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Quin ser?
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Wikipedia article
"'Quin ser?'" is a bolero-mambo song written by Mexican composers Luis Demetrio and Pablo Beltrn Ruiz. Beltrn recorded the song for the first time with his orchestra in 1953. Pedro Infante, for whom the song was written, recorded it in 1954.
Norman Gimbel took the song, removed the somewhat melancholy Spanish lyrics about a man wondering if he shall ever love again, and wrote brand-new English lyrics about a man praising his dancing partner's ability to affect his heart with how she "sways" when they dance. This new song, titled "'Sway'", has become a standard in the pop repertoire. The first version to achieve considerable success in the United States was recorded by singer Dean Martin with the Dick Stabile orchestra in 1954.
Pablo Beltrn version
The first rendition of Luis Demetrio's "Quin ser?" was recorded by Pablo Beltrn Ruiz with his orchestra as an instrumental cha-cha-ch in 1953. This version was later included on the LP 'South of the Border / Al sur de la frontera - Cha-cha-cha'. According to Demetrio, Beltrn only contributed the first few chords of the song. The rest of the composition and the original lyrics (in Spanish) were all written by Demetrio. However, because Demetrio sold his rights to Beltrn, the song has often been misattributed to the latter.
Beltrn re-recorded the song on numerous occasions including an upbeat cumbia version for the album 'Mister Cumbia' (1966), a ska version for the album 'Caliente, caliente... a go-go' (1966) and a boogaloo version for the album 'Rosita bonita' (1968), all released by RCA Victor. The cumbia version was featured in the 1967 Cantinflas film 'Su Excelencia'.
Pedro Infante cover version
Demetrio had written the song specifically for Mexican singer Pedro Infante, who performed it in the film 'School for Tramps' in 1954 and later recorded it for Peerless Records. It became one of Infante's signature songs and a hit across Latin America. Shortly after, Germn Valds, better known as Tin Tan, performed a parody version of Infante's rendition in the film 'The Viscount of Monte Cristo'.
Dean Martin cover version
In 1954, the English lyrics were written by Norman Gimbel and recorded by Dean Martin backed by Dick Stabile's orchestra. This recording reached number 15 on the Billboard magazine best-seller chart
and number six on the UK chart. The single was released with the B-side "Money Burns a Hole in My Pocket" (Jule Styne, Bob Hilliard) in the US, while the British version was backed by "Pretty as a Picture" (Johnny Anz). The song was well received by critics, being described as a "happy reading of a listenable ditty in the Latin-American manner" by a contemporary reviewer.
Charts
Shaft cover version
British electronica band Shaft recorded "Sway", retitled as "'(Mucho Mambo) Sway'", and released it on 23 August 1999 as their debut single. This version is based on Rosemary Clooney's 1960 version, but following a dispute with the copyright holders of her recording, Shaft recorded new vocals with session singer Donna Canale. The single peaked at No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart, topped the New Zealand Singles Chart, and reached the top 10 in Denmark, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, and on the Canadian Singles Chart. The single was later included on Shaft's 2001, album 'Pick Up on This'.
Background
"(Mucho Mambo) Sway" first gained attention after being featured in a television advertisement for London radio station Kiss FM. This recording was an updated version of Rosemary Clooney's 1960 version, featuring her vocals. The cover was set to be released, and many copies had already been mailed out, but the copyright holders of Clooney's version enacted a moratorium on the single to prohibit commercial usage. As a result, it was pulled from radio and television, and production of the single ceased, causing the original recording of "(Mucho Mambo) Sway" to become exponentially more valuable. Following the ban, Shaft recruited Donna Canale to sing the vocals on a new version of the song. This time, they were allowed to market the single, and two days after production was finished, it went sent to record shops.Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications
Michael Bubl cover version
"'Sway'" was covered by Canadian singer Michael Bubl for his debut studio album, 'Michael Bubl', released in 2003. 'Sway' was chosen for release as the album's third single, and was released in Australia on 22 June 2004.
'Sway' was only released as an individual single in Australia. In many other countries, the release of the track was held back until 26 July, and packaged as a double A-side with the album's fourth single, 'Spider-Man Theme'. However, due to its popularity with Australian radio stations, the track was given a separate release in the region, with 'Spider-Man Theme' being released three months later in September 2004, as a separate release. Bubl's version of the song has appeared in such television shows and films as 'Las Vegas', 'CSI: NY', 'Malcolm in the Middle', 'The Wedding Date', 'Da Kath and Kim Code' and 'No Reservations'. The music video for the track was directed by Peter Kasden, who also filmed a music video for the single's B-side, 'Moondance', which was released exclusively to Australian music channels to promote the release of the single. The video features scenes of Bubl performing the song in the studio, intercut with scenes of Bubl driving a car through the Australian outback. The separate release, two music videos and strong radio airplay meant that 'Sway' reached a peak of No. 15 on the ARIA Singles Chart, making it Bubl's highest charting single to that date.
