The 50s/60s/70s Italian Divas and Crooners thread

A thread of appreciation/discovery for 50s/60s/70s singers such as:

Caterina Valente
Joe Sentieri
Mina (Mazzini)
Rita Pavone
Ornella Vanoni
etc.

Current male singer fave

Joe Sentieri - Quando Vien La Sera (1960)

Current female singer fave (possibly my fave Italian song to date)

Mina Mazzini - Che meraviglia (1970)

Now you're talking my language. Caterina Valente is a genius who sings brilliantly in multiple languages. I just picked up her LP Sweet Beat at a sidewalk sale in my neighborhood - it's covers of Anglo-American pop hits of 1966-67, all sung in English. Very groovy & funky - & possibly the only LP she did of this kind of music. Mina I know for her many pop hits which she always enhances with a very Italian sense of drama. A couple of favorites are "Se telefonando" and "Sono come tu mi vuoi" (both from mid-'60s). She also does a great slow-groove song of Brazilian origin called "Sacumdi Sacumda" (1970); Brigitte Bardot recorded it under a different title. Rita Pavone was an underage sensation whom RCA Records tried to make a star in the US. She's great - but her strong accent pushes her into comedic territory when singing in English. In Italy her career has lasted a long time, though. Ornella Vanoni has a delicately gorgeous voice that can make me melt inside. Listen to her sublime "Eternità" and the album it comes from, Appuntamento con.... Milva is another fantastic diva who can do any kind of material including non-pop. I recommend her early '70s LP of Ennio Morricone songs, from which the catchy "Metti una sera a cena" is my pick - love the odd time-signature on that one. Gigliola Cinquetti is another diva who should be mentioned in this company - she was the first singer of the song festival smash "La pioggia" (1966), covered by many Euro singers subsequently. I also like a funny little song of hers from the '70s called "Mister Ship" that I found on a 45 at the flea market. Finally, I'd like to mention Caterina Caselli, the voice behind the fabulous 1968 hit "Il Carnevale." She was cute & spunky & later sang a couple of Neil Diamond covers with great results. Now she's a record company exec, I believe.

My favorite album of the past few months has been Caterina Valente with Edmundo Ros (1961's Musica dell'america latina). Especially "Ba".

For Caterina Caselli, I only have her cover of I'm a Believer, which is fun, but I'm hoping for something more Diva and less bubblegum feeling right now. Chances are, I will track down everything bubblegum/twisty too.

I could've sworn I have some Milva, but can't locate any now.

Will add this, Gigliola Cinquetti, and Caterina Caselli to the wishlist now!

REALLY enjoying Gianni Morandi's "Se puoi uscire una domencia sola con me" now.

Just saw this was from the film "In ginocchio da te", but Netflix doesn't have it (nor anything for Gianni Morandi)

Speaking of Mina, and Italian films (but not to get too "Easy Tempo" in this thread):

Piero Piccioni ft Mina - Spiral Waltz (English version)[from La Decima Vittima/10th Victim]

Funny movie and great song.
For more Mina, try "Se telefonando": music by Ennio Morricone, a great slice of Italian pop melodramma.

Here it is:

http://it.youtube.com/watch?v=Tcw1pwvakRk

Not really a crooner, but Celentano here slays with a twisted, kitschy tale of unrequited love:

http://it.youtube.com/watch?v=b_0Vk4G_hl4

Check the extraordinarily cool-looking studio.

Much gratitude to RAI for preserving all this old video!

Those shows were the best ever made in this country.
Antonello Falqui, who directed most of them, was a genius.

Joe Sentieri - Libellule (sanremo 1961)

Sophia Loren - Carina