Paloma Blanca
1975 single by George Baker Selection
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"Paloma Blanca" (Spanish for "white dove"), often called "Una Paloma Blanca", is a song written by Dutch musician George Baker (under his real name, Johannes Bouwens) and first recorded and released by his band, George Baker Selection. The single—the title track of the group's fifth album—was released in 1975 with "Dreamboat" (or "Dream Boat") as its B-side.[1] The song was a hit throughout Europe, reaching No. 1 in Austria, Finland, Flanders, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland and West Germany, and it also topped the charts of New Zealand and South Africa.
| "Paloma Blanca" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||
| Single by George Baker Selection | ||||
| from the album Paloma Blanca | ||||
| B-side | "Dreamboat" | |||
| Released | 1975 | |||
| Length | 3:27 | |||
| Label |
| |||
| Songwriter | Johannes Bouwens | |||
| Producer | Johannes Bouwens | |||
| George Baker Selection singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Performance video | ||||
| "Paloma Blanca" on Top Pop on YouTube | ||||
In the United States, the song became a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Easy Listening Singles chart on 14 February 1976 (becoming that chart's overall No. 1 song for 1976), peaked at No. 26 on the Billboard Hot 100, and reached No. 33 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. In Canada and the United Kingdom, "Paloma Blanca" peaked at No. 10, and in Australia, it reached No. 2. The song sold over two million copies worldwide.[2]
Meaning
Baker has been quoted as saying the song is about "a poor South American farmer who works hard all day and then sits by a tree and dreams of being a white bird with its freedom."[3]
Charts
Weekly charts
| Chart (1975–1976) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[4] | 2 |
| Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[5] | 1 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[6] | 1 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[7] | 6 |
| Canada Top Singles (RPM)[8] | 10 |
| Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[9] | 1 |
| Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[10] | 36 |
| Denmark (IFPI)[11] | 15 |
| Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[12] | 1 |
| Italy (Germano Ruscitto)[13] | 10 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[14] | 1 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[15] | 1 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[16] | 1 |
| Norway (VG-lista)[17] | 1 |
| South Africa (Springbok Radio)[18] | 1 |
| Spain (El Gran Musical)[19] | 2 |
| Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[20] | 1 |
| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[21] | 1 |
| UK Singles (Official Charts)[22] | 10 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[23] | 26 |
| US Easy Listening (Billboard)[24] | 1 |
| US Hot Country Singles (Billboard)[25] | 33 |
| US Cash Box Top 100[26] | 22 |
| West Germany (GfK)[27] | 1 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (1975) | Rank |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[28][29] | 11 |
| Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[30] | 2 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[31] | 1 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[32] | 1 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[33] | 1 |
| New Zealand (RIANZ)[34] | 4 |
| South Africa (Springbok Radio)[35] | 6 |
| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[36] | 2 |
| West Germany (Media Control)[37] | 1 |
| Chart (1976) | Rank |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[38] | 94 |
| Canada Top Singles (RPM)[39] | 110 |
| US Easy Listening (Billboard) [40] | 1 |
| US (Joel Whitburn's Pop Annual)[41] | 157 |
Cover versions
Following the George Baker Selection's success, the song was widely covered. In the UK, where the group took "Paloma Blanca" to a number 10 chart peak, the recording by Jonathan King reached number five.[42]
In 1976, English Scrumpy and Western band the Wurzels released a cover version titled "I Am a Cider Drinker" that contains a number of references to rural West Country life, including scrumpy, rabbit stew, combine harvesters and evenings at the local pub. The single was a number-three hit on the UK singles chart.[43] A remastered version was produced in 2007, with an accompanying video which featured veteran disk jockey Tony Blackburn.[44]