Fotos y Recuerdos

"Fotos y Recuerdos"
A cardboard box CD cover of Selena looking outwards while posing.
Single by Selena
from the album Amor Prohibido
B-side El Chico del Apartamento 512
Released January 1995
Format CD single
Genre Rock en Español, house
Length 2:45
Label EMI Latin
Writer(s) Chrissie Hynde, Ricky Vela
Producer(s) A.B. Quintanilla, Bebu Silvetti
Selena singles chronology
"No Me Queda Más"
(1994)		 "Fotos y Recuerdos"
(1995)		 "I Could Fall in Love"
(1995)
Music video
"Fotos y recuerdos" on YouTube

"Fotos y Recuerdos" (English: Pictures and Memories) is a song recorded by American recording artist Selena for her fourth studio album, Amor Prohibido (1994). It was released by EMI Latin in January 1995, as the fourth single. A cover version of the Pretenders' 1983 single "Back on the Chain Gang", "Fotos y Recuerdos" was written by Chrissie Hynde with Spanish-language lyrics by Ricky Vela. Lyrically, the song describes a lonely female protagonist who "kisses the photo of her [lover] each night before falling asleep."

"Fotos y Recuerdos" is a Rock en Español song with influences of dance pop and house music. The song garnered acclaim from music critics, who called it an improvement over the Pretenders' original version. The song peaked at number one on the United States Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart for seven consecutive weeks, her fourth successive number one song. "Fotos y Recuerdos" also peaked at number one on the Regional Mexican Airplay chart, her second consecutive number one. "Fotos y Recuerdos" became Selena's first posthumous number one song, following the shooting death of the singer in March 1995. The recording became the second-most successful Latin single of 1995 and ranks as the twentieth best Hot Latin Songs chart single of all-time. Many musicians have since recorded the song and released it on their respective albums including Dominican salsa singer Jose Alberto "El Canario" and Mexican pop singer Paulina Rubio.

Inspiration, production and songwriting controversy

While flying back from New York, A.B. Quintanilla—the brother-producer of Selena—heard the Pretenders' 1983 single "Back on the Chain Gang" on the radio.[1] At the time, A.B. was having a nervous breakdown after realizing he was running out of materials to record for Selena's fourth studio album, Amor Prohibido (1994).[1] He likened the idea of reworking "Back on the Chain Gang" into a Spanish-language cumbia song.[1] Keyboardist of the group, Ricky Vela wrote the Spanish lyrics into a cumbia-style that A.B. envisioned for the recording.[1] The Amor Prohibido album was pressed for a release date of March 13, 1994, and was halted for distribution due to the copyrighting issues with "Fotos y Recuerdos".[1] Vela retold in a 2002 interview how he was awaken by Selena and A.B. because they did not have the clearance for "Fotos y Recuerdos".[1] Singer-songwriter Chrissie Hynde's music producers reported the song to Hynde who did not allow Selena to continue with "Fotos y Recuerdos" until she received an English-language writing of the song.[1] It was only after Vela re-wrote the song into English that Hynde gave Selena the clearance for the recording.[1] Musicologist James Perone, noticed how the song was the shortest track off of Amor Prohibido.[2] He further wrote how Vela "stripped some of the edge off of Hynde's text but retained the basic premise of ["Back on the Chain Gang"]"[2] Perone found A.B.'s arrangement to be "an example of [his] universal Latin approach".[2]

Music, theme and lyrics

"Fotos y Recuerdos" is a mid-tempo cumbia and rock song with influences of dance pop and house music.[3][4][5][6] Cary Darling of the The Buffalo News noticed the mixture of house and ranchera music in "Fotos y Recuerdos".[7] Author and contributor to The New York Times, Joe Nick Patoski found the song to use the same melody of the Pretenders' new wave sound.[8] Author Lori Beth Rodriguez, also found similarities between the Pretenders' mainstream sound and "Fotos y Recuerdos" but noticed how the song enchoed a cumbia undertone with "lyrics [that] are similar in theme, yet different from those in the original English version."[9] The song features a synth-driven violin, ostinatish-percussion, and a steel drum under a cumbia beat.[9][10][2] Perone found the song to have "small hints" of music found in Jamaica, Cuba, and Trinidad and Tobago.[2] BuzzFeed contributor Brian Galindo, called the song "upbeat and dancy".[11] Written in the key of D minor, the beat is set in common time and moves at a moderate 90 beats per minute.[12] Rebecca Thatcher of the Austin American-Statesman, found the lyrical content of "Fotos y Recuerdos" to be a "lilting ode to a lost love".[13] Lyrically, the song describes a lonely female protagonist who "kisses the photo of her [lover] each night before falling asleep."[14]

