"Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet", also known as "A Time for Us", is an instrumental arranged by Henry Mancini (from Nino Rota's music written for Franco Zeffirelli's film of Romeo and Juliet, starring Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey).[1] It was a number-one pop hit in the United States during the year 1969. It topped the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart on June 28, 1969, and remained there for two weeks;[2] it was also his only Top Ten single on that chart.[3]
"Love Theme From Romeo & Juliet" | ||||
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Single by Henry Mancini | ||||
from the album A Warm Shade of Ivory | ||||
B-side | "The Windmills of Your Mind" | |||
Released | May 1969 | |||
Genre | Pop | |||
Length | 2:29 | |||
Label | RCA Victor | |||
Songwriter(s) | Nino Rota | |||
Producer(s) | Joe Reisman | |||
Henry Mancini singles chronology | ||||
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Rearranged by Mancini, who played the piano part himself,[4] the song started competing with rock and roll songs from the Beatles and the Rolling Stones on an Orlando, Florida radio station and spread from there.[1] It faced stiff opposition from some radio stations for being too soft. Those stations changed their tune when the song became number one, ending the five-week run of "Get Back" by the Beatles as the top song.[3]
This release also topped the U.S. easy listening chart for eight weeks where it was Mancini's sole number one on the chart.[5]
The score was used for Lana Del Rey's song "Old Money" on her album Ultraviolence.[6]
The Australian single release features an alternate mix of the song that quiets or eliminates certain elements of the song, including the bass, acoustic guitar and chorus.[7][8]
There are three different sets of English lyrics to the song.
The first English version is called "What Is a Youth?", featuring lyrics by Eugene Walter, and sung by Glen Weston. This version was used in the film and was released on the soundtrack album in 1968.
The second English version is called "A Time for Us", featuring lyrics by Larry Kusik and Eddie Snyder.[9] This version has been recorded by Johnny Mathis, Shirley Bassey, Andy Williams, Stevie Wonder, and others.
The third English version is called "Old Money", featuring lyrics by Elizabeth Woolridge Grant, Robert John Ellis Fitzsimmons, and Daniel Law Heath, and sung by Lana Del Rey on her third studio album, Ultraviolence, released in 2013.
There are two different sets of Italian lyrics to the song.
The first Italian version is called "Un Giorno Per Noi" (A Day for Us), sung by Josh Groban, and is considered a translation of "A Time for Us".[10]
The second Italian version is called "Ai Giochi Addio" (Goodbye to the Games ), featuring lyrics by Elsa Morante, and has been performed by opera singers including Luciano Pavarotti and Natasha Marsh.[11]
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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United States (RIAA)[12] | Gold | 1,000,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet | |
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