"Chi Mai" (Italian: whoever) is a composition by Ennio Morricone written in 1971. It was used in the films Maddalena (1971)[1] and Le Professionnel (1981),[2] as well as in the television series An Englishman's Castle and The Life and Times of David Lloyd George.[1] Because of its appearance on the latter television programme, "Chi Mai" reached number 2 on the UK Singles Chart in 1981.[3]
Composition
Elements of the melody of "Chi Mai" appeared in a piece entitled "Invito All Amore" from the 1968 Sergio Corbucci Spaghetti Western, The Great Silence.[4] The original Italian lyrics for this song were written by Carlo Nistri - Ricordi (1972).[5]
"Chi Mai" is also famous in France for being used for a Royal Canin's 1980s commercial, to the point that it is more closely associated with the commercial than with its other appearances, including Dunhill in 1987. In 2002, this association was referenced by the French movie, Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra, in a scene in which Dogmatix is chasing a legionnaire running on all fours in slow motion (like in the commercial) while "Chi Mai" is playing in the background.
Online community
"Chi Mai" is also the name of the online community about Ennio Morricone. The site offers a repository of information and a free quarterly on-line magazine called 'Maestro' about Morricone's discography, concerts and movies. The on-line magazine contains reviews, in-depth articles, discoveries and free comments.[6]
Cover versions
In 1981, the British instrumental rock group the Shadows released a guitar version of the composition. Other cover versions were released by Amii Stewart, Milva, and Escala.[7] In 1988 the British singer Marti Webb included a vocal version of the song, with lyrics by Don Black, under the title of 'He's Not You' on her album 'Marti Webb Sings Small Screen Themes'.
