Paloma Blanca

"Paloma Blanca" (Spanish for "white dove"), often called "Una Paloma Blanca", is a song written by Dutch musician George Baker and first recorded and released by his band, George Baker Selection. The single — the title track of the group's fifth album — was a hit throughout Europe, reaching No. 1 in Austria, Finland, Flanders, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland, and it also topped the charts of New Zealand and South Africa.

"Paloma Blanca"
Single by George Baker Selection
from the album Paloma Blanca
B-side"Dreamboat"
ReleasedMarch 1975 (1975-03)
Genre
Length3:27
LabelWarner Bros.
Songwriter(s)George Baker
Producer(s)George Baker
George Baker Selection singles chronology
"Sing a Song of Love"
(1974)		 "Paloma Blanca"
(1975)		 "Morning Sky"
(1975)

In the United States, the song became a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Easy Listening Singles chart on 14 February 1976 (becoming that chart's overall No. 1 song for 1976), peaked at No. 26 on the Billboard Hot 100, and reached No. 33 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. In Canada and the United Kingdom, "Paloma Blanca" peaked at No. 10, and in Australia, it reached No. 2. The song sold over two million copies worldwide.[1]

Meaning

Baker has been quoted as saying the song is about "a poor South American farmer who works hard all day and then sits by a tree and dreams of being a white bird with its freedom."[2]

Charts

Cover versions

Following the George Baker Selection's success with it, the song was widely covered. In the UK, where the group took "Paloma Blanca" to a No. 10 chart peak, the recording by Jonathan King achieved No. 5. King's version was also a hit in Ireland, although its No. 15 Irish chart peak was topped there by a cover from the Dixies (with Rory O'Connor), who took the song to No. 11.

In South Africa, an Afrikaans rendering of "Paloma Blanca" entitled "My klein wit duifie" was a hit for a studio group credited as Tameletjie, its chart peak being No. 9.

A German-language rendering of "Paloma Blanca" was a hit for Nina & Mike (de) in both Germany (No. 6) and Austria (No. 7).

In Scandinavia, translated renderings of "Paloma Blanca" were hits for Siw Malmkvist (No. 8 in Sweden) and Hans Petter Hansen (no) (No. 7 in Norway), an alternate Swedish rendering being recorded by Säwes (sv). A Danish version was recorded by Bjørn Tidmand.

In Finland, a localized translation of "Paloma Blanca" was a No. 2 hit for Katri Helena, besting a rival version by Kisu (fi) at No. 18. Finland also afforded chart status to the Jonathan King version "Una Paloma Blanca" which peaked at No. 27 there. The Finnish-language rendering of "Paloma Blanca" has been recorded by Aaron (fi), Jukka Kuoppamäki, and Matti ja Teppo.

Patricia Lavila (fr) recorded both French and Italian renderings of "Paloma Blanca", the former reaching No. 39 on the French chart.

French singer Georgie Dann recorded a version in Spanish of the song, released in 1975 in Spain as the B-side of "Campesino".

Other versions were by Demis Roussos and Slim Whitman. Bobby Vinton recorded a version that appeared on his 1976 album Serenades of Love.

The song is often parodied, given its popularity and middle-of-the-road quality. In 1976, the British Scrumpy and Western group The Wurzels had a No. 3 UK hit with their parody of the song, "I Am a Cider Drinker", which was covered in 2011 by Scottish pirate metal band Alestorm as a bonus track for their album Back Through Time. A similarly titled parody, "We Are the Shumba Drinkers", by Mike Westcott and Leprechaun, gained popularity in Afrikaaner and White Zimbabwean communities.

George Baker re-recorded a solo version of the song in 2005, for the film Too Fat Too Furious; the song had earlier been used in the 1982 film The Executioner's Song. In 2011, it was given a rap make-over on the song-exchange-programme Ali B op volle toeren; George Baker returned the favour by performing a rewritten version of rapper Dio's "Tijdmachine".

See also

References
  1. "George Baker" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 87 no. 43. 25 October 1975. p. G-3. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  2. "What's in a name?". Greeley Daily Tribune (February 7, 1976). p. 11. Archived from the original on 13 September 2019. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
  3. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 25. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  4. "Austriancharts.at – George Baker Selection – Paloma Blanca" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  5. "Ultratop.be – George Baker Selection – Paloma Blanca" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  6. "Ultratop.be – George Baker Selection – Paloma Blanca" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  7. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 4074a." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  8. "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 4064." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  9. "Top RPM Country Tracks: Issue 6462." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  10. "Hits of the World – Denmark" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 88 no. 4. 24 January 1976. p. 69. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  11. "George Baker Selection: Paloma Blanca" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland.
  12. "Hits of the World – Italy" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 87 no. 50. 13 December 1975. p. 53. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  13. "Nederlandse Top 40 – George Baker Selection" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
  14. "Dutchcharts.nl – George Baker Selection – Paloma Blanca" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
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  17. "SA Number 1s 1965 – 1989". rock.co.za. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
  18. "Hits of the World – Spain" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 87 no. 44. 1 November 1975. p. 67. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  19. "Swedishcharts.com – George Baker Selection – Paloma Blanca". Singles Top 100.
  20. "Swisscharts.com – George Baker Selection – Paloma Blanca". Swiss Singles Chart.
  21. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  22. "Billboard Hot 100" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 88 no. 5. 31 January 1976. p. 60. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  23. Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 27.
  24. Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006 (second ed.). Record Research. p. 37.
  25. "Cash Box Top 100 Singles, February 14, 1976". Archived from the original on 22 March 2016. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
  26. "Offiziellecharts.de – George Baker Selection – Paloma Blanca". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 3 July 2020. To see peak chart position, click "TITEL VON George Baker Selection"
  27. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (Illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  28. "Jahreshitparade Singles 1975" (in German). Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  29. "Jaaroverzichten 1975" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  30. "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1975" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
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  32. "Top 20 Hit Singles of 1975". South African Rock Lists. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  33. "Swiss Year-End Charts 1975" (in German). Retrieved 3 July 2020.
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  35. "Forum – 1970 (ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts)". Australian-charts.com. Archived from the original on 2 June 2016. Retrieved 7 May 2017.
  36. "Top 200 Singles of '76". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  37. Top 50 Adult Contemporary Hits of 1976
  38. Whitburn, Joel (1999). Pop Annual. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. ISBN 0-89820-142-X.
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