{{Short description|none}} {{Italic title|string=The Godfather}} {{for|the Andy Williams album|Love Theme from "The Godfather" (album)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}} {{Infobox song | name = Love Theme from ''The Godfather'' | artist = Nino Rota (music) and Carlo Savina (conductor) | type = single | cover = Love theme from the godfather film version (US single).png | caption = US single for the instrumental film version | album = The Godfather | B-side = The Godfather Waltz (Main Title) | released = 1972 | length = 2:37 | label = Paramount | composer = Nino Rota }} "'''Love Theme from ''The Godfather'''''" is an instrumental theme from the 1972 film ''The Godfather'', composed by Nino Rota. The piece was lyricized in English by Larry Kusik into "'''Speak Softly, Love'''", a popular song released in 1972. The highest-charting rendition of either version was by vocalist Andy Williams, who took "Speak Softly Love" to number 34 on ''Billboard'' magazine's Hot 100<ref name = "AWUS100">{{Harvnb|Whitburn|2009|p=1060}}.</ref> and number seven on its Easy Listening chart.<ref name = "AWUSAC">{{Harvnb|Whitburn|2007|p=295}}.</ref>
==Background== {{Listen |filename=Love Theme From The Godfather.ogg |title=Love Theme from ''The Godfather'' |description=The famous theme, composed by Nino Rota |format=Ogg |pos=right }} Larry Kusik wrote the original, English lyrics, and Nino Rota composed the score. A previous version of the theme had been used in the 1958 Italian film ''Fortunella''.<ref>{{cite magazine | url=https://entertainment.time.com/2012/03/15/the-anniversary-you-cant-refuse-40-things-you-didnt-know-about-the-godfather/slide/the-films-music-was-honored-then-rejected-by-the-oscars/ | title=The Score Was Honored (And then Rejected) by the Oscars | magazine=Time | date=14 March 2012 | last1=Cruz | first1=Gilbert }}</ref> Different sets of lyrics for the song have been written in French (''Parle plus bas''), Italian (''Parla più piano''), Portuguese (''Fale baixinho''), Sicilian (''Brucia la terra''), and Spanish (''Amor háblame dulcemente'', ''El milagro de tu amor''). Dalida sings the French version; the Sicilian version is sung by Anthony Corleone (Franc D'Ambrosio) in ''The Godfather Part III''. It was first heard in America in 1969 on ''The Merv Griffin Show'' sung by Angela Bacari in English and Italian.
==Awards== Rota's score for ''The Godfather'' was nominated for a 1973 Academy Award for Best Original Score. However, it was disqualified from consideration when the academy learned Rota had used a more comedic version of the song for the film ''Fortunella'' (1958). The disqualification was under a rule that excluded "scores diluted by the use of tracked themes or other pre-existing music".<ref>{{cite magazine|author=Kris Tapley |url=https://www.variety.com/blog/890000489/post/370020437.html |title=Jonny Greenwood's 'Blood' score disqualified by AMPAS |magazine=Variety |date=21 January 2008 |access-date=4 March 2010 |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080709001250/http://www.variety.com/blog/890000489/post/370020437.html |archive-date=9 July 2008 }}</ref> Nonetheless, Rota's score for ''The Godfather Part II'' won the 1974 Academy Award for Best Score, despite the fact that it contained the same piece.