Track listing
*'Australian CD single'# "Sway" (Junkie XL Mix) 3:46
# "Sway" (acoustic version) 3:08
# "Moondance" (live version) 3:45
Charts
The Pussycat Dolls cover version
, 2006
American girl group The Pussycat Dolls recorded "Sway" and released as the only single for the 'Shall We Dance?' soundtrack. It is also the group's debut single overall. It was later included as a bonus track on their debut studio album, 'PCD' (2005).
Critical reception
While reviewing the 'Shall We Dance?' soundtrack, Heather Phares cited "Sway" as one of the highlights of the album. Ashley Spencer from the 'Orlando Sentinel' described the rendition as having a "mesmerizing rhythm". While reviewing the DVD of 'Shall We Dance?' Renata Joy of Dvdizzy.com pointed the song out as "a catchy tune". Rachel Sexton of MovieFreak.com called the cover "great" and noted it as "a classic updated".Promotion
The music video for "Sway" was directed by Steve Antin, the brother of The Pussycat Dolls creator, Robin Antin. The video features The Pussycat Dolls dancing against a backdrop of scenes from the movie. The music video was included as bonus clip in the DVD release of 'Shall We Dance'. At that point, the Pussycat Dolls were still recording their album PCD, and the group featured members of the original Pussycat Dolls burlesque troupe who remained after the re-casting process, such as Robin Antin, Cyia Batten, Kasey Campbell and Kaya Jones. Reviewers for Comingsoon.net, Edward Douglas and Scott Chitwood described the video as "sexy" and "stylish". They also wrote that "it perfectly fits the mood of the film." 'Slant Magazine's' writer Ed Gonzales wondered if the editors of 'Maxim' financed the video. Rachel Sexton of MovieFreak.com suggested buyers to skip the video calling it "cheesy". Renata Joy of Dvdizzy.com noted that "the song is much more enjoyable when not watching the accompanying video." "Sway" was performed on 'Dancing with the Stars' along with "Don't Cha" during the results show on 27 January 2006.Track listing
'Digital download'# "Sway" (Alternate version) 3:12
Personnel
Credits adapted from the liner notes of 'Shall We Dance - Soundtrack from the Motion Picture'.* Nicole Scherzinger lead vocals, background vocals
* Carmit Bachar additional vocals
* Melody Thornton additional vocals
* Kaya Jones additional vocals
* Ron Fair producer, marimba
* Bill Reichenbach trombone
* Tony Terran trumpet
Charts
Other versions
"Quin ser?" and "Sway" have been recorded dozens of times by many artists over the decades, many of which have been included in feature films and TV episodes. This is merely a select list of popular recordings, not a comprehensive listing.
* 1960 Bobby Rydell recorded the first of two hit versions of the song, reaching number 14 on the 'Billboard' charts and number 12 in Canada. A disco re-recording in 1976 reached number 27 on the adult contemporary charts.
* 1960 Connie Francis 'Connie Francis Sings Spanish and Latin American Favorites', MGM Records
* 1960 Rosemary Clooney and Dmaso Prez Prado 'A Touch of Tabasco', RCA Victor
* 1963 Julie London 'Latin in a Satin Mood', Liberty Record
*1965 Cliff Richard 'Cliff Richard', Columbia Records
* 1997 Brent Spiner on the soundtrack of the movie 'Out to Sea'
* 1998 The film 'Dark City', featured the version by Anita Kelsey, lip-synched by Jennifer Connelly's character as a lounge act (Jennifer Connelly herself sang it in the Director's Cut)
* 2005 The documentary film 'Romntico', directed by Mark Becker, features a version of the song played by Arturo Arias and Carmelo Muiz
* 2005 The film 'The Wedding Date', directed by Clare Kilner, features the version by Michael Bubl
* 2008 The film 'Paris', directed by Cdric Klapisch, features the version by Prez Prado and Rosemary Clooney
* 2008 The film 'Revolutionary Road', directed by Sam Mendes
* 2010 The film 'Repo Men', directed by Miguel Sapochnik, features the version by Prez Prado and Rosemary Clooney
References
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