TOBY JUGG
(If Paradise Is) Half As Nice
(Lucio Battisti - Jack Fishman)
Australia 1970
#41 Sydney

The band's name is often spelt Toby Jug, even on the record's label, but the correct spelling seems to be Toby Jugg, perhaps after Dennis Wheatley's 1948 novel The Haunting of Toby Jugg.

Single on du Monde by Sydney band whose personnel included Garth Porter, later of Sherbet, who continues to write and produce in country music, notably with Lee Kernaghan and the Outback Spectacular show.

Suggestion and additional details from Terry Stacey.
THE DAVE CLARK FIVE
(If Paradise Is) Half As Nice
(Lucio Battisti - Jack Fishman)
USA 1969

Single on Epic. This seems to have been a US-only release by this chart-topping 60s British Invasion band: see Glad All Over.

References: 1. The DC5 Wikipedia entry has a credible and comprehensive discography. 2. Discography at the Dave Clark Five USA Page.

Version alert from Terry Stacey.
AMEN CORNER
(If Paradise Is) Half As Nice
(Lucio Battisti - Jack Fishman)
UK 1969
Original English language version
#1 UK* #21 Brisbane #18 Adelaide #5 NZ

Single on Immediate label. *Reissued in UK 1976, peaked at #34.

Amen Corner were a seven-piece band from Cardiff whose line-up included vocalist Andy Fairweather-Low and a brass section. They had six charting records in the UK 1967-69, including Bend Me Shape Me (#3 UK, 1968), also a hit in the USA by American Breed. They later morphed into Fairweather, without the brass. (Source: ER2)
SAMANTHA
Vakantiedromen
Belgium 1969

Dutch-language version (Holiday Dreams) by Flemish pop star, born Christiane Bervoets, 1948. Her big hit was Eviva Espana (1971). See the Samantha page at Belgian Pop & Rock Archives.

Thanks to Joop Jansen.
PATTI PRAVO
Il Paradiso
(Lucio Battisti - Giulio Rapetti [as 'Mogol'])
Italy 1969

Italian pop singer, aka Patty Pravo, born 
Nicoletta Strambelli in Venice 1948. See entry at Wikipedia.it.
RAGAZZA 77 [AMBRA BORELLI]
Il Paradiso Della Vita
(Lucio Battisti - Giulio Rapetti [as 'Mogol'])
Italy 1968
Original version

Lyricist Giulio Rapetti [Mogol] also had a hand in the Italian originals of I (Who Have Nothing) (Ben E. King, Normie Rowe) and Help Yourself (Tom Jones).

The title means paradise of life: perhaps what English speakers might call heaven on earth?

Reference: Song history at The Originals.

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