Nick DeCaro
{{short description|American musician}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2015}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Nick DeCaro
| image =
| image_size =
| background =
| birth_name = Nicholas Joseph De Caro
| birth_date = {{birth date|1938|06|23}}
| birth_place =
| death_date = {{death date and age|1992|03|04|1938|06|23}}
| death_place =
| genre = Soft rock
| occupation = producer, arranger, conductor
| instrument = vocals, piano, accordion
| years_active = 1967–1991
| label = A&M, Blue Thumb
| associated_acts =
}}
Nick DeCaro (June 23, 1938 – March 4, 1992) was an American arranger, producer, conductor, composer, and musician.{{Cite web|url=https://catalog.rockhall.com/rrhof-ais/Details/archive/110000885|title=Collection on Nick DeCaro collection contains 57 parts|access-date=2025-02-17|website=Rock & Roll Hall of Fame|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.onamrecords.com/artists/nick-decaro|title=Nick DeCaro|access-date=2025-02-17|last=Pfenninger|first=Leslie J.|website=On A&M Records|language=en}}
During his career, DeCaro collaborated on more than 380 albums and worked with artists such as Dolly Parton, Randy Newman, Helen Reddy, Barbra Streisand, Johnny Cash, the Rolling Stones, Arlo Guthrie and the Doobie Brothers. DeCaro has also performed on more than 70 albums for Grammy Award-winning artists and albums.{{Cite web|url=https://www.clevescene.com/music/rock-hall-library-and-archives-to-honor-producer-and-arranger-nick-decaro-23293593|title=Rock Hall Library & Archives to Honor Producer and Arranger Nick DeCaro|access-date=2025-02-17|last=Niesel|first=Jeff|website=Cleveland Scene|language=en}}
Biography
DeCaro's career in music began with his brother Frank as a teen, touring with the USO, performing at local talent shows, and hosting a radio show on Cleveland station WJW. In the late 1950s, the duo expanded to include Bill Krempasky on bass and future record producer Tommy LiPuma on saxophone to form the Mello D's. It was through LiPuma that the DeCaros eventually became involved with Liberty Records in Los Angeles, and Nick DeCaro began his successful career as a producer, conductor, arranger, and musician.
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, DeCaro produced and arranged tracks for artists at Liberty Records, A&M, and Warner/Reprise, including Andy Williams, Randy Newman, James Taylor, Gordon Lightfoot, Neil Diamond, George Benson, Dolly Parton, Barbra Streisand, and Rickie Lee Jones. Over the years, DeCaro also recorded on tracks for Prince, Arlo Guthrie, the Rolling Stones, Randy Newman, Neil Diamond, Johnny Cash, Carly Simon, Dolly Parton, Glenn Frey, and many more, playing the accordion or concertina.
In 1969, DeCaro recorded his own album for A&M Records, Happy Heart. Nick's version was an instrumental and reached #22 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart.{{Cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/nick-decaro-orchestra/chart-history/asi/|title=Nick DeCaro & Orchestra Chart History (Billboard Adult Contemporary)|access-date=2025-02-17|website=Billboard|language=en-US}} Andy Williams wanted to record it as a vocal track and asked DeCaro for an arrangement. Nick's arrangement for Williams was almost identical to his instrumental. Williams' version became a number one hit on the Adult Contemporary chart in 1969.{{Cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/andy-williams/chart-history/asi/|title=Andy Williams Chart History (Billboard Adult Contemporary)|access-date=2025-02-17|website=Billboard|language=en-US}} His first solo album, Italian Graffiti, was released in April 1974 by Blue Thumb Records.{{Cite news|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1974/CB-1974-04-20.pdf|title=2 LPs from Blue Thumb|date=1974-04-20|newspaper=Cash Box|volume=35|number=49|access-date=2025-02-17|page=12|language=en-US|format=PDF|issn=0008-7289}} Italian Graffiti influenced Japanese city pop singer Tatsuro Yamashita; Nick DeCaro's name was on the list of possible arrangers for Tatsuro's first solo album, Circus Town, in 1976, but did not come to fruition due to lack of contact.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cdjapan.co.jp/feature/Music-that-Tatsuro-Yamashita-Influenced-Love|title=Music that Tatsuro Yamashita Influenced/Love|access-date=2025-02-17|website=CD Japan|language=en}} In 1990, DeCaro released Love Storm, a collection of songs, mainly written by Yamashita; although this album was not a collaboration, the songs were suggested by Yamashita himself.{{Cite web|url=https://spectropop.com/NickDeCaro/|title=Nick De Caro|access-date=2025-02-17|website=Spectropop|language=en-US}}
Discography
= As leader =
- Happy Heart (A&M, 1969) Nick DeCaro And His Orchestra
- Italian Graffiti (Blue Thumb, 1974)
- Love Storm (Invitation, 1990)
- Private Ocean (Roux, 1991)
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{AllMusic |class=artist |id=nick-decaro-mn0000333899}}
- {{Discogs artist}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:DeCaro, Nick}}