David Foster and Andrea Bocelli first crossed paths around 1998 when the Italian operatic star recorded the Foster, Carole Bayer Sager composition of “The Prayer” which was released as a world-famous duet with Celine Dion. Later on, the Hitman co-wrote a couple of songs for Bocelli’s 2001 Cieli Di Toscana album  including the beautiful “Mille Lune Mille Onde” that became one of the tenor’s most loved songs.

In 2005, Foster started working with his partner Humberto Gatica and Italian music-maker Tony Renis on Bocelli’s next project eventually titled Amore. The cd was released at the dawn of 2006 and presented a collection of international romantic evergreens. The idea was to establish Bocelli as the new Julio Iglesias to the worldwide community, but Foster added a North American appeal by utilizing his unique knack for ear-candy melodies.  Amore and its collection of love songs were perfectly crafted by Foster, Gatica and Renis. Their vision was exactly on target. The cd stormed the charts everywhere and reached #2 on Billboard’s Top 200. It was quickly certified platinum in the US and sold millions internationally.

It isn’t easy to choose one song from such a great tracklist. However, for this week, there is a rendition of the Mexican classic “Besame Mucho” that screamed for attention.

Foster’s refined arrangement built a landscape where Bocelli could shine with his smooth voice and sensual performance. The backing track was impeccable with Foster on piano and a rhythm section of Vinnie Colaiuta on drums, Nathan East on bass with Paulinho Da Costa and Rafael Padilla on percussion. A special mention goes to Ramon Stagnaro whose acoustic guitar plays the perfect counterpart to Bocelli’s dreamy performance. “Besame Mucho” really sounds as smooth as butter and was one of the highlights of the project.

After the triumph of Amore, Foster produced three more hit records for the Italian superstar as well as all the subsequent high-rated TV specials. Through the years, Bocelli and Foster have built a strong musical bond in addition to a personal one. Their immense talents, mutual esteem and friendship really made those musical projects special for millions around the world.

Listen

• Lead Vocals: Andrea Bocelli
• Piano: David Foster
• Keyboards: Randy Waldman
• Bass: Nathan East
• Acoustic Guitar: Ramon Stagnaro
• Drums: Vinnie Colaiuta
• Percussion: Paulinho Da Costa & Rafael Padilla

• Arranged by David Foster
• Strings Arrangement by Bill Ross
• Produced by David Foster, Humberto Gatica
• Co-Produced by Tony Renis

Lyrics

Bésame, bésame mucho
Como si fuera esta la noche
La última vez

Bésame, bésame mucho
Que tengo miedo a perderte
Perderte después

Bésame, bésame mucho
Como si fuera esta la noche
La última vez

Bésame, bésame mucho
Que tengo miedo a perderte
Perderte después

Quiero tenerte muy cerca
Mirarme en tus ojos
Verte junto a mi
Piensa que tal vez mañana
Yo ya estaré lejos
Muy lejos de aquí

Bésame, bésame mucho
Como si fuera esta la noche
La última vez

Bésame, bésame mucho
Que tengo miedo a perderte
Perderte después

Bésame, (Bésame) bésame mucho (Bésame mucho)
Que tengo miedo a perderte
Perderte después
Que tengo miedo a perderte
Perderte después
Perderte después

The iconic film composer, Ennio Morricone, passed away on July 6, 2020, in Rome. In the course of his long and successful career, the Italian maestro collected an endless number of accolades including two Academy Awards, two Grammy Awards and three Golden Globes plus several nominations. Mr. Morricone’s amazing list of scores embodied iconic soundtracks including Once Upon a Time in America, The Untouchables, The Mission, Nuovo Cinema Paradiso and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. 

David Foster was among the many international figures who recorded some of Mr. Morricone’s timeless music. The Hitman provided superstars like Andrea Bocelli and Josh Groban great traditional pop renditions of some of Morricone’s most loved themes from Nuovo Cinema Paradiso, Once Upon a Time in America and Malena with newly-written English and Italian lyrics.

One of the dozens of big names who celebrated Mr. Morricone’s genius, Foster was on the 2007 cd, We All Love Ennio Morricone. The Quincy Jones-led tribute saw Foster co-arranging the delicate “I Knew I Loved You” from “Deborah’s Theme” in Once Upon a Time in America with words added and sung by Celine Dion. Another Foster connection to the late composer came in 2009 when the Canadian super-producer worked with UK’s classical/crossover songbird, Katherine Jenkins. Believe was the cd that included a fabulous reworking of the main theme from the 1970 movie, La Califfa. “La Califfa,” sung by Ms. Jenkins, is the Song of the Week.

