Teddy Randazzo
Encyclopedia
Teddy Randazzo was a NYC born pop
songwriter
who composed 1960s hit
song
s such as "Goin' Out of My Head
", "It's Gonna Take a Miracle
", and "Hurt So Bad
". He also made popular the song "One More Chance".
, Randazzo played with a group called The Three Chuckles
and appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show
numerous times. Their first hit "Runaround", was a top 20 hit. He co-starred in rock revues staged by the legendary disc jockey
Alan Freed
, appearing with such artists as Chuck Berry
and LaVern Baker
. Randazzo also had some starring roles and often performed in such rock
film
s as Hey, Let's Twist, The Girl Can't Help It
, Rock, Rock, Rock
and Mr. Rock and Roll in the late 1950s and early 1960s.
, including "Pretty Blue Eyes", a top ten hit for Steve Lawrence
. He penned many songs for Little Anthony and the Imperials, producing and arranging several albums for the group in the mid-60s. The hit songs included "Goin' Out of My Head
" (#6 Pop, #22 R&B), which was covered
by numerous artists including The Zombies
and Frank Sinatra
; "Hurt So Bad
" (#10 Pop, #3 R&B), which was covered by The Lettermen (#12 in 1969), as well as Linda Ronstadt
who took it to #8 in 1980; and the Imperials' Top 20 hits, "I'm On The Outside (Looking In)
" and "Take Me Back
". The Lettermen combined "Goin' Out of My Head" with Frankie Valli's hit, "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" in a medley
which reached #7 in 1968.
He arranged and produced two albums on MGM Records with Baltimore girl group, The Royalettes including the Top 50 hit "It's Gonna Take A Miracle" in 1965. He gave the group a big production sound with a full orchestra (compared to sparer instrumentation for Little Anthony recordings), but despite critical acclaim and good reviews for their live shows, the group failed to achieve a major commercial success. "I Want To Meet Him", the follow-up in 1966, reached the Hot 100 and the Top 30 R&B charts. "Miracle" was revived in 1982 by Deniece Williams, who took it to the number 1 R&B spot and #10 in the Hot 100.
All of the 27 songs that Randazzo produced on the two albums, plus another issued on single, appeared on a CD retrospective of the Royalettes' complete MGM output released by UK label, RPM in late 2010.
Many of Randazzo's tunes became pop classics, recorded by a gamut of industry giants from Ella Fitzgerald
to (as mentioned previously) Frank Sinatra
. "I've lost count on how many versions there are", Randazzo once said of "Goin' Out Of My Head". It is now included in the Top 50 most recorded songs with sales of over 100 million by over 400 artists, according to the Songwriters' Hall Of Fame. He also co-wrote songs with his then girlfriend, Victoria Pike.
Randazzo wrote "Yesterday Has Gone", which was recorded by UK band Cupid's Inspiration
in 1968 and climbed to #4 in the UK pop chart. Later, he provided several songs for albums by New York soul group, The Manhattans during their 1970s' hey-day, including the 1977 hit, "It Feels So Good To Be Loved So Bad" (#6 R&B, #66 Pop). He also co-wrote songs with his first wife, Victoria Pike.
During the early and mid 60's, Randazzo toured extensively with his own band appearing at the Copacabana, New York, Hotel Americana, San Juan and regularly at the Thunderbird Hotel, Las Vegas. Band members included renowned musicians: Larry Taylor
, Gerry McGee, Tommy Boyce, Bobby Hart, Vince Megna
, Billy Lewis, Kenny Rankin
, Bobby Weinstein and Billy Barberis.
for most of the latter half of his life. He continued writing music, and at times, producing. Randazzo co-produced
(with Tom Moffatt and Frank Day) and arranged
the song and album Honolulu City Lights
, also writing the music for the string accompaniment. The song was a hit, the album has become a classic. In 2004, the editors of Honolulu Magazine asked a panel of distinguished recording industry veterans to rank their choices for the best Hawaii album of all time. Honolulu City Lights was chosen #1. The song was later recorded by other artists including The Carpenters
.
Randazzo died in his sleep at age 68, at his home in Orlando
, Florida.
in 2007, fifty years after they first started writing songs together.
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
who composed 1960s hit
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
s such as "Goin' Out of My Head
Goin' Out Of My Head
"Goin' Out of My Head" is a song written by Teddy Randazzo and Bobby Weinstein, initially recorded by Little Anthony & the Imperials in 1964. Randazzo, a childhood friend of the group, wrote the song especially for them, having also supplied the group with their previous Top 20 Hit "I'm On The...
", "It's Gonna Take a Miracle
It's Gonna Take a Miracle
"It's Gonna Take a Miracle" is a popular song written by Teddy Randazzo, Bob Weinstein, and Lou Stallman. It was first an R&B hit in 1965 for The Royalettes, who reached the Top 30 on the U.S. R&B chart and peaked at #41 on the U.S. pop chart...
", and "Hurt So Bad
Hurt So Bad
"Hurt So Bad" is a 1965 pop/R&B hit single by Little Anthony & The Imperials, taken from their album, Goin' out of My Head. It was the follow-up to that album's smash-hit title song, and like that song, also became a Billboard Top 10 hit, reaching #10, and was an R&B Top 10 hit as well, reaching...
". He also made popular the song "One More Chance".
Early years
In the early years of rock and rollRock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
, Randazzo played with a group called The Three Chuckles
The Three Chuckles
The Three Chuckles was an early American rock & roll group from Brooklyn.Although designated rock & roll by contemporary observers, the sound of The Three Chuckles is closer to vocal pop, in hindsight. They formed around 1950, naming themselves after a popular candy of the day, and played East...
and appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show
The Ed Sullivan Show
The Ed Sullivan Show is an American TV variety show that originally ran on CBS from Sunday June 20, 1948 to Sunday June 6, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan....
numerous times. Their first hit "Runaround", was a top 20 hit. He co-starred in rock revues staged by the legendary disc jockey
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
Alan Freed
Alan Freed
Albert James "Alan" Freed , also known as Moondog, was an American disc-jockey. He became internationally known for promoting the mix of blues, country and rhythm and blues music on the radio in the United States and Europe under the name of rock and roll...
, appearing with such artists as Chuck Berry
Chuck Berry
Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" , "Roll Over Beethoven" , "Rock and Roll Music" and "Johnny B...
and LaVern Baker
LaVern Baker
LaVern Baker was an American rhythm and blues singer, who had several hit records on the pop chart in the 1950s and early 1960s. Her most successful records were "Tweedlee Dee" , "Jim Dandy" , and "I Cried a Tear" .-Early life:She was born Delores LaVern Baker in Chicago, Illinois...
. Randazzo also had some starring roles and often performed in such rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
s as Hey, Let's Twist, The Girl Can't Help It
The Girl Can't Help It
The Girl Can't Help It is a 1956 comedy musical film starring Jayne Mansfield, Tom Ewell, and Edmond O'Brien. It was produced and directed by Frank Tashlin, with a screenplay adapted by Tashlin and Herbert Baker from an uncredited novel Do Re Me by Garson Kanin...
, Rock, Rock, Rock
Rock, Rock, Rock
Rock, Rock, Rock is a soundtrack album for the motion picture of the same name and is now considered Chuck Berry's first album. Only four songs on this album actually appear in the film. Eight songs by Chuck Berry, The Moonglows and The Flamingos make up the balance of the songs...
and Mr. Rock and Roll in the late 1950s and early 1960s.
Hit-making years
Randazzo wrote a string of major hits for other artists with composing partner, Bobby WeinsteinBobby Weinstein
Bobby Weinstein is an American songwriter, singer, and music industry executive, whose hit songs, mostly co-written with Teddy Randazzo, include "Goin' Out Of My Head", "It's Gonna Take A Miracle", and "I'm On The Outside "....
, including "Pretty Blue Eyes", a top ten hit for Steve Lawrence
Steve Lawrence
Steve Lawrence is an American singer and actor, perhaps best known as a member of a duo with his wife Eydie Gormé, billed as "Steve and Eydie"...
. He penned many songs for Little Anthony and the Imperials, producing and arranging several albums for the group in the mid-60s. The hit songs included "Goin' Out of My Head
Goin' Out Of My Head
"Goin' Out of My Head" is a song written by Teddy Randazzo and Bobby Weinstein, initially recorded by Little Anthony & the Imperials in 1964. Randazzo, a childhood friend of the group, wrote the song especially for them, having also supplied the group with their previous Top 20 Hit "I'm On The...
" (#6 Pop, #22 R&B), which was covered
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
by numerous artists including The Zombies
The Zombies
The Zombies are an English rock band, formed in 1961 in St Albans and led by Rod Argent, on piano and keyboards, and vocalist Colin Blunstone. The group scored a UK and US hit in 1964 with "She's Not There"...
and Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
; "Hurt So Bad
Hurt So Bad
"Hurt So Bad" is a 1965 pop/R&B hit single by Little Anthony & The Imperials, taken from their album, Goin' out of My Head. It was the follow-up to that album's smash-hit title song, and like that song, also became a Billboard Top 10 hit, reaching #10, and was an R&B Top 10 hit as well, reaching...
" (#10 Pop, #3 R&B), which was covered by The Lettermen (#12 in 1969), as well as Linda Ronstadt
Linda Ronstadt
Linda Ronstadt is an American popular music recording artist. She has earned eleven Grammy Awards, two Academy of Country Music awards, an Emmy Award, an ALMA Award, numerous United States and internationally certified gold, platinum and multiplatinum albums, in addition to Tony Award and Golden...
who took it to #8 in 1980; and the Imperials' Top 20 hits, "I'm On The Outside (Looking In)
I'm On The Outside (Looking In)
"I'm On The Outside " is a 1964 hit song by Little Anthony and the Imperials, issued on DCP Records. It was a Billboard Top 20 Pop hit, peaking at #15. Written by Teddy Randazzo and Bobby Weinstein, this was the group's comeback single, ending a long period of inactivity by the group...
" and "Take Me Back
Take Me Back (Imperials song)
Take Me Back was a 1965 hit song by Little Anthony and the Imperials. It was a Billboard Top 20 Pop Hit, peaking at #16, and was a Top 20 R&B Hit as well, peaking at # 15...
". The Lettermen combined "Goin' Out of My Head" with Frankie Valli's hit, "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" in a medley
Medley (music)
In music, a medley is a piece composed from parts of existing pieces, usually three, played one after another, sometimes overlapping. They are common in popular music, and most medleys are songs rather than instrumental. A medley which is a remixed series is called a megamix, often done with tracks...
which reached #7 in 1968.
He arranged and produced two albums on MGM Records with Baltimore girl group, The Royalettes including the Top 50 hit "It's Gonna Take A Miracle" in 1965. He gave the group a big production sound with a full orchestra (compared to sparer instrumentation for Little Anthony recordings), but despite critical acclaim and good reviews for their live shows, the group failed to achieve a major commercial success. "I Want To Meet Him", the follow-up in 1966, reached the Hot 100 and the Top 30 R&B charts. "Miracle" was revived in 1982 by Deniece Williams, who took it to the number 1 R&B spot and #10 in the Hot 100.
All of the 27 songs that Randazzo produced on the two albums, plus another issued on single, appeared on a CD retrospective of the Royalettes' complete MGM output released by UK label, RPM in late 2010.
Many of Randazzo's tunes became pop classics, recorded by a gamut of industry giants from Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Jane Fitzgerald , also known as the "First Lady of Song" and "Lady Ella," was an American jazz and song vocalist...
to (as mentioned previously) Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
. "I've lost count on how many versions there are", Randazzo once said of "Goin' Out Of My Head". It is now included in the Top 50 most recorded songs with sales of over 100 million by over 400 artists, according to the Songwriters' Hall Of Fame. He also co-wrote songs with his then girlfriend, Victoria Pike.
Randazzo wrote "Yesterday Has Gone", which was recorded by UK band Cupid's Inspiration
Cupid's Inspiration
Cupid's Inspiration was an English rock band, predominantly active between 1968 and 1971.-Career:Originally from Stamford, Lincolnshire, the band were at first called The Ends ....
in 1968 and climbed to #4 in the UK pop chart. Later, he provided several songs for albums by New York soul group, The Manhattans during their 1970s' hey-day, including the 1977 hit, "It Feels So Good To Be Loved So Bad" (#6 R&B, #66 Pop). He also co-wrote songs with his first wife, Victoria Pike.
During the early and mid 60's, Randazzo toured extensively with his own band appearing at the Copacabana, New York, Hotel Americana, San Juan and regularly at the Thunderbird Hotel, Las Vegas. Band members included renowned musicians: Larry Taylor
Larry Taylor
Larry Taylor is an American bass guitarist, best known for his work as a member of Canned Heat from 1967. Before joining Canned Heat he had been a session bassist for The Monkees and Jerry Lee Lewis...
, Gerry McGee, Tommy Boyce, Bobby Hart, Vince Megna
Vince Megna
Vince Megna is a Wisconsin attorney "known as the leading lemon law attorney in the United States." Lemon Law is the body of law that offers protection to owners of motor vehicles with recurring mechanical or other problems that are not resolved within a reasonable time by the dealer or...
, Billy Lewis, Kenny Rankin
Kenny Rankin
Kenny Rankin was an American pop and jazz singer and songwriter, originally from the Washington Heights neighborhood of New York City, New York.-Biography:...
, Bobby Weinstein and Billy Barberis.
Later life and death
Randazzo married R. Shelly Kunewa of Hawaii and divided his time between their home in the islands and their home in FloridaFlorida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
for most of the latter half of his life. He continued writing music, and at times, producing. Randazzo co-produced
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
(with Tom Moffatt and Frank Day) and arranged
Arrangement
The American Federation of Musicians defines arranging as "the art of preparing and adapting an already written composition for presentation in other than its original form. An arrangement may include reharmonization, paraphrasing, and/or development of a composition, so that it fully represents...
the song and album Honolulu City Lights
Honolulu City Lights
"Honolulu City Lights" is a song composed by Hawaiian singer/songwriter Keola Beamer in the 1970s which opens an album by the same name...
, also writing the music for the string accompaniment. The song was a hit, the album has become a classic. In 2004, the editors of Honolulu Magazine asked a panel of distinguished recording industry veterans to rank their choices for the best Hawaii album of all time. Honolulu City Lights was chosen #1. The song was later recorded by other artists including The Carpenters
The Carpenters
Carpenters were an American vocal and instrumental duo, consisting of sister Karen and brother Richard Carpenter. The Carpenters were the #1 selling American music act of the 1970s. Though often referred to by the public as "The Carpenters", the duo's official name on authorized recordings and...
.
Randazzo died in his sleep at age 68, at his home in Orlando
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
, Florida.
Songwriters Hall of Fame
Randazzo and his writing partner, Bobby Weinstein, were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of FameSongwriters Hall of Fame
The Songwriters Hall of Fame is an arm of the National Academy of Popular Music. It was founded in 1969 by songwriter Johnny Mercer and music publishers Abe Olman and Howie Richmond. The goal is to create a museum but as of April, 2008, the means do not yet exist and so instead it is an online...
in 2007, fifty years after they first started writing songs together.
Sources
External links
- [ Biography] at Allmusic websiteWebsiteA website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
- Teddy Randazzo at Spectropop