Cilla Black - You're My World

Although the original Italian version by composer Umberto Bindi was not a hit, even in Italy, the song came to the attention of UK record producer George Martin, who commissioned an English version to be recorded by his protégée Cilla Black.

Black cut the song — translated as "You're My World" — at Abbey Road Studios with Johnny Pearson conducting his orchestra and The Breakaways providing background vocals; Black has said that her manager and future husband Bobby Willis also sang on the track. Judd Proctor was the lead guitarist on the session.

You're My World" reached No. 1 in Britain on the chart dated 30 May 1964 and remained there for a total of four weeks, one week more than Black's preceding single "Anyone Who Had a Heart". Although Black would return to the UK Top Ten eight times, "You're My World" would be her final No. 1 hit.

Black's "You're My World" was also No. 1 in Australia for two weeks that July when it also spent three weeks at No. 2 in New Zealand while in South Africa the disc was the second biggest hit for the year 1964. A Top Twenty hit in Denmark, the track also reached No. 12 in Canada, No. 2 in Ireland, No. 8 in Norway and No. 7 in Sweden.
"You're My World" was the first track by Black to be released in the US, where the singer was signed to Capitol Records. Peaking at No. 26 in August 1964, "You're My World" would become Black's only Top 40 hit in the United States.

An alternative take from the recording sessions which yielded the Cilla Black hit version of "You're My World" was later issued, with the opening notes being likened to be the sound of musicians tuning up. Both the 1964 versions, however, remain faithful to Bindi's strong vocal delivery and the instrumentation of his original recording in Italian.

Black remade "You're My World" in 1985 for her Surprisingly Cilla album and then again in 1993 for her Through the Years album; both tracks attempted to capture the original's orchestral quality via synthesizers.

(extract Wikipedia 2013)