Critical reception

"Fotos y Recuerdos" garnered acclaim from music critics, who called it an improvement over the Pretenders' original version,[13][15][16][17] and called it one of Selena's most well-known recordings.[17][18] According to author Pat Bar-Harrison, it was one of Selena's most successful United States singles.[19] Writing for the San Antonio Express-News, Ramiro Burr called "Fotos y Recuerdos" an "interesting cover".[20] The York Dispatch believed the song "outshines" all other tracks on the Amor Prohibido album.[21] Author Ed Morales believed the song "has a lot of personality".[22] Don McLeese of the Austin American-Statesman wrote how the song became a popular radio song in South Texas and believed it to be one of her signature songs.[23] Musicologist Frank Hoffman, called it a "hard-edge rock" song.[3] The Monitor editor Jon LaFollette, wrote differently; calling the song a "simultaneous effort to celebrate multiculturalism" in a way to "grow her bank account".[24] Nonetheless, he listed the song as part of his "key tracks" for the Amor Prohibido album.[24] Zach Quintance, also from The Monitor, wrote how readers of the newspaper chose Selena's 1994 single "No Me Queda Más" and "Fotos y Recuerdos"; citing that "fans loved the feeling and musicianship in those two songs."[25] Federico Martinez of La Prensa, called the song an "enduring hit".[26] Since its release, the song has been included on many music critics "best of Selena songs" list including the BuzzFeed (at number six),[11] and Latina (at number eleven).[27] In 2016, Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone magazine included the song at number 47 in the list for the "50 Best Songs of the Nineties".[28]

Chart history

"Fotos y Recuerdos" was released in the week of January 28, 1995,[29] serving as the fourth single released from Amor Prohibido. The track debuted on the U.S. Hot Latin Songs chart at number 29 on February 4, 1995.[29] In its second week, the song jumped to number 12, receiving airpower honors.[30] As a result, it subsequently debuted on the U.S. Regional Mexican Airplay chart at number ten.[30] "Fotos y Recuerdos" rose to number two on the Hot Latin Songs and Regional Mexican Airplay charts, trailing Grupo Bronco's "Que No Me Olvide" by 557 Nielsen points on February 18, 1995.[31] In the following week, "Fotos y Recuerdos" remained at number two on the Hot Latin Songs chart, while the single fell to number four on the Regional Mexican Airplay chart.[32] In its fifth week, the song reclaimed the second position on the Regional Mexican Airplay chart, while remaining at number two for a third consecutive week on the Hot Latin Songs chart.[33] Staying at number two for its fourth consecutive week on the Hot Latin Songs chart, "Fotos y Recuerdos" fell to number three on the Regional Mexican Airplay chart.[34] The song fell to number three on the Hot Latin Songs chart, while it remained at number three on the Regional Mexican Airplay chart on March 18, 1995.[35]

Selena was shot and killed by Yolanda Saldívar, her friend and former manager of the singer's Selena Etc. clothing boutiques, on March 31, 1995.[36] At the time of her death, "Fotos y Recuerdos" was positioned at number four on the Hot Latin Songs chart.[37] In the week following the singer's death, "Fotos y Recuerdos" peaked at number one on the Hot Latin Songs (her fourth consecutive) and Regional Mexican Airplay chart, her second consecutive.[38] According to disc jockeys, "Fotos y Recuerdos" was the most requested song in South Texas throughout April of that year.[39] In its second week atop the Hot Latin Songs and Regional Mexican Airplay charts, "Fotos y Recuerdos" debuted at number twelve on the U.S. Latin Pop Airplay chart.[40] After two consecutive weeks at number one, "Fotos y Recuerdos" was dethrowned on the Regional Mexican Airplay chart by La Mafia's "Toma Mi Amor".[41] After spending seven consecutive weeks atop the Hot Latin Songs chart, "Fotos y Recuerdos" was displaced by Mexican group Los Bukis' single "Te Amo Mama".[42] "Fotos y Recuerdos" ended 1995 as the second most successful Latin single.[43] Billboard magazine began monitoring digital downloads of Latin songs beginning with the week ending January 23, 2010.[44] "Fotos y Recuerdos" made its debut on the Latin Pop Digital Songs chart following the twentieth anniversary of the singer's death; positioned at number 19.[45] Over at the Regional Mexican Digital Songs chart, the song debuted and peaked at number 14.[46]

