“Al di là” (“Beyond”) is a song written by Italian composer Carlo Donida and lyricist Mogol, and recorded by Betty Curtis. The song was the Italian entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1961, performed in Italian by Curtis at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes, France in March 1961. In the United States, Emilio Pericoli is the artist most associated with the song. He sang “Al di là” in a nightclub, with a small combo, in the popular 1962 film Rome Adventure, and his single that year reached number six on Billboard’s pop chart and number three on the easy-listening chart. Pericoli’s version ranked No. 48 on Billboard’s 1962 Year-End chart. In the UK, Pericoli’s version peaked only at number 30, but spent 14 weeks in the Record Retailer Top 50, beginning in June 1962.
“Ya Ya Twist” is a song written by Lee Dorsey, Morris Levy, Clarence Lewis, Lucien Morisse and George Aber. Dorsey released it first in 1961 under the title ‘Ya-Ya’. The song reached number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the R&B singles chart in 1961. French singer Johnny Hallyday covered the song in French. His version, titled “Ya Ya Twist“, reached No. 1 in Wallonia (the French speaking part of Belgium) in 1962. Petula Clark recorded the song (released in February 1962) almost simultaneously to Hallyday’s version. Her cover spent 13 weeks in the UK charts peaking at No.14
“Ue o Muite Arukō” (I Look Up as I Walk), alternatively titled “Sukiyaki“, is a song by Japanese crooner Kyu Sakamoto, first released in Japan in 1961. It was written by lyricist Rokusuke Ei and composer Hachidai Nakamura. The lyrics tell the story of a man who looks up and whistles while he is walking so that his tears will not fall, with the verses describing his memories and feelings. Ei wrote the lyrics while walking home from participating in the 960 Anpo protests against the US – Japan Security Treaty, expressing his frustration and dejection at the failed efforts to stop the treaty. However, the lyrics were purposefully generic so that they might refer to any lost love. The song topped the charts in a number of countries, including the U.S. Billboard in 1963. In the UK the song reached No. 6 and remained in the charts for 13 weeks. The song grew to become one of the world’s best-selling singles of all time, selling over 13 million copies worldwide.
“Dominique” is a 1963 French language popular song, written and performed by the Belgian female singer Jeannine Deckers, better known as Sœur Sourire (“Sister Smile” in French) or The Singing Nun. The song is about Saint Dominic, a Spanish-born priest and founder of the Dominican Order, of which she was a member (as Sister Luc-Gabrielle). In addition to French and English, Deckers recorded versions in Dutch, German, Hebrew, Japanese, Korean, and Portuguese. It was a top selling record in 11 countries in late 1963 and early 1964. It reached the Top 5 in Norway, Denmark, Ireland and South Africa, with the song making it into the lower reaches of the Top 10 in the Netherlands, West Germany, and the United Kingdom. The song won the Grammy Award for the Best Gospel or Other Religious Recording in 1964.
