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 spent 17 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching No. 10,[1] while reaching No. 18 on Billboard's "Hot R&B Singles",[2] and No. 5 on Canada's CHUM Hit Parade.[3] "Denise" was written by Neil Levenson, and was inspired by his childhood friend, Denise Lefrak.[4] 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 No. 97, and the group never charted again.[1]
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. He was 66.[5]
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.[6] They released a new album, entitled Play Ball, in 2001 on producer Jimmy Wisner's label WizWorks.[7]
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[8])
Discography
Albums
- 1982: "C'mon Let's Go!"
- 2001: Play Ball
Singles
- 1963: "Denise" (No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100)
- 1963: "Why Do Kids Grow Up" (No. 97 on the Billboard Hot 100)
References
- 1 2 Randy & the Rainbows - Chart History - The Hot 100, Billboard.com. Accessed September 30, 2015
- ↑ "Billboard Hot R&B Singles", Billboard, September 28, 1963. p. 20
- ↑ CHUM Hit Parade – Week of August 19, 1963 at the Wayback Machine (archived November 7, 2006). Chart No. 336. CHUM. Accessed December 16, 2015.
- ↑ Milestones, Billboard, February 2, 2008, p. 60.
- ↑ Thedeadrockstarsclub.com - accessed March 2011
- ↑ Biography, Allmusic.com
- ↑ Review of Play Ball. Allmusic.com
- ↑ WizWorks Records