Arlekino

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2023}}{{Short description|1975 song by Alla Pugacheva}} {{Infobox song | name = Arlekino | cover = Arlekino (Alla Pugacheva).png | alt = | border = yes | type = single | artist = [[Alla Pugacheva]] | album = [[Arlekino i drugiye]] | language = [[Russian language|Russian]] | English_title = | B-side = * "Posidim pookayem" * "Ty snishsya mne" | written = | published = | released = 21 June 1975 | recorded = 1975 | studio = | genre = [[Pop music|Pop]] | length = 4:30 | label = [[Melodiya]] | composer = [[Emil Dimitrov]] | lyricist = Boris Barkas | producer = | prev_title = | prev_year = | next_title = | next_year = | misc = {{External music video|type=single|{{YouTube|rFQfc8zvSOQ|"Arlekino"}}}} }} "'''Arlekino'''" ({{langx|ru|Арлекино}}; English: ''Harlequin'') is a song by [[Russians|Russian]] singer [[Alla Pugacheva]]. The song was co-authored by Bulgarian composer [[Emil Dimitrov]] and Russian poet Boris Barkas. In 1975, the song was recorded in the studio and released on the singer's first solo extended play ''Arlekino''. It simultaneously became a staple at live performances. For this song, Alla Pugacheva was awarded the Grand Prix of the 1975 [[Golden Orpheus|Golden Orpheus international song contest]] in [[Bulgaria]].<ref name="Встреча с «Золотым Орфеем»">{{cite web|url=http://www.pugacheva-disc.ru/displayimage.php?album=176&pos=7|title=Встреча с "Золотым Орфеем". Страницы фестивального дневника|author=Zavadskaya N.|date=1975|publisher=Muzykalnaya zhizn|language=ru|access-date=2012-10-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130211192541/http://www.pugacheva-disc.ru/displayimage.php?album=176&pos=7|url-status=live|archive-date=2013-02-11}}</ref><ref name="«Золотой Орфей» Аллы Пугачевой">{{cite web|url=http://allapugacheva.pro/zolotoi-orfei-ally-pugachevoi|title="Золотой Орфей" Аллы Пугачевой|author=И. Титов.|date=1975-06-14|publisher=Sovetskaya kultura|language=ru|access-date=2012-10-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120602151758/http://allapugacheva.pro/zolotoi-orfei-ally-pugachevoi|url-status=dead|archive-date=2012-06-02}}</ref>

The single became an international hit in [[Eastern Europe]], the [[Baltic states|Baltics]] and [[Central Asia]]. It was most popular in Bulgaria and [[Germany]]. Total sales of the single in the [[Post-Soviet states|former USSR]] and the world amounted to 14 million copies.<ref>{{Cite web |title=ПУГАЧЁВА Алла Борисовна |url=http://www.biograph.ru/index.php/whoiswho/6/980-pugachevaab |access-date=2024-08-14 |website=www.biograph.ru}}</ref>

In 2023, a remix of the song created by Geoffplaysguitar became the soundtrack to the game ''[[Atomic Heart]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Схватки с роботами под "Арлекино" Аллы Пугачевой в новом трейлере Atomic Heart |url=https://rpgdon.com/article/item/shvatki-s-robotami-pod-arlekino-allyi-pugachevoj-v-novom-trejlere-atomic-heart/ |access-date=2024-08-14 |website=rpgdon.com}}</ref>

==Background== Initially, it was planned that another artist would represent the Soviet Union on [[Golden Orpheus|Golden Orpheus international song contest]], but in the end this honor fell to Alla Pugacheva, the soloist of [[Vesyolye Rebyata]]. According to the terms of the contest, it was necessary to perform three songs, including one song in Bulgarian. "Arlekino" came to Pugacheva from [[Emil Dimitrov]] himself; as it turned out, it was a song from his repertoire, with which he won the contest in [[Sopot International Song Festival|Sopot]] in 1964. Pugacheva liked the melody, and the Russian text was written by Boris Barkas.{{sfn|Razzakov|2003|p=28}}

Pugacheva came up with the image of a sad clown for performances and the famous laugh that sounds between verses. She later assessed the song as an ideal combination of text, music and arrangement, which gave her the freedom of creative approach to creating an image, facial expressions, gestures for performance.{{sfn|Razzakov|2003|p=28}}

==Golden Orpheus performances== On 3 June 1975, the Golden Orpheus competition began in Bulgaria. Pugacheva successfully reached the final, where she performed the song "Ty snishsya mne", followed by "Arlekino", and the audience asked her to perform an encore. On 7 June, the final evening took place, when all the winners performed their songs. With the prepared number of Pugacheva, when she was supposed to appear on a huge hand, there was a hitch, because the British singer [[Carl Wayne]] decided to perform his song for an encore, and at that time a hand with Pugacheva fell on the stage. As a result, Pugacheva stayed on stage until the end of the song and sang the final phrase for Wayne. Pugacheva herself performed "Arlekino" that evening as an encore.{{sfn|Razzakov|2003|p=31}}

The contest was broadcast throughout Bulgaria, it was also watched by eight-year-old Philipp Kirkorov, the future singer and husband of Pugacheva.{{sfn|Razzakov|2003|p=30}} In the Soviet Union, however, the competition was shown only a month later due to the negative reaction of the chairman of [[State Committee of Television and Radio Broadcasting of the Soviet Union|Gosteleradio]] [[Sergey Lapin (diplomat)|Sergey Lapin]].{{sfn|Razzakov|2003|p=32}}

