Gino Soccio

Gino Soccio (born in September 1955, Verdun, Quebec, Canada)^[1] is a Canadian disco record producer of Italian descent. His only US Billboard Hot 100 entry was the #48 hit single "Dancer" in 1979, but he did hit #1 on the US Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart twice ("Dancer" / "Dance to Dance" in 1979, and "Try It Out" / "Hold Tight" in 1981, six weeks each). "Dancer peaked at #46 in the UK Singles Chart in May 1979.^[2] Soccio's third biggest hit, "It's Alright" / "Look At Yourself", from his album, Face to Face, reached #2 for 5 weeks also on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. "Turn It Around" was released only as a single in 1984.

Soccio got his start in disco when Montreal producer Pat Deserio called him and asked if he would play keyboards and help compose for the Kebekelektrik album. Prior to this, Soccio was working as a local session musician. The Kebekelektrik album helped to launch Soccio's career, as his composition "War Dance" became a hit on U.S. dance floors, a song Soccio himself had deemed "filler".^[3]

He also played keyboards on the Bombers album "Bombers" in 1978.

His debut solo album "Outline" was released in 1979 and contained the hit "Dancer"; the album received widespread critical acclaim and catapulted Soccio onto the world disco stage.

In the UK he received airplay from Robbie Vincent on BBC Radio London, and Greg Edwards on Capital Radio on imported RFC Records, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Records.

He also assembled and produced the disco studio group, Witch Queen, best known for their hit, "Bang A Gong" / "All Right Now" (1979). It peaked at number eight on the US Hot Dance/Disco chart.^[4]

See also

• List of number-one dance hits (United States)
• List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart

References