I Go to Rio

"I Go to Rio"
Single by Peter Allen
from the album Taught by Experts
B-side	"This Time Around"
Released	1976
Format	7"
Genre	Pop, funk
Length	3:17
Label	A&M
Writer(s)	Peter Allen, Adrienne Anderson
Producer(s)	Brooks Arthur
Peter Allen singles chronology
"I Go to Rio" (1976) "Don't Wish Too Hard" (1977)

"I Go to Rio" is a popular song written by Peter Allen and Adrienne Anderson, and performed by Allen. It became a signature song of Allen, as well as being covered by Peggy Lee and Pablo Cruise, among others, in addition to being subject to multiple soundtrack inclusions.

History

The song was first released in 1976, on Peter Allen's fourth studio album, Taught by Experts. In 1977, it was successfully released as a single in Australia, where it was Number 1 for five weeks. The song was covered by Peggy Lee on her 1977 album Peggy , as well as by noted French singer Claude François, in French translation ("Je vais à Rio"), in 1977. In 1979, it became a hit in the United States for the band Pablo Cruise. In 1980, it was featured on an episode of The Muppet Show, in which Diana Ross guest-starred. In 1982, it was covered by TISM under the name "I Go to Werribee" with slightly different lyrics. In 2008, the song was covered by Australian guitarist Tommy Emmanuel, on his live album Center Stage.

The song has also been featured in a number of movie soundtracks, including One Crazy Summer (1986), Dominick and Eugene (1988), The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989), Muriel's Wedding (1994), Hotel Sorrento (1995) and Strange Bedfellows (2004).^[1]

The melody of the opening piano riff of the song has been re-used by Chocolate in "Ritmo de la noche", well as Mystic/The Sacados/Lorca and Safri Duo's cover versions, and Coldplay in "Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall".

Charts

Pablo Cruise cover

Pablo Cruise released their cover of "I Go to Rio" in January 1979. It reached #46 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and #39 on the Canadian RPM Singles chart.

References