O SOLE MIO
Created on 29/08/2005Latest update on 25/03/2024
Artist: Florigio Penza
Author: Giovanni Capurro/Eduardo di Capua/Alfredo Mazzucchi
Label: Gramophone
Year: 1900
Composed in 1898, not in Napoli but in Odessa, inspired by the light of the Ukrainian winter landscape. Eduardo di Capua wrote many more Neapolitan ballads and sang them in cafés and theatres in town. Launched internationally during the Antwerp Olympics of 1920. Some 18 Di Capua songs were co-written by Alfredo Mazzucchi, O Sole Mio being one of them. See also: Maria, Mari.
Covers:
- 1901:
- 1901:
Garde-Grenadier Regiment zu Fuss [als Defilier Marsch über das italienische Lied O Sole Mio]
- 1901:
Francesco Daddi [for Zonofono]
- 1902:
Oreste Mieli [also on Zonofono]
- 1904:
Gabriel Soulacroix [in French (Mon soleil)]
- 1905:
Mme. Lartigne [idem]
- 1905:
- 1905:
- 1906:
- 1906:
Lucien Muratore [in French]
- 1907:
Giuseppe Anselmi [on Fonotipia]
- 1908:
Guido Gialdini [whistling]
- 1908:
Emilio de Gogorza [powerful bariton from Brooklyn, almost single-handedly responsible for Victor's main aria output in those days; being loud and clear are a must in crude recording system circumstances; frequently recorded under alias]
- 1909:
Oskar Kamionsky [as Solnze Move; Russian version]
- 1909:
- 1910:
Joaquim Ramos [as Lisboa Amada and in '12 as Terra Amada]
- 1911:
Ottokar Marak [as Meine Sonne]
- 1912:
Elizabeth Spencer [as Your Own Dear Kiss; oldest cover in English (on Edison) ]
- 1913:
- 1914:
Alan Turner [top 10 US as O Sole Mio (My Sunshine)]
- 1915:
Charles Harrison [as My Sunshine, on Edison]
- 1916:
- 1923:
Browning Mummery [as Beneath Thy Window]
- 1927:
Richard Tauber [as Meine Sonne and in '42 as Beneath Thy Window]
- 1929:
Bob Scholte [as Jij Was Mijn Zonneschijn]
- 1931:
Joseph Schmidt [as Meine Sonne]
- 1934:
- 1938:
- 1949:
Josef Locke [as Beneath Thy Window]
- 1949:
- 1949:
Tony Martin [as There's No Tomorrow in film Two Tickets To Broadway]
- 1949:
Carl Ravazza [idem]
- 1950:
Helma [as Vaarwel]
- 1957:
Lou Monte [as Don't Say Forever]
- 1957:
Bill Haley [as Come Rock With Me]
- 1959:
- 1960:
Elvis Presley [n°1 US, UK, NL & B as It's Now Or Never; in '59 also as There's No Tomorrow]
- 1960:
Gerd Böttcher [hit GER as Ich komme wieder]
- 1960:
Jack Terry [idem]
- 1960:
- 1961:
Bob Benny [as 't Is Nu Of Nooit]
- 1961:
Dean Martin [as There's No Tomorrow]
- 1962:
Chubby Checker [as It's Now Or Never]
- 1962:
Jerry Vale [idem]
- 1963:
Pat Boone [idem]
- 1963:
Connie Smith [idem]
- 1968:
Heintje [as Heerlijk Zonlicht]
- 1973:
Tony Bennett [as It's Now Or Never]
- 1974:
Peter Alexander [in German]
- 1976:
- 1978:
Jonathan King [as Just One Cornetto under alias Count Giovanni Di Regina]
- 1981:
John Schneider [as It's Now Or Never]
- 1981:
Will Tura [as Nu En Voor Eeuwig]
- 1982:
Pookiesnackenburger [as Just One Cornetto]
- 1985:
- 1989:
- 1989:
Paul McCartney [on The Last Temptation Of Elvis]
- 1991:
- 1992:
Dinky Toys [as 't Is Nu Of Nooit]
- 1995:
Doctor Ammondt [as Nunc Hic Aut Numquam on cd Elvis Songs Sung In Latin]
- 1995:
- 1996:
Jo Vally [as Ga Mee Naar Rome]
- 1998:
- 2002:
- 2004:
- 2007:
Robert Gordon & Chris Spedding [It's Now Or Never is their album's title track]
- 2011:
- 2012:
- 2020:
Eduardo di Capua's copyright was seriously neglected in America, once Aaron Schroeder and Wally Gold transformed his composition in It's Now Or Never. In Europe di Capua's heirs were made part of that deal and for good reason: It's Now Or Never was Elvis' biggest hit to date. Schroeder & Gold were ordered by Elvis' music publishers to write him something in the Mario Lanza style. Elvis had shown real interest in light belcanto while serving in Germany.
