"Dov'è l'amore" (Italian pronunciation: [doˈvɛ llaˈmoːre]; English: "Where's [the] Love") is a song recorded by American singer Cher for her twenty-second studio album, Believe (1998). It was written by Mark Taylor and Paul Barry, and produced by Taylor and Brian Rawling, and released as the fourth single from the album on October 25, 1999, by Warner Bros. Records, and WEA. The song is a Latin-influenced track with Spanish guitar over dance beats.[2] In the song, Cher mixes English with Italian lyrics as she sings: "Dov'è l'amore /dov'è l'amore /I cannot tell you of my love/ here is my story".[3]

"Dov'è l'amore"
Single by Cher
from the album Believe
B-side"All or Nothing"
ReleasedOctober 25, 1999 (1999-10-25)
GenreLatin pop[1]
Length
  • 4:18 (album version)
  • 3:46 (Emilio Estefan Jr. radio edit)
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Cher singles chronology
"All or Nothing"
(1999)
"Dov'è l'amore"
(1999)
"Più che puoi"
(2001)
Music video
"Dov'è l'amore" on YouTube

Critical reception

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Rolf E. Lund from Norwegian newspaper Altaposten described "Dov'è l'amore" as a "sophisticated" song in his review.[4] J.W. Lim from Associated Press said that it, with "The Power" and "We All Sleep Alone" are "bright spots" of the Believe album.[5] The Daily Vault's Michael R. Smith wrote that "even Madonna was envious when she heard the Latin-infused track for the first time."[6] Sarah Davis from Dotmusic described it as "catchy", noting that "skilful writing and slick production on vocal effects and vibrant beats gives the song its own appeal."[7] Entertainment Weekly's Beth Johnson commented that Cher's "unmistakable voice makes the song shine". She described it as an "Italian salsa".[8] Henrik Bæk of Gaffa noted that the song is the only track that deviates from the electronic dance music sound on the album. He described it as a "world music characterized" song that with the help of the Gipsy Kings "swings magnificently in Latin American rhythms."[9] Deborah Wilker from Knight Ridder said that Cher "fetes" Madonna's "La Isla Bonita" "with the romantic "Dov'è l'amore"".[10] Bob Waliszewski of Plugged In (publication) wrote that Cher "expresses affection across the miles" on the song.[11]

Music video

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Cher in the music video for "Dov'è l'amore".

Initially, American singer Madonna wanted to direct the music video for "Dov'è l'amore", but she was not able due to her busy schedule.[13] She was then replaced by Jamie O'Connor.[14]

The video for "Dov'è l'amore" follows the story of a man who tries to win the affections of a Latina woman. During the course of the video many people are shown dancing to flamenco, others are shown playing guitars and some people are just enjoying watching the dancers. In the video Cher wore a big red flamenco dress and she sat in a red room while singing and petting a chihuahua dog. The concept of the song and video was considered[by whom?] an attempt to ride into the wave of the rising Latin influence in music at the time of its release, having both a Spanish genre, and Italian lyrics.[citation needed]

The track used for the original "Dov'è l'amore" video was the Emilio Estefan, Jr. Radio Edit mix instead of the album version which is slightly slower and lasts nearly 30 seconds longer.

In late 1999, Dan-O-Rama remixed the "Dov'è l'amore" video, but instead of using a remix of the song he left the "Dov'è l'amore" (Emilio Estefan Jr. Radio Edit) in it and only remixed some video clips. In the year 2000, this video was released as a promo on VHS tape in the UK. In 2004, it was officially released on DVD in the video compilation, The Very Best of Cher: The Video Hits Collection.

Track listings

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"Dov'è l'amore"

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"All or Nothing" / "Dov'è l'amore"

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Charts

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Release history

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Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United Kingdom October 25, 1999
  • CD
  • cassette
WEA [51]
New Zealand December 13, 1999 CD [52]

References

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  1. ^ "Music and Podcasts, Free and On-Demand | Pandora".
  2. ^ "Dotmusic - Cher - reviews - 'Dov'e l'Amore'". Archived from the original on January 1, 2003. Retrieved January 1, 2003.
  3. ^ Mazzarri, Walter (January 29, 2014). Il meglio deve ancora venire. Rizzoli. ISBN 9788858664377.
  4. ^ Lund, Rolf E. (February 13, 1999). "Stjerne med voksen stemme". Altaposten (in Norwegian). p. 17. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
  5. ^ "Dancing with Cher and '70s hitmakers Sparks". The Southeast Missourian. February 18, 1999. Retrieved March 15, 2020.
  6. ^ "Cher - Believe". The Daily Vault. September 6, 2009. Retrieved February 25, 2020.
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  8. ^ Johnson, Beth (November 13, 1998). "Believe". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved December 24, 2018.
  9. ^ "Cher: Believe". Gaffa. September 21, 2001. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
  10. ^ "Cher throws more curves with latest album, 'Believe'". Knight Ridder. November 10, 1998. Retrieved March 13, 2020.
  11. ^ Waliszewski, Bob. "Believe – Plugged In Online Album Reviews". Plugged In (publication). Focus on the Family. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
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  13. ^ "Entertainment Tonight News: Madonna, Behind-the-Scenes". Entertainment Tonight. February 6, 1999.
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  16. ^ Dov'è l'amore (UK CD2 & Australian CD single liner notes). Cher. WEA. 1999. WEA 230CD2, 8573 80393 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  17. ^ Dov'è l'amore (UK cassette single sleeve). Cher. WEA. 1999. WEA 230C, 8573 80402 4.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
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