She was born Orietta Galimberti on 1 June 1945 in Cavriago, in the Reggio Emilia region of Italy. Her father was an opera buff and he encouraged his daughter to sing from a very early age. She went on to study music and singing.
In 1961, she tied for first place with Iva Zanicchi in a song contest and was offered a recording contract with the Karim label. However, her first two 45s, Non ci sarò and Se non avessi più, both issued in 1962, failed to attract much attention.
The following year she switched to the Polydor label, where she would remain for the next 15 years.
Serenata surbana – originally a South American tune – became her debut release for the new label, though she achieved greater notoriety in 1964 with her version of Soeur Sourire’s Dominique. Its success even prompted a whole album of covers of the Belgian nun’s songs. (Imagine.)
It was a surprise, then, when Polydor opted to issue the poppier Tutto è finite fra noi as the follow up 45. The real gem of the release, however, was the B-side, Vai, Bobby, vai, a cover of Lesley Gore’s US hit Run, Bobby, run.
Perdendoti, a version of Brenda Lee’s Losing you, backed with Scorderai (Dusty Springfield’s Stay awhile), became Orietta’s final single of 1964.
A win at the Un disco per l’estate in 1965 with Tu sei quello gave the singer her first big hit, reaching number two in the charts that July. It also marked a change in style – big ballads were in, pop was consigned to B-sides. In this case, another Gore song, No more tears, retitled Se per caso, became the flip.
Similarly, the beat gem Le ragazze semplici lingered on the reverse of the ballad Voglio dirti grazie, her winning song from the Rose festival of 1965.
Orietta’s popularity afforded her a place at the prestigious San Remo contest in January 1966, where she performed Io ti darò di più, which made it to the final, though it didn’t win. However, she lost out in a chart war with Ornella Vanoni, who had also performed the song at the contest.
Polydor were keen to promote their new star abroad, and Orietta was whisked into the studio to
re-record some of her hits for the Spanish market. Her San Remo entry became Yo te darìa mas for her first Spanish-language release. (A similar push was made in France the following year, though without any great success.)
At home, further ballads, Quando la prima stella and Dove, non so (the theme from the film Dr Zhivago), consolidated her success. A second LP was also issued, which included her hits to date and some new material, notably Quando partirai, a version of Brit girl Lesley Duncan’s When my baby cries.
From then on, Orietta trod the well-worn path of song contest after song contest.
1967 brought success with Io, tu e le rose (at San Remo), Solo tu (at Un disco per l’estate), Ritornerà da me (Festivalbar) and Io potrei (Rose festival). In the UK, Cliff Richard enjoyed a top ten hit with his cover of her Solo tu, All my love.
If Orietta was disappointed to be eliminated before the final of the 1968 San Remo contest with Tu che non sorridi mai, she found consolation by finishing second at Un disco per l’estate with the catchy Non illuderti mai. The song went on to enjoy a 12-week run in the top ten of the charts during the summer that year.
She also enjoyed some success with Se m’innamoro di un ragazzo come te, from the Canzonissima, and even appeared as a nun in the film Zum, zum, zum.
The hits continued for the remainder of the decade with the dramatic Quando l’amore diventa poesia (from the 1969 San Remo festival), L’atalena (Un disco per l’estate) and Una bambola blu (Canzonissima).
The collective social conscience of the early 1970s saw Orietta tackle some tough issues through her songs, including feminism, prostitution and immigration.
In 1973, she moved into performing folk songs – enjoying success with the results – before taking several acting roles in films such as 1978’s Quando c’era lui... caro lei!
After a foray into performing songs for children, she returned to the San Remo stage in 1986 with Futuro.
In the 1990s, Orietta became a familiar face on Italian TV screens as a presenter, and she continues to issue the occasional album.
Solo Tú
Orietta Berti Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ogni giorno di più
Sei qualcosa per me
Sei qualcosa di me
Mai, mai, mai
Senza te io vivrei
Ora che sei così
A nessuno darei
Quello che ho dato a te
Io ti giuro che non potrei
Se non fossi tu
Ora che sei così
Importante per me
A nessuno darei
Quello che ho dato a te
Io ti giuro che non potrei
Se non fossi tu, se non fossi tu
Se non fossi tu
In "Solo tu" by Orietta Berti, the singer is expressing their love and devotion for their significant other, saying that they are becoming more important to them every day and that they are a part of them. The singer says that they could never live without their significant other and that they have given them something that they would never give to anyone else. The song ends with the singer repeating that they could never do any of these things if their significant other was not there.
The lyrics of this song convey a deep sense of love and commitment that is often associated with romantic relationships. The repetition of the lines "Ora che sei così / Importante per me / A nessuno darei / Quello che ho dato a te" underscores the idea that the singer has given their all to their significant other and that they would never be able to give that to someone else. The use of the word "tu" throughout the song also emphasizes the personal and intimate nature of the relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
Solo tu
Only you
Ogni giorno di più
Every day more and more
Sei qualcosa per me
You are something to me
Sei qualcosa di me
You are a part of me
Mai, mai, mai
Never, never, never
Senza te io vivrei
I couldn't live without you
Ora che sei così
Now that you're so
Importante per me
Important to me
A nessuno darei
I wouldn't give to anyone
Quello che ho dato a te
What I have given to you
Io ti giuro che non potrei
I swear I couldn't
Se non fossi tu
If not for you
Ora che sei così
Now that you're so
Importante per me
Important to me
A nessuno darei
I wouldn't give to anyone
Quello che ho dato a te
What I have given to you
Io ti giuro che non potrei
I swear I couldn't
Se non fossi tu, se non fossi tu
If not for you, if not for you
Se non fossi tu
If not for you
Writer(s): MONTI ARDUINI FEDERICO
Contributed by Eva O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Gordon Ritchie
Solo tu,
ogni giorno di più.
Sei qualcosa per me,
sei qualcosa di me.
Mai, mai, mai,
senza te io vivrei.
Ora che sei così
importante per me,
a nessuno darei
quello che ho dato a te.
Io ti giuro che non potrei
se non fossi tu.
Győzőné Blaskó
Imádom❤❤❤❤❤
Patricia Zapata
Beautiful!
Daniela Ferrarotti
Stupendo brano !!! ❤❤❤
Gordon Ritchie
Solo tu,
ogni giorno di più.
Sei qualcosa per me,
sei qualcosa di me.
Mai, mai, mai,
senza te io vivrei.
Ora che sei così
importante per me,
a nessuno darei
quello che ho dato a te.
Io ti giuro che non potrei
se non fossi tu.
Tibor Mészáros
Yes, this song is also know as All My Love by Cliff Richard, but this is the original version. Another great tune from the Golden Age of Italian song.
Jack Evans
Wow ... so cool !
Luigi Giorza
Questo brano solo strumentale è stato inserito sul Monoscopio musicale RAI-TV anni'60-'70, n.43 ultima sequenza.
Karen Henninger
Also known as All my love sung by Cliff Richard
Patricia Zapata
Yep, I love that version too, like Cliff
Y Dw
Yes, All my love sung by Cliff Richard is the english adaptation from this Italian song Solo Tu ..