Results 1 to 20 of 20

Thread: O Sole Mio

  1. #1
    Registered User Billy Packard's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Grass Valley
    Posts
    885
    Billy Packard
    Gilchrist A3, 1993
    Stiver Fern, 1990
    Weber Fern, 2007
    Gibson F4 Hybrid #1, D. Harvey 2009
    Gibson 1923 A2
    Numerous wonderful guitars

  2. The following members say thank you to Billy Packard for this post:


  3. #2
    Professional Dreamer journeybear's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Northeastern South Carolina, west of North Carolina
    Posts
    15,346
    Blog Entries
    2

    Default Re: O Sole Mio

    That may be so. This ain't, though. Overwrought singing, overdriven camerawork, and not a mandolin in sight. This gets a little old "meh" from little old me. I know, I know - I'm a killjoy, IMO, and YMMV.

    This is more like it, to my way of thinking. A subtly inventive arrangement incorporating tradition and innovation.

    But that's just my opinion. I could be wrong. - Dennis Miller

    Furthering Mandolin Consciousness

    Finders Keepers, my duo with the astoundingly talented and versatile Patti Rothberg. Our EP is finally done, and available! PM me, while they last!

  4. The following members say thank you to journeybear for this post:


  5. #3
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Jul 2014
    Location
    Norfolk, VA
    Posts
    800

    Default Re: O Sole Mio

    The Packard version has passion, excitement and pizzazz and some really virtuoso singing. The Journeybear version, while it does feature mandolins, is boring, dry, stiff, subtly inventive and uninteresting. And so it goes.

  6. The following members say thank you to Hudmister for this post:


  7. #4
    Professional Dreamer journeybear's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Northeastern South Carolina, west of North Carolina
    Posts
    15,346
    Blog Entries
    2

    Default Re: O Sole Mio

    And I thought I was a killjoy. Hoo boy!
    But that's just my opinion. I could be wrong. - Dennis Miller

    Furthering Mandolin Consciousness

    Finders Keepers, my duo with the astoundingly talented and versatile Patti Rothberg. Our EP is finally done, and available! PM me, while they last!

  8. #5
    Registered User Bruce Clausen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    Vancouver Island
    Posts
    1,541

    Default Re: O Sole Mio

    Quote Originally Posted by Hudmister View Post
    The Packard version has passion, excitement and pizzazz and some really virtuoso singing.
    And is only available to Facebook members. Is there any way the rest of us could see it?

  9. #6
    Administrator Mandolin Cafe's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 1998
    Location
    Lawrence, KS
    Posts
    3,835
    Blog Entries
    14

    Default Re: O Sole Mio

    Quote Originally Posted by Bruce Clausen View Post
    And is only available to Facebook members. Is there any way the rest of us could see it?

  10. The Following 6 Users Say Thank You to Mandolin Cafe For This Useful Post:


  11. #7
    Professional Dreamer journeybear's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Northeastern South Carolina, west of North Carolina
    Posts
    15,346
    Blog Entries
    2

    Default Re: O Sole Mio

    Hmmm. I believe you meant Il Volo. Let's see if this works. It's supposed to ...

    https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=225441448654523

    Wonder why that didn't work? Well, Scott got it, via youtube.

    Be careful what you wish for. One person's virtuoso is another person's hack ...
    But that's just my opinion. I could be wrong. - Dennis Miller

    Furthering Mandolin Consciousness

    Finders Keepers, my duo with the astoundingly talented and versatile Patti Rothberg. Our EP is finally done, and available! PM me, while they last!

  12. #8
    Registered User Frankdolin's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    near Boston, MA
    Posts
    859

    Default Re: O Sole Mio

    A Great ,genuine,and true to the songs roots, performance. Sooo nice to see young people singing this music!

  13. The following members say thank you to Frankdolin for this post:


  14. #9
    Registered User Bren's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2002
    Location
    Aberdeen, Scotland
    Posts
    1,036

    Default Re: O Sole Mio

    The Ugly: That's me in the suit playing mandolin and flubbing notes at a trade show in Ravenna, Italy.

    The Bad: My large Italian colleague, The Man With No Name, is an even worse singer than me. He's also an Italian rugby player from Veneto region, so I'm not saying much about that.

    The Good: It's only 20 seconds long.

    Bren

  15. #10
    Martin Stillion mrmando's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2002
    Location
    Seattle
    Posts
    13,103

    Default Re: O Sole Mio

    Or you can have it both ways ...



    (Who directed this? Say what you want about the music, but as filmmaking it's utter garbage: Elvis gives one of his backup singers a solo and we never get to see that person's face.)
    Emando.com: More than you wanted to know about electric mandolins.

    Notorious: My Celtic CD--listen & buy!

    Lyon & Healy • Wood • Thormahlen • Andersen • Bacorn • Yanuziello • Fender • National • Gibson • Franke • Fuchs • Aceto • Three Hungry Pit Bulls

  16. #11
    Professional Dreamer journeybear's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Northeastern South Carolina, west of North Carolina
    Posts
    15,346
    Blog Entries
    2

    Default Re: O Sole Mio

    Agreed. It's the singer's one moment in the spotlight out of the whole show, and the camera stays on Mr. Sneer's face. Pretty darned rude.

    Reminds me of this song by Cowboy Junkies. Jeff Bird is just tearing it up on electric mandolin, but you'd never know that's what's being played, because all the way through the video, even during both solos, the camera stays on Margo. Granted, she's better looking than Jeff, but the action at those times is over at stage right.

    But that's just my opinion. I could be wrong. - Dennis Miller

    Furthering Mandolin Consciousness

    Finders Keepers, my duo with the astoundingly talented and versatile Patti Rothberg. Our EP is finally done, and available! PM me, while they last!