==Chart performance== The first version of the song to reach any of the charts in ''Billboard'' magazine was "Love Theme from ''The Godfather''" by pianist Roger Williams. His instrumental recording debuted in the issue dated 1 April 1972, and "bubbled under" the Hot 100 for five weeks, peaking at number 116,<ref name = "RWUS100">{{Harvnb|Whitburn|2009|p=1064}}.</ref> and another piano rendition by Ferrante and Teicher got as high as number 28 Easy Listening during its four-week chart run that began in the 8 April issue.<ref name = "FTUSAC">{{Harvnb|Whitburn|2007|p=95}}.</ref> The version that the film's music director, Carlo Savina, and his orchestra recorded for the soundtrack first charted on the Hot 100 in the 22 April issue and made it to number 66 during a nine-week chart run.<ref name = "CSUS100">{{Harvnb|Whitburn|2009|p=859}}.</ref> It also reached number 24 on the Easy Listening chart during its three weeks there that began in the 20 May issue.<ref name = "CSUSAC">{{Harvnb|Whitburn|2007|p=242}}.</ref>
==Charts (Love Theme)== {| class="wikitable sortable" |+ Weekly charts for the film version, conducted by Carlo Savina |- !align="left"|Chart (1972) !align="left"|Peak<br />position |- |align="left"|U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100<ref name =CSUS100/> | style="text-align:center;"|66 |- |align="left"|U.S. ''Billboard'' Easy Listening<ref name =CSUSAC/> | style="text-align:center;"|24 |- |}
{| class="wikitable" |+ Weekly charts for the Roger Williams version |- !align="left"|Chart (1972) !align="left"|Peak<br />position |- |align="left"|U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100<ref name =RWUS100/> | style="text-align:center;"|116 |- |}
{| class="wikitable" |+ Weekly charts for the Ferrante and Teicher version |- !align="left"|Chart (1972) !align="left"|Peak<br />position |- |align="left"|US ''Billboard'' Easy Listening<ref name =FTUSAC/> | style="text-align:center;"|28 |- |}
=="Speak Softly Love"== {{Infobox song | name = Love Theme from ''The Godfather'' (Speak Softly, Love) | image = Love Theme from The Godfather by Andy Williams US single red label.png | caption = One of side-A labels of the US single | type = single | artist = Andy Williams | album = '''Love Theme from "The Godfather"''' | B-side = Home for Thee | released = April 1972 | recorded = 18 February 1972<ref>(2002) Album notes for ''Love Theme From 'The Godfather'/The Way We Were'' by Andy Williams, [CD booklet]. New York: Sony Music.</ref> | studio = | venue = | genre = Pop, easy listening, soft rock | length = {{Duration|m=2|s=41}} | label = Columbia | writer = Larry Kusik, Nino Rota | producer = Dick Glasser | prev_title = Music from Across the Way | prev_year = 1972 | next_title = MacArthur Park | next_year = 1972 | misc = {{External music video|header=Audio|{{YouTube|3l3xsKBPqQw|"Speak Softly Love" by Andy Williams}}}} }}
The Andy Williams version of "Speak Softly Love" also made its first appearance in the 8 April issue and reached number 34 on the Hot 100 during its 11 weeks there<ref name =AWUS100/> and number seven Easy Listening over the course of 12 weeks.<ref name =AWUSAC/> A recording of the song by Al Martino debuted on both of those charts in the 29 April issue and peaked at number 80 during its four weeks on the Hot 100<ref name = "AMUS100">{{Harvnb|Whitburn|2009|p=623}}.</ref> and number 24 on the Easy Listening chart, where it also spent four weeks.<ref name = "AMUSAC">{{Harvnb|Whitburn|2007|p=177}}.</ref>
In the UK Williams began a run of nine weeks on 5 August of that year that led to a number 42 showing.<ref name = "AWUK">{{cite web|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/4530/andy-williams/|title=Andy Williams|publisher=Official Charts|access-date=15 May 2017}}</ref> In Spain, his version was a number-one hit, staying at the top of the charts for 15 weeks.<ref name = SP/>
===Charts (Speak Softly Love)=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |+ Weekly charts for the Andy Williams version |- !align="left"|Chart (1972) !align="left"|Peak<br />position |- |align="left"|Spain (AFYVE)<ref name = "SP">{{cite book|last=Salaverri|first=Fernando|title=Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002|edition=1st|date=September 2005|publisher=Fundación Autor-SGAE|location=Spain|isbn=84-8048-639-2}}</ref> |style="text-align:center;"|1 |- |align="left"|U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100<ref name =AWUS100/> | style="text-align:center;"|34 |- |align="left"|U.S. ''Billboard'' Adult Contemporary<ref name =AWUSAC/> | style="text-align:center;"|7 |- |align="left"|UK Singles Chart<ref name =AWUK/> | style="text-align:center;"|42 |- |}
{| class="wikitable sortable" |+ Weekly charts for the Al Martino version |- !align="left"|Chart (1972) !align="left"|Peak<br />position |- |align="left"|U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100<ref name =AMUS100/> | style="text-align:center;"|80 |- |align="left"|U.S. ''Billboard'' Easy Listening<ref name =AMUSAC/> | style="text-align:center;"|24 |- |}
