From:   "Dik de Heer" 
Date:  Tue Dec 3, 2002  6:18 am
Subject:  Born To Be With You : Nick Venet

NICK VENET (By Jean-Marc Pezet)

Born Nikolas Kostantinos Venetoulis, 3 December, 1936, Baltimore, Maryland
Died 2 January, 1998, Los Angeles, California

A Great Unknown, Nick Venet started his career in 1957 on RCA Victor, with
some singles and an EP entitled "Flippin". But it is his 1958 Imperial release
"Love In Be Bop Time" (Imperial 5522), featuring Joe Maphis on the storming
guitar lead, that will forever give him a place in rockabilly heaven (apparently
two other Imperial sides have remained unissued, "Baby Doll" and "Darlin' Sue").
In 1959, he wrote, with Bruce Johnston, the songs to B-movie "The Ghost Of
The Dragstrip Hollow".
Not much of a rocker, though, Nick soon crossed over to the other side of the
studio for a lengthy career in producing.
He took a junior A&R position at Capitol in 1961. He immediately scored when
he signed (and produced) The Lettermen, and in the following months The Beach
Boys, Bobby Darin and Glen Campbell. He is also responsible for giving King
Curtis chart success with "Soul Serenade" (1964).
He recorded again for Decca in 1966 and, together with Bruce Johnston, cut
an LP of Hot Rod Music for MGM. In 1971, he left Capitol for United Artists
and launched his own production company, working with Frank Zappa and Don
McLean. He also had a production deal with Warner Brothers.
Nick Venet (sometimes spelled Nik Venet) died from a rare form of lymphoma
in 1998.


Recommended listening:
"Love In Be Bop Time" is on "Red Hot Rockabilly Vol 3" DISKY DC 885962