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| ORIGINAL RELEASE ARTWORK |
1955
CHERRY PINK AND APPLE BLOSSOM WHITE
= Composer : Louiguy =
(Cereza Rosa)
(Cerisier rose et pommier blanc)
(Gummy Mambo)
PEREZ PRADO
BIRTH OF A SONG
Louis Guiglielmi Louiguy (born in Barcelona) emigrated to France when he was still very young. Despite his classical music studies, his interest eventually went to popular songs. Next to this particular song, the other composition he wrote that also became very famous, is "La Vie en Rose" (forever linked to the legendary Edith Piaf). Louiguy composed "Cereza Rosa" in 1950 and soon after its release both French and English lyrics were added. (Jacques Larue and Mack David (brother of Hal David). The French version was recorded by André Claveau and Yvette Giraud but only had limited success. An English version by Georgia Gibbs, recorded in 1951, didn't do so well in the charts either. But when Perez Prado and His Orchestra recorded their version for the movie "Underwater" (starring Jane Russell) in 1955 - featurung trumpeter Billy Regis, whose trumpet sound would slide down and up before the melody would resume - it became a major hit worldwide. Arranged slower than his usual mambo's (it was a cha cha cha) it, besides Regis fabulous trumpet solo, also utilized that period's state of the art recording technology. Regis' horn playing is captivating with lingering, undulating punctuated notes. A vocal version recorded by Alan Dale after the release of the film, became the most popular vocal rendition in the USA.
IN THE HIT PARADE
In the UK, two versions of the song went to # 1 in 1955. The first was the Perez Prado version which reached # 1 for two weeks. Less than a month later, a version by British trumpeter Eddie Calvert reached #1 for four weeks.
In the US, the Prado version reached the # 1 position of the Billboard charts. It stayed on that first position for several weeks.
DID YOU KNOW
* The song has been covered by at least 70 different artists (vocalists and instrumentalists alike)
* The song was a tremendous success in many other European countries, and also in Japan
* Perez Prado played a small part (as himself) in the film (directed by John Sturges), accompanying a dancing Jane Russell with his Orchestra
* The story goes that after trumpet player Regis began to draw applause for his solos during personal appearances, Prado would stand directly in front of him, pretending to play the trumpet.
FACTS AND FIGURES
* "Cherry Pink and Apple blossom white" belongs to the 10 most played "exotica" standards
* In total, Prado's version was in the charts for 26 weeks
A PERSONAL VIDEO SELECTION
ORIGINAL 
JIMMY DORSEY ORCHESTRA
VOCALS BY PAT O CONNOR AND SANDY EVANS
PAT BOONE
HELMUT ZACHARIAS 
UNUSUAL ARRANGEMENT JBARRY 
ELGART'S VERSION
ACCORDEON 
PIANO
QUOTES
About The Song
" It was a superb recording technically for the time, with jukebox bass that could rattle the windows "
About Perez Prado's music
" In the nineties, it became chic to use Prado instrumentals in ads, on TV and as incidental music; perhaps this is the ultimate tribute to the music of Perez Prado "
( Donald Clarke )
IF YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE
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