Peretti, Hugo (6th December 1916-1st May 1986)

He was a songwriter and record producer born in New York City who, when he was young learnt how to play the trumpet and by the time he was a teenager was performing in the Catskill Mountains “Borscht Belt” in upstate New York.

He moved on from this to become a Broadway orchestra performer, which he would continue to do until the 1950s. In the mid-1950s he entered into a partnership with his cousin, Luigi Creatore, while attending a family wedding reception, and together they formed the successful songwriting and production collaboration known as Hugo & Luigi.

From the mid-1950s they began to gain recognition with hit records for Mercury Records producing artists such as the Gaylords, Sarah Vaughan and Georgia Gibbs, and after buying into Roulette Records in 1957 they would soon see major chart success with their songs produced for Jimmie Rodgers such as “Kisses Sweeter than Wine” and “Honeycomb”, and also songs they had written for Valerie Carr among others, often under the pseudonym Mark Markwell.

In 1959 they joined up with RCA records and from here on in their writing and production would see hit after hit for artists such as Sam Cooke, Perry Como, Ray Peterson and the Isley Brothers. Their songwriting, often in collaboration with George David Weiss, also includes the Elvis Presley hits “Wild in the Country” and “Can’t Help Falling in Love” and the English lyrics for “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” sung by The Tokens.

From 1964 they went to work with George David Weiss on the musical Maggie Flynn which appeared on Broadway in 1968 for a short run and from the early 1970s they became co-owners of Avco Records which would once again see them working with top artists that included Van McCoy.

From around 1975 they started their own H&L Records, which Van McCoy would also record for, as well as the successful groups The Softones and The Stylistics. Continuing with their work in musicals they produced Bubbling Brown Sugar , which won them the Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album in 1977.

At the end of the 1970s they went into retirement but their work can still be heard on albums such as Let’s Fall In Love and Cascading Voices of the Hugo & Luigi Chorus, The Very Best of John Gary, Jukebox Babyby Perry Como, Night Beat by Sam Cooke, The Best of the Stylistics, Hoagy Carmichael Songbook, All Time Greatest Hits Vol. 2 by Neil Sedaka, Shout: The RCA Sessions by the Isley Brothers, The Lion Sleeps Tonight by The Tokens, The Best of The Softones and Disco Baby by Van McCoy.

In 1986 he died in Englewood, New Jersey, when he was 69 years old.

Van McCoy recordings
Good Night Baby (Hugo & Luigi/George David Weiss)
Love Child (Hugo & Luigi/George David Weiss)

Van McCoy & The Soul City Symphony recordings
Hey Girl, Come and Get It (Hugo & Luigi/George David Weiss)

Sources:

Peretti, Hugo (6th December 1916-1st May 1986)

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