10.000: # 9 - Dio come ti amo - Domenico Modugno (1966)

In the previous post you can read all about the 10.000 coverversions project and the Eurocovers top 10, here's another look at some of my favorite versions of the most covered Eurovision songs of all time.
-
# 9 - Dio come ti amo - Domenico Modugno
- 168 versions listed
-All (3) Eurovision entries performed by Domenico Modugno in Eurovision are in the top 10 of most covered Eurovision songs.
At # 9 it's Dio Come Ti Amo, winner of the 1966 San Remo and 17th in the Eurovision Song Contest with zero poing. Another Italian entry that was robbed, failing to make an impression on the juries but proving it's longevity by becoming a standard recorded by everyone and their mother since.

At San Remo the song was also performed by the Italian goddess Gigliola Cinquetti, who sings my favorite version of the lot. She recorded the song in Italian, French, German*, Spanish and Japanese.
In total I have found details on versions in nine languages so far.
-
Other Eurovision stars that have recorded Dio Come Ti Amo are Betty Curtis, Iva Zanicchi, José Guardiola, Seija Simola, Jaime Morey and Salomé.
The most famous singer to record the song is Dame Shirley Bassey whose haunting version "Oh how much I love you" can be found on her albums Keep the music playing (1991) and Power Of Love (2001).
And here's a live version by Mondo Cane, Mike Patton of Faith No More fame's new project. A release of an album with Italian standards is planned for 2008.

Like # 10, Dio Come Ti Amo also has a big Japanese following but the most versions of the song were recorded in Brasil, including several that have been recorded in recent years.
I love the retro version by Karine Alexandrino (CD Querem acabar comigo, Roberto?, 2004) and the arty version (a.k.a. interpretation) by Ná Ozetti (CD Ná Ozzetti, 1988). Most Brazilian versions have been recorded in Italian with just a handful in Portuguese.
As a bonus there's a cheesy singing saw version (is it a Theremin?) by The Magnetic Sounds, who are in fact Os Carbonos, also from Brasil.

Release details on these and the other versions I know of can be found in this word.doc. Including details on Modugno's own versions as found in the Eurovision Collectors Guide.


*LOOKING FOR
Of the Gigliola Cinquetti versions I'm still looking for the German version Ich Lieb Dich Immer Mehr.

Domenico Modugno at BeaRecords