Dion and the Belmonts
Encyclopedia
Dion and the Belmonts was a leading American
vocal group of the late 1950s. The group formed when Dion DiMucci
, lead singer (born July 18, 1939), joined The Belmonts
- Carlo Mastrangelo, baritone (born October 5, 1938), Freddie Milano, second tenor (born August 22, 1939), and Angelo D'Aleo, first tenor (born February 3, 1940), in late 1957.
, the group was signed to Laurie Records
. Their breakthrough came when "I Wonder Why
" reached No. 22 on the Billboard Hot 100
chart
, and the group appeared for the first time on American Bandstand
. They followed it with the ballad
s "No One Knows" (No. 19) and "Don’t Pity Me" (No. 40).
This success won Dion and the Belmonts their first major tour in late 1958, with The Coasters
, Buddy Holly
and Bobby Darin
, and this was followed up by the "Winter Dance Party" tour with Holly, Ritchie Valens
and The Big Bopper
. On 2 February 1959, after playing at the Surf Ballroom
, Dion decided that he could not afford the $36 cost of a flight to the next venue. The plane crashed
; Holly, Valens, The Big Bopper, and the pilot were killed on 3 February 1959, shortly after midnight. However, the tour continued, with Jimmy Clanton
and Bobby Vee
being added to the bill as replacements.
In March 1959, Dion and the Belmonts’ next single, "A Teenager in Love
", was released, reaching No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 28 in the UK Singles Chart
, and this was followed by an album, Presenting Dion and the Belmonts. Their biggest hit, "Where or When
", was released in November 1959, and reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100
.
In early 1960, Dion checked into a hospital for heroin addiction, a problem he had had since his mid-teens. Other singles released for the group that year were less successful. In addition, there were musical and financial disputes between Dion and members of the Belmonts. In October 1960, Dion decided to quit for a solo career
with a new backing group, The Del-Satins
, reaching the top of the charts with songs "The Wanderer"
, "Runaround Sue
" and "Ruby Baby
". On later reissues these songs would often be erroneously attributed to Dion and the Belmonts. The Belmonts
also continued to release records
, but with less success.
Dion and the Belmonts reunited in 1966 for the unsuccessful album Together Again on ABC Records
, and again in 1972 for a one-off show at Madison Square Garden
, recorded and released as a live album
. In 2000, Dion and the Belmonts were inducted in The Vocal Group Hall of Fame.
s during their heyday:
There were later compilations
, some of which also included the separate hits of The Belmonts
, and some of which also included the separate hits of Dion along with Dion and The Belmonts. These two original releases of Dion and The Belmonts are the most collectable.
Dion and the Belmonts also appeared together on:
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
vocal group of the late 1950s. The group formed when Dion DiMucci
Dion DiMucci
Dion Francis DiMucci , better known as Dion, is an American singer-songwriter whose work has incorporated elements of doo-wop, pop oldies music, rock and R&B styles....
, lead singer (born July 18, 1939), joined The Belmonts
The Belmonts
The Belmonts are an American doo-wop group that originated in the mid 1950s. The group consisted of Fred Milano, Angelo D'Aleo, Carlo Mastrangelo, and Nick Caruso.. The group took their first name from Belmont Avenue in the Bronx. There were several stages in their history, including the 1958–1960...
- Carlo Mastrangelo, baritone (born October 5, 1938), Freddie Milano, second tenor (born August 22, 1939), and Angelo D'Aleo, first tenor (born February 3, 1940), in late 1957.
History
After an unsuccessful first singleSingle (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, the group was signed to Laurie Records
Laurie Records
Laurie Records was a record label started in 1958 by Gene Schwartz and Allan I. Sussel. Sussel was a multi-millionaire whose earlier record company, Jamie Records , had been unsuccessful. As a result, Sussel joined forces with Schwartz to found Laurie Records, this time named after his other...
. Their breakthrough came when "I Wonder Why
I Wonder Why
"I Wonder Why" is a doo-wop song, written by Melvin Anderson and Ricardo Weeks, and first recorded by Dion and the Belmonts in 1958. It is sung from the point of view of a man telling to his girlfriend that he neither knows nor ultimately cares to know the reasons for his love for said other...
" reached No. 22 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
, and the group appeared for the first time on American Bandstand
American Bandstand
American Bandstand is an American music-performance show that aired in various versions from 1952 to 1989 and was hosted from 1956 until its final season by Dick Clark, who also served as producer...
. They followed it with the ballad
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
s "No One Knows" (No. 19) and "Don’t Pity Me" (No. 40).
