De Caro, Nick (23rd June 1938-4th March 1992)

He was a singer-songwriter, musician, arranger and producer born Nicholas Joseph De Caro in Cleveland, Ohio who started out as a musician and singer when he was very young and performed on Burt’s Amateur Hour radio show when he was just five years old. Before long his father bought him an accordion and his brother, Frank, started to take guitar lessons.

When he and his brother were teenagers they performed at talent shows and school dances, got their own radio show and toured with the USO. By the time the late 1950s had come around they brought in the bassist Bill Krempasky and saxophonist Tommy LiPuma, who would later become a record producer and work in collaboration with the brothers.

During these years he studied at the Cleveland Institute of Music followed by going into service with the US military. After returning to civilian life in 1964 he and Frank were contacted by Tommy LiPuma, who had gone on to work for Liberty Records in Los Angeles, California. They travelled from Ohio to join him and before long Nick was producing and arranging and Frank was playing the guitar. Nick’s first hit as an arranger and producer was “Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me” recorded by Mel Carter, with Frank playing the guitar. From there he also arranged and produced songs such as “Think It Over Baby” for the O’Jays in 1965 and two years later he found himself with A&M records.

From 1967 to 1971 he worked with many artists for A&M which included the Baja Marimba Band, The Carpenters, Claudine Longet, Chris Montez and the Sandpipers.

After going to work at Warner/Reprise he arranged several recordings by Harpers Bizarre with Randy Newman including the hit “Feelin’ Groovy”.

Back at A&M, he wrote for, performed, arranged and produced, his own album Happy Heart in 1969 credited to Nick De Caro and Orchestra. It included several covers and his own “Love Is All”. He was approached by Andy Williams to add lyrics to “Happy Heart” but he declined as his own recording of it was in the charts, even though it would later became a huge hit for Andy.

In 1974 he recorded, arranged and sung his solo album Italian Graffiti on the Blue Thumb label with musicians that included Arthur Adams on guitar, Wilton Felder on bass, Plas Johnson and Tony Ortega on sax, Bud Shank on flute and Harvey Mason on drums along with several others. However, the label got into serious financial problems so the album didn’t achieve any success.

He then threw himself into producing, arranging and sometimes adding the accordion, concertina and/or vocals for other artists often with his brother Frank as a music contractor. Many of these artists which are thought to be more than 300 during his career, with some becoming Grammy winners, included the Alessi Brothers, Marc Benno, Jorge Calderon, Vikki Carr, Johnny Cash, Blondie Chaplin, Jackie DeShannon, Dion, Sheila E., Flo & Eddie, Michael Franks, Larry Groce, Arlo Guthrie, Emmylou Harris, Goldie Hawn, Murray Head, Engelbert Humperdinck, Janis Ian, Rickie Lee Jones, Kris Kristofferson, Nicolette Larson, David Lasley, Albert Lee, Gary Lewis & the Playboys, Little Feat, Harvey Mandel, Dave Mason, Roger Miller, Liza Minnelli, Montrose, Maria Muldaur, Michael Martin Murphey, Anthony Newley, Prince, Bonnie Raitt, Helen Reddy, The Righteous Brothers, Del Shannon, Kay Starr, Gabor Szabo, Livingston Taylor, Tiny Tim, Tanya Tucker, Phil Upchurch, The Ventures, Porter Wagoner, Robin Wilson and numerous others.

In the late 1980s he decided to record another of his own albums after nearly 15 years. His previous Italian Graffiti, although unsuccessful in the US, had sold about 10,000 copies and gained a strong following in Japan. After being approached by the Japanese he made Love Storm in 1991 with many of the songs written by Tatsuro Yamashita and Alan O’Day along with two of his own. He then embarked on a promo tour in Japan with his Nick De Caro All Star Band.

He later recorded and performed with Agawa Yasuko and arranged and conducted her Live at Orchard Hall. Also he worked with Katoh Kazuhiko and for the last time as an arranger for another artist, on Little Earthquakes by Tori Amos.

Private Ocean would become his second Japanese album, with him recording his own songs. Musicians on this and Love Storm included Alex Acuna, Michael Landau, Abe Laboriel, Sid Page, Dean Parks and many others.

Recordings he performed on/arranged/composed for and/or produced for other artists total into the hundreds but a select few include Dreams by The Allman Brothers Band, Playin’ Up a Storm by The Gregg Allman Band, Vegas Style: The Best of the Late RCA and Buddah Recordings by Paul Anka, The Magic Is You by Shirley Bassey, The George Benson Anthology by George Benson, It’s the World Gone Crazy by Glen Campbell, Mad Dogs and Englishmen by Joe Cocker, Hard Time for Lovers by Judy Collins, Paradise and Lunch by Ry Cooder, Nice Feelin’ by Rita Coolidge, Windsong by Randy Crawford, Beautiful Noise by Neil Diamond, The Captain and Me by The Doobie Brothers, Prime Cuts by Randy Edelman, Roots by The Everly Brothers, Heroes Are Hard to Find by Fleetwood Mac, The Allnighter by Glenn Frey, Glow by Al Jarreau, Kate & Anna McGarrigle by Kate and Anna McGarrigle, Anthology by The Steve Miller Band, Time After Time by Chris Montez, Working on Your Case by The O’Jays, It’ll Shine When It Shines by Ozark Mountain Devils, Here You Come Again by Dolly Parton, Pickin’ Up the Pieces by Poco, Protest by the Rolling Stones, Leon Russell and the Shelter People by Leon Russell, Feel Your Groove by Ben Sidran, Another Passenger by Carly Simon, How Does It Feel by Nancy Sinatra, Back to Mono (1958-1969) by Phil Spector, Living Without Your Love by Dusty Springfield, The Way We Were by Barbra Streisand, Gorilla by James Taylor, Motion by Allen Toussaint and Born Free by Andy Williams along with many compilations and collections.

Although very successful when he was working with other artists at home in the US, his popularity and solo success were very much celebrated in Japan.

He died in 1992 when he was 53 years old. In 2018 he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame for his contribution to music.

Glen Campbell recordings
I Don’t Want to Know Your Name (Micheal Smotherman)
Capitol Records- P-4959 (US Promo)

Sources:

De Caro, Nick (23rd June 1938-4th March 1992)

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