Cover versions

Dominican salsa singer Jose Alberto "El Canario" covered the song for the tribute album Familia RMM Recordando a Selena (1996).[47] Mexican mariachi group Banda El Grullo recorded the track for their album 30 Números 1 en Banda.[48] Mexican group Liberación recorded the song for the tribute album Mexico Recuerda a Selena (2005).[49] Mexican singer Gerardo Williams covered the song for his album Nuevas Voces de América.[50] Mexican pop singer Paulina Rubio performed and recorded "Fotos y Recuerdos" for the live televised tribute concert Selena ¡VIVE! in April 2005.[51][52] Michael Clark of the Houston Chronicle wrote that Rubio used her "sex appeal" while performing the song.[53] Ramiro Burr of the San Antonio Express-News called Rubio's version a "techno/hip-hop number".[54] Rubio performed "Fotos y Recuerdos" once more during her tour in Texas that same year.[55][56]

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from Amor Prohibido liner notes.[1]

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1995) Peak
position
scope=rowUS Hot Latin Songs (Billboard)[57] 1
scope=rowUS Regional Mexican Airplay (Billboard)[58] 1
scope=rowUS Latin Pop Songs (Billboard)[59] 12

Year-end charts

Chart (1995) Peak
position
US Hot Latin Tracks (Billboard)[60] 2

All-time charts

Chart (2011) Peak
position
US Hot Latin Tracks (Billboard)[61] 20

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Amor Prohibido (Media notes). Selena. EMI Latin. 2002. 724354099403.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Perone 2012, p. 84-85.
  3. 1 2 Hoffman 2005, p. 1933.
  4. ↑ "Selena en Milenio". Milenio (in Spanish). Diario de Monterrey (389). 2005. Retrieved 22 December 2011.
  5. ↑ "Crossover Dreams Selena's New Album". San Jose Mercury News. MediaNews Group. 17 July 1995. Retrieved 26 December 2011. (subscription required (help)).
  6. ↑ "Tucson goes wild for Selena album". Arizona Daily News. 28 July 1995. Retrieved 26 December 2011. (subscription required (help)).
  7. ↑ Darling, Cary (30 July 1995). "Death Only Fuels Selena's Climb Up The Charts". The Buffalo News. Berkshire Hathaway. Retrieved 26 December 2011. (subscription required (help)).
  8. ↑ Patoski 1996, p. 151.
  9. 1 2 Rodriguez 2008, p. 126.
  10. ↑ Shaw 2007, p. 11.
  11. 1 2 Galindo, Brain. "Ranking The 15 Greatest Selena Songs Ever". BuzzFeed. BuzzFeed Inc. Retrieved October 1, 2014.
  12. ↑ Hynde, Chrissy; Vela, Ricky (1994). "Amor prohibido: Selena Digital Sheet Music". Musicnotes.com (Musicnotes). EMI Music Publishing. MN092893 (Product Number).
  13. 1 2 Thatcher, Rebecca; McLesse, Don (1 April 1995). "Fans mourn loss of Tejano favorite". Austin American-Statesmen. Retrieved 26 December 2011. (subscription required (help)).
  14. ↑ Kearney & Medrano 2001, p. 167.
  15. ↑ "Muerta A Trios La Cantante Selena". El Nuevo Herald (in Spanish). The McClatchy Company. 1 April 1995. Retrieved 26 December 2011. (subscription required (help)).
  16. ↑ Tarradell, Mario (16 July 1995). "Dreaming of Selena A new album celebrates what she was but only hints at what she could have become". The Dallas Morning News. A. H. Belo Corporation. Retrieved 26 December 2011. (subscription required (help)).
  17. 1 2 "Gunshots Silences Singing Sensation Selena At Age 23". Orlando Sentinel. Tribune Company. 1 April 1995. Retrieved 26 December 2011. (subscription required (help)).
  18. ↑ Tarradell, Mario (30 March 2000). "A Decade of Selena 10 albums showcase the music behind the legend". The Dallas Morning News. MediaNews Group. Retrieved 26 December 2011. (subscription required (help)).
  19. ↑ Barr-Harrison 1996, p. 129.
  20. ↑ Burr, Ramiro (17 April 1994). "La Mafia, Selena top new releases Ramiro Burr, Latin Notes". San Antonio Express-News. Hearst Corporation. Retrieved 26 December 2011. (subscription required (help)).
  21. ↑ "Selena's legacy still drives Tejano music". The York Dispatch. 1 April 2005. Retrieved 26 December 2011. (subscription required (help)).
  22. ↑ Morales 2006, p. 239.
  23. ↑ McLeese, Don (13 July 1995). "Selena crosses over `Dreaming' could be multicultural hit she sought". Austin American-Statesmen. Retrieved 26 December 2011. (subscription required (help)).
  24. 1 2 LaFollette, Jon (January 8, 2016). "Selena / The Rough Guide to Rare Latin Groove". The Monitor. Retrieved 20 April 2016.