Wonderfully crafted by Foster with the great Bill Ross, “La Califfa” was a nocturnal piece of music and was the best showcase for Ms. Jenkins’ angelic voice. Chris Botti’s trademark trumpet playing was the perfect counterpart to the singer’s delicate performance. The result was an orchestral masterpiece that does full justice to Mr. Morricone’s magnificent artistry. Believe was a top ten hit in the UK where it went gold and sold well in several countries including Ireland, Belgium, Australia, Germany and Austria. In the US, the cd was in the top five on Billboard’s Classical Album chart. 

Listen

• Lead Vocals: Katherine Jenkins
• Featuring on trumpet: Chris Botti
• Keyboards: David Foster
• Italian Language Coach: Tony Renis

• Orchestral Arrangement by Bill Ross & David Foster
• Produced & Arranged by David Foster

Lyrics

Tu non credere perché
Questa crudeltà di padroni
Ha visto in me
Solo una cagna che
Me mett’ anch’
io alla tua catena

Se attraverso la città
Questa ipocrita, tua città
Il corpo mio
che passa tra di voi
È un’invettiva contro la viltà

Ohhhhhh…..

Tu ritroverai con me
La più splendida proprietà
Un attimo di sole sopra noi
Alla ricerca di te

Italian Lyrics by Tony Renis & Alberto Testa

Through the years, “The Prayer” has become one of the most loved, successful and covered songs in David Foster’s huge catalogue. This poignant, thoughtful composition was co-written by The Hitman with his friend and legendary lyricist, Carole Bayer Sager. Singer/Songwriter Tony Renis and Alberto Testa provided the beautiful Italian lyrics. The song was originally included in the 1998 animated movie, The Quest For Camelot, with two different versions; one sung by Andrea Bocelli and the other by Celine Dion. Eventually, the two superstars re-recorded the track as a duet and the match of such a timeless melody with two of the most beautiful voices of our era made “The Prayer” collect a Golden Globe and Academy Award nomination. “The Prayer” was also included on Dion’s These Are The Special Times and Bocelli’s Sogno.

The song was released as a single, but its orchestral and operatic feel was a tough call for pop radio stations. “The Prayer” only became an Adult Contemporary hit in North America, yet failed to chart on Billboard’s Hot 100.

Time has been kind to “The Prayer.” The song quickly developed into a modern-day evergreen with dozens of covers worldwide. Both Foster and Bayer Sager explained the power of this composition in previous interviews. Here are a few excerpts:

David Foster:  “The Prayer” is a song that I just never get tired of playing, I never get tired of hearing it and I never get tired of people telling me that they enjoy it. And it seems to mean a lot – it means a lot of different things to a lot of people. So it’s a powerful piece of music. I think it came through me, and I think Carole’s lyric is beautiful. And it’s very meaningful to me that when all is said and done, there is a piece of music like that, that will undoubtedly outlive me.”

Carole Bayer Sager:  “One of the songs that matters most to me I wrote with David Foster. We made the record with Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli… it was a prayer for safety, and it was called “The Prayer.” That song is one of the few that is played not only at weddings but at funerals, along with “Wind Beneath My Wings” and “Ave Maria.” It’s a perfect marriage of the artist, the music, the lyric and the universal desire to feel safe. Safety is what I searched for all my life… and with its success, I realized it is what so many others search for as well. So, it’s my favorite lyric that I’ve ever written because it’s so simple and it can come down to a simple prayer. Bocelli was singing some of it in Italian and Celine in English, and then many, many other artists did it again. It’s been re-recorded and re-recorded in many different countries. I believe music is a universal language.”

Listen

• Lead Vocals: Andrea Bocelli & Celine Dion
• Keyboards: David Foster
• Synth Programming: Felipe Elgueta
• Arranged by David Foster
• Orchestral Arrangements by William Ross
• Produced by David Foster
• Co-Produced by Carole Bayer Sager & Tony Renis

Lyrics

I pray you’ll be our eyes
And watch us where we go
And help us to be wise
In times when we don’t know
Let this be our prayer
When we lose our way

Lead us to a place
Guide us with your grace
To a place where we’ll be safe

La luce che tu hai
(I pray we’ll find your light)
Nel cuore resterà
(And hold it in our hearts)
A ricordarci che
(When stars go out each night)
L’eterna stella sei
(Whoa)
Nella mia preghiera
(Let this be our prayer)
Quanta fede c’è
(When shadows fill our day)

