I Go to Rio explained

I Go to Rio
Cover:Peter Allen I Go to Rio.jpg
Type:single
Artist:Peter Allen
Album:Taught by Experts
B-Side:This Time Around
Released:1976
Recorded:1976
Genre:Pop, disco
Length:3:17
Label:A&M
Producer:Brooks Arthur
Next Title:Don't Wish Too Hard
Next Year:1977

"I Go to Rio" is a song written by Peter Allen and Adrienne Anderson, and performed by Allen. It became a signature song of Allen, as well as being covered by Peggy Lee and Pablo Cruise, among others, as well as being included in a number of soundtracks.

History

The song was first released in 1976, on Peter Allen's fourth studio album, Taught by Experts. In 1977, it was successfully released as a single in Australia, where it was Number 1 for five weeks.

Although the song was also released as a single in America, it failed to chart there.

The song has appeared in a number of movie soundtracks, including One Crazy Summer (1986), Dominick and Eugene (1988), The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989), Muriel's Wedding (1994), Hotel Sorrento (1995) and Strange Bedfellows (2004).

The song is also used as the closing number for the Peter Allen biographical musical The Boy from Oz.

The song is also sung on the Disney channel series K.C. Undercover, specifically the episode "Coopers on the Run"

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1976/77)Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)1
Chart (1978)Peak
position
South Africa (SA Rock Lists)[1] 8

Year-end charts

Pablo Cruise cover

I Go to Rio
Cover:Pablo Cruise I Go to Rio.jpg
Type:single
Artist:Pablo Cruise
Album:Worlds Away
B-Side:Raging Fire
Released:January 1979
Genre:Pop, funk
Length:3:36 (single edit)
4:00 (album version)
4:17 (disco version)
Label:A&M
Producer:Bill Schnee
Prev Title:Don't Want to Live Without It
Prev Year:1978
Next Title:I Want You Tonight
Next Year:1979

Pablo Cruise released their cover of "I Go to Rio" in January 1979. It reached #46 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100[3] and #39 on the Canadian RPM singles chart.[4]

Charts

Chart (1979)Peak
position
Canada Top Singles (RPM)39
US Billboard Hot 10046
US Billboard Adult Contemporary[5] 29

Other covers

The song was also covered by Peggy Lee on her 1977 album Peggy , as well as by noted French singer Claude François, in French translation ("Je vais à Rio"), that same year. In 1980, it was used on an episode of The Muppet Show.[6] In 1982, it was covered by TISM under the name "I Go to Werribee" with slightly different lyrics. In 2008, the song was covered by Australian guitarist Tommy Emmanuel, on his live album Center Stage.

The melody of the opening piano riff of the song has been re-used by Chocolate in "Ritmo de la noche" and subsequent cover versions Mystic, The Sacados, Lorca and Safri Duo, and by Coldplay in "Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall".[7]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Brian Currin . South African Rock Lists Website - SA Charts 1969 - 1989 Acts (A) . Rock.co.za . 2016-10-12.
  2. Book: Kent, David. David Kent (historian). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. illustrated. Australian Chart Book. St Ives, N.S.W.. 1993. 0-646-11917-6. 429.
  3. Web site: Pablo Cruise - Chart History. www.billboard.com. 8 June 2017. en. 17 February 1979.
  4. News: Canada. Library and Archives. Image : RPM Weekly. 8 June 2017. 24 February 1979. en.
  5. Book: Whitburn, Joel . Joel Whitburn . 1993 . Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993 . Record Research . 182.
  6. News: Bauer. Claudia. 'Oz' lands in Chinatown's Great Star Theater. 8 June 2017. SFGate. 3 May 2016.
  7. News: Goodwyn. Tom. Coldplay inspired by Peter Allen's 1976 single 'I Go To Rio' on new single - video - NME. 8 June 2017. NME. 3 June 2011.