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Biography
Infobox musical artist | name = Lou Christie| image = Lou Christie with the Earth Angels.jpg| caption =| image_size =| background = solo_singer| birth_name = Lugee Alfredo Giovanni Saccocite web |first= |last= |url=Allmusic|class=artist|id=p3898/biography|pure_url=yes |title=Biography by Jason Ankeny |publisher=Allmusic.com |accessdate=20 January 2009| birth_date = Birth date and age|1943|2|19|mf=y| origin = Glenwillard, Pennsylvania|Glenwillard , Pennsylvania United States | instrument = Human voice|Vocals ( falsetto )| genre = Pop music|Pop | occupation = Singer-songwriter | years_active = 1962–present| associated_acts = The Tammys Luigi Alfredo Giovanni Sacco (born February 19, 1943), known professionally as Lou Christie , is an American singer-songwriter best known for three separate strings of pop music|pop hits in the 1960s (at about the same times as Tommy Roe 's three strings), including his 1966 smash, " Lightnin' Strikes " and his incredible 3 octave vocal range.
Biography
Sacco was born in Glenwillard, Pennsylvania|Glenwillard , Pennsylvania and raised in suburban Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania . Sacco traveled to New York City|New York after graduating from Moon Area High School and found work as a session musician|session singing|vocalist .
Susan Christie (Beatrice Hill), often mistakenly referred to as his sister, had a minor hit with the novelty song "I Love Onions", which peaked at #63 on the Billboard Hot 100|Hot 100 in 1966. http://books.google.com/books? id=BQkJAQAAMAAJ& q=%22susan+christie%22+%22i+love+onions%22& dq=%22susan+christie%22+%22i+love+onions%22& hl=en& ei=zteKTY-CC8regQe54cHPDQ& sa=X& oi=book_result& ct=result& resnum=5& ved=0CD0Q6AEwBA Otfinoski The two are not related.
Robbee and Roulette: 1961-1963
Sacco also sound recording and reproduction|recorded a few unsuccessful gramophone record|discs of his own for various record label s in both New York and Pittsburgh, most notably "The Jury" (as by "Lugee & The Lions") on the Pittsburgh-based Robbee label, which achieved local success. "The Gypsy Cried" features the human voice|vocal style that would characterize all of Christie's biggest hit record|hits : verses sung in his normal register, and then a dramatic shift to his falsetto on the refrain|choruses . That song was released in 1962 on the tiny Co& Ce label and unexpectedly credited to 'Lou Christie' without Sacco's permission. Sacco had been working on a list of potential stage names , and he has stated that he hated the name for decades afterwards: "I was pissed off about it for 20 years. I wanted to keep my name and be a one-named performer, just 'Lugee'." http://www.classicbands.com/christie.html Lou Christie
Christie was frequently written off by music journalism|critics as an imitator of Frankie Valli , as both men possessed similar falsetto vocals and the ability to change almost effortlessly between the falsetto and their normal registers. Later reviewers have been less harsh, noting that Christie was one of the first singer-songwriters of the era, a status later noted by John Lennon , who referred to Christie as "A truly creative person".
After the Co& Ce release became a Pittsburgh hit, "The Gypsy Cried" was picked up by Roulette Records and charted nationwide, peaking at #24, selling over one million copies, and receiving a music recording sales certification|gold disc .cite book | first= Joseph | last= Murrells | year= 1978 | title= The Book of Golden Discs | edition= 2nd | publisher= Barrie and Jenkins Ltd | location= London | pages= 143–157 | isbn= 0-214-20512-6 "The Gypsy Cried" was the first of numerous songs Christie co-wrote with his songwriter|songwriting partner Twyla Herbert , a self-described Eccentricity (behavior)|eccentric and mysticism|mystic , who was over twenty years older than Christie but also shared his love of European classical music|classical music . The two struck up a working relationship after Christie auditioned for her at the age of 15 and began a lifelong friendship which ended only with her death in 2009.
