Cherry Pink (and Apple Blossom White)
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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"Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White" or "Cerezo Rosa" or "Ciliegi Rosa" or "Gummy Mambo", is the English version of "Cerisiers Roses et Pommiers Blancs", a popular song with music by Louiguy written in 1950. French lyrics to the song by Jacques Larue and English lyrics by Mack David both exist, and recordings of both have been quite popular. However, Perez Prado's recording of the song as an instrumental with his orchestra featuring trumpeter Billy Regis, whose trumpet sound would slide down and up before the melody would resume, was the most popular version in 1955, reaching number one for 10 weeks on the Billboard chart. Perez had first covered this title for the movie Underwater! (1955), where Jane Russell can be seen dancing to the song. Billboard ranked this version as the No. 1 song of 1955. The most popular vocal version in the U.S. was by Alan Dale, reaching No. 14 on the chart in 1955.
In the United Kingdom, two versions of the song went to number one in 1955. The first was the version by Perez Prado, which reached number one for two weeks. Less than a month later, a version by the British trumpeter Eddie Calvert reached number one for four weeks.
Al Hirt released a version on his 1965 album, They're Playing Our Song.
In 1982, the British pop group Modern Romance (featuring John Du Prez) had a UK Top 20 hit with the vocal version of the song.
In 1961, Jerry Murad's Harmonicats released an album featuring the song.
Notable recorded versions
- André Claveau (original version in French, 1950)
- Georgia Gibbs (1951)
- Nilla Pizzi (in Italian, 1951)
- Fotis Polymeris (in Greek, 1952)
- Alan Dale (singer) (1955)
- Perez Prado (instrumental) (1955 and 1960)
- Eddie Calvert (instrumental, 1955)
- Chet Atkins 1955
- Pat Boone (1960, a major hit in the Philippines)
- Jerry Murad (1961)
- Lester Sterling (under the pseudonym Mr. Versatile; instrumental) (1969)
- Norrie Paramor Orchestra (1977)
- Mnozil Brass (2004)
- Arthur Murray
- Bill Black's Combo
- Billy Vaughn
- Bing Crosby
- Devo (as "Softcore Mutations" - unreleased)
- Earl Bostic
- Edmundo Ros
- Gisele MacKenzie
- Harry James
- Horst Fischer
- Hugo Montenegro
- Ivo Robić (as "Jabuke i trešnje"; Croatian lyrics by Mario Kinel)
- James Last Orchestra
- John Barry
- Lawrence Welk
- Liberace
- Lou Donaldson
- Michel Legrand
- Modern Romance
- Nino Impallomeni
- Ron Livingston
- Ruben Pena
- Spike Jones (under the pseudonym "Davey Crackpot"; a parody of the Perez Prado hit record featuring George Rock on trumpet)
- Stanley Black
- The Fabulous Thunderbirds
- The Ventures
- Xavier Cugat
Finnish versions "Kaksi ruusua" ("Two Roses")
- Henry Theel (1955)
- Olavi Virta (1955)
- Erkki Junkkarinen (1975)
- Reijo Taipale (1975)
- Agents (1985)
In films
- The song was featured in the film Underwater! starring Jane Russell.
- The recording by Perez Prado was featured in the films Cookie and Parents in 1989.
