"Tornerai" (Italian for "You Will Return") composed by Dino Olivieri (music) and Nino Rastelli (lyrics) in 1936, is said to be inspired by the Humming Chorus ("Coro a Bocca Chiusa") at the end of Act 2 of Puccini's Opera "Madame Butterfly" (1904)
The composer himself, Dino Olivieri, was probably the first one to record the first instrumental version of "Tornerai".
(c) Orchestra m.o. Dino Olivieri (1937) (as "Tornerai")
Orchestra da Ballo
Recorded March 1937
Matrix OBA-1764
Released on Disco Grammofono GW 1356
Listen here:
And a few months later the (probably) first vocal version was released (on the same Disco Grammofono-label)
(c) Emilio Livi & Trio Vocale Köln (1937) (as "Tornerai")
Con Orchestra M.o. Gino Dover.
Matrix OBA-2165
Released on Disco Grammofono HN 1319
SEE ALSO: EMILIO LIVI - Tornerai
SEE ALSO: EMILIO LIVI
Listen here:
(o) Carlo Buti (1937) (as "Tornerai")
Recorded September 1937 in the Columbia Recording Studio in Milan, Italy.
Matrix CB 8423
Released on Columbia DQ 2469
SEE ALSO: CARLO BUTI - TORNERAI
SEE ALSO: CARLO BUTI
Listen to a sample here: BUTI%20CARLO%20-%20Tornerai.mp3
Or listen here:
(c) Aldo Visconti (1937) (as "Tornerai")
Recorded September 1937 in Milan
Matrix Mo 7141
Released on Odeon GO-19004
Listen here:
(o) Dino di Luca (1937) (as "Tornerai")
& Orchestra Cetra diretta dal M°. Pippo Barzizza.
Recorded September 1937
Matrix 153052
Released on PARLOPHON
GP
92255
SEE ALSO: DINO DI LUCA - TORNERAI
SEE ALSO: DINO DI LUCA
Listen here: DI%20LUCA%20DINO%20-%20Tornerai.mp3
Or here:
(c) Orchestra Cetra diretta dal M°. Pippo Barzizza (1937) (as "Tornerai")
Matrix 153125 ?
Recorded September 1937
Released on PARLOPHON GP 92306
SEE ALSO: PIPPO BARZIZZA
Listen here:
(c) Trio Vocale Sorelle Lescano e Quartetto Jazz Funaro (1937) (as "Tornerai")
Recorded September 1937
Matrix 153158
Released on PARLOPHON GP 92317
Listen here:
The first French version was written in 1937 by Jacques Larue for Jean Sablon.
This version "Soirs D'Amour" probably wasn't issued at all.
One year later Louis Poterat wrote another version ("J'attendrai").
Jean Sablon did record that version one year after Rina Ketty's version went big in France in 1938.
(c) Rina Ketty (1938) (as "J'attendrai")
French lyrics by Louis Poterat
Released March 1938 on Pathe PA 1477
Listen here:
(c) Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelly (1938) (as "Tornerai (J'attendrai)")
Django Reinhardt: guitar; Stéphane Grappelly: piano
Recorded Febrary 1 1938 in London
Matrix DTB 3531
Released on Decca F 6721
Listen here;
And here's a live version of the Quintet of the Hot Club of France from 1 year later.
In 1943 Stephane Grappelly and his Quintet recorded another instrumental version
(c) Stephane Grappelly and his Quintet (1944) (as "Au Revoir (J'attendrai)")
Dennis Moonan as, bar / Stephane Grapelly vn / George Shearing p / Chapie D'Amato g / Tommy Bromley b / Dave Fullerton d.
Recorded January 21, 1943 in London
Matrix DR 7190
Released on Decca F 8451
Listen here:
(c) Tino Rossi (1938) (as "J'attendrai")
Recorded June 1938
Released on Columbia DF 2436
Listen here;
(c) Jean Sablon (1939) (as "J'attendrai")
Matrix OLA.3016
Released on Disque Gramophone K-8384
Listen here:
(c) Bob Scholte (1939) (as "'k Wacht Op Jou")
Dutch lyrics Jacques van Tol
Recorded March 1939 in Berlin
Released on Parlophon B.73116
Listen here:
(c) Kees Pruis (1939) (as "Ik Wacht Op Jou")
Dutch lyrics Jacques van Tol
Recorded March 1939 in Berlin
Released on Imperial 3051
Listen here:
(c) Turner Layton (1939) (as "Au Revoir")
English lyrics Bruce Sievier
Recorded end March 1939
Listen to a sample here: Thanks for the memory - Turner Layton - Muziekweb
(c) Hans Georg Schütz m. s. Orchester (vocals by Rudi Schuricke) (1939) (as "Komm Zurück")
German lyrics by Ralph Maria Siegel.
Recorded August 23, 1939
Released on Grammophon /Polydor #11307
Listen here:
(c) Rudi Schuricke & Heinz Munsonius (1939) (as "Komm Zurück")
German lyrics by Ralph Maria Siegel.
Recorded August 1939
Released on Imperial #17284
(c) Albert Vossen mit seinen Tanz-Rhythmikern (1939) (as "Komm Zurück")
Refraingesang: Schuricke-Terzett
German lyrics by Klaus Richter.
Recorded December 1939
Released on Telefunken A 10073
(c) Michael Jary and Kammer-Tanz-Orchester (1940) (as "Komm Zurück")
Vocals by Rudi Schuricke
German lyrics by Ralph Maria Siegel.
Recorded April 18, 1940 in Berlin
Matrix Be 12631
Released on Odeon O-31618
Listen here:
(c) Hans Rehmstedt mit seinem Orchester (1941) (as "Komm Zurück")
Vocals: Horst Winter
German lyrics by Ralph Maria Siegel.
Released on Columbia DW. 4895
(c) Richard Tauber (1945) (as "Au Revoir")
English lyrics Bruce Sievier
Listen here:
(c) Hildegarde (1945) (as "I'll Be Yours")
English lyrics by Anna Sosenko.
Recorded April 28, 1945 in New York City
Released on Decca 23423
Listen here:
On March 7, 1946 Hildegarde recorded a new version with Carmen Cavallaro (piano)
Released on Decca 23544
Listen here: I'll Be Yours - Hildegarde and Carmen Cavallaro 1946
Or here:
(c) Crew Cuts (1959) (as "J'attendrai (I'll be Yours)")
Listen here:
(c) Cliff Richard and the Shadows (1963) (as "J'attendrai")
(c) Vince Hill (1966) (as "Au Revoir")
English lyrics Bruce Sievier
Listen here:
(c) Rudy and the Royal Rhythmics (1966) (as "Ik Wacht Op Jou")
Dutch lyrics Harry Teunissen (but in fact these are the lyrics of Jacques van Tol)
Listen here:
(c) Eddy Wally (1975) (as "Ik Wacht Op Jou")
Dutch lyrics Johnny Hoes (but in fact these are the lyrics of Jacques van Tol)
Listen here:
(c) Raffaella Carra (1975) (as "Tornerai")
Listen here:
(c) Dalida (1976) (as "J'attendrai")
Listen here:
(c) Johnny Jordaan en Willy Alberti (1976) (as "'k Wacht Op Jou")
Duth lyrics H Theunisse (but in fact these are the lyrics of Jacques van Tol)
Listen here:
More info here:
More versions here: