"Speak Softly, Love" is a popularsong published in 1972, with music by Nino Rota and lyrics by Larry Kusik. The song was first introduced as an instrumental theme in the 1972 filmThe Godfather that was simply known as "Love Theme from The Godfather". The highest-charting rendition of either version was by vocalist Andy Williams, who took "Speak Softly Love" to number 34 on Billboard magazine's Hot 100 and number seven on its Easy Listening chart.
Rota's score for The Godfather had been nominated for a 1973 Academy Award for Best Original Score. However, it was disqualified from consideration when the Academy learned Rota had used a more comedic version of the song for the film Fortunella. Nonetheless, Rota's score for The Godfather Part II won the 1974 Academy Award for Best Score, despite the fact that it contained the same piece.
Chart success
"Love Theme from ''The Godfather''"
The first version of the song to reach any of the charts in Billboard magazine was "Love Theme from The Godfather" by pianist Roger Williams. His instrumental recording debuted in the issue dated April 1, 1972, and "bubbled under" the Hot 100 for five weeks, peaking at number 116, and another piano rendition by Ferrante and Teicher got as high as number 28 Easy Listening during its four-week chart run that began in the April 8 issue. The version that the film's music director, Carlo Savina, and his orchestra recorded for the soundtrack first charted on the Hot 100 in the April 22 issue and made it to number 66 during a nine-week chart run. It also reached number 24 on the Easy Listening chart during its three weeks there that began in the May 20 issue.
"Speak Softly, Love"
The Andy Williams version of "Speak Softly Love" also made its first appearance in the April 8 issue and reached number 34 on the Hot 100 during its 11 weeks there and number seven Easy Listening over the course of 12 weeks. A recording of the song by Al Martino debuted on both of those charts in the April 29 issue and peaked at number 80 during its four weeks on the Hot 100 and number 24 on the Easy Listening chart, where it also spent four weeks. In the UK Williams began a run of nine weeks on August 5 of that year that led to a number 42 showing.
Chart statistics
"Love Theme from ''The Godfather''"
Carlo Savina version
Roger Williams version
Ferrante and Teicher version
"Speak Softly, Love"
Andy Williams version
Al Martino version
Recordings
Slash of Guns N' Roses began performing instrumental guitar versions of the song as early as the late 1980s. The song is often referred to as "The Godfather Theme" and is included on his 2010 live album Live in Manchester and his 2011 live album Made in Stoke. A studio recording exists and was recorded for a rare 2002 soundtrack titled The Kid Stays in the Picture.
A Ukrainian version, "Skazhy scho lyubysh" was performed by Sofia Rotaru in the musical film Song Is Always with Us, as the Soviet administration did not allow her to record an English cover of The Godfathers theme following an offer from Ariola Records.
James Booker included an instrumental version of the song on his album Classified.
Jason Kouchak sang the original Italian version Parla più piano as a tribute.
The melody was used as the theme music and as a central plot device in the Soviet short animated film Contact.
Bay Area rapperMac Dre sampled the theme in his hip-hop song "Mafioso" from his album, Al Boo Boo.
Hip-hop artist RZA of Wu-Tang Clan samples the theme in "Black Mozart" on Raekwon's album Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. II.
A heavy metal cover of the song was done by the bandFantômas on their album The Director's Cut in 2001.
Andrea Bocelli recorded the Sicilian version for his 2015 album Cinema.
Gianni Morandi performs a very popular version of song in Italian.
Italian-French singer Dalida released a popular French version of the song in her 1972 album Il faut du temps.
