Steve Alaimo

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Steve Alaimo with Linda Scott in American Bandstand in 1966

Steve Alaimo (born December 6, 1939 in Omaha , Nebraska ) is an American pop singer and teen idol of the 1960s , who later became a record producer and owner of a record label . He was also in the late 60's co-presenter on a TV show and Dick Clark on US television ( American Bandstand ).

Early years and the Redcoats

Steve, who moved to Rochester , New York with his family when he was 5 , studied medicine at the University of Miami before forming his first own group with a cousin, The Redcoats , an instrumental band . They had a first small hit with "I Want You To Love Me" in 1959 , and disc jockey Bob Green became their manager. In the same year, Dick Clark's Caravan of Stars came to Miami. Clark found a local backing band to support the performing stars, and the Redcoats got the job.

Solo career

The Redcoats split in 1960, however, and Alaimo began a solo career as a " blue-eyed soul singer" with a mixed African-American band that soon became the house band for a local club called "Edan Roc" . Alaimo released two solo albums almost on the side, but they were not particularly successful. Alaimo also worked as a promoter for Henry Stone , the owner of a record label, and became known in the music industry.

In 1961 he got his first "big" record deal with the record company " Checker Records ", a subsidiary of Chess Records . He released "Mashed Potatoes" and created a song that is still part of the repertoire of many rock bands. The record reached number 84 on the US singles chart. The follow-up single "Every Day I Have To Cry" was his most successful record, reaching number 46 on the US singles chart in 1963. Towards the end of the year Alaimo moved from Checker first to Imperial Records and then to ABC Records in early 1965 , but his musical success waned increasingly, especially since he was trying to reach an older audience with his recordings at ABC, for example with the song Real Live Girl (a title from the Broadway musical Little Me or with a cover version of Cast Your Fate To The Wind ).

American Bandstand - "Where the Action Is"

Dick Clark always fondly remembered the Redcoats and wanted to hire the group again for his new TV show "American Bandstand - Where the Action Is" . However, the band no longer existed. Instead, Steve Alaimo became the co-host and music director of the daily show. Now Alaimo had ample opportunity to present his own records, but at the same time less and less time to make new recordings. In 1965 and 1966 he was also co-producer of the show.

music producer

After the end of "American Bandstand" Alaimo became an employee of Atlantic Records or its sub-label Atco Records. In the mid-1960s, he produced groups like Sam & Dave , Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, and The Beginnings of the Allman Brothers . It was a very fruitful time with many successful titles. He also starred in some feature films, but could not earn a name as an actor.

TK records

In 1969, Henry Stone and Steve Alaimo reunited. Together they produced the song "Cleanup Woman" by Betty Wright and had great success. Alaimo, who at that time was still on the US charts for a short time with his own titles such as "When My Little Girl Is Smiling" or "American Music" , decided to quit as a singer and only work as a producer. In 1972, "Why Can't We Live Together" was a big hit for Timmy Thomas , and Stone and Alaimo founded the music label TK Records. In 1974 a certain Harry Wayne Casey and Rick Finch made a demo recording. Stone and Alaimo advised giving the song to a young singer named George McCrae . The song Rock Your Baby became the absolute smash hit of the year. A short time later, Casey and Finch formed their own band, KC and the Sunshine Band, under the direction of TK Records .

Vision Records

TK Records was dissolved in 1981, and Henry Stone was looking for new donors for further projects. Steve Alaimo was more than unsuccessful on his own, and went through tough times. It wasn't until 1987 that he landed on his own two feet again and founded Vision Records with the industrial giants Ron and Howard Albert . The company specializes in recording music from the great stars of the legendary Criteria Studios of the 1970s and also promotes young artists and artists of the Miami Bass .

