Discuss The Singing Nun
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Who else remembers the 1963 international hit song "Dominique"?
posted by genplant29STAFFMOD on May 30, 2020 at 4:12 PM
In my family, we had the record (my eldest sister was a nun, back then), so I grew up loving the catchy, cheerful song "Dominique", played it often, and enjoyed singing along.
Here it is. Imagine a song, anything even remotely along such lines, being an international hit today.
Here's the Wikipedia article about the song.
I'm sure I saw Debbie Reynolds' The Singing Nun movie (1966) at some point (probably more than once) during my growing-up or/and teen years, though, if so, I have absolutely no recollection of anything about it.
Btw, when I remember the song "Dominique" from is after it had already been out for probably 2-3 or so years, rather than in the 1963 period of its original release; it was starting probably in the late mid '60s, then continuing to the early or so '70s, that I was playing my family's record of it. Of course it also played on the radio back in those days.
Here's the song again, this time with lyrics included.
We had the LP album. For others viewing this thread who also had it, and who being reminded of the titles will bring back memories (hopefully fond), the various songs on each side are (per Amazon): (Side 1:) Dominique; Soeur Adele; Fleur de Cactus; Complainte Pour Marie-Jacques; Je Voudrais; Tous Les Chemins; (Side 2:) Plume de Radis; Mets ton Joli Jupon; Resurrection; Alleluia; J'ai Trouve Le Seigneur; Entre Les Etoiles. (I only ever played "Dominique".)
Reply by znexyish
on May 30, 2020 at 6:21 PM
I have the record. Not too uncommon for the time. Nothing like that would hit in the States anymore maybe in other markets. However up to the 90s presumably non commercial stuff could become commercial. For example the Macarena, that swing revival, and those gregorian chant cds.
As for the nuns it was still in the folk era then. Remember Sally Field as The Flying Nun?😀
Reply by genplant29
on May 30, 2020 at 6:58 PM
"Dominique" certainly was an unlikely international hit.
Yep: I enjoyed watching The Flying Nun during my growing up years. Very different times then from now, for sure.
Reading the Wikipedia article about the song "Dominique" reminded me of some other foreign-language hits, that I was a fan of, of the '60s and '70s - namely:
"Sukiyaki"
"Guantanamera" (partly in English)
"Eres tú"
And, thinking of the combination of "Dominique" and "Eres tú" immediately brings another unexpected hit (albeit one entirely in English), from the early mid '70s, to mind:
"The Lord's Prayer"
Probably no one reading this thread, who wasn't around during the '60s and '70s, would ever believe that there is any possibility "The Lord's Prayer" actually was a major hit song (soft rock, no less) back in the day (1974). I remember it (as well as the various other mentioned songs) being in heavy rotation on Top 40 radio for a long time.
Reply by znexyish
on May 31, 2020 at 1:47 AM
Lots of hippie dippie jesus freak hari krishna antics going on back then.
Reply by tmdb53400018
on May 31, 2020 at 9:15 PM
I do believe I'd heard the song before clicking gen's link....
Reply by genplant29
on May 31, 2020 at 10:05 PM
In my family's household, we heard it a lot.
Welcome to your newly officialized CelluloidFan username, Cell! I quoted you, just there, specifically so you can see yourself finally not being identified, in a quotation, by your past username.
Reply by znexyish
on May 31, 2020 at 10:11 PM
I just checked and "Lillies of the Field" was released in 1963 along with Dominique. The year of the nun!
And two years later in 1965, "The Sound of Music" with even more nuns
Reply by genplant29
on May 31, 2020 at 10:19 PM
Quite a religion renaissance during those years. It all was part of the same wave that brought on flower power and the such.
I was a very wee lad at the time, all dressed up in my little suit and hat, tagging along with parents and siblings, visiting my oldest sister in the convent every however often, so considered nuns not overly out of the ordinary.
Reply by tmdb53400018
on June 1, 2020 at 12:41 AM
Yeah, thanks, to Travis. Actually, I had been quoted with the new name before, but that's cool.
Reply by znexyish
on June 1, 2020 at 12:52 AM
Here are two more international hits from that time
Mas Que Nada
L'amour est Bleu
Reply by genplant29
on June 1, 2020 at 1:25 AM
Good songs, znex. I hadn't heard (or thought of) either of those two in eons. I definitely remember each of them well though.
Reply by bratface
on June 1, 2020 at 4:05 AM
OMG, I am so old! 👵 Thanks, Z for reminding me. 🙄