Three Coins in the Fountain (song)
Encyclopedia
"Three Coins in the Fountain" is a popular
song
which received the Academy Award for Best Original Song
in 1954.
The melody
was written by Jule Styne
, the lyrics
by Sammy Cahn
. It was written for the romance film
, Three Coins in the Fountain and refers to the act of throwing a coin into the Trevi Fountain
in Rome
while making a wish. Each of the film's three stars performs this act.
Cahn and Styne were asked to write the song to fit the movie but were unable to either see the film or read the script. They completed the song in an hour and had produced a demonstration record with Frank Sinatra
by the following day. The song was subsequently used in the film soundtrack but in the rush Twentieth Century Fox neglected to sign a contract with the composers, allowing them to claim complete rights over the royalties. The song was subsequently recorded by The Four Aces
, who had a number-one hit
on the U.S. Billboard pop chart
chart
in 1954, while the Sinatra recording
topped the UK Singles Chart
for three weeks in September and October that year.
A recording by Dinah Shore
with orchestra conducted by Harry Geller was made at Radio Recorders, Hollywood, on March 24, 1954. It was released by RCA Victor Records as catalog number 20-5755 (in USA) and by EMI
on the His Master's Voice label as catalog number B 10730. The flip side of both recordings was "Pakistan".
Sergio Franchi
sang the title song in another 20th Century Fox
film made as the pilot for an unsold TV series. This version was broadcast in 1970. It was recorded by Jack Jones
in 1990, and used in the film Coins in the Fountain
that same year. Steve Martin
sings "Three Coins in a Fountain" when trying to attempt a sing-along in the film, Planes, Trains and Automobiles. It was parodied in the Goon Show, to the same tune, with the words Three Goons in a fountain, which one will the fountain drown?
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
which received the Academy Award for Best Original Song
Academy Award for Best Original Song
The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . It is presented to the songwriters who have composed the best original song written specifically for a film...
in 1954.
The melody
Melody
A melody , also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones which is perceived as a single entity...
was written by Jule Styne
Jule Styne
Jule Styne was a British-born American songwriter especially famous for a series of Broadway musicals, which included several very well known and frequently revived shows.-Early life:...
, the lyrics
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
by Sammy Cahn
Sammy Cahn
Sammy Cahn was an American lyricist, songwriter and musician. He is best known for his romantic lyrics to films and Broadway songs, as well as stand-alone songs premiered by recording companies in the Greater Los Angeles Area...
. It was written for the romance film
Romance film
Romance films are love stories that focus on passion, emotion, and the affectionate involvement of the main characters and the journey that their love takes through courtship or marriage. Romance films make the love story or the search for love the main plot focus...
, Three Coins in the Fountain and refers to the act of throwing a coin into the Trevi Fountain
Trevi Fountain
The Trevi Fountain is a fountain in the Trevi rione in Rome, Italy. Standing 26 metres high and 20 metres wide, it is the largest Baroque fountain in the city and one of the most famous fountains in the world....
in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
while making a wish. Each of the film's three stars performs this act.
Cahn and Styne were asked to write the song to fit the movie but were unable to either see the film or read the script. They completed the song in an hour and had produced a demonstration record with Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
by the following day. The song was subsequently used in the film soundtrack but in the rush Twentieth Century Fox neglected to sign a contract with the composers, allowing them to claim complete rights over the royalties. The song was subsequently recorded by The Four Aces
The Four Aces
The Four Aces is an American male traditional pop music quartet, popular since the 1950s. Over the last half-century, the group amassed many gold records. Its million-selling signature tunes include "Love is a Many-Splendored Thing", "Three Coins in the Fountain", "Stranger in Paradise", "Tell Me...
, who had a number-one hit
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
on the U.S. Billboard pop chart
Billboard charts
The Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States. The results are published in Billboard magazine...
chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
in 1954, while the Sinatra recording
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
topped the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
for three weeks in September and October that year.
A recording by Dinah Shore
Dinah Shore
Dinah Shore was an American singer, actress, and television personality...
with orchestra conducted by Harry Geller was made at Radio Recorders, Hollywood, on March 24, 1954. It was released by RCA Victor Records as catalog number 20-5755 (in USA) and by EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
on the His Master's Voice label as catalog number B 10730. The flip side of both recordings was "Pakistan".
Sergio Franchi
Sergio Franchi
Sergio Franchi was an Italian tenor.Franchi was born in Cremona, Italy. His father wanted him to become an electrical engineer, so he studied both music and engineering simultaneously. The family moved to South Africa in 1952, where Sergio worked part-time as a draftsman, while continuing to study...
sang the title song in another 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
film made as the pilot for an unsold TV series. This version was broadcast in 1970. It was recorded by Jack Jones
Jack Jones (singer)
John Allan "Jack" Jones is an American jazz and pop singer. He was one of the most popular vocalists of the 1960s.-Overview:...
in 1990, and used in the film Coins in the Fountain
Coins in the Fountain
Coins in the Fountain is a television film which was released on September 28, 1990. The film is based on the novel Coins in the Fountain by John H. Secondari, which was previously filmed in 1954 as Three Coins in the Fountain. It was directed by Tony Wharmby and written by Lindsay Harrison...
that same year. Steve Martin
Steve Martin
Stephen Glenn "Steve" Martin is an American actor, comedian, writer, playwright, producer, musician and composer....
sings "Three Coins in a Fountain" when trying to attempt a sing-along in the film, Planes, Trains and Automobiles. It was parodied in the Goon Show, to the same tune, with the words Three Goons in a fountain, which one will the fountain drown?
See also
- List of number-one singles from the 1950s (UK)