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LOU MONTE
Lou Monte "The King of Italian-American Hit Records.".
Over his long career Lou Monte sold more than 6 million records, appeared at major nightclubs around the country and
guested on numerous TV shows. He was a versatile singer -perhaps best-known for his breezy novelties - but also capable of
singing the most romantic and emotional ballads.
As a kid, Monte would entertain the neighborhood with his guitar playing and singing.
Indeed, Monte - born Louis Scaglione, April 2, 1917, in Lyndhurst, New Jersey - came by his first novelty hit because of a
radio programmer's mistake.
"He was a great ballad singer, as good as anybody in the world, but everybody concentrates on the novelties," says George
Brown, who first booked Monte through his Spotlight Attractions and went on to manage the singer for more than 20 years. "I
think it bothered him to be thought of as just a novelty singer. And it came about by accident.
"His first big hit was 'Darktown Strutter's Ball' (RCA 5611)," Brown continues. "The A-side was a gorgeous ballad called 'I
Know How You Feel.' By mistake, a DJ in New York City, at WMCA, played the other side and with one play it took off
and that was it. He was a ballad singer and did 'Darktown Strutter's Ball' in the cocktail lounges he worked in as a joke. We
put it on the back side and all of a sudden it's a hit.".
It was a big hit, too, sailing into the Billboard pop Top 10 in early 1954 and kicking off Monte's career. Newsweek magazine
reported that he sang it in a "Neopolitan dialect, (and) applies a scatlike treatment to that jazz perennial." Monte was 38 when
his record took off, hardly an inexperienced newcomer to show business. He had been working for years, often booked by
Brown, in clubs around New Jersey.
"He began working behind bars in clubs, we called it cocktail work, just him and his guitar," Brown explains.
"That's one reason he was such a fine singer. He did every kind of song you could imagine; jazz, ballads, novelties, and anything
else people would request. He also sang in tune and never tried to copy anybody else.".
Brown estimates Monte - who changed his name when he began working in those Jersey clubs - knew more than 1,500 songs,
"and that was because part of working the bars was that you had to know the hits of the day and all the old songs as well.".
Monte began playing guitar as a youngster and began making a living singing and playing while still in his teens. His fledgling
career was cut short by a stint in the Army during World War 11. After he returned to civilian life he got a big break with a stint
on WAAT radio in Newark, N.J. He also appeared in area clubs - and as he developed a following on the radio was given a
show on WAAT-TV.
His career was again put on hold when a serious automobile accident left Monte hospitalized for four months. After recovering
he went back to music and working with Brown, who suggested he cut "Darktown Strutter's Ball."
Brown says Monte appreciated his sudden success more than a youngster might have, and that's borne out by statements
Monte made. He told one reporter he loved the hit and "what I also feel good about is that all the time I've spent working and
developing an act gives me an advantage now. When you make a hit record, people come to a nightclub to see you with great
curiosity. And if you don't come within range of satisfying them, you're dead. And you only satisfy a live audience through
experience, and experience I've had.".
Monte and Brown - who wrote many of his most popular songs - were able to build on the success of the first hit. "Somewhere
There Is A Someone" (RCA 5691) went Top 20 in the spring of 1954 while his high-energy "Italian Hucklebuck" (RCA 5832)
topped the charts in the fall of'54. Also "Roman Guitar". The song showcases Monte's tremendous vocal performances.
He was booked at major clubs around the country and appeared on TV shows hosted by Perry Como, Steve Allen,
Arlene Francis, Merv Griffin and Dick Clark, who regularly booked him on "American Bandstand.".
In the spring of 1958, he was back on the charts with the popular "Lazy Mary" (RCA 7160), a catchy remake of what had
been a huge hit for Rudy Vallee in 1938. He brought his unique style to bear on another classic when he charted in the summer
of '58 with an Italian version of "The Sheik Of Araby," which had first been successful in 1921.
Monte recorded a number of fine albums for RCA, plus some bonus cuts - "Lou Monte Sings For You" (FICA 1651), from 1958, and "Songs For Pizza Lovers" (FICA 1877), issued in 1958. In 1960, he
moved to Roulette Records, where he re-recorded "Darktown Strutters Ball" (Roulette 4253), and had a holiday best-seller
with "Dominick The Donkey."
In 1962, he moved to a new label based in Hollywood with a lot of promise. "He went with Reprise after Roulette," says
Brown. "It was owned by Frank Sinatra and he told Mo Ostin (label president) to call me and say he wanted Lou on the label.
He had the first million-seller for the label.".
The million-seller, written by Brown, was "Pepino The Italian Mouse" (Reprise 20106), which came out in late 1962. It was
followed by the popular "Pepino's Friend Pasqual (The Italian Pussy-Cat)" (Reprise 20146). An album - "Pepino The Italian
Mouse & Other Italian Fun Songs" (Reprise 6058) - went Top 10 in early 1963.
"That was special material, the kind that people don't write anymore,"says Brown of Monte's cheerful hits."Why a mouse Why
anything? We thought about what to write about then said let's try something with, a mouse. Then we did a song about a parrot
and the Italian pussy-cat, one about a horse."
Brown had written other materail, including "The Long Way" a country song that was recorded by Hawkshaw Hawkins and
others. A number of his songs were cut by Connie Francis, including "Spanish Nights and You" which was No. 1 in Germany
for a month. He also continued to write for Monte, who was with the repise through the mid-'60s. He then cut sides for
Regalia, Laurie and GWP.
After various health problems Monte died June 11, 1989. Brown obviously still a fan of his long time client, says his success
was based on a simple premise of sing good songs in a voice that was clear and strong and that reflected Lou Monte, not any
other artist, because "he had his own original sound, unlike anyone else.".
During his lifetime, Monte recorded 13 albums which have sold a combined total of well over 6 million records.
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