Perfidia

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page originally published on 8 September 2010; latest edit: 15 September 2022

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Perfidia (Alberto Domínguez Borrás) — The composer was better known as Alberto Domínguez

From Wikipedia:

Perfidia (Spanish for “perfidy”, as in faithless, treacherous or false) is a popular song written by Alberto Domínguez (1911–1975), a Mexican composer and arranger born in the state of Chiapas, about love and betrayal. Aside from the original Spanish, other renditions exist, including English and instrumental versions. The English lyrics are by Milton Leeds.

However, sheet music (right) for a version held by the Lilly Library at Indiana University in Bloomington Indiana, titled “Tonight (Perfidia)” and dated 1939, credits the English lyric to Xavier Cugat and Will Heagney. I believe the featured performer shown on the sheet music cover is incorrectly identified at the Indiana University digital entry. The image’s caption evidently reads “featured by Pancho on the Southwestern Serenade.” The Southwestern Serenade might have been a radio program.

The existence of two separate English lyrics helps to explain the fact that the word “tonight” does not appear in the lyric of the most familiar English version. The memorable opening line of the chorus of the better-known version is “To you, my heart cries out Perfidia.” According to the Indiana University Digital Library catalog entry, in the lyric credited to Cugat and Heagney the first line of the chorus is “Tonight, I see a message in your eyes.”

Although the lyric of the version titled “Tonight” is credited in part to Xavier Cugat, his 1940 hit, recorded in June 1939 as “Perfidia,” is an instrumental. In 1949 Tony Martin recorded the song under the title “Tonight” (see below), evidently using the lyric written by Xavier Cugat and Will Heagney.

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Orquesta Hermanos Domínguez — According to the Discography of American Historical Recordings (DAHR), a recording of “Perfidia” by this band made “before 2/22/1939” was released in 1939 on the single Victor 75939, c/w “Chiapas.” I’ve placed this recording ahead of the one by Lupita Palomera immediately below because a.) DAHR gives the same date limit (“before 2/22/1939”) for each of them, and b.) the Victor catalog number of the Domínguez single is one digit lower than that of the Palomera single.

Recording not yet found

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The San Cristobal Marimba Band, vocal: Lupita Palomera — According to RateYourMusic.com, the single (US) Victor 75940, b/w “Desprecio” was issued in 1938. However the following information provided elsewhere casts doubt on the 1938 release date:

• The Discography of American Historical Recordings indicates that the two sides of Victor 75940 were recorded “before 2/22/1939,” and that the single was released in 1939.
• A page from Billboard magazine dated 20 March 1948, under Advanced Record Releases (International: Latin-American), announces a single soon to be released by L. Palomera with the catalog number Victor 75940, and sides “Desprecio” and “Perfidia.”*

 

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Xavier Cugat and his Waldorf-Astoria Orchestra — recorded on 12 June 1939; issued on Victor 26334, b/w “Nana”

The photo of Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman in the video refers to the use of the song in the film Casablanca (1942), where it is played as the couple dance in a Paris nightclub during a flashback sequence.

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Glenn Miller and his Orchestra with vocalists Dorothy Claire and The Modernaires – 1941

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Tony Martin — “Tonight,” evidently featuring the English lyric written by Xavier Cugat and Will Heagney — recorded on 31 March 1949 and issued on the 78 rpm single Decca 3119, b/w “Fools Rush In”

Thanks to @theinternetoflibraries for discovering that Tony Martin’s recording of the song under the title “Tonight” apparently features the English lyric written by Cugat and Heagney, and for letting me know of this find in a comment at the bottom of this page, dated 9 September 2017. From there it was quick work finding the recording on YouTube.

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Lupita Palomera – 1955?

There seems to be a defect in the audio in the following video. The volume of the organ music jumps from low to high once or twice early in the recording. Volume modulation is an intended effect used often throughout, but especially at 15 seconds there appears to be a defect.

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Nat King Cole – 1959 (en Español)

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Raul de Barros — from the 1960 (some sites say 1961) album Sonho e animação em ritmo de dança, Odeon MOFB 3133

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Wikipedia claims that the 1939 recording by Xavier Cugat which became a hit in 1940 was used in three films by director Wong Kar-wai (see comment exchange below), saying,

The song was published in 1939 and became a hit for Xavier Cugat in 1940. This version was used by director Wong Kar-wai in his films Days of Being Wild, In the Mood for Love, and 2046.

But the recording used in the following video, a tribute to the 1990 Wong Kar-wai film Days of Being Wild, has a very different arrangement than that of the 1940 1939 recording (see above). The sound quality and other aspects of the recording suggest that it’s from a considerably later date. The YouTube video provider indicates that the recording was released on the 1961 LP Viva Cugat! More significantly, a clip from Wong Kar Wai’s 2004 film 2046 that I’ve provided in a comment at the bottom of the page features the same much later recording in the soundtrack, not the 1939 recording.

Xavier Cugat and his Orchestra — from the 1961 album Viva Cugat!, Mercury ‎PPS 6003 (Stereo), Mercury PPS 2003 (Mono)

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The Shadows – recorded in October 1962; released on Out of the Shadows – 1963

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Los Tres Caballeros – (en Español) undated – This Mexican trio “from the 50s and 60s” consisted of Leonel Galvez, Roberto Cantoral, and Chamin Correa.

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Paul Mauriat et son grand orchestre –  from the album Viva Mauriat, 1968

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Chick Talli e seu Conjunto from the album Suavemente – date unknown – It is the first song of three in this medley, the others being Quiéreme Mucho and Frenesi (the last, also by Alberto Domínguez)

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The Estrada Brothers – live 1991 (en Español)

• Estrada Brothers website: http://www.estradabrothers.com/
• YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/EstradaBrothers

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Laura Fygi – (en Español) from her 2000 album The Latin Touch

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Luis Miguel — third track on his 2001 album Mis Romances

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* At the beginning of the “Advance Record Releases” article on page 33, the following explanation is provided :

Records listed are generally approximately two weeks in advance of actual release date. List is based on information supplied in advance by record companies. Only records of those manufacturers voluntarily supplying information are listed.