Cara Mia

"Cara Mia"
"Cara Mia"
Single by Jay and the Americans
from the album Blockbusters
B-side	"When It's All Over"
Released	May 1965
Recorded	1965
Genre	Rock
Length	2:35
Label	United Artists
Songwriter(s)	Lee Lange; Tulio Trapani;
Producer(s)	Artie Ripp
Jay and the Americans singles chronology

"Cara Mia" is a popular song published in 1954 that became a UK number 1,^[1] and US number 10 hit and Gold record for English singer David Whitfield in 1954, and a number 4 hit for the American rock group Jay and the Americans in 1965. The title means "my beloved" in Italian.

Background[edit]

The English singer David Whitfield first recorded the song with the Mantovani Orchestra in 1954. It made the charts in the United States, and in the UK was the first record to spend ten consecutive weeks at number 1 on the UK Singles Chart.^[2] Whitfield's version was one of the biggest selling British records in the pre-rock days.^[2] It sold more than three and a half million copies worldwide and was a Top 10 hit in America.^[2]

Writers[edit]

Authorship of the song was credited to Tulio Trapani (the pen name of the song's co-writer and arranger Mantovani) and Lee Lange (Bunny Lewis, Whitfield's producer).^[2]

Jay and the Americans cover[edit]

Jay and the Americans recorded "Cara Mia" on their 1965 LP Blockbusters.^[3] It became an international Top 5 hit, reaching number 1 in Canada.^[4] Their version was re-released in 1980, and went into the charts in the Netherlands.

Chart history[edit]

Weekly charts[edit]

Chart (1965)	Peak position
Canada RPM Top Singles^[5]	1
New Zealand (Lever Hit Parade)^[6]	3
U.S. Billboard Hot 100^[7]	4
U.S. Cash Box Top 100^[8]	4

Year-end charts[edit]

Chart (1965)	Rank
U.S. Billboard Hot 100^[9]	24
U.S. Cash Box ^[10]	43

Other notable remakes[edit]

José Carreras^[11]
Richard Clayderman - included in his album Love Songs of the World (1986).^[12]
Helen Forrest - a single release in 1954.^[13]
Mario del Monaco (with Mantovani and His Orchestra)
Gordon MacRae - a single release in 1954.^[14]
The Johnny Mann Singers^[15]
Josef Locke^[16]
Jaime Morey^[17]
Frank Patterson^[18]
Gene Pitney - included in his album Golden Greats (1967).^[19]
Jack Pleis^[20]
The Raes^[21]
Nikolai Volkoff^[22]
Slim Whitman^[23] - for his album Red River Valley (1977)
Paul Delicato, a disco cover (1976) - U.S. AC #5, Canada AC #15^[24]
Gene Ammons^[25]

References[edit]

^ "Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. 1954-06-24. Retrieved 2021-10-25.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Rice, Jo (1982). The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits (1st ed.). Enfield, Middlesex: Guinness Superlatives Ltd. p. 14. ISBN 0-85112-250-7.
^ "Jay And The Americans - Cara, Mia". 45cat.com. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1965-07-12. Retrieved 2021-10-04.
^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1965-07-12. Retrieved 2021-10-04.
^ Flavour of New Zealand, 23 September 1965
^ Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
^ "Cash Box Top 100 Singles, July 24, 1965". Archived from the original on November 26, 2011. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
^ Musicoutfitters.com
^ Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles, December 25, 1965
^ "José Carreras – Amigos Para Siempre/Friends For Life - Romantic Songs Of The World (1992, DCC)". Discogs.com. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
^ "Richard Clayderman - Love Songs Of The World". Discogs.com. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
^ "78 Record: Helen Forrest - Cara Mia (1954)". 45worlds.com. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
^ "Gordon MacRae - Cara Mia". 45cat.com. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
^ "The Johnny Mann Singers – Flowing Voices Of The Johnny Mann Singers (1966, Vinyl)". Discogs.com. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
^ "Josef Locke With Philip Green And His Orchestra – Cara Mia / When It's Moonlight In Mayo (1954, Shellac)". Discogs.com. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
^ "Jaime Morey – Una Marioneta / No Te Vayas / Cara Mia / Sabia (1965, Vinyl)". Discogs.com. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
^ "Frank Patterson – The Golden Voice Of Frank Patterson (1987, Vinyl)". Discogs.com. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
^ "Gene Pitney - Golden Greats". Discogs.com. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
^ "Jack Pleis And His Orchestra And Chorus – Lonesome Polecat / Cara Mia (1954, Shellac)". Discogs.com. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
^ "The Raes – Cara Mia (1978, Vinyl)". Discogs.com. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
^ "Various - The Wrestling Album". Discogs.com. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
^ "Slim Whitman – Cara Mia (1976, Vinyl)". Discogs.com. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1976-05-22. Retrieved 2021-10-24.
^ "Gene Ammons – Count Your Blessings / Cara Mia (1955, Shellac)". Discogs.com. Retrieved 29 April 2021.

