Città vuota
1963 single by Mina
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"Città vuota" (Italian: [tʃitˌta vˈvwɔːta]; transl. "Empty City") is a song recorded by Italian singer Mina in 1963, an Italian version of "It's a Lonely Town" by Gene McDaniels. The song was originally written by Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman, and was 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 | |||
| Composers | ||||
| Lyricist | Giuseppe Cassia | |||
| Producer | Piero Gosio | |||
| Mina singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Original version
It was the singer's first single on the Ri-Fi label. After the release, the song quickly became popular and rose to number three on the Italian singles chart.[2] The songs "È 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 Italian national broadcaster RAI due to scandals related to her personal life.[3]
Track listing
- 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
| 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
| "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 | |||
| Composers | ||||
| Lyricists |
| |||
| Producer | 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
- 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
| Chart (1978) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Italy (Billboard)[9] | 4 |
| Italy (Musica e dischi)[2] | 5 |
Certifications and sales
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Italy (FIMI)[10] Sales from 2009 |
Gold | 50,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||