Cherry Pink And Apple Blossom White

Album: Mondo Mambo: The Best of Perez Prado (1955)
Charted: 1 1
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Songfacts®:

  • This instrumental is the theme from the 1955 Jane Russell film Underwater!
  • "Cherry Pink And Apple Blossom White" was originally "Cerisier Rose Et Pommer Blanc," a French pop song written by Jacques LaRue and Louiguy (Louis Gugliemi). It was given an English lyric by Hal David's brother Mack in 1951.
  • Perez Prado first recorded this in 1951, turning it into a mambo, a rhythm he had pioneered in the late 1940s. Four years later he re-recorded it for Underwater! with an added trumpet solo by Billy Regis and it topped the US chart for 10 weeks. It was knocked off #1 by "Rock Around The Clock."
  • Two weeks after this dropped from #1 in the UK, popular trumpeter Eddie Calvert reached the penthouse with a cover version. His version remained #1 for four weeks, two more than Perez Prado achieved.
  • Perez Prado, who was universally known as "The King of the Mambo," was born in Montanzas, Cuba. The big band leader moved to Mexico City in 1949 and formed his orchestra and two years later he began touring in the US. He died in 1989 after suffering a stroke. Among his accolades is a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
  • Prado's 1952 recording "Mambo No 5" was adapted in 1999 into the international hit "Mambo No 5 (A Little Bit Of)" by Lou Bega. Perez Prado recorded numerous mambos and when he ran out of inspiration, he would simply number them, and "Mambo No 5" was one of a series of 8.
  • Ethel Gabriel, often hailed as the first major-label female producer, helmed Pérez Prado's version. Over a four-decade career at RCA Victor, Gabriel produced over 2,500 albums, including Perry Como Sings Merry Christmas Music, Henri Mancini's The Pink Panther Soundtrack, and Elvis Presley's Pure Gold.
  • In 1982, pop band Modern Romance released a cover with John du Prez on their trumpet. It peaked at #15 in the UK, the first vocal version of the song to make the UK charts, albeit with some new lyrics from the group.

Comments: 8

  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn April 6, 1958, Alan Dale was a guest on the NBC-TV Sunday-night musical variety program, 'The Steve Allen Show'...
    In April of 1958 ABC-Paramount Records released his "We're Together", b/w "Valley Of The Moon", neither side made Billboard's Top 100 chart...
    Steve Allen was the composer of "Valley of the Moon" and co-composer of "We're Together"...
    The New York City native had two records make the Top 100 chart, "Cherry Pink (and Apple Blossom White)" {it reached #14 for one week on the Most Played on Juke Boxes chart and spent seven week on the Top 100} and "Sweet and Gentle" {peaked at #10 for 3 non-consecutive weeks on the Most Played by Jockeys chart and also stayed on the Top 100 for seven weeks}...
    He played singer Arnie Haines in the Alan Freed 1956 rock'n roll movie, 'Don't Knock The Rock'...
    Alan Dale, born Aldo Sigismondi, passed away at the age of 76 on April 20th, 2002...
    May he R.I.P.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn December 5, 1960, Jerry Murad's Harmonicats performed "Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White" on the Dick Clark weekday-afternoon program, 'American Bandstand'...
    Three weeks later on December 26th the song entered Billboard's Top 100 chart at position #82, two weeks later it peaked #56 {for 1 week} and it spent eight weeks on the Top 100...
    The Harmonicats had two other charted records, "Peg O' My Heart" {peaked at #1 for 4 non-consecutive weeks in 1947 on Billboard's Best-Sellers in Store chart} and "Hair of Gold, Eyes of Blue" {reached #24 in 1948}...
    On April 14th, 1955 Perez Prado's version of "Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White" peaked at #1 {for 10 weeks} on Billboard's Best-Sellers in Stores chart.
  • Jennifur Sun from RamonaOne of my fav instrumentals. Wonder who played the trumpet. And as I recall there are words to the song too.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn April 25th 1955, the United Nation's commission on narcotics releases a report stating 'definite connection between increased marijuana smoking and that form of entertainment known as bebop and rebop'...
    And the Top 10 records at the time on Billboard's Best-Selling in Stores chart is a real good example???
    #1. Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White by Perez Prado and His Orchestra
    #2. Ballad of Davy Crockett by Bill Hayes
    #3. Dance With Me Henry by Georgia Gibbs
    #4. Unchained Melody by Les Baxter
    #5. Crazy Otto by Johhny Maddox and the Rhythm Masters
    #6. Unchained Melody by Al Hibbler
    #7. Ballad of Davy Crockett by Fess Parker
    #8. Ballad of Davy Crockett by Tennessee Ernie Ford
    #9. Tweedle Dee by Georgia Gibbs
    #10. Darling Je Vous Aime Beaucoup by Nat 'King' Cole
  • Scott from Portland, OrMy first "favorite song" at age 3 and I still love to hear it!
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyTen weeks at No. 1, then I guess you can say that rock 'n roll finally came of age. The record that knocked 'Cherry Pink' from the top spot was "Rock Around the Clock" by Bill Haley and His Comets, and it stayed at No. 1 for eight weeks!!! (Rock 'n Roll was here to stay)
  • Chet from Buffalo, NyTen weeks at #1 and 1955's song of the year in the U.S. Crowds still ask for and dance to it more than 50 years later.
  • Michael from Bradford, EnglandThat should read "Cerisier Rose et Pommier Blanc"
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