Prendila così

There are songs that, while not being the main promotional single, manage to become deeply embedded in the collective imagination. *Prendila così* is one of them. What’s interesting is that its lasting appeal isn’t based on having been released as a single, but rather on the strength it gained through the versions other artists created of it. Think of names like Anna Oxa, Paolo Vallesi, Delta V, Petra Magoni, Ambra, and Stefano Zarfati, all of whom left their mark on it. It even had a highly memorable moment on television, in the show *Non è la Rai*, where Mary Patti performed it in playback. Another distinctive feature of this piece is its length: it’s the longest recording Lucio Battisti ever made in his career, clocking in at 7 minutes and 52 seconds. And to top off its uniqueness, it features an extensive saxophone solo by Derek Grossmith.

This musical piece, which is part of the 1978 album *Una donna per amico*, was conceived alongside Mogol. The musical production, in terms of arrangements, was handled by Geoff Westley. The song also crossed linguistic borders, with a Russian adaptation by singer Svetlana Tchernykh, titled *Так и понимай*. Its inclusion on the 1978 album places it within a musical context that, depending on the classification, is associated with the disco genre.