Mammy Blue
Encyclopedia
"Mammy Blue" - aka "Mamy Blue" - is the title of an international hit from 1971-72 chiefly via a version by Los Pop Tops
.
The song was originally written with French lyrics in 1970 by veteran French songwriter Hubert Giraud
; he conceived the song in his car waiting out a Parisian traffic jam and had completed its demo
within a few days. After four months the first recorded version of "Mammy Blue" was made - with Italian lyrics - by Ivana Spagna marking that singer's recording debut. In May 1971 Alain Milhaud, a French record producer based in Spain, acquired the song for Los Pop Tops, a group he managed: Milhaud produced Los Pop Tops recording of "Mammy Blue" in a session in London after the group's frontman Phil Trim wrote English lyrics for the song. The French Barclay
label expediently had the song covered by both Joel Dayde and Nicoletta. The Dayde version - featuring Phil Trim's English lyric - was recorded at Olympic Sound Studio in London and the Decca Studio in Paris: Wally Stott was the arranger. Nicoletta's version featured the original French lyrics written by Hubert Giraud who himself produced Nicoletta's recording.
Los Pop Tops version and Joel Dayde both reached #1 on the French charts with "Mammy Blue" while the Nicoletta version rose as high as #4 affording the singer her career record. Both the Los Pop Tops and Dayde versions became concurrent major hits in several other territories including Belgium where Los Pop Tops and Dayde's versions reached #1 on respectively the Dutch and French chart with Los Pop Tops reaching #3 on the latter, the Netherlands where Los Pop Tops reached #3 and Dayde #13, Norway where Los Pop Tops reached #1 and Dayde #3 and Sweden where Los Pop Tops reached #1 and Dayde #6. In Spain Dayde's English version of "Mammy Blue" reached #2 while Los Pop Tops reached #1 with a specially recorded version of the song in Spanish.
In Germany Los Pop Tops spent ten weeks at #1 while the Dayde version only charted peripherally at #40 while a German rendering recorded by Ricky Shayne afforded Shayne his best ever German chart showing with a #7 peak. Los Pop Tops also rendered "Mammy Blue" in Italian with a resultant #1 in Italy where a local cover by Johnny Dorelli
also charted at #28: another Italian cover by Dalida
failed to chart as did the English version by Ricky Shayne in its Italian release. Ricky Shayne's English version did appear in the French Top Ten (peak: #8) with the Dayde, Nicoletta and Los Pop Tops versions and also charted in Brazil (#1) and Japan, selling 500,000 copies in the latter territory where the Los Pop Tops version had also been a hit at #2.
Los Pop Tops English version also reached #1 in Austria, Denmark, Sweden and Switzerland; in Denmark the song also reached the Top Ten via a cover by Roger Whittaker
which also reached #4 in Finland where the version by Los Pop Tops and a Finnish rendering by Kirka Babitzin
also reached the Top Ten.
The Joel Dayde version of "Mammy Blue" reached #2 in Australia, the only evident territory where Dayde did not have to vie with Los Pop Tops although the cover by Roger Whittaker and another by James Darren
did well enough regionally to register on Australia's national chart with respective peaks of #53 and #47. In South Africa "Mammy Blue" was recorded by a session group billed as Charisma: produced by Graeme Beggs, this version spent twelve weeks at #1 making it the second longest running South African #1 hit. Otherwise "Mammy Blue" did not have a strong national chart showing in the English speaking world: in the UK Los Pop Tops vied with a cover by Roger Whittaker
with neither version reaching the Top 30 respective chart peaks being #35 and #31; in the US Los Pop Tops was the sole charting version with a #57 peak on the Hot 100
in Billboard
whose Easy Listening chart afforded the track a #28 peak; in Canada Los Pop Tops vied with a cover by session group Oak Island Treasury Department - these versions respectively peaking at #42 and #68 - while a cover by Roger Whittaker of the original French version was a hit on Canada's French charts reaching #2. "Mammy Blue" returned to the Hot 100 in 1973 via a remake by the Stories
which peaked at #50: this version charted in Canada at #47.
The English version of "Mammy Blue" has also been recorded by Horace Andy
, Julio Iglesias
, Vicky Leandros
and Demis Roussos
. Celine Dion
and Lara Fabian
have both made recordings of the original French version, which was remade in 2004 by Neje to reach #75 on the French charts. The Spanish version has also been recorded by José Mercé
while Roberto Blanco and Bata Ilic have both made recordings of the German version. The Finnish version of "Mammy Blue" has also been recorded by Fredi.
