Chi Mai
"Chi Mai" (Italian: whoever) is a composition by Ennio Morricone written in 1971. It was used in the films, Maddalena (1971)[1] and Le Professionnel (1981),[2] as well as the TV series, An Englishman's Castle (1978) and The Life and Times of David Lloyd George (1981).[1] Because of its appearance on the latter, "Chi Mai" reached number 2 on the UK Singles Chart in 1981.[3]
Composition
Elements of the melody of Chi Mai appeared on a piece in the 1968 Sergio Corbucci spaghetti western, The Great Silence. It appeared in a piece entitled 'Invito All Amore'.[4]
"Chi Mai" is also famous in France for being used for a Royal Canin's 1980s commercial, to the point that it is more closely associated with the commercial than with its other appearances, including Dunhill in 1987. In 2002, this association was referenced by the French movie, Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra, in a scene in which Dogmatix is chasing a legionaire running on all fours in slow motion (like in the commercial) while "Chi Mai" is playing in the background.
Morricone performed "Chi Mai" five times in USRR during concerts in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kiev and Tashkent, always with the same arrangement. The composition is most popular in all the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States. It's the most widespread composition in Russia.
Online community
"Chi Mai" is also the name of the online community about Ennio Morricone. The site offers a repository of information and a free on-line magazine called 'Maestro' about Morricone's discography, concerts and movies. The on-line magazine contains reviews, in-depth articles, discoveries and free comments.[5]
Charts
| Ranking (1981 - 1982) | Best position |
|---|---|
| Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[ 1] | 4 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[ 1] | 11 |
| France (SNEP)[6] | 1 |
| UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[ 1] | 2 |
| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[ 1] | 2 |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Trivia for Maddalena at the Internet Movie Database
- ↑ Soundtracks for Le professionnel at the Internet Movie Database
- ↑ "Chi Mai (Theme From 'Life And Times Of David Lloyd George')". Chartstats.com. Archived from the original on 31 July 2012. Retrieved 3 April 2010.
- ↑ "ENNIO MORRICONE -"Invito All Amore" (1968)". YouTube. Retrieved 22 September 2013.
- ↑ "Maestro - The Ennio Morricone Online Magazine". Chimai.com. Retrieved 12 January 2014.
- ↑ "Classements par artistes (lettre M)". InfoDisc. Retrieved 19 July 2013..
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