  25. ↑ Quintance, Zach (March 25, 2010). "Selena's songs are far from forgotten 15 years after her death". The Monitor. Retrieved 20 April 2016.
  26. ↑ Frederico, Martinez. "Part Two on the Legacy of Selena". La Prensa. Retrieved 20 April 2016.
  27. ↑ Rodriguez, Priscillia. "Remembering Selena: Her Top Ten Songs". Latina. Lauren Michaels. Retrieved October 1, 2014.
  28. ↑ Sheffield, Rob (August 8, 2016). "50 Best Songs of the Nineties". Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 22, 2016.
  29. 1 2 "Hot Latin Songs > February 4, 1995". Billboard. 107 (5): 43. February 4, 1995. Retrieved 20 April 2016.
  30. 1 2 "Hot Latin Songs > February 11, 1995". Billboard. 107 (6): 35. February 11, 1995. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
  31. ↑ Lannert, John (February 18, 1995). "Latin Notas". Billboard. 107 (7): 32. Retrieved 20 April 2016.
  32. ↑ "Hot Latin Songs > February 25, 1995". Billboard. 107 (8): 38. February 25, 1995. Retrieved 20 April 2016.
  33. ↑ "Hot Latin Songs > March 4, 1995". Billboard. 107 (9): 42. March 4, 1995. Retrieved 20 April 2016.
  34. ↑ "Hot Latin Songs > March 11, 1995". Billboard. 107 (10): 38. March 11, 1995. Retrieved 20 April 2016.
  35. ↑ "Hot Latin Songs > March 18, 1995". Billboard. 107 (11): 39. March 18, 1995. Retrieved 20 April 2016.
  36. ↑ "October 12, 1995, the testimony of Norma Martinez". Houston Chronicle. October 12, 1995. Archived from the original on July 15, 2007. Retrieved September 27, 2015.
  37. ↑ "Hot Latin Songs > April 8, 1995". Billboard. 107 (14): 49. April 8, 1995. Retrieved 20 April 2016.
  38. ↑ Lannert, John (15 April 1995). "Latin Notas". Billboard. 107 (15). Retrieved 9 March 2015.
  39. ↑ "Latinos Want Shock Jock Taken Off". NPR. National Public Radio, Inc. Retrieved 26 December 2011. (subscription required (help)).
  40. ↑ "Hot Latin Songs > April 22, 1995". Billboard. 107 (16): 32. April 22, 1995. Retrieved 20 April 2016.
  41. ↑ "Hot Latin Songs > April 29, 1995". Billboard. 107 (17): 28. April 29, 1995. Retrieved 20 April 2016.
  42. ↑ "Hot Latin Songs > June 3, 1995". Billboard. 107 (22): 47. June 3, 1995. Retrieved 20 April 2016.
  43. ↑ "Topping The Charts Year By Year". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 110 (48): LMQ3. 1998-11-28. Retrieved 2010-03-03.
  44. ↑ "Latin Digital Songs > January 23, 2010". Billboard.biz. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  45. ↑ "Latin Digital Songs > April 18, 2015". Billboard.biz. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  46. ↑ "Latin Pop Digital > April 18, 2015". Billboard.biz. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
  47. ↑ Familia RMM Recordando a Selena (Compact disc). RMM Records & Video. 1996. 602828201340.
  48. ↑ "iTunes > Music > 30 Numeros 1 en Banda". iTunes Store. Apple Inc. Retrieved 26 December 2011.
  49. ↑ Mexico Recuerda a Selena (Compact disc). Univision Records. 2005.
  50. ↑ "iTunes > Music > Nuevas Voces de América". iTunes Store. Apple Inc. Retrieved 26 December 2011.
  51. ↑ Martin, Marisara. "Univision's 'Selena ¡Vive!' Breaks Audience Records". Hispanic PR Wire. Univision Communications. Retrieved 26 December 2011.
  52. ↑ Marte, Franklin (5 June 2005). "Paulina Rubio triunfa con el último concierto de "Pau-Latina 2005"". Hoy (in Spanish). Retrieved 26 December 2011.
  53. ↑ Clark, Michael (8 April 2005). "Modern, traditional mix in vibrant Selena tribute". Houston Chronicle. Hearst Corporation. Retrieved 26 December 2011.
  54. ↑ Burr, Ramiro (14 April 2005). ""Selena ¡VIVE!" Celebrates A Musical Legacy". San Antonio Express News.
  55. ↑ "Rubio may salute Selena during AVA stop". Arizona Daily Star. Lee Enterprises. 12 May 2005. Retrieved 26 December 2011. (subscription required (help)).
  56. ↑ Burr, Ramiro (2 May 2005). "Bland and forgettable, but Rubio fans love it". San Antonio Express-News. Hearst Corporation. Retrieved 26 December 2011. (subscription required (help)).
  57. ↑ "Selena – Chart history" Billboard Hot Latin Songs for Selena.
  58. ↑ "Selena – Chart history" Billboard Regional Mexican Songs for Selena.
  59. ↑ "Selena – Chart history" Billboard Latin Pop Songs for Selena.
  60. ↑ "Year-End Charts, Billboard". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 110 (48): 104. 28 November 1998. Retrieved 21 December 2011.
  61. ↑ Ramirez, Erika (October 8, 2011). "Hot Latin Songs Top Artists". Billboard. 123 (35): 21. Retrieved 19 April 2016.

