Sonny Casella
{{Infobox musical artist
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| name = Sonny Casella
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| occupation = Music producer, Music Executive, musician
| instrument = Drums
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Sonny Casella is a musician, composer and music producer. He managed the group, The Magic Mushrooms as well as produced their recordings. He composed and produced the hits "(Nobody Loves Me) Like You Do" for Jenny Burton and "Let Me Be the No. 1 (Love of Your Life)" for Dooley Silverspoon.
Background
Sonny Casella was a staff producer for the Paramount Records section of Famous Music in the early 1970s.Record World, August 15, 1970 - [https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Record-World/70s/70/RW-1970-08-15.pdf Page 16 Casella at Famous]
His hit compositions include, "It's-A-Happening" by Magic Mushrooms (1966), "Ah, Ha, Ha, Do Your Thing" by The Hit Parade (1969), "(Nobody Loves Me) Like You Do" by Jenny Burton (1975) and "Bump Me Baby (Part 1)" (1975) and "As Long As You Know (Who You Are) (Part 1)" by Dooley Silverspoon (1975).MusicVF.com - [https://www.musicvf.com/songs.php?page=artist&artist=Sonny+Casella&tab=songaswriterchartstab Songs written by Sonny Casella, Top Songs / Chart Singles Discography]
Casella also formed the companies, World Wide Music and Cotton Records.Music Week, December 6, 1975 - [https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1975/Music-Week-1975-12-06.pdf Page 60, Soul, 'New' New York sound on Sonny Casella's Cotton label]
Career
In 1965, a record " I Keep Forgettin’" / "Ooh-Poo-Pah-Doo", credited to The Thornton Sisters was released on Cuppy 102. It was produced by Sonny Casella.Soulful Kinda Music - [https://www.soulfulkindamusic.net/cuppy.htm Cuppy]Popsike - [https://www.popsike.com/THORNTON-SISTERS-I-Keep-Forgettin-on-CUPPY-US-1965-NORTHERN-SOUL-45/273094996402.html THORNTON SISTERS I Keep Forgettin' on CUPPY US 1965 NORTHERN SOUL 45] One of the credited musicians who is now a doctor,Heavy Soul Brutha, Feb 25 — [https://heavysoulbro.blogspot.com/search?q=%22Thornton+Sisters%22 New 45rpm from Soulelujah and Cultures Of Soul!]C-Span, December 13, 2007 - [https://www.c-span.org/video/?202600-1/qa-yvonne-thornton Q&A Yvonne Thornton] Dr. Yvonne Thornton is adamant that she and her sisters did not participate in the recording of that song.Heavy Soul Brutha, Feb 25 — [https://heavysoulbro.blogspot.com/search?q=%22Thornton+Sisters%22 New 45rpm from Soulelujah and Cultures Of Soul!] It has been speculated that Cassella who was a producer for the label brought in a studio band to record the track.Soul Source, 02 Jan 2014 - [https://www.soul-source.co.uk/articles/article-archives/soul-news-archives/new-cultures-of-soul-7-inch-coming-out33-r2820/ New Cultures Of Soul 7 Inch Coming Out!
the B-side which is often incorrectly credited] Sonny Casella and Donna Thornton of the Thornton sisters did co-write "Bad News" which was registered in 1965.Catalogue of Copyright Entries: Third Series
Volume 39, Part 5, Number 2
Music July–December 1965 - [https://books.google.com/books?id=eDYhAQAAIAAJ&dq=%22Sonny+Casella%22Thornton&pg=PA1466 1466 Bad News]
According to Cash Box in the magazine's July 29, 1967 issue, Casella along with Bill Smith and Otis Pollard were the three independent producers who were to each exclusively produce an act for the Mercury label. Casella's assignment was to produce the recordings of Philadelphia band The Magic Mushrooms.Cash Box, July 29, 1967 - [https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/60s/1967/CB-1967-07-29.pdf Page 28 Mercury Makes Deals W/ Three Indie Producers]
Casella played drums on the self-tltled The Deirdre Wilson Tabac album that was released in 1970. In addition to composing seven of the album's ten songs, he also produced and arranged the recordings.Discogs - [https://www.discogs.com/release/2723239-The-Deirdre-Wilson-Tabac-The-Deirdre-Wilson-Tabac The Deirdre Wilson Tabac – The Deirdre Wilson Tabac]Record World, April 4, 1970 - [https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Record-World/70s/70/RW-1970-04-04.pdf Page 14 record world Album Reviews (Continued from page 12, THE DEIRDRE WILSON TABAC]
