| "Meglio stasera" | |
|---|---|
| Song | |
| Language | Italian |
| English title | It Had Better Be Tonight |
| Published | 1963 byNorthridge Music |
| Composer | Henry Mancini |
| Lyricists | Franco Migliacci (Italian);Johnny Mercer (English |
"Meglio stasera" (known in English as "It Had Better Be Tonight") is a 1963 song insamba rhythm with music byHenry Mancini, Italian lyrics byFranco Migliacci and English lyrics byJohnny Mercer. It was composed for the 1963 filmThe Pink Panther, in which it was performed byFran Jeffries. In addition to the vocal performance, instrumental portions of the song appear in the film's underscore, sometimes as an introduction to the main"Pink Panther Theme".
The beginning of the song, in the original Italian, is here followed by a literal translation and the first two lines of the English version which contains an Italian expression, "Fa' subito!", which translates as "do it right away", but which does not appear in the Italian lyrics. However, all the versions carry the same underlying meaning of "Let's make love tonight, because who knows what will happen tomorrow."
Dressed in a black cat-suit and singing in Italian, [Jeffries] slithered her way around an Alpine ski chalet performing... "Meglio Stasera" ... as the bewitched cast looked on.
— New York Times, 2016[1]
The song has been recorded in a number of versions. The Italian version performed byFran Jeffries appears in the film, but not on thesoundtrack album. An instrumental that resembles the underscore of Jeffries' version is included on the soundtrack album, as is a group vocal with only vaguely related English lyrics (which can be heard in the film during the fancy-dress ball and costume party whilst the attempted robbery is taking place). Another Italian version, arranged byEnnio Morricone and performed byMiranda Martino, in 1963, appears on the compilation albumDa Hollywood a Cinecittà. Morricone later also did an instrumental version on compilation albums. Another version appears in another Sellers, Blake Edwards & Mancini collaboration, the 1968 filmThe Party. Other singers to subsequently record the song includeSarah Vaughan, on her 1965 albumSarah Vaughan Sings the Mancini Songbook, andLena Horne. Aninstrumental lounge-style version was recorded by The Hub Kings on their albumThis Way.John Barrowman performed the song during his 2008 tour. AccordionistFrank Marocco recorded the song together with "Quando, quando, quando", as part of a two-song medley on his compilation albumBeyond the Sea. His arrangement appears in one of his sheet-music book combinations, titledLatin Rhythms. AChill-style remake of this song was done by Italian groupMondo Candido. It appears on the mix albumBuddha Bar V. Amambo-style version of the song was recorded by theswing revival groupLee Press-on and the Nails for the albumEl Bando en Fuego. A version of the song was recorded byMic Gillette on his albumEar Candy. A Spanish version was also recorded in Santiago, Chile, by Bambi, a popular singer in the mid-1960s. The title was "Mejor Ahora". The Greek singer Elli Paspala performed the Italian version on her 1993 live albumΗ Ελλη Πασπαλά στο Μέγαρο Μουσικής (Elli Paspala at the Concert Hall). A singer from Israel, Ludmila Shapira recorded Yiddish version, Farnakht iz beser, in 2025 with lyrics by Lenny Misikoff on YouTube.
| "It Had Better Be Tonight (Meglio Stasera)" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single byMichael Bublé | ||||
| from the albumCall Me Irresponsible | ||||
| Released | December 8, 2007 | |||
| Recorded | 2007 | |||
| Genre | Jazz, Traditional Pop | |||
| Length | 3:06 | |||
| Label | 143,Reprise | |||
| Songwriters | Franco Migliacci,Johnny Mercer,Henry Mancini | |||
| Michael Bublé singles chronology | ||||
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| Promotional Music Video | ||||
| "It Had Better Be Tonight" (Hook) at ContactMusic.com | ||||
"It Had Better Be Tonight (Meglio Stasera)" was later covered by CanadiancroonerMichael Bublé, and released as the fourth single from his third studio album,Call Me Irresponsible. Bublé's version of the song is an adaptation of themusical arrangement previously made forLena Horne.
Bublé's version of the song reached #74 in theUK Singles Chart after being used in an advertising campaign forMarks & Spencer. The track became one of Bublé's most remixed songs, with mixes byEddie Amador being made available for download. No music video was made to accompany the release, as Bublé was away on tour at the time of the single's release. A promotional physical version of the single was made available in theUnited States, where other countries only received a digital release of the single.[2]
| Chart (2007) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Hot 100 | 89 |
| UK Singles Chart | 74 |
