Thursday, May 30, 2002 7:35:59 AM
Rock 'n' Roll Artists A-Z...Don Costa
Born 10 June 1925, Boston, Massachussetts, died 19 Jan 1983, New York City, New York
Costa began as a guitarist with theatre orchestras in Boston. He moved to New York and worked as a studio musician (he and Bucky Pizzarelli played the dual guitars behind Vaughn Monroe on his biggest hit, "Ghost Riders in the Sky") while trying to get established as an arranger. His big break came when Eydie Gorme and Steve Lawrence asked him to provide some arrangers for their early records on Coral. Soon, the Costa-Gorme-Lawrence team moved to ABC-Paramount, and Costa took over as ABC's lead A&R man and house arranger. While at ABC, Costa launched the career of a teenager from Canada named Paul Anka.
In 1959, Costa moved with Lawrence and Gorme to the new United Artists label, and Costa released a number of albums under his own name. His cover of "Never On Sunday" sold over a million copies and was the most successful recording of the song. He liked very dense arrangements--Billy Byers called him "the Puccini of pop," saying that his arrangements were "seething with melody." On "Echoing Voices and Trombones," Costa's use of the chorus sounds like Ray Conniff on speed.
In the early 1960s, Costa formed his own production company (Don Costa Productions) and began developing a number of acts, including Trini Lopez and Little Anthony and the Imperials. Frank Sinatra hired him away from Lawrence and Gorme as his main arranger and conductor, and later, producer. Costa brought Sinatra some of his worst material ("Bad, Bad, Leroy Brown"), and it's been said that he was incapable of writing a swinging chart. Costa did, however, know what worked commercially, and that apparently was what Sinatra was looking for in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Costa continued to work for Sinatra as his touring conductor until Costa was stricken with heart disease in the early 1980s.
Costa also scored several films, including "Rough Night in Jerico" and "Madigan." In the year before his death, he released a single with his 10-year-old daughter, Nikka, singing lead. "Out Here on My Own" sold over 3 million copies, and Costa was working on a follow-up when he died.
Don Costa's Billboard Charts entries :
record--------------------position---weeks---year
I'll walk the line............59...6 weeks...1959
Theme from "The Unforgiven"...27...13 weeks..1960
Never on Sunday...............19...26 weeks..1960
The Misfits..................116...2 weeks...1961
Sugar blues..................112...1 week....1962
Discography :
Music to Break a Sub-lease, ABC-Paramount ABC-212
I Walk the Line, United Artists
Never On Sunday, United Artists
Theme from "The Unforgiven," United Artists
Shing Along with Ush (Don Costa and the Freeloaders), United Artists UAS 6177
Echoing Voices and Trombones, United Artists WWS 8501
The Sound of the Million Sellers, United Artists WWS 8513
The Golden Touch, United Artists DCL/S 3802/6802
Hollywood Premiere, Columbia CL1880
Hits! Hits! Hits!, Columbia CL2041
101 Strings Play Million Seller Hits of 1966, Alshire S-5050
101 Strings, Swingin' Things, Alshire S-5055
The Don Costa Concept, Mercury SR 61216
Modern Delights, Verve V6-8702
]
Breaking Clay Makes My Day!
Born 10 June 1925, Boston, Massachussetts, died 19 Jan 1983, New York City, New York
Costa began as a guitarist with theatre orchestras in Boston. He moved to New York and worked as a studio musician (he and Bucky Pizzarelli played the dual guitars behind Vaughn Monroe on his biggest hit, "Ghost Riders in the Sky") while trying to get established as an arranger. His big break came when Eydie Gorme and Steve Lawrence asked him to provide some arrangers for their early records on Coral. Soon, the Costa-Gorme-Lawrence team moved to ABC-Paramount, and Costa took over as ABC's lead A&R man and house arranger. While at ABC, Costa launched the career of a teenager from Canada named Paul Anka.
In 1959, Costa moved with Lawrence and Gorme to the new United Artists label, and Costa released a number of albums under his own name. His cover of "Never On Sunday" sold over a million copies and was the most successful recording of the song. He liked very dense arrangements--Billy Byers called him "the Puccini of pop," saying that his arrangements were "seething with melody." On "Echoing Voices and Trombones," Costa's use of the chorus sounds like Ray Conniff on speed.
In the early 1960s, Costa formed his own production company (Don Costa Productions) and began developing a number of acts, including Trini Lopez and Little Anthony and the Imperials. Frank Sinatra hired him away from Lawrence and Gorme as his main arranger and conductor, and later, producer. Costa brought Sinatra some of his worst material ("Bad, Bad, Leroy Brown"), and it's been said that he was incapable of writing a swinging chart. Costa did, however, know what worked commercially, and that apparently was what Sinatra was looking for in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Costa continued to work for Sinatra as his touring conductor until Costa was stricken with heart disease in the early 1980s.
Costa also scored several films, including "Rough Night in Jerico" and "Madigan." In the year before his death, he released a single with his 10-year-old daughter, Nikka, singing lead. "Out Here on My Own" sold over 3 million copies, and Costa was working on a follow-up when he died.
Don Costa's Billboard Charts entries :
record--------------------position---weeks---year
I'll walk the line............59...6 weeks...1959
Theme from "The Unforgiven"...27...13 weeks..1960
Never on Sunday...............19...26 weeks..1960
The Misfits..................116...2 weeks...1961
Sugar blues..................112...1 week....1962
Discography :
Music to Break a Sub-lease, ABC-Paramount ABC-212
I Walk the Line, United Artists
Never On Sunday, United Artists
Theme from "The Unforgiven," United Artists
Shing Along with Ush (Don Costa and the Freeloaders), United Artists UAS 6177
Echoing Voices and Trombones, United Artists WWS 8501
The Sound of the Million Sellers, United Artists WWS 8513
The Golden Touch, United Artists DCL/S 3802/6802
Hollywood Premiere, Columbia CL1880
Hits! Hits! Hits!, Columbia CL2041
101 Strings Play Million Seller Hits of 1966, Alshire S-5050
101 Strings, Swingin' Things, Alshire S-5055
The Don Costa Concept, Mercury SR 61216
Modern Delights, Verve V6-8702
] Breaking Clay Makes My Day!
Join the InvestorsHub Community
Register for free to join our community of investors and share your ideas. You will also get access to streaming quotes, interactive charts, trades, portfolio, live options flow and more tools.
