Paloma Blanca

1975 single by George Baker Selection

"Paloma Blanca"
Single by George Baker Selection
from the album Paloma Blanca
B-side"Dreamboat"
Released1975 (1975)
Length3:27
Label
  • Negram
  • Warner Bros.
Songwriter(s)Johannes Bouwens
Producer(s)Hans Bouwens
George Baker Selection singles chronology
"Sing a Song of Love"
(1974) 		"Paloma Blanca"
(1975) 		"Morning Sky"
(1975)

"Paloma Blanca" (Spanish for "white dove"), often called "Una Paloma Blanca", is a song written by Dutch musician George Baker (under his real name, Johannes Bouwens) and first recorded and released by his band, George Baker Selection. The single—the title track of the group's fifth album—was released in 1975 with "Dreamboat" (or "Dream Boat") as its B-side.[1] The song was a hit throughout Europe, reaching No. 1 in Austria, Finland, Flanders, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland, and it also topped the charts of New Zealand and South Africa.

In the United States, the song became a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Easy Listening Singles chart on 14 February 1976 (becoming that chart's overall No. 1 song for 1976), peaked at No. 26 on the Billboard Hot 100, and reached No. 33 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. In Canada and the United Kingdom, "Paloma Blanca" peaked at No. 10, and in Australia, it reached No. 2. The song sold over two million copies worldwide.[2]

Meaning

Baker has been quoted as saying the song is about "a poor South American farmer who works hard all day and then sits by a tree and dreams of being a white bird with its freedom."[3]

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1975–1976) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[4] 2
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[5] 1
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[6] 1
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[7] 6
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[8] 10
Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[9] 1
Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[10] 36
Denmark (IFPI)[11] 15
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[12] 1
Italy (Germano Ruscitto)[13] 10
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[14] 1
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[15] 1
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[16] 1
Norway (VG-lista)[17] 1
South Africa (Springbok Radio)[18] 1
Spain (El Gran Musical)[19] 2
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[20] 1
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[21] 1
UK Singles (OCC)[22] 10
US Billboard Hot 100[23] 26
US Easy Listening (Billboard)[24] 1
US Hot Country Singles (Billboard)[25] 33
US Cash Box Top 100[26] 22
West Germany (Official German Charts)[27] 1

Year-end charts

Chart (1975) Rank
Australia (Kent Music Report)[28][29] 11
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[30] 2
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[31] 1
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[32] 1
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[33] 1
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[34] 4
South Africa (Springbok Radio)[35] 6
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[36] 2
West Germany (Official German Charts)[37] 1
Chart (1976) Rank
Australia (Kent Music Report)[38] 94
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[39] 110
US Easy Listening (Billboard) [40] 1
US (Joel Whitburn's Pop Annual)[41] 157

Cover versions

Following the George Baker Selection's success, the song was widely covered. In the UK, where the group took "Paloma Blanca" to a number 10 chart peak, the recording by Jonathan King achieved number five.[42]

"I Am a Cider Drinker" is a cover version of the song created by The Wurzels in 1976, which contains a number of references to rural West Country life, including scrumpy, rabbit stew, combine harvesters and evenings at the local pub. The single was a number three hit.[43] A remastered version was produced in 2007, with an accompanying video.

See also

  • List of number-one hits of 1975 (Germany)
  • List of number-one singles (Sweden)
  • List of number-one adult contemporary singles of 1976 (U.S.)

References

  1. ^ Paloma Blanca (Dutch 7-inch single vinyl disc). George Baker Selection. Negram. 1975. NG 496.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  2. ^ "George Baker" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 87, no. 43. 25 October 1975. p. G-3. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  3. ^ "What's in a name?". Greeley Daily Tribune. No. February 7, 1976. p. 11. Archived from the original on 13 September 2019. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
  4. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 25. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  5. ^ "George Baker Selection – Paloma Blanca" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  6. ^ "George Baker Selection – Paloma Blanca" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  7. ^ "George Baker Selection – Paloma Blanca" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  8. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 4074a." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  9. ^ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 4064." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  10. ^ "Top RPM Country Tracks: Issue 6462." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  11. ^ "Hits of the World – Denmark" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 88, no. 4. 24 January 1976. p. 69. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  12. ^ "George Baker Selection: Paloma Blanca" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat.
  13. ^ "Hits of the World – Italy" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 87, no. 50. 13 December 1975. p. 53. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  14. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – George Baker Selection" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
  15. ^ "George Baker Selection – Paloma Blanca" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  16. ^ "George Baker Selection – Paloma Blanca". Top 40 Singles.
  17. ^ "George Baker Selection – Paloma Blanca". VG-lista.
  18. ^ "SA Number 1s 1965 – 1989". rock.co.za. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
  19. ^ "Hits of the World – Spain" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 87, no. 44. 1 November 1975. p. 67. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  20. ^ "George Baker Selection – Paloma Blanca". Singles Top 100.
  21. ^ "George Baker Selection – Paloma Blanca". Swiss Singles Chart.
  22. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  23. ^ "Billboard Hot 100" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 88, no. 5. 31 January 1976. p. 60. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  24. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 27.
  25. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006 (second ed.). Record Research. p. 37.
  26. ^ "Cash Box Top 100 Singles, February 14, 1976". Archived from the original on 22 March 2016. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
  27. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – George Baker Selection – Paloma Blanca" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 3 July 2020. To see peak chart position, click "TITEL VON George Baker Selection"
  28. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (Illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  29. ^ "National Top 100 Singles for 1975". Kent Music Report. 29 December 1975. Retrieved 15 January 2022 – via Imgur.
  30. ^ "Jahreshitparade Singles 1975" (in German). Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  31. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 1975" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  32. ^ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1975". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  33. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1975" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  34. ^ "End of Year Charts 1975". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  35. ^ "Top 20 Hit Singles of 1975". South African Rock Lists. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  36. ^ "Swiss Year-End Charts 1975" (in German). Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  37. ^ "Top 100 Single–Jahrescharts 1975" (in German). Retrieved 20 June 2018.
  38. ^ "National Top 100 Singles for 1976". Kent Music Report. 27 December 1976. Retrieved 15 January 2022 – via Imgur.
  39. ^ "Top 200 Singles of '76". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  40. ^ "Top 50 Adult Contemporary Hits of 1976 - 45cat".
  41. ^ Whitburn, Joel (1999). Pop Annual. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. ISBN 0-89820-142-X.
  42. ^ "UNA PALOMA BLANCA". Official Charts. 6 September 1975.
  43. ^ "1000 number ones: The Seventies". Music Week. 17 January 2005. Archived from the original on 13 August 2011 – via Wayback Machine.
  • v
  • t
  • e
  • Johannes Bouwens (George Baker)
Studio albums
  • Little Green Bag
  • Love in the World
  • Now
  • Holy Day
  • Hot Baker
  • Paloma Blanca
  • A Song for You
  • River Song
  • Summer Melody
  • Paradise Island
  • Santa Lucia By Night
  • Viva America
  • Dreamboat
Extended plays
  • Midnight
  • Morning Sky
  • Sing a Song of Love
Live albums
Compilations
  • Greatest Hits
  • 5 Jaar Hits
  • The Best of Baker
  • Het Beste Van The George Baker Selection
  • Het Complete Hitoverzicht
Tours
Singles
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