==Release== This EP was released on 21 June 1975 in the Soviet Union.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://allapugacheva.pro/arlekino-posidim-pookaem-ty-snishsya-mne|title=Арлекино / Посидим, поокаем / Ты снишься мне|publisher=Официальный сайт Аллы Пугачёвой|language=ru|access-date=2012-10-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120917124422/http://allapugacheva.pro/arlekino-posidim-pookaem-ty-snishsya-mne|url-status=dead|archive-date=2012-09-17}}</ref> It was her first solo EP (with studio recordings); before this, she appeared only on compilations. Alongside the lead single "Arlekino", there were two B-sides: "Posidim, pookayem" and "Ty snishsya mne". Although all songs saw popularity in the USSR, they were released only on her second studio album ''[[Arlekino i drugiye]]'' in 1979.

After Pugacheva's win in the 1975 Golden Orpheus international song contest, [[Balkanton]] released a series of live recordings from the contest. All songs in Russian.

Sales of the single amounted to a record 14 million copies.<ref name="Kommersant">{{cite web|url=https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/1175515|title=Как закалялась Алла|date=25 May 2009|website=[[Kommersant]]|access-date=20 July 2023|language=ru}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=ПУГАЧЁВА Алла Борисовна |url=http://www.biograph.ru/index.php/whoiswho/6/980-pugachevaab |access-date=2024-08-14 |website=www.biograph.ru}}</ref>

==German version== {{Infobox song | name = Harlekino | cover = | type = Single | artist = Alla Pugacheva | album = | B-side = "Auch ohne Dich werde ich leben" | released = 1976 | format = | recorded = April 1976 | studio = | genre = [[Pop music|Pop]] | length = 4:30 | label = [[Amiga (record label)|Amiga]] | composer = Emil Dimitrov | lyricist = * Wolfgang Brandenstein * Arndt Bause | producer = | prev_title = Arlekino | prev_year = 1975 | next_title = [[Do svidanya, leto]] | next_year = 1976 }} This single was recorded by Pugacheva during her tour in the GDR in April 1976 and released in Germany (GDR) by [[Amiga (record label)|Amiga]] in 1976. According to the official discography of the singer, it is her third single.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://allapugacheva.pro/harlekino-auch-ohne-dich-werde-ich-leben-germaniya|title=Harlekino / Auch ohne Dich werde ich leben (Германия)|publisher=Официальный сайт Аллы Пугачёвой|language=ru|access-date=2012-11-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120602120445/http://allapugacheva.pro/harlekino-auch-ohne-dich-werde-ich-leben-germaniya|url-status=dead|archive-date=2012-06-02}}</ref> The recording of the song "Harlekino" in German was due to the song's high popularity in East Germany.

In addition to being released as a single, the German version of the song "Harlekino" was released on two compilations "Amiga Box 3-76" and "Die grossen Erfolge '76".

==Track listing== ;7" single (USSR) {{Track listing |collapsed = |total_length = 4:30 |headline = '''Side one'''

|title1 = Арлекино |note1 = "Arlekino" |lyrics1 = Boris Barkas |music1 = [[Emil Dimitrov]] Pavel Slobodkin (reworking) |length1 = 4:30 }} {{Track listing |collapsed = |total_length = 7:07 |headline = '''Side two'''

|title3 = Ты снишься мне |note3 = "Ty snishsya mne" |lyrics3 = [[Nikolay Shumakov]] |music3 = Alexey Mazhukov |length3 = 3:42 }} ;7" single ([[People's Republic of Bulgaria|Bulgaria]]) {{Track listing |collapsed = |total_length = 5:18 |headline = '''Side one'''

|title1 = Арлекино |note1 = live) ("Arlekino" |lyrics1 = Boris Barkas |music1 = Emil Dimitrov Pavel Slobodkin (reworking) |length1 = 5:18 }} {{Track listing |collapsed = |total_length = 6:00 |headline = '''Side two'''

|title1 = Сънувам те |note1 = live) ("Snuvam te" |lyrics1 = Nikolay Shumakov |music1 = Alexey Mazhukov |length1 = 6:00 }} ;7" single ([[East Germany|GDR]]) {{Track listing |collapsed = |total_length = 4:30 |headline = '''Side one'''

|title1 = Harlekino |note1 = |lyrics1 = Wolfgang Brandenstein [[Arndt Bause]] |music1 = Emil Dimitrov |length1 = 4:30 }} {{Track listing |collapsed = |total_length = 3:55 |headline = '''Side two'''

|title1 = Auch ohne Dich werde ich leben |note1 = |lyrics1 = Wolfgang Brandenstein Arndt Bause |music1 = Arndt Bause |length1 = 3:55 }}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==Bibliography== * {{cite book|last=Razzakov|first=Fyodor|date=2003|title=Алла Пугачёва: По ступеням славы|trans-title=Alla Pugacheva: On the steps of glory|language=Russian|location=Moscow|publisher=[[Eksmo]]|isbn=5-8153-0059-4}} * {{cite book| author = Belyakov O.A. | title = Алла Пугачёва |location= Moscow |date = 2009 |publisher= Молодая гвардия | isbn = 978-5-235-03230-9}}

[[Category:1975 songs]] [[Category:Alla Pugacheva songs]] [[Category:1975 singles]] [[Category:1976 singles]] [[Category:Songs in Russian]] [[Category:Soviet songs]] [[Category:Melodiya singles]]