La bambola

"La bambola" (Italian for "The Doll") is an Italian pop song written by Franco Migliacci, Bruno Zambrini and Ruggero Cini, and performed by Patty Pravo. The song had been previously refused by several artists, including Gianni Morandi, Little Tony, Gigliola Cinquetti, Caterina Caselli and The Rokes.

The single peaked at number one on the Italian chart for nine consecutive weeks between May and June 1968 and was certified gold. It had sold 200,000 copies by May 1968 and a million copies by December 1968. The single also charted in Argentina. It is considered as the song which consecrated Patty Pravo to fame. The B-side of the single is "Se c'è l'amore" ("If There Is Love"), a cover of Long John Baldry's "Let the Heartaches Begin". A Spanish-language version of the song was released in Spain.

Pravo revisited "La bambola" on her albums of re-recorded material in 1987 and 1990. To commemorate the fortieth anniversary of the hit, she released a new version of the song in 2008.

"La bambola" was covered by numerous artists. It was also used in several films, notably Anton Corbijn's The American, Michele Placido's Romanzo Criminale, Emanuele Crialese's Respiro, and Bigas Luna's Bambola.

Track listings

 * 7" single
 * A. "La bambola" (Franco Migliacci, Bruno Zambrini, Ruggero Cini) – 3:08
 * B. "Se c'è l'amore" (Franco Migliacci, Tony Macaulay, John Macleod) – 3:02


 * 7" single (Spain)
 * A. "La bambola" (Franco Migliacci, Bruno Zambrini, Ruggero Cini, Cholo Baltasar) – 3:08
 * B. "Lettera a Gianni (Carta a Gianni)" (Sergio Bardotti, Shel Shapiro) – 2:08

Cover versions

 * Dalida recorded a version of the song which charted at no. 6 in Austria and no. 48 in the French-speaking region of Belgium.
 * Heidi Brühl released a cover of the song in 1968.
 * Anita Lindblom released a cover of the song in 1968.
 * Fredi recorded the song in Finnish as "Pieni nukke" in 1968.
 * Anneke Grönloh covered the song in Italian 1968 and in English ("The Love Alarm") in 1969.
 * Ivan Cattaneo covered the song in 1983 on the album Bandiera gialla.
 * Band Olé Olé recorded a cover of the song on their 1987 album Los caballeros las prefieren rubias.
 * Anny Schilder released a cover in 1989.
 * Giusy Ferreri released a cover in 2008.
 * Sara Lov covered the song on the album I Already Love You in 2011.
 * Sergio Dalma included a cover of the song on his 2011 album Via Dalma II.
 * Tamara Miansarova released a cover "Кукла (rus "The Doll")" from LP "Тамара Миансарова" ("Self-Titled") in 1970.