Città vuota
"Città vuota" (English: Empty city) is a song recorded by Italian singer Mina in 1963. This song is Italian version of "It's a Lonely Town" by Gene McDaniels. The song was written by Doc Pomus, Mort Shuman, and adapted by Giuseppe Cassia.
| "Città vuota" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() Artwork for 1963 release  | ||||
| Single by Mina | ||||
| from the album Studio Uno | ||||
| Language | Italian | |||
| B-side | 
  | |||
| Released | December 1963[1] | |||
| Genre | Pop | |||
| Length | 2:34 | |||
| Label | Ri-Fi | |||
| Songwriter(s) | 
  | |||
| Producer(s) | Piero Gosio | |||
| Mina singles chronology | ||||
  | ||||
It was the singer's first single on the RiFi label. After the release, the song quickly became popular and rose to number three on the Italian singles chart.[2] The songs "E inutile" (written by Ricky Gianco and Gian Pieretti) and "Valentino vale" (by Vittorio Buffoli and Vito Pallavicini) were used as a b-side. Mina also recorded Spanish version called "Ciudad solitaria".
This single marked Mina's return to television after she was banned by RAI TV because of the singer's personal life.[3]
In 1978, Mina released a disco-style remake, conceived and arranged by Pino Presti with the inclusion of a jazz part. Combined with "Ancora ancora ancora" (by Cristiano Malgioglio and Gian Pietro Felisatti),[4] it became one of the most successful singles of the summer of that year, reaching number five in Italian singles chart in August.[2] Mina performed this version during her concerts in Bussoladomani and later included it on her live album Live '78.
Track listing
    
- 7" single – 1963
 - A. "Città vuota" – 2:34
 - B1. "È inutile" (Gian Pieretti, Ricky Gianco) – 1:56
 - B2. "Valentino vale" (Vito Pallavicini, Vittorio Buffoli) – 2:11
 
- 7" single – 1978 (PDU)
 - A. "Città vuota (It's a Lonely Town)" – 5:00
 - B. "Ancora ancora ancora" (Cristiano Malgioglio, Gian Pietro Felisatti) – 4:19
 
- 7" single – 1978 (Ri-Fi)[5]
 - A. "Città vuota" – 2:34
 - B. "Un anno d'amore" (Mogol, Alberto Testa, Nino Ferrer) – 3:10
 
Charts
    
| Chart (1963–1965) | Peak position  | 
|---|---|
| Italy (Musica e dischi)[2] | 3 | 
| Peru (La Prensa)[6] | 1 | 
| Chart (1978) | Peak position  | 
|---|---|
| Italy (Musica e dischi)[2] | 5 | 
| Chart (1978) | Peak position  | 
|---|---|
| Italy (Musica e dischi)[2] | 4 | 
| Chart (2012) | Peak position  | 
|---|---|
| US World Digital Songs (Billboard)[7] | 8 | 
References
    
- "Città vuota/È inutile/Valentino vale". Discografia nazionale della canzone italiana (in Italian). Istituto centrale per i beni sonori ed audiovisivi. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
 - Racca, Guido (2019). M&D Borsa Singoli 1960–2019 (in Italian). pp. 306–308. ISBN 9781093264906.
 - Ruggeri, Roberto (1990). "Mina". In Castaldo, Gino (ed.). Dizionario della Canzone Italiana L-Z (in Italian). Rome: Armando Curcio Editore. p. 1736. ISBN 88-9750-877-4.
 - "Città vuota/Ancora ancora ancora". Discografia nazionale della canzone italiana (in Italian). Istituto centrale per i beni sonori ed audiovisivi. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
 - "Mina – Città Vuota (1978, Vinyl)". Discogs. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
 - "Hits of the World" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 77, no. 3. 16 January 1965. p. 19. ISSN 0006-2510.
 - "Chart History: Mina". Billboard. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
 
External links
    
- "Città vuota / È inutile / Valentino vale" at Discogs (list of releases)
 - "Città vuota / Ancora ancora ancora" at Discogs (list of releases)
 
