"Lettera a Pinocchio" is a 1959 Italian song composed by

Mario Panzeri Mario Panzeri (11 October 1911 – 19 May 1991) was an Italian lyricist and composer. He is well known for his composed songs that include "" "", "", and "", which won the first edition of the Sanremo Music Festival in 1951. Panzeri was the c ...

. The song premiered at the first edition of the children song festival

Zecchino d'Oro Zecchino d'Oro (; meaning "Golden Sequin") is an annual Italian competition dedicated to children's music established in 1959 by Niny Comolli. It is broadcast by Rai 1 and is open to singers aged 4 to 10. The first two contests were held i ...

. In spite of not winning the competition, the song got a large commercial success thanks to the version recorded by

Johnny Dorelli Giorgio Guidi (born 20 February 1937), known professionally as Johnny Dorelli, is an Italian actor, singer and television host. Early life Giorgio Guidi was born in Meda, Lombardy, Italy. In 1946, he moved with his family to New York City, ...

, at the time very popular thanks to the two

Sanremo Music Festival The Sanremo Music Festival ( ), officially the Italian Song Festival (), is the most popular Italian song contest and awards ceremony, held annually in the city of Sanremo, Liguria, organized and broadcast by (RAI). It is the longest-running ...

he had just won in couple with

Domenico Modugno Domenico Modugno (; 9 January 1928 – 6 August 1994) was an Italian singer, actor and, later in life, a member of the Italian Parliament. He is known for his 1958 international hit song " Nel blu dipinto di blu", for which he received the fir ...

, with the songs " Volare" and " Piove (Ciao, ciao bambina)". The song was later covered by numerous artists, including

Rita Pavone Rita Ori Filomena Merk-Pavone (, ; born August 23, 1945) is an Italian-Swiss pop singer, actress and showgirl, who enjoyed success through the 1960s. Known as "the Mosquito of Turin" (), she was also nicknamed "Carrot Hair" () because of the r ...

Gigliola Cinquetti Gigliola Cinquetti (; born Giliola Cinquetti on 20 December 1947) is an Italian singer, songwriter and television presenter. Life and career Gigliola Cinquetti was born into a wealthy family in Verona, Italy. At the age of 16, she debuted at ...

Duo Fasano Duo Fasano were an Italian pop musical and vocal duo, mainly active in the 1950s. Career The duo consisted of the twin sisters Secondina "Dina" Fasano (21 September 1924 – 24 November 1996) and Terzina "Delfina" Fasano (21 September 1924 – 1 ...

Gino Latilla Gennaro "Gino" Latilla (7 November 1924 – 11 September 2011) was an Italian singer. In 1954, he won the Sanremo Music Festival The Sanremo Music Festival ( ), officially the Italian Song Festival (), is the most popular Italian song contes ...

, Marino Marini, Rosanna Fratello,

Mino Reitano Beniamino "Mino" Reitano (December 7, 1944 – January 27, 2009) was an Italian singer, songwriter and actor. Reitano was born in Fiumara, a small village in Calabria. His father, an employee at the local railway station, was very passiona ...

Quartetto Cetra ; ) was an Italian jazz vocal quartet established during the early 1940s and active until 1988. Career The band was based on the Mills Brothers and started performing under the name Quartetto Egie from the initials of the singers' first names: En ...

Jenny Luna Maria Clotilde Troili a/k/a Jenny Luna (born 27 March 1931 in Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, ...

, Robertino, Andrea Balestri. In 1964

Tony Renis Elio Cesari (born 13 May 1938), known by his stage name Tony Renis, is an Italian singer, composer, music producer, and film actor. Life and career Renis was born in Milan. In the mid-1950s he met with Adriano Celentano, and the two started pe ...

recorded the song with arrangement and

production Production may refer to: Economics and business * Production (economics) * Production, the act of manufacturing goods * Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services) * Production as a stat ...

Quincy Jones Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (March 14, 1933 – November 3, 2024) was an American record producer, composer, arranger, conductor, trumpeter, and bandleader. Over the course of his seven-decade career, he received List of awards and nominations re ...

Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, comedian, entertainer and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwi ...

recorded an English-language version of the song known as "A Letter to Pinocchio" or "My Heart Still Hears the Music" which was included in his album Holiday in Europe.

Track listing

* 7" single – CGD – N 9154 # "Lettera a Pinocchio" (Mario Panzeri) # "Ginge Rock" (Joe Beal, Jim Boothe, Mario Panzeri)

Charts

References

External links

* {{Authority control 1959 singles Italian songs 1959 songs Number-one singles in Italy Works based on The Adventures of Pinocchio Songs written by Mario Panzeri