1975 single by George Baker Selection
"Paloma Blanca " (Spanish for "white dove"), often called "Una Paloma Blanca ", is a song written by Dutch musicianGeorge Baker (under his real name, Johannes Bouwens) and first recorded and released by his band,George Baker Selection . The single—the title track of the group's fifth album—was released in 1975 with "Dreamboat" (or "Dream Boat") as itsB-side .[ 1] No. 1 in Austria, Finland, Flanders , Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland, and it also topped the charts of New Zealand and South Africa.
In the United States, the song became a No. 1 hit on theBillboard Easy Listening Singles chart on 14 February 1976 (becoming that chart's overall No. 1 song for 1976), peaked at No. 26 on theBillboard Hot 100Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. In Canada and the United Kingdom, "Paloma Blanca" peaked at No. 10, and in Australia, it reached No. 2. The song sold over two million copies worldwide.[ 2]
Baker has been quoted as saying the song is about "a poor South American farmer who works hard all day and then sits by a tree and dreams of being a white bird with its freedom."[ 3]
Chart (1975) Rank Australia (Kent Music Report)[ 28] [ 29] 11 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[ 30] 2 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[ 31] 1 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[ 32] 1 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[ 33] 1 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[ 34] 4 South Africa (Springbok Radio)[ 35] 6 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[ 36] 2 West Germany (Official German Charts)[ 37] 1
Chart (1976) Rank Australia (Kent Music Report)[ 38] 94 Canada Top Singles (RPM )[ 39] 110 US Easy Listening (Billboard )[ 40] 1 US (Joel Whitburn 'sPop Annual )[ 41] 157
Following the George Baker Selection's success, the song was widelycovered . In the UK, where the group took "Paloma Blanca" to a number 10 chart peak, the recording byJonathan King achieved number five.[ 42]
In 1976, EnglishScrumpy and Western bandthe Wurzels created a cover version titled "I Am a Cider Drinker" that contains a number of references to ruralWest Country life, includingscrumpy ,rabbit stew ,combine harvesters and evenings at the localpub . The single was a number-three hit on theUK singles chart .[ 43]
^ Paloma Blanca (Dutch 7-inch single vinyl disc).George Baker Selection . Negram. 1975. NG 496.{{cite AV media notes }}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link )^ "George Baker" (PDF) .Billboard . Retrieved3 July 2020 .^ "What's in a name?" .Greeley Daily Tribune . No. February 7, 1976. p. 11.Archived from the original on 13 September 2019. Retrieved14 September 2019 .^ Kent, David (1993).Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 25.ISBN 0-646-11917-6 ^ "George Baker Selection – Paloma Blanca" (in German).Ö3 Austria Top 40 . ^ "George Baker Selection – Paloma Blanca" (in Dutch).Ultratop 50 . Retrieved 3 July 2020. ^ "George Baker Selection – Paloma Blanca" (in French).Ultratop 50 . Retrieved 3 July 2020. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 4074a ."RPM Library and Archives Canada . Retrieved 3 July 2020. ^ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 4064 ."RPM Library and Archives Canada . Retrieved 3 July 2020. ^ "Top RPM Country Tracks: Issue 6462 ."RPM Library and Archives Canada . Retrieved 3 July 2020. ^ "Hits of the World – Denmark" (PDF) .Billboard . Retrieved3 July 2020 .^ "George Baker Selection: Paloma Blanca" (in Finnish).Musiikkituottajat . ^ "Hits of the World – Italy" (PDF) .Billboard . Retrieved3 July 2020 .^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – George Baker Selection" (in Dutch).Dutch Top 40 . ^ "George Baker Selection – Paloma Blanca" (in Dutch).Single Top 100 . ^ "George Baker Selection – Paloma Blanca" .Top 40 Singles . ^ "George Baker Selection – Paloma Blanca" .VG-lista . ^ "SA Number 1s 1965 – 1989" .rock.co.za . Retrieved26 May 2018 .^ "Hits of the World – Spain" (PDF) .Billboard . Retrieved3 July 2020 .^ "George Baker Selection – Paloma Blanca" .Singles Top 100 . ^ "George Baker Selection – Paloma Blanca" .Swiss Singles Chart . ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100" .Official Charts Company . Retrieved 3 July 2020.^ "Billboard Hot 100" (PDF) .Billboard . Retrieved3 July 2020 .^ Whitburn, Joel (2002).Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001 . Record Research. p. 27.^ Whitburn, Joel (2004).The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006 (second ed.). Record Research. p. 37.^ "Cash Box Top 100 Singles, February 14, 1976" . Archived fromthe original on 22 March 2016. Retrieved5 December 2017 .^ "Offiziellecharts.de – George Baker Selection – Paloma Blanca" (in German) .GfK Entertainment charts . Retrieved 3 July 2020. To see peak chart position, click "TITEL VON George Baker Selection" ^ Kent, David (1993).Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (Illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book.ISBN 0-646-11917-6 ^ "National Top 100 Singles for 1975" .Kent Music Report . 29 December 1975. Retrieved15 January 2022 – viaImgur .^ "Jahreshitparade Singles 1975" (in German). Retrieved3 July 2020 .^ "Jaaroverzichten 1975" (in Dutch).Ultratop . Retrieved3 July 2020 .^ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1975" . Dutch Top 40. Retrieved6 May 2021 .^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1975" (in Dutch).MegaCharts . Retrieved3 July 2020 .^ "End of Year Charts 1975" .Recorded Music NZ . Retrieved3 July 2020 .^ "Top 20 Hit Singles of 1975" .South African Rock Lists . Retrieved3 July 2020 .^ "Swiss Year-End Charts 1975" (in German). Retrieved3 July 2020 .^ "Top 100 Single–Jahrescharts 1975" (in German). Retrieved20 June 2018 .^ "National Top 100 Singles for 1976" .Kent Music Report . 27 December 1976. Retrieved15 January 2022 – viaImgur .^ "Top 200 Singles of '76" .RPM Library and Archives Canada . Retrieved3 July 2020 .^ "Top 50 Adult Contemporary Hits of 1976 - 45cat" .^ Whitburn, Joel (1999).Pop Annual . Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc.ISBN 0-89820-142-X ^ "UNA PALOMA BLANCA" .Official Charts . 6 September 1975.^ "1000 number ones: The Seventies" .Music Week the original on 13 August 2011 – viaWayback Machine .
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