Discography

Albums

title Catalog no. published
Checker
Twist with Steve Alaimo 2981 1961
Mashed potatoes 2983 1962
Every Day I Have to Cry 2986 1963
Crown
Steve Alaimo 382 1963
ABC paramount
Starring Steve Alaimo 501 1965
Where the Action Is 531 1965
Sings and Swings 551 1966

Singles

From page Catalog no. published
Dade
Home by Eleven / I Wanna Kiss You 1800 1958
Love Letters / You Can Fall in Love 1805 1959
marlin
I Want You to Love Me / Blue Skies 6064 1959
The Weekends Over / Girls! Girls! Girls! 6065 1959
She's My Baby / Should I Care 6067 1959
Spooky / The Redcoats are Coming (as Count Stephen) 6103 1961
Dickson
Blue Fire / My Heart Never Said Goodbye 6444 8/1960
Imperial
My Heart Never Said Goodbye / Blue Fire 5699 10/1960
It Happens Ev'ry Time / Unchained Melody 5717 1/1961
Gotta Lotta Love / Happy Pappy 66003 11/1963
Checker
Big Bad Beulah / I Cried All the Way Home 981 6/1961
All Night Long / I'm Thankful 989 8/1961
The Waiting's So Hard / You Got Me Whistling 998 11/1961
Mashed Potatoes (Part 1) / Mashed Potatoes (Part 2) 1006 2/1962
My Friends / Going Back to Mary 1018 7/1962
One Good Reason / Cry Myself To Sleep 1024 9/1962
Every Day I Have to Cry / Little Girl 1032 12/1962
It's a Long, Long Way to Happiness / A Lifetime of Loneliness 1042 4/1963
Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying / I Told You So 1047 8/1963
Michael (Part 1) / Michael (Part 2) 1054 9/1963
ABC paramount
Love's Gonna Live Here / Let Her Go 10540 3/1964
Fade Out - Fade In / Love Is a Many Splendored Thing 10553 5/1964
I Don't Know / That's What Love Will Do 10580 8/1964
Happy / Everybody Knows But Her 10605 11/1964
Real Live Girl / Need You 10620 1/1965
Tomorrow Is Another Day / Laughing on the Outside 10643 3/1965
Cast Your Fate to the Wind / Mais Oui 10680 5/1965
Blowin 'in the Wind / Lady Of The House 10712 8/1965
Bright Lights Big City / Once a Day 10764 1/1966
So Much Love / Truer Than True 10805 4/1966
ABC
Happy / On the Beach 10833 7/1966
Pardon Me / Savin 'All My Love 10873 11/1966
You Don't Know Like I Know / You Don't Love Me 10917 3/1967
Atco
New Orleans / Ooh Poo Pah Thu 6512 8/1967
Cuando Yo Vuelva A Mi Tierra / Todavia 6560 2/1968
Denver / I Thu 6561 2/1968
My Friend / 1 X's 1 Ain't 2 6589 6/1968
Watching The Trains Go By / Thank You for the Sunshine Days 6620 10/1968
After the Smoke Is Gone / I'm Thankful (& Betty Wright) 6659 4/1969
One Woman / And Then I Tripped Over Your Goodbye 6710 8/1969
Smilin 'in My Sleep / Melissa 6732 2/1970
Wild Side Of Life / Can't You See 6797 12/1970
Entrance
When My Little Girl Is Smiling / Gemini 7501 6/1971
Nobody's Fool / Thorn in Our Roses 7503 10/1971
American Music / Nobody's Fool 7507 3/1972
Sand in My Pocket / Gemini 7513 9/1972

Chart placements

Singles

year title Top ranking, total weeks, awardChartsChart placements
(Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) 		Remarks
US US
1962 Mashed Potatoes (Part 1) US81 (1 week)
US
1963 Every Day I Have To Cry US46 (10 weeks)
US
Michael - Pt. 1 US100 (1 week)
US
Gotta Lotta Love US74 (6 weeks)
US
1965 Real Live Girl US77 (2 weeks)
US
Cast Your Fate To The Wind US89 (2 weeks)
US
1966 So much love US92 (2 weeks)
US
1971 When My Little Girl Is Smiling US72 (6 weeks)
US
1972 American Music US79 (3 weeks)
US

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Although the title is very well known - especially through the repertoire of the later British beat bands - the title was listed in the US singles charts for only one week under the Hot 100 and reached number 81 there
  2. ↑ The original recording is from "Nat Kendrick and the Swans" from 1960, catalog number Dade 1804
  3. ↑ Catalog number Checker 1032
  4. ↑ Chart sources: US

literature

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Alaimo, Steve
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American pop singer and record producer
DATE OF BIRTH December 6, 1939
PLACE OF BIRTH Omaha , Nebraska , United States