Tornerai..

Song-writers: Nino Rastelli (lyrics) - Dino Olivieri (music)

Original performers: Trio Lescano with the Funaro Jazz Quartet

With its nostalgic appeal conveyed by a mellow tune in the slow rhythm of a foxtrot, borrowed from the humming Chorus of Puccini's Madame Butterfly, Tornerai was one of the most representative hits of the war years.

Debuting on the radio in 1937, it was performed by Dino Di Luca, Carlo Buti, Emilio Livi and many others, but glorified in Nazi-occupied France with the title J’attendrai,  recorded by Rina Ketty, Tino Rossi, Django Reinhardt and Jean Sablon. It was that version that made it an international standard (Phil Tate, Franck Pourcel, Caravelli, Raymond Lefèvre, Paul Mauriat, Maastrichts Salon Orkest) in Danish, Flemish, German, and English – as I’ll Be Yours  recorded by Hildegarde, Bing Crosby, Joni James, Jack Smith, while the Crew Cuts and Gisele McKenzie recorded it in French.

In Italy, it was performed by Ferruccio Tagliavini, Nilla Pizzi, Claudio Villa, Massimo Ranieri and Antonella Ruggiero, while its fame has remained intact into the third millennium thanks to Tchavolo Schmitt, Harri Stojka, Daisy Castro and Max Raabe.