Christie's follow-up single, "Two Faces Have I" in March 1963, was an even bigger hit, peaking at #6 and also selling over a million copies. He joined Dick Clark (entertainer)|Dick Clark's Caravan of Stars Tour. A third Roulette release, "How Many Teardrops" (written by Milan (aka The Leather Boy)|Milan ), stalled at #46 as Christie's career was temporarily derailed by his induction into the United States Army|US Army . (A copy of "How Many Teardrops" is included on the Milan compilation album Hell Bent for Leather (Milan album)|Hell Bent for Leather .) Christie would not have another charting single for two and a half years.
Re-establishment and Rhapsody: 1965-1966
While a stint in the military might have ended the careers of many musicians, Christie's career was quickly re-established after his discharge when he signed with the MGM Records|MGM label . MGM reportedly disliked Christie's first single for the label, with MGM's president reportedly throwing the tape into a wastepaper basket. But Christie's new management promoted the record in California , and when it gained some traction (eventually reaching #2 on KHJ (AM)|KHJ the last two weeks of 1965), MGM released it. "Lightnin' Strikes" reached chart-topper|#1 in the United States|U.S. on Christie's 23rd birthday on February 19, 1966; entered the United Kingdom|UK Top 40|Top 20 , becoming his first hit in that country; and peaked at RPM number-one hits of 1966|#1 in Canada . The song's lyrics featured his signature falsetto and included a female chorus (Bernadette Carroll, Denise Ferri, and Peggy Santiglia) shouting "Stop!" in counterpoint to the lead vocal: : When I see lips begging to be kissed (Stop!) :''I can't stop, (Stop!) no I can't stop myself& #33; (Stop& #33; Stop!)
But Christie's next release would ignite a firestorm of controversy and censorship. Released in the spring of 1966, "Rhapsody In The Rain" featured a haunting melody inspired by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky|Tchaikovsky 's " Romeo and Juliet (Tchaikovsky)|Romeo and Juliet ", telling of a teenager's regret over his sexual experience in the back seat of a car during a rainstorm as the windshield wipers made a rhythm ic sound of "together, together".Citation needed|date=January 2009 Later after the romance ends, the wipers seem to say "never, never".Citation needed|date=January 2009 Many radio station s banned the song, and MGM insisted on a re-recorded version that toned down the lyrical content.Citation needed|date=January 2009 Despite the edited version, many stations instead played two older songs re-released by other labels Christie had once recorded for: "Outside the Gates of Heaven" (on Co & Ce Records, a successor to C& C) peaked at #45, while "Big Time" (on Colpix Records ) managed to hit #95. All three singles hit nationally within three weeks of one another, in March 1966, while "Lightnin' Strikes" was falling off.
Whether it was the controversial lyrics or competition from the other singles released simultaneously, "Rhapsody" only managed to hit #16 in the US and #37 in the UK. Christie's career seemed to be derailed once again as his followup for MGM, "Painter", which also borrowed a melody from classical music - this time from Giacomo Puccini|Puccini 's opera MadameButterfly - stalled at #81. Two further MGM releases (produced by Jack Nitzsche ) from 1966 missed the Billboard Hot 100 entirely, even though "If My Car Could Only Talk" (peaking at #118) seemingly revisits the ill-fated lovers from Rhapsody .Citation needed|date=January 2007
Resurgence and Romeo: 1969-1970
After being dropped by MGM and an unfruitful stint with Columbia Records in the late 1960s, Christie teamed up with Buddah Records (a move prompted by his business manager Stan Polley ) and bubblegum#Bubblegum pop|bubblegum music record producer Tony Romeo and had a surprise Wall of Sound constant uptempo hit "I'm Gonna Make You Mine" (which Romeo wrote) in the early autumn of 1969. Helped by two promotional videos distinctly different from each other, the song peaked at #10 in the US but across the Atlantic Ocean|Atlantic climbed to #2 on the UK Singles Chart and thus became his biggest hit there.
A follow up, "She Sold Me Magic" charted only in the UK, peaking at #25, and was later cover version|covered by Elton John . Conversely, "Are You Getting Any Sunshine? " only charted in America, where it reached #73.
Lou performed all of his early hits on ABC's "American Bandstand" and "Where the Action Is." He also appeared on local and regional TV in performance during the 1960's.
Recoveries and Remakes: 1971 to present
Christie spent the early 1970s between London and New York . In 1971 he released a concept album called Paint America Love and was married in London to former UK beauty queen Francesca Winfield. In 1974, Christie would try another new musical style, going country music|country on his Beyond The Blue Horizon album . The title track, a remake of a hit song from 1930, written for the film Monte Carlo (1930 movie)|Monte Carlo , features one of Christie's strongest non-falsetto vocal performances.Citation needed|date=January 2009 The song missed the Country charts entirely, and only made #80 on the pop chart, but managed a respectable showing at #12 on the Adult Contemporary chart. The song has been used in several film soundtrack s, most notably in 1988's Rain Man .
Christie became active on the oldies circuit starting in the early 1980s, even scoring a final US chart hit, credited as "Summer '81 medley" by The Cantina Band (featuring Lou Christie), in 1981 - and, coincidentally, peaking at #81, performing a wiktionary:Medley|medley of Beach Boys classics. In 1999 Christie recorded his first all-new album since the 1970s entitled Pledging My Love . In 2004 Christie released his first concert album, Greatest Hits Live From The Bottom Line , which featured studio recording "Christmas In New York" as a bonus track. In addition to the occasional new release, Christie remains a popular concert act on the oldies circuit in the US and UK. He has also hosted a series of programs on SiriusXM radio for the 60's channel.
Discography
Hit singles
Chart debut
Title
Chart Positions
U.S. Billboard Hot 100
UK Singles Chart cite book
January 1963
"The Gypsy Cried"
24
-
March 1963
"Two Faces Have I"
6
-
July 1963
"How Many Teardrops"
46
-
December 1965
" Lightnin' Strikes "
1
11
March 1966
"Outside the Gates of Heaven"
45
-
March 1966
"Big Time"
95
-
March 1966
"Rhapsody in the Rain"
16
37
June 1966
"Painter"
81
-
April 1967
"Shake Hands and Walk Away Cryin'"
95
-
August 1969
"I'm Gonna Make You Mine"
10
2
December 1969
"Are You Getting Any Sunshine? "
73
-
December 1969
"She Sold Me Magic"
-
25
February 1974
"Beyond the Blue Horizon"
80
-
July 1981
"Summer '81 medley" The Cantina Band (featuring Lou Christie)
81
-
See also
List of artists who reached number one in the United States
List of people from Pennsylvania
List of people from the Pittsburgh metropolitan area
List of acts who appeared on American Bandstand
List of performers on Top of the Pops
The Tammys
References
Reflist
External links
http://www.lou-christie.com/ Official website
http://keepkey.yochanan.net/tammys.htm Lou Christie & The Tammys Egyptian Shumba Home Page
http://music.yahoo.com/ar-269674-bio--Lou-Christie Bio at Yahoo!|Yahoo& #33; Music
http://www.classicbands.com/christie.html Bio at ClassicBands.com
http://www.authorsden.com/visit/viewShortStory.asp? AuthorID=9014& id=13889 Lou Christie: Lightening is Still Striking, author - Linda Alexander
Persondata| NAME =Christie, Lou | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | SHORT DESCRIPTION = | DATE OF BIRTH =February 19, 1943 | PLACE OF BIRTH = | DATE OF DEATH = | PLACE OF DEATH = DEFAULTSORT:Christie, Lou Category:1943 births Category:Living people Category:American singer-songwriters Category:Musicians from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Category:American musicians of Italian descent Category:MGM Records artists Category:People from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Category:American people of Italian descent Category:Singers with a three octave vocal range
