Kiss of Fire
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"Kiss of Fire" is a popular song.The music was written by Angel G. Villoldo an argentinean musician. It is not known exactly when Angel Villoldo composed his internationally renowned tango “El Choclo” also known as Kiss of Fire in English. The piece was premiered in Buenos Aires Argentina in 1903 - the date appears on a program of the venue - at the elegant restaurant "El Americano" on 966 Cangallo Street (today Teniente General Perón) by the orchestra led by Jose Luis Roncallo music. Despite it, there is a belief that it was composed in 1898.
Why is named “El Choclo”?. Irene Villoldo, sister of the composer, once explained it to the singer Juan Carlos Marambio Catan. These are her words: «”El Choclo” was in fact a tough guy who as well was a pimp that was based in the surroundings of Junín and Lavalle. He was called by that name because of the color of his hair.» The reference is interesting because it denies that phrase about the origin of the title that Francisco Garcia Jimenez fancifully attributed to the composer: "Pa' mi el choclo es lo más rico del puchero." (The ear of corn is the tastier thing of a stew for me) When Villoldo wrote the first lyric of that tango he was careful not to allude to the pimp in it. In the 30s the above mentioned Marambio Catan wrote one more lyric which was sung by Angel Vargas. But it was in 1947 when Enrique Santos Discepolo wrote its definitive stanzas: "Con este tango que es burlón y compadrito/ se ató dos alas la ambición de mi suburbio". Along the years the song has been recorded by the most importants singers and tango orchestras.
Kiss of Fire
With the title "Kiss of fire" is known an American tango that Lester Allen and Robert Hill signed as authors of lyrics and music in 1952, but anyone who had heard it cannot have doubts that its melody exactly follows the notes of “El Choclo” which Angel Villoldo composed in 1903. It was, of course, an intentional trick but as the number was very popular, the "new" authors were forced to recognize that "Kiss of Fire" was adapted from Villoldo's and so is explained on the original sheet music. Anyhow, the term "adaptation" is nearer to the truth because Allen y Hill changed the last two bars of the first section and on the second they added two short melodic phrases as ending with a typical flamenco flavor. The third part, surely because longer pieces were no longer commercial, was simply omitted. Louis Armstrong made popular the new version when he recorded it on March 19, 1955 for Decca (28.177). When the record was released in Argentina (Decca 333.317) the names of Villoldo and the lyricists Discepolo and Marambio Catan were added on the label to the names of the American "authors". The same year of Armstrong's recording of "Kiss of Fire" a movie with the same name starring Jack Palance and Barbara Rush was released. In it, in the viceroyalty of New Spain (Mexico and south of the United States) among conquerors and Comanche Indians, you can hear, with a Flamenco flavor, the notes that Villoldo composed about two centuries after the time in which the fiction takes place. A number of versions were recorded in 1952, but the most popular was the one by Georgia Gibbs, which reached #1 on the Billboard chart. Tony Martin's version reached #6, Toni Arden's #14, Billy Eckstine's #16, Louis Armstrong's #20, and Guy Lombardo's version reached #30.There is a Spanish version of "Kiss of Fire" by Connie Francis.
[edit] Recorded versions
- Toni Arden (1952)
- Louis Armstrong (1952)
- Billy Eckstine (1952)
- Georgia Gibbs (1952)
- Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians (vocal: Kenny Gardner) (1952)
- Tony Martin (1952)
- Caterina Valente
- Ikue Mori (1995)
[edit] External link
| Preceded by Blue Tango |
Cash Box magazine best selling record chart #1 record May 31, 1952–July 19, 1952 |
Succeeded by Auf Wiederseh’n Sweetheart |