Notes

  • Perone, James E. (2012). The Album: A Guide to Pop Music's Most Provocative, Influential, and Important Creations. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 0313379076. 
  • Hoffman, Frank (2005). Encyclopedia of Recorded Sound. Routledge. ISBN 1135949506. 
  • Patoski, Joe Nick (1996). Selena: Como La Flor. Boston: Little Brown and Company. ISBN 0-316-69378-2. 
  • Rodriguez, Lori Beth (2008). Mapping Tejana Epistemologies. ProQuest. ISBN 0549510613. 
  • Shaw, Tucker (2007). The Hookup Artist. Harper Collins. ISBN 0060756209. 
  • Morales, Ed (2006). Ritmo Latino. Ma Non Troppo. ISBN 8496222470. 
  • Kearney, Milo; Medrano, Manuel (2001). Medieval culture and the Mexican American borderlands. Texas A&M Univ. Press. ISBN 1585441325. 
  • Barr-Harrison, Pat (1996). Juntos. Prentice-Hall. ISBN 0134155718. 
Preceded by
"Toma Mi Amor" by La Mafia		 U.S. Billboard Hot Latin Tracks number-one single
15 April 1995 – 27 May 1995 		Succeeded by
"Una Mujer Como Tú" by Marco Antonio Solís and Los Bukis
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