Casella composed and produced "Bump Me Baby" for Dooley Silverspoon.Cash Box, March 8, 1975 - [https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1975/CB-1975-03-08.pdf Page 40 vital statistics, #92 Bump Me Baby Dooley Silverspoon (Cotton 636)] It was released on Cotton 836. It was reviewed by Record World in the magazine's January 18, 1975 issue. A single pick, the reviewer said that it mingled the sound patterns of "Rock the Boat" and "Rock Your Baby" with original melodic appeal. The reviewer finished off saying "his Silverspoon is born with a hit in his mouth.Record World, January 18, 1975 - [https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Record-World/70s/75/RW-1975-01-18.pdf Page 14 RECORD WORLD SINGLE PICKS, DOOLEY SILVERSPOON] A Newcomer Pick, it was reviewed in the February 1, 1975 issue of Cash Box. Giving it a positive review, the reviewer noted that it was gaining a lot of attention.Cash Box, February 1, 1975 - [https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1975/CB-1975-02-01.pdf Page 22 cash box / "singles reviews, newcomer picks, DOOLEY SILVERSPOON (Cotton 636WEA) Bump Me Baby Pt. 1 (2:35)] The following week with the title misspelt as "Bump In Baby", it made its debut at no. 70 in the Cash Box R&B Top 70 chart.Cash Box, February 8, 1975 - [https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1975/CB-1975-02-08.pdf Page 42 CASH BOX / R&B TOP 70, 70 BUMP IN BABY] On the week of March 1 with the title now corrected to "Bump Me Baby", it was at no. 58.Cash Box, February 22, 1975 - [https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1975/CB-1975-02-22.pdf Page 46 CASH BOX / R&B TOP 70, 62 BUMP IN BABY, 2/15 64]Cash Box, March 1, 1975 - [https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1975/CB-1975-03-01.pdf Page 50 CASH BOX / R&B TOP 70, 58 BUMP ME BABY, 2/22 62] It peaked at no. 24 on the week of March 29.Cash Box, March 29, 1975 - [https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1975/CB-1975-03-29.pdf Page 46 CASH BOX / R&B TOP 70, 24 BUMP ME BABY, 2/22 27]Cash Box, April 5, 1975 - [https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1975/CB-1975-04-05.pdf Page 38 CASH BOX / R&B TOP 70, 38 BUMP ME BABY, 3/29 24]
The July 5, 1975 issue of Record World reported that Casella was releasing "New York City Bump" by Black Rock. The song which went for nearly nine minutes featured a background of street and subway sounds that Record World said gave it " a fascinating cinema verite feel".Record World, July 5, 1975 - [https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Archive-Record-World-IDX/IDX/70s/75/RW-1975-07-05-OCR-Page-0038.pdf Page 38 Disco File (Continued from page 30)]
Casella's publisher Springfield - ASCAP was listed in the December 27, 1975 issue of Cash Box as one of the publishers hitting the Top 100 chart that year.Cash Box, December 27, 1975 - [https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1975/CB-1975-12-27.pdf Page 106 Publishers Hitting Top 100 Singles Chart During 1975, Springfield — ASCAP] He was also listed as one of the producers doing the same.Cash Box, December 27, 1975 - [https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1975/CB-1975-12-27.pdf Page 110 Record Producers Hitting Top 100 Singles Chart During 1975, C]
Casella wrote "Closer to Loving You" which was recorded by Dooley Silverspoon and released in 1977 on the Seville SEV 102. It was also released in a 12" format.James Hamilton's Disco Page, September 10, 1977 - [https://jameshamiltonsdiscopage.com/1977/09/10/september-10-1977-meco-eddie-henderson-pioneers-smokey-robinson-giorgio/ DOOLEY SILVERSPOON: ‘Closer To Loving You’ (Seville SEV 1025/12)]Music Week, August 20, 1977 - [https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1977/Music-Week-1977-08-20.pdf Page 32 RELEASES, LISTINGS, C] The following year, Clem Curtis & The Foundations recorded their version which was produced by Bill Connor and Simon Cohen, and released in the UK on the Psycho label.Record Mirror, May 13, 1978 - [https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Record-Mirror/70s/78/1978-05-13.pdf Page 10 Singles Reviewed by ROSALIND RUSSELL, THE FOUNDATIONS: 'Closer To Loving You' (Psycho P 2603)]Gripsweat - [https://gripsweat.com/item/331121143598/the-foundations-closer-to-loving-you-1978-uk-demodj-copy-psycho-p2603-nmint THE FOUNDATIONS Closer To Loving You 1978 UK demo/DJ copy, PSYCHO P2603 N/MINT]
Discography
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
|+ Singles |
| scope="col" class="unsortable" | Act
! scope="col" | Release ! scope="col" | Catalogue ! scope="col" | Year ! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Notes |
|---|
| scope="row" | S.O.N.N.Y. Featuring Dooley Silverspoon and Jeanne Burton | "American Music (Made in the USA)" Part 1 / "American Music (Made in the USA) Part 2" | Cotton Records C6635 | 1976 | |
| scope="row" | S.O.N.N.Y. Featuring Dooley Silverspoon and Jeanne Burton | "Am I Losing You? Part 1 / "Am I Losing You? Part 2" | Cotton Records C6636 | 1976 | |
Soulful Kinda Music - [https://www.soulfulkindamusic.net/dsilverspoon.htm Dooley Silverspoon, SONNY (Sound Of New New York) Featuring Dooley Silverspoon & Jeanne Burton]Amazon - [https://www.amazon.com/Losing-Casella-Featuring-Dooley-Silverspoon/dp/B01CH5XC9Q Am I Losing You?]Amazon - [https://www.amazon.com/american-music-45-rpm-single/dp/B005CDJHIG american music / part 2]
References
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External links
- Discogs - [https://www.discogs.com/artist/512404-Sonny-Casella Sonny Casella]
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