  17. #12
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Jul 2014
    Location
    Norfolk, VA
    Posts
    800

    Default Re: O Sole Mio

    Just wondering, did Frank Sinatra ever cover O Sole Mio or maybe Dean Martin?

  18. #13

    Default Re: O Sole Mio




    "I play BG so that's what I can talk intelligently about." A line I loved and pirated from Mandoplumb

  19. The following members say thank you to FLATROCK HILL for this post:


  20. #14
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Jul 2014
    Location
    Norfolk, VA
    Posts
    800

    Default Re: O Sole Mio

    While I was listening to the Dean Martin version my wife asked me if I'd like to dance so thanks for that Blackrock. Old Dino was smooth. I can definitely hear mandolins in the band so it's all good.

  21. #15
    Professional Dreamer journeybear's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Northeastern South Carolina, west of North Carolina
    Posts
    15,346
    Blog Entries
    2

    Default Re: O Sole Mio

    Yeah, Dino (or one or another of his producers) seems to have been fond of mandolin. "That's Amore" begins with what sounds like a cloud of mandolins merrily trilling away. I'd never noticed it before unto "The Hangover" opened with it. The way that sounded in Doly Surround Sound - ah, la vita ι bella!


    It should surprise no one that I prefer both of these versions to the OP. Of the two I probably prefer Dino's, although I could do without the soupy background vocalists. There's something very warm and welcoming about Dino's voice. Both vocalists take an understated approach, which leaves them room to expand and build emotionality for the finale.

    It's worth noting that neither Dean nor Elvis were singing strict translations of the original lyrics. I'm not sure why, but this practice did seem commonplace at the time. It could be that the emotionality of the idioms used in the original Italian lyrics weren't felt to translate well into English, and I tend to agree with that assessment. The words to "Now Or Never" have long seemed a bit off. After swearing during the verse to his longing for a long time, very romantically, Elvis turns around in the chorus to demand immediate satisfaction - or else. Is that supposed to be romantic? Or even consistent?
    Last edited by journeybear; Aug-05-2021 at 1:07pm. Reason: just one more thing ...
    But that's just my opinion. I could be wrong. - Dennis Miller

    Furthering Mandolin Consciousness

    Finders Keepers, my duo with the astoundingly talented and versatile Patti Rothberg. Our EP is finally done, and available! PM me, while they last!

  22. #16
    Mando-Afflicted lflngpicker's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    So Cal
    Posts
    2,239
    Blog Entries
    6

    Default Re: O Sole Mio

    In my performer days, in addition to my folk rock singer-songwriter stuff, I did impressions with my guitar and vocals of Elvis. “It’s Now or Never” was one of my numbers. The tab for the original in the Mandolin for Dummies book is an arrangement I enjoy playing on mandolin.
    2014 BRW F5 #114
    2022 Kentucky KM 950 Master Model

    YouTube Original Recording of My composition "Closer Walk"

  23. #17
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Jul 2014
    Location
    Norfolk, VA
    Posts
    800

    Default Re: O Sole Mio

    Holy Moly, I just noticed my last post was number 666 so another post is needed to move things along. While I'm at it I must observe that the Frank Sinatra version of O Sole Mio (post #13) is perhaps the poorest performance I've heard old Blue Eyes offer up on any of his recordings. I'm a Sinatra fan for sure but he sounds tired and a little sauced on this one and his lack of enthusiasm (understated approach) really surprised me.

  24. #18
    Professional Dreamer journeybear's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Northeastern South Carolina, west of North Carolina
    Posts
    15,346
    Blog Entries
    2

    Default Re: O Sole Mio

    No argument from me, overall, though my "understated approach" is a kinder, gentler, more euphemistic way of saying "lack of enthusiasm." Frankie does summon up a bit more for the chorus, but still not enough to make the bobby-soxers swoon, methinks. Even so, it's easier on the ears, however somewhat disappointing.

    Maybe one of these days, when I feel confident enough in the quality of my solo mandolin version, I'll share it.
    But that's just my opinion. I could be wrong. - Dennis Miller

    Furthering Mandolin Consciousness

    Finders Keepers, my duo with the astoundingly talented and versatile Patti Rothberg. Our EP is finally done, and available! PM me, while they last!

  25. #19
    Mando-Afflicted lflngpicker's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    So Cal
    Posts
    2,239
    Blog Entries
    6

    Default Re: O Sole Mio

    Quote Originally Posted by journeybear View Post
    No argument from me, overall, though my "understated approach" is a kinder, gentler, more euphemistic way of saying "lack of enthusiasm." Frankie does summon up a bit more for the chorus, but still not enough to make the bobby-soxers swoon, methinks. Even so, it's easier on the ears, however somewhat disappointing.

    Maybe one of these days, when I feel confident enough in the quality of my solo mandolin version, I'll share it.
    Journeybear, I will be waiting for the day that you bring us the pleasure of hearing your version! Dan
    2014 BRW F5 #114
    2022 Kentucky KM 950 Master Model

    YouTube Original Recording of My composition "Closer Walk"

  26. #20
    Professional Dreamer journeybear's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Northeastern South Carolina, west of North Carolina
    Posts
    15,346
    Blog Entries
    2

    Default Re: O Sole Mio

    Well ... Thanks for your positivity and optimism. Since the Fates have conspired to thwart my efforts to secure a gig playing Italian music I haven't been practicing the tunes as much. But I'll work it up, what the hey. My version is a bit closer to "Now Or Never" than the original, in subtle ways - that's what is familiar to me, and, most likely, most listeners.
    But that's just my opinion. I could be wrong. - Dennis Miller

    Furthering Mandolin Consciousness

    Finders Keepers, my duo with the astoundingly talented and versatile Patti Rothberg. Our EP is finally done, and available! PM me, while they last!

Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •