Granada (song) 5193651 225054759 2008-07-11T17:46:33Z 24.83.250.137 /* Selective list of recorded versions */ '''"Granada"''' is a popular [[Mexican]] song written by composer [[Agustín Lara]], which has become a standard. It is about the [[Spain|Spanish]] city of [[Granada]]. The most popular versions are: the original with [[Spanish language|Spanish]] lyrics by Lara (often sung [[opera|operatically]]); a version with [[English language|English]] lyrics by [[Australian]] [[lyricist]] [[Dorothy Dodd]]; and [[instrumental]] versions in jazz, pop, [[easy listening]], [[flamenco]] or rock styles. Other versions in English also exist (one with lyrics by Al Stewart, and one with lyrics by Robert Musel and Edward Lisbona) but these are much less common. There are also versions in [[German language|German]] and in other languages. The song has been [[cover version|covered]] many times. Popular versions include those by [[Frankie Laine]] who had the biggest hit version of it, [[Mario Lanza]] and [[Frank Sinatra]] and, in German, by [[Fritz Wunderlich]] and spanish pop-duo Baccara 1977. This music was much favoured by theatre organists in the hey-day of their broadcasting in the UK, not least because it provided an opportunity for showing off many of the organ's tuned [harp, glockenspiel, etc.] and non-tuned (castenets, tambourine] percussions. Because of the flamboyant nature of the tune, and the Spanish lyrics, "Granada" has been accepted by college music courses as an "[[art song]]." The piano accompaniment is also elaborate, requiring considerable skill to play. ==Lyrics== '''Lara's opening lyrics are:'''<br>''Granada tierra soñada por mi.''<br>''Mi cantar se vuelve gitano cuando es para ti.'' '''Dodd's version begins thus:'''<br>''Granada, I'm falling under your spell,''<br>''And if you could speak, what a fascinating tale you would tell.'' ==Selective list of recorded versions== *1944 [[Carlos Ramirez (singer)|Carlos Ramirez]] with [[Xavier Cugat]]'s Orchestra, from the US film ''Two Girls and a Sailor'' (Spanish lyrics). Cugat recorded an instrumental version in 1958. *1949 [[Mario Lanza]] *1951 [[Desi Arnaz]] *1951 [[Bing Crosby]] - English lyrics *1954 [[Frankie Laine]], US #17 - English lyrics *1954 [[Tommy Dorsey]] - [[big band]] instrumental *1956 [[Perez Prado]] *1956 [[John Serry, Sr.]] - [[accordion]] with instrumental ensemble *1958 [[Percy Faith]] - [[easy listening]] instrumental *1958 [[The Four Freshmen]] - English lyrics *1958 [[Jan Peerce]] *1961 [[Ben E. King]] - English lyrics (on the album ''Spanish Harlem'', US #57) *1961 [[Frank Sinatra]], US #64 - English lyrics *1961 [[Al Martino]], - Spanish lyrics *1961 [[Arthur Lyman]] - instrumental *1963 [[Edmundo Ros]] – English lyrics *1963 [[Trini Lopez]] - English lyrics *1963 [[Peter Nero]] – piano instrumental *1964 [[Vikki Carr]] - Spanish lyrics *1960s [[The Tornados]] - [[rock music|rock]] instrumental *1960s [[Violetta Villas]] - Spanish lyrics, Opera vocalizatoion *1967 [[Paco de Lucía]] - [[flamenco]] guitar *1969 [[Hugo Winterhalter]] - [[easy listening]] *1989 [[Red Army Choir|The Red Army Chorus]] *1991 [[Plácido Domingo]] – Spanish lyrics *1993 [[Carlos Montoya]] - flamenco guitar *1997 [[Gato Barbieri]] - [[jazz]] saxophone *1998 [[John Farnham]] & [[Anthony Warlow]] - Spanish & English lyrics *2002 [[Tania Maria]] – jazz piano *2003 [[The American Tenors]] - Spanish lyrics *2005 [[Brad Mehldau]] Trio - jazz piano *2005 [[Masafumi Akikawa]] - Spanish lyrics *2006 [[Katherine Jenkins]] - mezzo soprano, English lyrics *2007 [[True Symphonic Rockestra]] ([[James LaBrie]], [[Vladimir Grishko]], and [[Thomas Dewald]]) - Spanish Lyrics *2007 [[Mario Frangoulis]] - Spanish lyrics *2008 [[Estudantina Universitária de Coimbra]] - Spanish lyrics *[[Baccara]] - [[disco]] version, Spanish lyrics *[[Barry Crocker]] - English lyrics *[[Ben E. King]] *[[Bryn Terfel]] – Spanish lyrics *[[Connie Francis]] - Spanish lyrics *[[Eydie Gorme]] *[[Juan García Esquivel]] - instrumental *[[Howard Morrison]] *[[Jay and the Americans]] *[[Jerry Vale]] *[[Johnny Mathis]] *[[Jose Carreras]] - Spanish lyrics *[[Julian Bream]] - classical guitar *[[Luciano Pavarotti]] – Spanish lyrics *[[Mantovani]] - [[easy listening]] instrumental *[[James Last]] *[[Ted Heath (bandleader)|Ted Heath]] *[[Renata Tebaldi]] - Spanish lyrics *[[Stan Kenton]] - [[big band]] instrumental *[[The Ten Tenors]] - Spanish lyrics *[[Claudio Villa]] - Italian lyrics *[[Maurice Andre]] - Piccolo trumpets ==References== *http://www.allmusic.com *http://www.apra.com.au *http://www.bmi.com *http://www.ascap.com ==External links== {{pop-song-stub}} [[Category:1932 songs|Granada (song)]] [[Category:Spanish-language songs]] [[Category:Pop standards]] [[Category:Mexican songs]] [[de:Granada (Lied)]] [[es:Granada (canción)]]