Randy & the Rainbows
Randy & the Rainbows | |
---|---|
Also known as |
Later performed as: Madison Street Triangle Them and Us |
Origin | Maspeth, New York |
Genres | vocal, doo-wop |
Years active | 1962 | –present
Members |
Original members (1962-1963): Dominick "Randy" Safuto Frank Safuto Mike Zero Sal Zero Ken Arcipowski Randy Safuto's Randy & The Rainbows: Randy Safuto Frank Safuto Anthony Vara Charlie Rocco Mike Zero's Randy & The Rainbows: Mike Zero Jack Vitale Vinny Carella (died 2012) Jimmy Bense |
Randy & the Rainbows are an American doo wop group from Maspeth, New York. The group was formed in 1962 in a neighborhood of Queens, and featured two pairs of siblings, along with a fifth member. The Safuto brothers had previously sung in the group The Dialtones. They recorded with the producers of The Tokens, releasing the single "Denise" in 1963. The song hit #18 on the US Black Singles chart and #10 on the Billboard Hot 100 that year.[1][2][3] The song later became a European hit for Blondie, with the title changed to "Denis". Randy & The Rainbows' follow-up single, "Why Do Kids Grow Up", barely scraped the pop charts at #97,[1] and the group never charted again.
Members
The original 1962 line-up was made up of:
- Dominick "Randy" Safuto
- Frank Safuto
- Mike Zero
- Sal Zero
- Ken Arcipowski
Founder band member, Ken Arcipowski, died on March 23, 2011.[4]
Later years
They continued to perform under several other names (Madison Street, Triangle, Them and Us), and toured in subsequent years with The Spinners, Little Anthony & the Imperials, Tony Orlando, Blood, Sweat and Tears, Freddie Roman, Jay Black, Pat Cooper, The Beach Boys, Dionne Warwick, and The Four Seasons.[5] They released a new album, entitled Play Ball, in 2001 on producer Jimmy Wisner's label WizWorks.[6]
Two similarly named groups
Two groups now exist carrying the same name, one led by the Safuto brothers (Randy and Frank), the other led by Mike Zero.
- Randy Safuto's Randy & The Rainbows
This is made up of the Safuto brothers, members are as follows:
- Randy Safuto
- Frank Safuto
- Anthony Vara
- Charlie Rocco
The group appeared on the 2001 PBS special Doo Wop 51; it featured Randy's group plus Mike Zero.
- Mike Zero's Randy & The Rainbows
This is made up of
- Mike Zero
- Jack Vitale
- Vinny Carella (who died in 2012)
- Jimmy Bense (joined 1990[7])
Discography
Albums
- 1982: "C'mon Let's Go!"
- 2001: Play Ball
Singles
- 1963: "Denise" (#10 on the Billboard Hot 100)
- 1963: "Why Do Kids Grow Up" (#97 on the Billboard Hot 100)
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Billboard Singles, Allmusic.com
- ↑ "Denise" was written by Neil Levenson, and was inspired by his childhood friend, Denise Lefrak.
- ↑ Milestones, Billboard, February 2, 2008, p. 60.
- ↑ Thedeadrockstarsclub.com - accessed March 2011
- ↑ Biography, Allmusic.com
- ↑ Review of Play Ball. Allmusic.com
- ↑ WizWorks Records