==Recordings== * Slash of Guns N' Roses began performing instrumental guitar versions of the song as early as the late 1980s. The song is often referred to as "The Godfather Theme" and is included on his 2010 live album ''Live in Manchester'' and his 2011 live album ''Made in Stoke''. A studio recording exists and was recorded for a rare 2002 soundtrack titled ''The Kid Stays in the Picture''. *A Ukrainian version, "Skazhy shcho liubysh" ({{langx|uk|Скажи, що любиш}}; lit. Say what you love) was performed by Sofia Rotaru in the musical film ''Song Is Always with Us'' (1975), as the Soviet administration did not allow her to record an English cover of ''The Godfather''{{'}}s theme following an offer from Ariola Records. * James Booker included an instrumental version of the song on his album ''Classified''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/classified-mw0000204183|title=Classified - James Booker {{!}} Songs, Reviews, Credits|website=AllMusic|language=en-us|access-date=31 January 2019}}</ref> * Jason Kouchak sang the original Italian version Parla più piano as a tribute. * Paul Mauriat's rendition was used as the theme music in the Soviet short animated film ''Contact'' (1978), where the melody acts as a central plot device. * Bay Area rapper Mac Dre sampled the theme in his hip-hop song "Mafioso" from his album, ''Al Boo Boo'' (2003). * Hip-hop artist RZA of Wu-Tang Clan samples the theme in "Black Mozart" on Raekwon's album ''Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. II'' (2009). * A heavy metal cover of the song was done by the band Fantômas on their album ''The Director's Cut'' in 2001. * Andrea Bocelli recorded the Sicilian version for his 2015 album ''Cinema''. * Gianni Morandi performs a version of song in Italian. * Italian-French singer Dalida performed a French version of the song written by Boris Bergman in her 1972 album ''Il faut du temps''. * The Latino-Mediterranean band French Latino also performed the French version.<ref>{{cite web|title=French Latino - Parle Plus Bas| website=YouTube |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_Ui1XEqX7w|access-date=2022-10-24|publication-date=}}</ref> in their album ''Guarda la esperanza.'' * German singer Udo Lindenberg recorded a version with new German lyrics as the closing title track for his 2016 album ''Stärker als die Zeit.'' *Japanese singer Kiyohiko Ozaki recorded a cover with Japanese lyrics on his 1972 album ''Kieyo'72''. * Jamaican artist Ken Boothe covered the song on his 1974 album "Everything I Own (album)". * Finnish singer Fredi recorded a version "Puhu hiljaa rakkaudesta" with Finnish lyrics by Vexi Salmi in 1972. * Venezuelan singer Rudy Márquez recorded a self-adapted Spanish version, on his 1972 album [https://www.discogs.com/es/release/2467396-Rudy-Marquez-Háblame-Suavemente Háblame Suavemente]. * American singer Scott Walker covered the song on his 1972 album "The Moviegoer". * Hungarian singer Korda György released his version called ''Gyöngéden'' with Hungarian lyrics by Zsuzsa Váradi on his 1974 album ''Mondd, Hogy Szép Volt Az Este.'' * English opera singer Jonathan Antoine covered the song on his 2014 album "Tenore". The Whispers Speak Softly Love (Love Theme From "The Godfather") The Whispers cover of Andy Williams's 'Love Theme From the Godfather (Speak Softly Love) from their 1972 Janus Records album Life and breath .
==See also== *"Promise Me You'll Remember (Love Theme from ''The Godfather Part III'')"
==References== {{Reflist}}
==Bibliography== {{refbegin}} *{{citation | last = Whitburn | first = Joel | title = Joel Whitburn Presents Billboard Top Adult Songs, 1961-2006 | year = 2007 | publisher = Record Research Inc. | isbn = 978-0898201697 }} *{{citation | last = Whitburn | first = Joel | title = Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 1955-2008 | year = 2009 | publisher = Record Research Inc. | isbn = 978-0898201802 }} {{refend}}
==External links== * {{YouTube|8SL0EHHRwtI|André Rieu – "Love Theme from ''The Godfather''" (waltz)}} * {{cite web |url= http://www.piano-bar.com/pages/godfathe.htm |format= MIDI piano arrangement |title= Speak Softly, Love |date= 1998 |first= Luciano |last= Quinones |website= Piano Bar |url-status= dead |archive-date= 9 March 2012 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120309071213/http://www.piano-bar.com/midis/godfathe.mid }} * {{YouTube|V5Bs72F27bI|Paul Mauriat – Speak softly love}}
{{Godfather}} {{Andy Williams}} {{Nino Rota}} {{Authority control}}
Category:1972 singles Category:Columbia Records singles Category:Paramount Records singles Category:Songs with lyrics by Larry Kusik Category:Andy Williams songs Category:Scott Walker (singer) songs Love Theme From The Godfather Godfather Category:Film theme songs Category:Song recordings produced by Dick Glasser Category:Number-one singles in Spain Category:Compositions by Nino Rota Category:Compositions for symphony orchestra Category:Concert band pieces