April Stevens
April Stevens | |
|---|---|
 Stevens and brother Nino Tempo, 1965 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Caroline Vincinette LoTempio |
| Born | April 29, 1929 Niagara Falls, New York, U.S. |
| Genres | Pop rock |
| Occupation | Singer |
| Website | www |
April Stevens (born Caroline Vincinette LoTempio; April 29, 1929) is an American singer.
Biography
Stevens has recorded since she was 15 years old. Her most popular solo recording was her RCA Victor recording of "I'm in Love Again" (music and lyrics by Cole Porter). Accompanied by an orchestra arranged and conducted by Henri René, Stevens' recording peaked at No. 6 on the pop chart in 1951.[1] Her follow up, "Gimme Me A Little Kiss, Will Ya, Huh?" made it to #10 later in the summer. Followed by, "And So To Sleep Again", which hit #27.
Stevens returned to the U.S. chart in 1959 with the song "Teach Me Tiger", which caused a minor uproar for its sexual suggestiveness and consequently did not receive airplay on many radio stations.[2] The song peaked at No. 86 on the Billboard Hot 100. Stevens' recording of this song is often erroneously accredited to Marilyn Monroe. The tune was featured in the 2006 film Blind Dating, the 2011 Flemish film drama North Sea Texas, and in Season 5 Episode 7 of Call the Midwife.
She is best known for her 1963 Atco Records recording of "Deep Purple" (music by Peter DeRose and lyrics by Mitchell Parish) with her brother Antonino LoTempio (singing under the stage name Nino Tempo). A standard song that Larry Clinton and His Orchestra and band vocalist Bea Wain had popularized in 1939, the Stevens and Tempo version reached No.1 on the Hot 100 on 16 November 1963, and No.17 in the British charts. The song won the 1963 Grammy Award for Best Rock and Roll Recording. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc.[3]
They also enjoyed a 1964 follow-up hit in the U.S. with the standard song "Whispering" (music by Vincent Rose and lyrics by Richard Coburn (pseudonym of Frank Reginald DeLong; 1886–1952) and John Schonberger). The recording, which had an arrangement similar to their recording of "Deep Purple", reached No. 11 on the Hot 100 singles chart. They also had chart success with "All Strung Out", which reached No. 26 on the American Hot 100 in 1966. Later that year a single "The Coldest Night of the Year" was released on Atlantic 584048 in Great Britain.[4] A solo single by Stevens was issued in December 1967, a double-sided single of "Wanting You" with "Falling in Love Again" on MGM 1366 in the UK and MGM K 13825 in the US. "Wanting You" became a Northern soul classic.[5]
In the Netherlands they enjoyed a No. 5 hit early 1973 with their version of "(Where Do I Begin?) Love Story", while in early 1974 "Who Turns Me On" flopped.
In her 2013 autobiography, Teach Me Tiger, Stevens said she was born in 1929. She admitted to taking years off her age, and her brother, Nino, going along with it. That was due to their competition with acts in their late teens and early 20s, that were dominating the record charts in the 1960s.
Awards
- 1963 — Nino Tempo & April Stevens' rendition of "Deep Purple" received a Grammy Award for Best Rock & Roll Recording.[6]
Discography
Singles
| Year | Titles (A-side, B-side) Both sides from same album except where indicated |
US | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1951 | "The Sweetest Day" b/w "Don't Do It" |
Non-album tracks | |
| "Dreamy Melody" b/w "Gimme A Little Kiss, Will Ya Huh?" |
A Nino Tempo-April Stevens Program | ||
| "And So To Sleep Again" b/w "Aw, C'mon" |
Non-album tracks | ||
| "Put Me In Your Pocket" b/w "The Tricks Of The Trade" |
A Nino Tempo-April Stevens Program | ||
| 1952 | "That Naughty Waltz" b/w "I Like To Talk To Myself" |
Non-album tracks | |
| 1953 | "Treat Me Nice" b/w "Hot Tamale" |
||
| 1959 | "Teach Me Tiger" b/w "That Warm Afternoon" (Non-album track) |
86 | Teach Me Tiger |
| 1960 | "In Other Words" b/w "Jonny" (Non-album track) |
||
| 1961 | "Love Kitten" b/w "You and Only You" |
Non-album tracks | |
| 1962 | "That's My Name" "Fly Me To The Moon" (Non-album track) |
Teach Me Tiger | |
| 1965 | "Teach Me Tiger-1965" b/w "Morning Til Midnight" |
Non-album tracks | |
| "No Hair Sam" b/w "Lovin' Valentine" |
|||
| 1967 | "Falling In Love Again" b/w "Wanting You" |
||
| 1974 | "Wake Up and Love Me" b/w "Gotta Leave You Baby" |
93 | |
| "Won't You Marry Me Again" b/w "Gotta Leave You Baby" |
See also
References
- ^ Lonergan, David (2004). Hit Records: 1950-1975. Scarecrow Press. p. 104. ISBN 978-0810851290.
- ^ Unterberger, Richie. "Nino Tempo & April Stevens Biography". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 29 April 2015.
- ^ Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p. 167. ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
- ^ "April Stevens And Nino Tempo - Coldest Night Of The Year / Ooh La La - Atlantic - UK - 584048". 45cat. 2012-05-10. Retrieved 2012-11-10.
- ^ "Wanting You April". 45cat.com. Retrieved 2012-11-10.
- ^ "6th Annual Grammy Awards". National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. 1963. Retrieved 29 April 2015.
External links
- Official website
- April Stevens at AllMusic
- April Stevens discography at Discogs
- April Stevens at IMDb
- http://musicforeverymood.blogspot.com/2007/12/teach-me-tiger.html Love Kitten 45 rpm (Listen)