"Mammy Blue" has also been recorded in Croatian by Miro Ungar, in Czech ("Ó, Mami, Dík") by Karel Gott
, in Hungarian by Kati Kovács
, in Icelandic by Mjöll Holm, in Portuguese by Laércio de Freitas, in Romanian ("O, Mamă, Tu") by Anda and in Swedish by Kjerstin Dellert.
Los Pop Tops
Los Pop Tops were a vocal/instrumental band formed in 1967 in Madrid, Spain and consisting of José Lipiani, Alberto Vega, Ignacio Pérez, Julián Luis Angulo, Enrique Gómez, Ray Gómez plus lead singer Phil Trim ....
.
The song was originally written with French lyrics in 1970 by veteran French songwriter Hubert Giraud
Hubert Giraud
Hubert Yves Adrian Giraud is a French composer and lyricist.Giraud began his career playing the harmonica with Django Reinhardt's Quintette du Hot Club de France. In 1941, he was recruited by Ray Ventura to play the guitar during Ventrua's big band tour of South America...
; he conceived the song in his car waiting out a Parisian traffic jam and had completed its demo
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
within a few days. After four months the first recorded version of "Mammy Blue" was made - with Italian lyrics - by Ivana Spagna marking that singer's recording debut. In May 1971 Alain Milhaud, a French record producer based in Spain, acquired the song for Los Pop Tops, a group he managed: Milhaud produced Los Pop Tops recording of "Mammy Blue" in a session in London after the group's frontman Phil Trim wrote English lyrics for the song. The French Barclay
Barclay Records
Barclay Records is a French record label founded in the mid-1950s by Eddie Barclay under the alias, Edouard Ruault. Eddie Barclay also founded the Riviera label in the early-1950s....
label expediently had the song covered by both Joel Dayde and Nicoletta. The Dayde version - featuring Phil Trim's English lyric - was recorded at Olympic Sound Studio in London and the Decca Studio in Paris: Wally Stott was the arranger. Nicoletta's version featured the original French lyrics written by Hubert Giraud who himself produced Nicoletta's recording.
Los Pop Tops version and Joel Dayde both reached #1 on the French charts with "Mammy Blue" while the Nicoletta version rose as high as #4 affording the singer her career record. Both the Los Pop Tops and Dayde versions became concurrent major hits in several other territories including Belgium where Los Pop Tops and Dayde's versions reached #1 on respectively the Dutch and French chart with Los Pop Tops reaching #3 on the latter, the Netherlands where Los Pop Tops reached #3 and Dayde #13, Norway where Los Pop Tops reached #1 and Dayde #3 and Sweden where Los Pop Tops reached #1 and Dayde #6. In Spain Dayde's English version of "Mammy Blue" reached #2 while Los Pop Tops reached #1 with a specially recorded version of the song in Spanish.
In Germany Los Pop Tops spent ten weeks at #1 while the Dayde version only charted peripherally at #40 while a German rendering recorded by Ricky Shayne afforded Shayne his best ever German chart showing with a #7 peak. Los Pop Tops also rendered "Mammy Blue" in Italian with a resultant #1 in Italy where a local cover by Johnny Dorelli
Johnny Dorelli
Johnny Dorelli is an Italian actor, singer and showman.Born as Giorgio Guidi in Meda, he debuted as singer in the late 1950s for CGD label. In 1958 he won the Sanremo Festival in duo with Domenico Modugno, with the songs "Nel blu dipinto di blu" and "Piove "...
also charted at #28: another Italian cover by Dalida
Dalida
Dalida , born with Italian name of Iolanda Cristina Gigliotti, was a world-famous singer and actress born in Egypt with Italian origins but naturalised French with the name Yolanda Gigliotti. She spent her early years in Egypt amongst the Italian Egyptian community, but she lived most of her adult...
failed to chart as did the English version by Ricky Shayne in its Italian release. Ricky Shayne's English version did appear in the French Top Ten (peak: #8) with the Dayde, Nicoletta and Los Pop Tops versions and also charted in Brazil (#1) and Japan, selling 500,000 copies in the latter territory where the Los Pop Tops version had also been a hit at #2.
Los Pop Tops English version also reached #1 in Austria, Denmark, Sweden and Switzerland; in Denmark the song also reached the Top Ten via a cover by Roger Whittaker
Roger Whittaker
Roger Whittaker is an Anglo-Kenyan singer-songwriter and musician with worldwide record sales of over 55 million. His music can be described as easy listening. He is best known for his baritone singing voice and trademark whistling ability...
which also reached #4 in Finland where the version by Los Pop Tops and a Finnish rendering by Kirka Babitzin
Kirka Babitzin
Kirill "Kirka" Babitzin was a popular Finnish musician.-Biography:Kirill Babitzin was born in Helsinki in 1950 to a Russian emigrant family. He first got into music at the age of five when his grandmother gave him an accordion. He won an accordion competition at the age of ten, but soon ditched...
also reached the Top Ten.
