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"Callow-la-vita" is a song by British singer-songwriter Raymond Froggatt recorded and released by his eponymous band as a debut single in April 1968. The record release was overlooked in the UK but was very successful in the Netherlands. The song became a success in the UK after being recorded by the Dave Clark Five, retitled as "The Red Balloon".

In an interview in 1972, Raymond Froggatt said that the song "becoming such a massive hit was one of the worst things that ever happened", as "people still haven't forgotten about it. Now when we play colleges the kids still think we'll be doing that kind of stuff". By 1972, the song had been recorded by sixteen different artists and sold over three million worldwide sales.

Charts

The Dave Clark Five version

"The Red Balloon"
Cover of the single released in the US.
Single by the Dave Clark Five
B-side	"Maze of Love"
Released	6 September 1968 (1968-09-06)
Recorded	1968
Studio	Lansdowne Studios, London
Genre	Pop rock
Length	3:01
Label	Columbia
Songwriter(s)	Raymond Froggatt
Producer(s)	Dave Clark
The Dave Clark Five singles chronology
"Please Stay" (1968) "The Red Balloon" (1968) "Live in the Sky" (1968)

The Dave Clark Five's version was released in September 1968 and became a top-ten hit in several territories, including the UK. It was included on the UK album 5 by 5, but was not included on any US album.

Background and release

Dave Clark first heard "Callow-la-vita" on the radio and several weeks later contacted the publishers asking if they expected anything to become of the song, to which they said no. He then said that he wanted to cover the song so long as he could change the title, some of the lyrics and have a different arrangement. The publishers agreed and the Dave Clark Five recorded the song as "The Red Balloon". Recorded at Lansdowne Studios, the band were joined by trumpet session musicians, and the brass and saxophone arrangements were done by Les Reed. The lead vocals were by Dave Clark, which was the only Dave Clark Five single to do so. They were intended to be by usual lead singer Mike Smith, but "he couldn’t get to grips with it". The song also includes a verse in French, which had to be written down phonetically as Clark didn't speak the language and he later said "I didn’t know what the hell I was singing about until Top Of The Pops put a translation on screen".

After the single's release, Polydor then re-released Raymond Froggatt's original version with the title "The Red Balloon".

Reception

Reviewing the Dave Clark Five version and the reissue of Raymond Froggatt's version for New Musical Express, Derek Johnson wrote that "it's an extremely catchy tune, with a lyrical, flowing quality and the Froggatt team treats it with a delicacy and piquancy ideally suited to the subject matter". Whereas, Johnson wrote that "Dave Clark's version is entirely different. He has reverted to his big-bash, drum-thumping style of "Glad All Over"", and that it is "easily the more commercial of the two and the more likely to achieve Chart status".

Personnel

• Dave Clark – lead vocals, drums
• Mike Smith – organ, backing vocals
• Lenny Davidson – guitar, backing vocals
• Rick Huxley – bass guitar, backing vocals
• Denis Payton – sousaphone
• Stan Roderick – trumpet
• Bert Ezard – trumpet
• Eddie Blair – trumpet

Charts

Other cover versions

• In November 1968, French singer Marie Laforêt released a French-language cover of the song, titled "Que calor la vida", which peaked at number 2 in France and number 14 in the Walloon region of Belgium.
• In 1986, German group Saragossa Band released a cover of the song, titled "Red Balloon".

References

1. "Pop" (PDF). Disc. 6 May 1972. p. 12. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
2. "Raymond Froggatt – Callow-la-vita" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
3. "Raymond Froggatt – Callow-la-vita" (in French). Ultratop 50.
4. "Nederlandse Top 40 – Raymond Froggatt" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
5. "Raymond Froggatt – Callow-la-vita" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
6. "News" (PDF). Record Mirror. 31 August 1968. p. 4. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
7. ^ Thompson, Gordon (2008). Please Please Me: Sixties British Pop, Inside Out. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 150, 288. ISBN 9780195333183.
8. ^ "DAVE CLARK FIVE | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
9. ^ "Dave sets the record straight" (PDF). Melody Maker. 5 October 1968. p. 7. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
10. Clayson, Alan (19 November 2008). "GLAD ALL OVER AGAIN - Record Collector Magazine". Record Collector. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
11. "Dave's big thump up" (PDF). New Musical Express. 14 September 1968. p. 6. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
12. Kent, David (2005). Australian Chart Book 1940–1969. Australian Chart Book Pty Ltd, Turramurra, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-44439-5.
13. "The Dave Clark Five – The Red Balloon" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
14. "Top 20 – Uge 47". danskehitlister.dk. 24 November 1968. Archived from the original on 9 April 2016. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
15. "The Dave Clark Five – The Red Balloon" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
16. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – The Red Balloon". Irish Singles Chart.
17. "flavour of new zealand - search listener". www.flavourofnz.co.nz. Archived from the original on 20 September 2022. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
18. Kimberley, Christopher (2000). Zimbabwe: Singles Chart Book.
19. "Hits of the World" (PDF). Billboard. 30 November 1968. p. 88. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
20. "South African Rock Lists Website - SA Charts 1965 - 1989 Acts (C)". Archived from the original on 17 May 2019. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
21. "Pop 30" (PDF). Melody Maker. 26 October 1968. p. 2. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
22. "NME Top 30" (PDF). New Musical Express. 19 October 1968. p. 7. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
23. "Top-Hebdo – 28 décembre 1968". www.top-france.fr. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
24. "Marie Laforêt - Que calor la vida - ultratop.be". www.ultratop.be. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
25. "Saragossa Band - Red Balloon". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 1 January 2024.

• 1968 singles
• The Dave Clark Five songs
• 1968 songs
• Polydor Records singles
• Columbia Graphophone Company singles