Lead us to a place
(Guide us with your grace)
[Both:]
Give us faith so we’ll be safe

Sogniamo un mondo senza più violenza
Un mondo di giustizia e di speranza
Ognuno dia la mano al suo vicino
Simbolo di pace, e di fraternità
La forza che ci dà
(We ask that life be kind)
È il desiderio che
(And watch us from above)
Ognuno trovi amor
(We hope each soul will find)
Intorno e dentro a sé
(Another soul to love)

Let this be our prayer

Let this be our prayer
[
Just like every child

Just like every child

Need to find a place
Guide us with your grace
Give us faith so we’ll be safe

È la fede che
Hai acceso in noi
Sento che ci salverà

The special musical partnership between Italian superstar Andrea Bocelli and legendary super-producer David Foster started at the end of the nineties when the operatic tenor put his signature voice to Foster’s modern classic “The Prayer.” The two music icons built a strong friendship in the new millennium with Foster producing a string of wildly successful traditional pop works for Bocelli and appearing with Bocelli at several ensuing concert events broadcasted on television and eventually released on DVD. At the end of last year, they started working on the new Bocelli project that will be released internationally this week.

Cinema is a new collection that presents a stunning number of renowned themes from award-winning movies including West Side Story, Doctor Zhivago, The Godfather, Il Postino and Breakfast At Tiffany’s. For this occasion, Foster again joined forces with his old partner and world-class engineer/producer Humberto Gatica and veteran Italian music-maker Tony Renis. The three were responsible for Bocelli’s 2005 milestone cd Amore. Foster and Gatica jokingly remarked that Cinema represented their third musical marriage and, once again, the result is a musical work of art. Bocelli, who comfortably sings in five different languages, gives a string of magnificent vocal performances that are a listening pleasure. The instrumental canvas, fueled by the orchestral genius of arrangers supreme William Ross, Chris Walden and Vince Mendoza, are a total knock-out. And, Gatica’s sound architecture demonstrates why he is considered one of the best ears in the business.
“Historia De Amor” from Love Story has been picked for this weekly review. Found on the deluxe edition of Cinema, “Historia De Amor” is just one bright gem out of the many included on the cd. The bossa-nova instrumental scenario was suggested by Gatica and beautifully crafted by Mendoza. The result is pure bliss with its refined South-American feel and enchanting orchestral accompaniment. Foster plays the soothing piano while Leonardo Amuedo does a wonderful job with the acoustic guitar. The rhythm section also includes two other world-class talents like Vinnie Colaiuta on drums and Chuck Berghofer on bass. And Bocelli? The Tuscany-born superstar gives an understated yet gorgeous vocal performance. There are other tracks on Cinema that showcase Bocelli’s powerful tenor, but on “Historia De Amor” he gives the listener a chance to savor the subtle nuances of his unique voice and the full magic of such a God-given talent. We can easily predict that Cinema will be another worldwide smash for Bocelli and his all-star team of producers.
Recently, a special concert showcasing the new cd was recorded at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood . The show featured Bocelli and Foster alongside silver screen giants including John Travolta, Andy Garcia and Ryan O’Neal. This event will be aired on US television at the end of November. Later on, the performance will be released on DVD for the joy of Bocelli’s legion of fans around the globe.

Listen

[audio:https://www.fozfan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/historia_di_amor.mp3|titles=Historia De Amor|artists=Andrea Bocelli]

Lead Vocals: Andrea Bocelli
Piano: David Foster
Bass: Chuck Berghofer
Guitars: Leonardo Amuedo
Drums: Vinnie Colaiuta
Additional Synth Percussion: Jochem van der Saag

Arranged & Orchestrated by Vince Mendoza
Lead Vocals Arranged by Humberto Gatica & David Foster
Produced by David Foster, Humberto Gatica & Tony Renis

Lyrics

Qué difícil es
secar la fuente inagotable del amor,
contar la historia
de un momento de placer,
reír alegre cuando siente el corazón
un gran dolor.
Qué bonito es
que tras la lluvia del verano salga el sol,
y el pavimento adquiera el brillo de charol,
que tu sonrisa me devuelva la ilusión
que ayer perdí.
Qué grande es
sentir mi corazón
latir así;
henchido de emoción
poder oír tu dulce voz,
besarte con pasión y acariciarte
y no perder ni un solo instante
de ser para ti…
un gran amor.
Qué bonito es
que estés conmigo
cuando empieza a amanecer,
poder contar las horas dulces de este amor,
que he conseguido noche y día estremecer
mi corazón.