'Remember me'... a Rita Pavone album that never was

When Rita Pavone toured Brazil in November 1987, members of her Brazilian Fan Club approached RCA Victor with a project to produce an album containing material she had recorded in English at different times of her career. 

4 tracks recorded in Rome in 1963; 3 tracks produced by Hugo &  Luigi in New York, in January 1964; 4 tracks in English gathered from Rita repertoire of the 1970s. 

We don't know exactly what happened to the project but the fact is 'Remember me' was aborted before it had a chance to see the light of day. As it would have been financed by the Fan Club itself we may surmise there was not enough money in the can.

Here's what the back cover of 'Remember me' would have looked like, including the song list on the left. 

'Remember me' back cover.

this would have been the front cover with blank space for a photo to be chosen.

1. Heart ('Cuore' Italian 1963 play-back) 

2. I wish you well ( )

3. At my age ('Alla mia età' Italian play-back)

4. The tables are turned ('Non c'è un pó di pentimento' Italian play-back) 

5. Until you were gone ( )

6. I know how it feels (from the 1965 Nashville sessions)

7. I'm on the wrong side of love (from January 1964 Hugo & Luigi sessions) )

8. Now that you are gone ('Che m'importa del mondo' Italian play-back, recorded in  Rome, in 1963)

1. Get a hold of yourself (from January 1964 Hugo & Luigi sessions)

2. I'll wait and wait (from US album 'Small Wonder')

3. How low is low (from US album 'Small Wonder')

4. Maria Luisa (recorded in the 1970s)

5. He's a leader in my eyes ('Ahi ahi ahi ragazzo' Italian play-back)

6. FBI girl (1970s)

7. My beautiful song (1970s)

8. Remember me (from 'The International Teen-Age Sensation' album)

guitarrist-producer Chet Atkins, Rita Pavone & trumpet player Al Hirt in Nashville, in February 1965.

Billboard, 23 January 1965.

Billboard, 6 March 1965. Pavone records in Nashville, Tennessee with Chet Atkins. She meets up with Elvis Presley, Al Hirt and Brenda Lee.

Billboard, 31st July 1965. Chet Atkins' teenage daughter Merle Atkins joins Rita Pavone in Rome for her summer holidays. 

In November 1987, while Rita Pavone was still performing in Sao Paulo, RCA Victor released 'Il massimo'. It's your average 'Greatest Hits' album except for the addition of 3 never-released-in-Brazil tracks : 'Una notte intera' (Eine ganze Nacht) had been seen and heard in the film 'Não brinque com o mosquito' (Non stuzzicate la zanzara) in early 1968, but it had never been released in Brazil before. 'Non dimenticar le mie parole', the last single Pavone recorded for RCA Italiana before she left for Ricordi in 1967, had been completely overlooked by Brazilian RCA Victor. 'Ti perdo e non vorrei' is probably Rita's best 1970s recording and along with 'Non dimenticar le mie parole' makes this compilation album really attractive.  

1. Datemi un martello (If I had a hammer)

2. Fortissimo 

3. Che m'importa del mondo 

4. Come te non c'è nessuno

5. Cuore (Heart)

6. Viva la papa col pomodoro 

1. Non è facile avere 18 anni

2. Il ballo del mattone

3. Una notte intera (Eine ganze Nacht)

4. Sul cucuzzolo (della montagna)

5. Ti perdo e non vorrei 

6. Non dimenticar le mie parole