This success won Dion and the Belmonts their first major tour in late 1958, with The Coasters
The Coasters
The Coasters are an American rhythm and blues/rock and roll vocal group that had a string of hits in the late 1950s. Beginning with "Searchin'" and "Young Blood", their most memorable songs were written by the songwriting and producing team of Leiber and Stoller...
, Buddy Holly
Buddy Holly
Charles Hardin Holley , known professionally as Buddy Holly, was an American singer-songwriter and a pioneer of rock and roll...
and Bobby Darin
Bobby Darin
Bobby Darin , born Walden Robert Cassotto, was an American singer, actor and musician.Darin performed in a range of music genres, including pop, rock, jazz, folk and country...
, and this was followed up by the "Winter Dance Party" tour with Holly, Ritchie Valens
Ritchie Valens
Ritchie Valens was a Mexican-American singer, songwriter and guitarist....
and The Big Bopper
The Big Bopper
Jiles Perry "J. P." Richardson, Jr. also commonly known as The Big Bopper, was an American disc jockey, singer, and songwriter whose big voice and exuberant personality made him an early rock and roll star...
. On 2 February 1959, after playing at the Surf Ballroom
Surf Ballroom
The Surf Ballroom is a Historic Rock and Roll Landmark at 460 North Shore Drive, Clear Lake, Iowa. The Surf is closely associated with The Day the Music Died - early rock and roll stars Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson gave their last performances at the Surf on...
, Dion decided that he could not afford the $36 cost of a flight to the next venue. The plane crashed
The Day the Music Died
On February 3, 1959, a small-plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa, killed three American rock and roll pioneers: Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson, as well as the pilot, Roger Peterson. The day was later called The Day the Music Died by Don McLean, in his song...
; Holly, Valens, The Big Bopper, and the pilot were killed on 3 February 1959, shortly after midnight. However, the tour continued, with Jimmy Clanton
Jimmy Clanton
Jimmy Clanton is an American singer who became known as the "swamp pop R&B teenage idol". His band recorded a hit song "Just A Dream" which Clanton had written in 1958 for the Ace Records label. It reached number four on the Billboard chart and sold a million copies...
and Bobby Vee
Bobby Vee
Robert Thomas Velline , known as Bobby Vee, is an American pop music singer. According to Billboard magazine, Vee has had 38 Hot 100 chart hits, 10 of which hit the Top 20.-Career:...
being added to the bill as replacements.
In March 1959, Dion and the Belmonts’ next single, "A Teenager in Love
A Teenager in Love
"A Teenager in Love" is a song written by Doc Pomus and partner Mort Shuman and was originally sung and released by Dion and the Belmonts in March 1959. It reached #5 on the Billboard pop charts. In May 1959, the song held three positions in the British Top 20, the other two versions being by Marty...
", was released, reaching No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 28 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, and this was followed by an album, Presenting Dion and the Belmonts. Their biggest hit, "Where or When
Where or When
"Where or When" is a show tune from the 1937 Rodgers and Hart musical Babes In Arms. It was first performed by Ray Heatherton and Mitzi Green. That same year, Hal Kemp recorded a popular version. It also appeared in the movie of the same title two years later...
", was released in November 1959, and reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
.
In early 1960, Dion checked into a hospital for heroin addiction, a problem he had had since his mid-teens. Other singles released for the group that year were less successful. In addition, there were musical and financial disputes between Dion and members of the Belmonts. In October 1960, Dion decided to quit for a solo career
Dion DiMucci
Dion Francis DiMucci , better known as Dion, is an American singer-songwriter whose work has incorporated elements of doo-wop, pop oldies music, rock and R&B styles....
with a new backing group, The Del-Satins
The Del-Satins
The Del-Satins were an American vocal group in the 1960s who recorded on their own but are best remembered for their harmonies on hit records for Dion and others....
, reaching the top of the charts with songs "The Wanderer"
The Wanderer (Dion song)
"The Wanderer" is a song written by Ernie Maresca and originally recorded by Dion. The song, with a 12-bar blues-base verse and an eight-bar bridge, tells the story of a travelling man and his many loves...
, "Runaround Sue
Runaround Sue
"Runaround Sue" is a pop song, originally a US No. 1 hit for the singer Dion during 1961. The song ranked No. 342 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time".-Original recording:...
" and "Ruby Baby
Ruby Baby
"Ruby Baby" is a song written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. It was originally recorded by The Drifters and was a major R&B hit for them in 1956...
