Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi co-writes love ballads

ROME, Italy (Italian Press Agency) - ROME - Italy's Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi cements a two-year songwriting partnership with a guitar-slinging Neapolitan crooner when they release a compact disc of their songs today.
'It's an album of songs written from the heart, in the best traditions of Italian melody,' said Mariano Apicella, who performs on the 14-track album with another Neapolitan singer, Rino Giglio.

Although Mr Berlusconi, 67, does not sing on the album himself, he co-wrote each of the songs with Apicella.

Apicella, 40, has been described as the Prime Minister's private minstrel since the former carpark attendant met the mega-rich media magnate when he played for him at a Naples hotel during the 2001 election campaign.
Apicella has since signed an annual contract to sing for the Prime Minister, himself a former cruise ship crooner, and his guests at his residence in Sardinia, often at short notice, but the Neapolitan is not complaining.
'When I'm not convinced of some of the lyrics, I voice my opinion, but without ever fighting,' he told the Corriere della Sera newspaper.

He also revealed that he has brought Neapolitan specialities such as mozzarella cheese, sfogliatelle cream cakes and a liqueur-drenched local speciality called baba as gifts during his working trips north to Mr Berlusconi's Sardinian mansion.
'But I did it just once and won't do it again, otherwise he will get fat,' he said.

In one song called "With My Heart in My Throat" ("Col Cuore in Gola"), the premier says:
"With my heart in my throat
"Because your love is everything to me
"I know you may make me suffer
"But I'll never let you go
"Even if I have to fight
"I will love you until the end."
In Italy, vendors are counting on Berlusconi's first album to be a big seller.
"We are putting out a large number of CDs," said Alessandra Zago, a spokeswoman for Universal Music, which is releasing the album. "It's a debut album - but let's just say we have high hopes."