ancora" (by Cristiano Malgioglio and Gian Pietro Felisatti),[7] it became one of the most successful singles of the summer of that year, reaching number five in Italian singles chart in August.[2] Mina performed this version during her concerts in Bussoladomani and later included it on her live album Live '78.
Track listing
edit- 7" single – 1978 (PDU)
- A. "Città vuota (It's a Lonely Town)" – 5:00
- B. "Ancora ancora ancora" (Cristiano Malgioglio, Gian Pietro Felisatti) – 4:19
Charts
edit| Chart (1978) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Italy (Billboard)[9] | 4 |
| Italy (Musica e dischi)[2] | 5 |
Certifications and sales
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Italy (FIMI)[10] Sales from 2009 |
Gold | 50,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
edit- ^ "Città vuota/È inutile/Valentino vale". Discografia nazionale della canzone italiana (in Italian). Istituto centrale per i beni sonori ed audiovisivi. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
- ^ a b c d Racca, Guido (2019). M&D Borsa Singoli 1960–2019 (in Italian). pp. 306–308. ISBN 9781093264906.
- ^ Ruggeri, Roberto (1990). "Mina". In Castaldo, Gino (ed.). Dizionario della Canzone Italiana L-Z (in Italian). Rome: Armando Curcio Editore. p. 1736. ISBN 88-9750-877-4.
- ^ "Mina – Città Vuota (1978, Vinyl)". Discogs. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
- ^ "Hits of the World" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 77, no. 3. 16 January 1965. p. 19. ISSN 0006-2510.
- ^ "Chart History: Mina". Billboard. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
- ^ a b "Città vuota/Ancora ancora ancora". Discografia nazionale della canzone italiana (in Italian). Istituto centrale per i beni sonori ed audiovisivi. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
- ^ "La Città vuota di Mina". RAI Cultura (in Italian). Retrieved 21 May 2024.
- ^ Ruscitto, Germano (7 July 1978). "Hits of the World – Italy" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 90, no. 40. p. 77. ISSN 0006-2510.
- ^ "Italian single certifications – Mina – Città vuota (It's a Lonely Town)" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
External links
edit- "Città vuota / È inutile / Valentino vale" at Discogs (list of releases)
- "Città vuota / Ancora, ancora, ancora" at Discogs (list of releases)