". On later reissues these songs would often be erroneously attributed to Dion and the Belmonts. The Belmonts
The Belmonts
The Belmonts are an American doo-wop group that originated in the mid 1950s. The group consisted of Fred Milano, Angelo D'Aleo, Carlo Mastrangelo, and Nick Caruso.. The group took their first name from Belmont Avenue in the Bronx. There were several stages in their history, including the 1958–1960...
also continued to release records
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
, but with less success.
Dion and the Belmonts reunited in 1966 for the unsuccessful album Together Again on ABC Records
ABC Records
ABC Records was an American record label, founded in New York City in 1955 as ABC-Paramount Records. It originated as the main popular music label operated the Am-Par Record Corporation, the music subsidiary of the American Broadcasting Company . ABC-Paramount Records' first president was Samuel H....
, and again in 1972 for a one-off show at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
, recorded and released as a live album
Live album
A live album is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances using remote recording techniques, commonly contrasted with a studio album...
. In 2000, Dion and the Belmonts were inducted in The Vocal Group Hall of Fame.
Albums
Dion and the Belmonts released two albumAlbum
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s during their heyday:
- Presenting Dion & The Belmonts (1959)
- Wish Upon a Star (1960)
There were later compilations
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
, some of which also included the separate hits of The Belmonts
The Belmonts
The Belmonts are an American doo-wop group that originated in the mid 1950s. The group consisted of Fred Milano, Angelo D'Aleo, Carlo Mastrangelo, and Nick Caruso.. The group took their first name from Belmont Avenue in the Bronx. There were several stages in their history, including the 1958–1960...
, and some of which also included the separate hits of Dion along with Dion and The Belmonts. These two original releases of Dion and The Belmonts are the most collectable.
Dion and the Belmonts also appeared together on:
- Together Again (1966)
- Reunion: Live at Madison Square Garden (recorded 1972, released 1973)
Singles
| Year | Single | U.S. United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... label Record label In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,... |
Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1957 | "We Went Away" / "Tag Along" | Mohawk 105 | - | - |
| Apr 1958 | "I Wonder Why I Wonder Why "I Wonder Why" is a doo-wop song, written by Melvin Anderson and Ricardo Weeks, and first recorded by Dion and the Belmonts in 1958. It is sung from the point of view of a man telling to his girlfriend that he neither knows nor ultimately cares to know the reasons for his love for said other... " / "Teen Angel" |
Laurie 3013 | 22 | - |
| Aug 1958 | "No One Knows" / "I Can't Go On (Rosalie)" | Laurie 3015 | 19 | - |
| Dec 1958 | "Don't Pity Me" / "Just You" | Laurie 3021 | 40 | - |
| Mar 1959 | "A Teenager in Love A Teenager in Love "A Teenager in Love" is a song written by Doc Pomus and partner Mort Shuman and was originally sung and released by Dion and the Belmonts in March 1959. It reached #5 on the Billboard pop charts. In May 1959, the song held three positions in the British Top 20, the other two versions being by Marty... " / "I've Cried Before" |
Laurie 3027 | 5 | 28 |
| Aug 1959 | "Every Little Thing I Do" / "A Lover's Prayer" | Laurie 3035 | 48 | - |
| Nov 1959 | "Where or When Where or When "Where or When" is a show tune from the 1937 Rodgers and Hart musical Babes In Arms. It was first performed by Ray Heatherton and Mitzi Green. That same year, Hal Kemp recorded a popular version. It also appeared in the movie of the same title two years later... " / "That's My Desire That's My Desire (1931 song) "That's My Desire" is a 1931 popular song with music by Helmy Kresa and lyrics by Carroll Loveday.The highest-charting version of the song was recorded by the Sammy Kaye orchestra in 1946, although a version of the song recorded by Frankie Laine has become better known over the years, being one of... " |
Laurie 3044 | 3 | - |
| Apr 1960 | "When You Wish upon a Star When You Wish upon a Star "When You Wish upon a Star" is a song written by Leigh Harline and Ned Washington for Walt Disney's 1940 adaptation of Pinocchio. The original version of the song was sung by Cliff Edwards in the character of Jiminy Cricket, and is heard over the opening credits and again in the final scene of the... " / "Wonderful Girl" |
Laurie 3052 | 30 | - |
| Jun 1960 | "In the Still of the Night In the Still of the Night (1937 song) "In the Still of the Night" is a popular song written by Cole Porter for the MGM film Rosalie sung by Nelson Eddy and published in 1937.... " / "A Funny Feeling" |
Laurie 3059 | 38 | - |
| Oct 1966 | "My Girl The Month of May" / "Berimbau" | ABC 10868 | - | - |
| Jan 1967 | "Movin' Man" / "For Bobbie" | ABC 10896 | - | - |