"The Duets" - Pavarotti, Luciano

Compilation Album

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Full Track Listing:

  • I Hate You Then I Love You (featuring Celine Dion)
  • Live Like Horses (featuring Elton John)
  • Hero (featuring Mariah Carey)
  • Miss Sarajevo (featuring Passengers: Brian Eno, Bono, The Edge)
  • Holy Mother (featuring Eric Clapton)
  • Panis Angelicus (featuring Sting)
  • Miserere (featuring Zucchero)
  • Notte ‘E Piscatore (featuring Andrea Bocelli)
  • The Magic of Love (featuring Lionel Richie)
  • ‘O Sole Mio (featuring Bryan Adams)
  • La Ce Darem La Mano (featuring Sheryl Crow)
  • Let it Rain (featuring Jon Bon Jovi)
  • There Must be an Angel (featuring Eurythmics)
  • My Way (featuring Frank Sinatra)

Background Information

There are two songs on this compilation involving members of U2 working with Luciano Pavarotti. Pavarotti, the operatic tenor, had passed away in September of 2007, and this album was put together after his death and released in late 2008 in the USA and in early 2009 in the UK. The album contained “Miserere” which Bono had co-written with Zucchero, and “Miss Sarajevo” which U2 had recorded with Brian Eno and Pavarotti under the name, Passengers.

The song “Miserere” was written by Bono and Italian rock star Zucchero Fornaciari. The english portion of the song was written by Bono and the Italian portions by Zucchero. In 1992, hoping to have Pavarotti record the song with him, Zucchero recorded a demo version of the song to play for him. He approached a then unknown singer, Andrea Bocelli to sing the part he hoped Pavarotti would sing. Pavarotti intially turned down the song reportedly staying “Thank you for writing such a wonderful song. Yet you do not need me to sing it – let Andrea sing Miserere with you, for there is no one finer.” In the end Pavarotti did record the song with Zucchero and the song is featured on Zucchero’s 1992 album “Miserere”. The version included on this compilation is a live recording of the song, recorded in Modena Italy on September 27, 1992 at Pavarotti’s very first “Pavarotti & Friends” concert. Zucchero performs it here with him. The song was previously available on 1993’s audio release of “Pavarotti & Friends”.

In 1995 U2 worked on the Passengers project with outside guests, producing an album called “Original Soundtracks 1”. Guests on that project included Brian Eno taking a bigger role musically than he had in the past, as well as Luciano Pavarotti, who particpated on the song “Miss Sarajevo” which was released as a single from the album. The version that is used here is not the album version of “Miss Sarajevo” or the more common “Single Version” of “Miss Saravjevo” but rather “Miss Sarajevo (Radio Edit)” which had only been available on promotional releases prior to this compilation of Pavarotti Duets.

Liner Notes

Miss Sarajevo
Written by Brian Eno, Bono, The Edge, Clayton, Mullen, translation by Anna Mazzarotto. Performed by Passengers: Brian Eno, Bono, The Edge, and Luciano Pavarotti. From the film Miss Sarajevo (Bill Carter, US, 1994).

Miserere:
Written by Zucchero and Bono. Performed by Zucchero and Luciano Pavarotti. Live from the Parco Novi Sad, Modena, 27 September 1992. Orchestra da Cameta conducted by Aldo Sisilli.

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