The Joel Dayde version of "Mammy Blue" reached #2 in Australia, the only evident territory where Dayde did not have to vie with Los Pop Tops although the cover by Roger Whittaker and another by James Darren
James Darren
James William Ercolani , known by his stage name James Darren, is an American television and film actor, television director, and singer.-Career:...
did well enough regionally to register on Australia's national chart with respective peaks of #53 and #47. In South Africa "Mammy Blue" was recorded by a session group billed as Charisma: produced by Graeme Beggs, this version spent twelve weeks at #1 making it the second longest running South African #1 hit. Otherwise "Mammy Blue" did not have a strong national chart showing in the English speaking world: in the UK Los Pop Tops vied with a cover by Roger Whittaker
Roger Whittaker
Roger Whittaker is an Anglo-Kenyan singer-songwriter and musician with worldwide record sales of over 55 million. His music can be described as easy listening. He is best known for his baritone singing voice and trademark whistling ability...
with neither version reaching the Top 30 respective chart peaks being #35 and #31; in the US Los Pop Tops was the sole charting version with a #57 peak on the Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
in Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
whose Easy Listening chart afforded the track a #28 peak; in Canada Los Pop Tops vied with a cover by session group Oak Island Treasury Department - these versions respectively peaking at #42 and #68 - while a cover by Roger Whittaker of the original French version was a hit on Canada's French charts reaching #2. "Mammy Blue" returned to the Hot 100 in 1973 via a remake by the Stories
Stories (band)
Stories was a rock and pop music band, based out of New York in the early 1970s. The band consisted of keyboardist Michael Brown, bassist/vocalist Ian Lloyd, guitarist Steve Love, and drummer Bryan Madey, and had a Number 1 hit with a cover of Hot Chocolate's "Brother Louie."-Band history:Lloyd ...
which peaked at #50: this version charted in Canada at #47.
The English version of "Mammy Blue" has also been recorded by Horace Andy
Horace Andy
Horace Andy is a roots reggae songwriter and singer, known for his distinctive vocals and hit songs such as "Government Land", "Angel", "Five Man Army" and a cover version of "Ain't No Sunshine"....
, Julio Iglesias
Julio Iglesias
Julio José Iglesias de la Cueva , better known simply as Julio Iglesias, is a Spanish singer who has sold over 300 million records worldwide in 14 languages and released 77 albums. According to Sony Music Entertainment, he is one of the top 15 best selling music artists in history,...
, Vicky Leandros
Vicky Leandros
Vicky Leandros is a Greek singer with a long international career. She is the daughter of singer, musician and composer Leandros Papathanasiou...
and Demis Roussos
Demis Roussos
Artemios Ventouris Roussos is a Greek singer and performer, best known for being the main musical partner of movie soundtrack composer Vangelis and a string of international hit records as a solo performer in the 1960s and 1970s...
. Celine Dion
Celine Dion
Céline Marie Claudette Dion, , , is a Canadian singer. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record...
and Lara Fabian
Lara Fabian
Lara Fabian is a Belgian-Italian international singer who also holds Canadian citizenship. Multilingual, she sings in French, Italian and English....
have both made recordings of the original French version, which was remade in 2004 by Neje to reach #75 on the French charts. The Spanish version has also been recorded by José Mercé
José Mercé
José Mercé is a flamenco cantaor .He is the great-grandson of nineteenth-century seguiriya maestro Francisco Valencia, who received the nickname Paco la Luz....
while Roberto Blanco and Bata Ilic have both made recordings of the German version. The Finnish version of "Mammy Blue" has also been recorded by Fredi.
"Mammy Blue" has also been recorded in Croatian by Miro Ungar, in Czech ("Ó, Mami, Dík") by Karel Gott
Karel Gott
Karel Gott is a Czech Schlager singer, and an amateur painter. He is considered as the most successful male singer in former Czechoslovakia and currently in the Czech Republic; he has being voted the Most Favorite Male Singer in the annual national pool Český slavík in total thirty-six times...
, in Hungarian by Kati Kovács
Kati Kovács
Kati Kovács is a Hungarian singer and actress.She became first famous nationally in 1965 when she won the seminal TV talent show in Hungary “Who Knows What?”...
, in Icelandic by Mjöll Holm, in Portuguese by Laércio de Freitas, in Romanian ("O, Mamă, Tu") by Anda and in Swedish by Kjerstin Dellert.