"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.
| "I Go to Rio" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Peter Allen | ||||
| from the album Taught by Experts | ||||
| B-side | "This Time Around" | |||
| Released | 1976 | |||
| Recorded | 1976 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:17 | |||
| Label | A&M | |||
| Songwriter(s) |
| |||
| Producer(s) | Brooks Arthur | |||
| Peter Allen singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
History
editThe 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
editWeekly charts
edit| Chart (1976/77) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report) | 1 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[1] | 30 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[2] | 27 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[3] | 22 |
| Chart (1978) | Peak position |
| South Africa (SA Rock Lists)[4] | 8 |
Year-end charts
edit| Chart (1977) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[5] | 6 |
Pablo Cruise cover
edit| "I Go to Rio" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Pablo Cruise | ||||
| from the album Worlds Away | ||||
| B-side | "Raging Fire" | |||
| Released | January 1979 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:59 (album version) 3:36 (single version) 4:17 (disco version) | |||
| Label | A&M | |||
| Songwriter(s) |
| |||
| Producer(s) | Bill Schnee | |||
| Pablo Cruise singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Pablo Cruise released their cover of "I Go to Rio" in January 1979. It reached #46 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100[6] and #39 on the Canadian RPM singles chart.[7]
Charts
edit| Chart (1979) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada Top Singles (RPM) | 39 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 46 |
| US Billboard Adult Contemporary[8] | 29 |
Other covers
editThe 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.[9] 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".[10]
References
edit- ^ "Peter Allen – I Go to Rio" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
- ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Peter Allen" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
- ^ "Peter Allen – I Go to Rio". Top 40 Singles.
- ^ Brian Currin. "South African Rock Lists Website - SA Charts 1969 - 1989 Acts (A)". Rock.co.za. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 429. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "Pablo Cruise - Chart History". www.billboard.com. 17 February 1979. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
- ^ Canada, Library and Archives (24 February 1979). "Image : RPM Weekly". Retrieved 8 June 2017.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (1993). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993. Record Research. p. 182.
- ^ Bauer, Claudia (3 May 2016). "'Oz' lands in Chinatown's Great Star Theater". SFGate. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
- ^ Goodwyn, Tom (3 June 2011). "Coldplay inspired by Peter Allen's 1976 single 'I Go To Rio' on new single - video - NME". NME. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
