| "Dio, come ti amo" | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Single byDomenico Modugno | |
| Language | Italian |
| B-side | Io di più |
| Released | 1966 |
| Label | Curci |
| Songwriter | Domenico Modugno |
| Eurovision Song Contest 1966 entry | |
| Country | |
| Artist | |
| Language | |
| Composer | Domenico Modugno |
| Lyricist | Domenico Modugno |
| Conductor | |
| Finals performance | |
| Final result | 17th |
| Final points | 0 |
| Entry chronology | |
| ◄ "Se piangi, se ridi" (1965) | |
| "Non andare più lontano" (1967) ► | |
| "Dio, come ti amo" | |
|---|---|
| Single byGigliola Cinquetti | |
| Language | Italian |
| B-side | Vuoi |
| Released | 1966 |
| Label | CGD |
| Songwriter | Domenico Modugno |
"Dio, come ti amo" (Italian for 'God, How I Love You') is a song recorded by both Italian singersDomenico Modugno andGigliola Cinquetti, composed and written by Modugno himself. The song won theSanremo Music Festival 1966 andrepresented Italy – performed by Modugno – in theEurovision Song Contest 1966, held inLuxembourg.
The song was composed byDomenico Modugno. It is a ballad, in which the singer tells his/her lover how he feels about her/him. The singer expresses his/her amazement at the depth of his/her own feelings, with the title phrase being used frequently.[1]
On 27–29 January 1966, "Dio, come ti amo" competed in the16th edition of theSanremo Music Festival performed by both Modugno andGigliola Cinquetti, and winning the competition. As the festival was used byRadiotelevisione italiana (RAI) to select its song and performer for the11th edition of theEurovision Song Contest, the song became theItalian entry for the contest. An experts jury appointed Modugno as the performer for Eurovision.[2]
Modugno released then the song also in English (as "Oh, how much I love you"), German (as "Ich lieb' dich immer mehr"), and in two Spanish versions ("Dios mío, como te quiero" and "Dios, como te amo").[1]
On 5 March 1966, the Eurovision Song Contest was held atVilla Louvigny inLuxembourg hosted by theCompagnie Luxembourgeoise de Télédiffusion (CLT), and broadcast live throughout the continent. Modugno performed "Dio, come ti amo" fourteenth on the evening, followingMonaco's "Bien plus fort" byTéréza and precedingFrance's "Chez nous" byDominique Walter.[3]
The song had been rearranged since its performance at Sanremo. During rehearsals, mere hours before the live contest, Modugno performed the new arrangement with three of his own musicians as opposed to the orchestra, which went over the three minute time limit. This broke theEuropean Broadcasting Union (EBU) rules stating that the arrangement should be communicated well in advance and should not be over three minutes. Following his rehearsal, Modugno was confronted by the show's producers about exceeding the time limit and was asked to use the original arrangement with the orchestra. Modugno was so dissatisfied with the orchestra that he threatened to withdraw from the contest. Both the producers and EBU scrutineerClifford Brown felt it was too short notice to fly Cinquetti to Luxembourg to perform the song, so the EBU gave in and allowed Modugno to use his own ensemble instead of the orchestra. Despite news reports and the official programme listingAngelo Giacomazzi [it] as the conductor, Giacomazzi actually played the piano for the entry.[4][5]
At the close of voting, the song had receivednul points (zero), for the first and also the only time in Italian Eurovision history, placing seventeenth (equal last) in a field of eighteen. It was succeeded as Italian representative at the1967 contest by "Non andare più lontano" byClaudio Villa.
Cinquetti starred in amusicarello film titledDio, come ti amo! [it] released in 1966, accompanied byMark Damon,Raimondo Vianello, andNino Taranto.
| Chart (1966) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Argentina (CAPIF)[6] Gigliola Cinquetti Italian version | 2 |
| Brazil (IBOPE)[7] Gigliola Cinquetti Italian version | 6 |
| Italy (Musica e dischi)[8] Domenico Modugno Italian version | 1 |
| Peru (La Prensa)[9] Gigliola Cinquetti Spanish version | 1 |
| Spain (AFYVE) | 5 |