External links[edit]

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[1] "Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. 1954-06-24. Retrieved 2021-10-25.

[500_Number_One_Hits-2] Rice, Jo (1982). The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits (1st ed.). Enfield, Middlesex: Guinness Superlatives Ltd. p. 14. ISBN 0-85112-250-7.

[3] "Jay And The Americans - Cara, Mia". 45cat.com. Retrieved 29 April 2021.

[4] "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1965-07-12. Retrieved 2021-10-04.

[5] "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1965-07-12. Retrieved 2021-10-04.

[6] Flavour of New Zealand, 23 September 1965

[7] Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X

[8] "Cash Box Top 100 Singles, July 24, 1965". Archived from the original on November 26, 2011. Retrieved October 24, 2021.

[9] Musicoutfitters.com

[10] Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles, December 25, 1965

[11] "José Carreras – Amigos Para Siempre/Friends For Life - Romantic Songs Of The World (1992, DCC)". Discogs.com. Retrieved 29 April 2021.

[12] "Richard Clayderman - Love Songs Of The World". Discogs.com. Retrieved 29 April 2021.

[13] "78 Record: Helen Forrest - Cara Mia (1954)". 45worlds.com. Retrieved 29 April 2021.

[14] "Gordon MacRae - Cara Mia". 45cat.com. Retrieved 29 April 2021.

[15] "The Johnny Mann Singers – Flowing Voices Of The Johnny Mann Singers (1966, Vinyl)". Discogs.com. Retrieved 29 April 2021.

[16] "Josef Locke With Philip Green And His Orchestra – Cara Mia / When It's Moonlight In Mayo (1954, Shellac)". Discogs.com. Retrieved 29 April 2021.

[17] "Jaime Morey – Una Marioneta / No Te Vayas / Cara Mia / Sabia (1965, Vinyl)". Discogs.com. Retrieved 29 April 2021.

[18] "Frank Patterson – The Golden Voice Of Frank Patterson (1987, Vinyl)". Discogs.com. Retrieved 29 April 2021.

[19] "Gene Pitney - Golden Greats". Discogs.com. Retrieved 29 April 2021.

[20] "Jack Pleis And His Orchestra And Chorus – Lonesome Polecat / Cara Mia (1954, Shellac)". Discogs.com. Retrieved 29 April 2021.

[21] "The Raes – Cara Mia (1978, Vinyl)". Discogs.com. Retrieved 29 April 2021.

[22] "Various - The Wrestling Album". Discogs.com. Retrieved 29 April 2021.

[23] "Slim Whitman – Cara Mia (1976, Vinyl)". Discogs.com. Retrieved 29 April 2021.

[24] "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1976-05-22. Retrieved 2021-10-24.

[25] "Gene Ammons – Count Your Blessings / Cara Mia (1955, Shellac)". Discogs.com. Retrieved 29 April 2021.

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v t e Jay and the Americans
Sandy Deanne Howie Kane Jay Reincke Marty Sanders Jay Traynor Kenny Vance Jay Black
Studio albums	She Cried Come a Little Bit Closer Blockbusters Sunday and Me Livin' Above Your Head Try Some of This! Sands of Time Wax Museum Capture the Moment
Singles	"She Cried" "Come a Little Bit Closer" "Let's Lock the Door (And Throw Away the Key)" "Cara Mia" "Some Enchanted Evening" "Sunday and Me" "Crying" "No Other Love" "This Magic Moment" "Walkin' in the Rain" "There Goes My Baby"
Cover songs	"Here, There and Everywhere" "Hushabye" "It's a Big Wide Wonderful World" "Maria" "Monday, Monday" "Nature Boy" "Since I Don't Have You" "Solitary Man" "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine (Anymore)" "(There's) Always Something There to Remind Me" "Tonight"