Artie Schroeck
Encyclopedia
Arthur "Artie" Bruce Schroeck (born October 10, 1938, in Irvington, New Jersey
) is an American
musician
, best known for arranging
and composing
popular songs and jingles. He has won multiple Clio Awards
, such as when he composed the music for the 1981 ABC-TV promo "Now is the time, ABC is the place". He also composed (with Frank Gari
) the 1982 promo "Come on along with ABC". He arranged the classic "Can't Take My Eyes Off You
" in 1967 for Frankie Valli
and has written or arranged music for multiple other artists including Liza Minnelli
, Sammy Davis Jr. and Frank Sinatra
. In the 1990s, he was a regular performer at Harrah's in Atlantic City with his wife, singer Linda November
, and in 1997, he wrote, arranged, and produced a tribute to bandleader Spike Jones
. As of 2011, he continues to perform in Las Vegas.
, the youngest of four boys: John, William, Harold, and Arthur. The entire family was very musical, and Schroeck began playing drums and piano at the age of 3, soon joining his brother Harold to perform at local functions in the North Jersey area, with the boys singing and tap dancing. When Schroeck was 8, he was noticed by jazz drummer Gene Krupa
when the boys were performing in Atlantic City, and Krupa incorporated the boys' work into his own band, as well as that of jazz trumpeter Louis Prima
. Harold eventually left the act at the age of 24 to raise his own family, but Artie continued with his music, and also began arranging songs for the bands that he was working with.
In Las Vegas, Schroeck ran into jazz musician Lionel Hampton
while they were both in a piano store and they started an impromptu jam session
. Hampton immediately invited Schroeck to join his own band, where Schroeck remained for the next two years, before leaving to become a professional music arranger at a recording studio
. He worked with Neil Diamond
, The Lovin' Spoonful
, Paul Anka
, and Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, for whom he arranged "I've Got You Under My Skin
" and "Can't Take My Eyes Off You
". Schroeck also began writing music at this point in his career, such as 1983's "Here's to the Band
" for Frank Sinatra
, written with Alfred Nittoli and Sharman Howe.
In the 1980s and '90s, Schroeck could often be found performing in Atlantic City, such as at the Harrah's
Atrium Lounge with Linda November
. A regular who would come to visit whenever she was in town was Liza Minnelli
. Schroeck and November had met in the late 1960s while working together on musical projects, but had both been married to other people at the time. In 1988, they became a couple, and they married in 1996. In 1997, the couple directed a production saluting band leader Spike Jones
, "The New City Slickers Present a Tribute to Spike Jones", which Schroeck wrote, arranged, and produced. His brother Harold was also one of the performers in the show, which featured a nine-piece Spike Jones-style band. The show ran from September 26 – October 5, 1997.
In 2001, Schroeck and his wife moved to Las Vegas.
Schroeck has three children by a previous marriage. The oldest, Shem Schroeck
, is also a musician and singer.
Irvington, New Jersey
Irvington is a township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township had a total population of 53,926, a decline of 11.2% from the 60,695 residents enumerated in the 2000 Census.-Geography:...
) is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, best known for arranging
Arrangement
The American Federation of Musicians defines arranging as "the art of preparing and adapting an already written composition for presentation in other than its original form. An arrangement may include reharmonization, paraphrasing, and/or development of a composition, so that it fully represents...
and composing
Musical composition
Musical composition can refer to an original piece of music, the structure of a musical piece, or the process of creating a new piece of music. People who practice composition are called composers.- Musical compositions :...
popular songs and jingles. He has won multiple Clio Awards
Clio Awards
The Clio Awards are annual awards bestowed to reward innovation and creative excellence in advertising, design and communication. The categories include work in nearly all types of media, and the judges are advertising professionals from around the world....
, such as when he composed the music for the 1981 ABC-TV promo "Now is the time, ABC is the place". He also composed (with Frank Gari
Frank Gari
Frank Gari is a popular singer and songwriter from the late 1950s and early 1960s. His best known songs as a performer are "Utopia" , "Lullaby of Love" and "Princess" , all of which hit the U.S. Top 40 in 1961. He co-wrote with Roger McGuinn the song Beach Ball for Bobby Darin...
) the 1982 promo "Come on along with ABC". He arranged the classic "Can't Take My Eyes Off You
Can't Take My Eyes off You
"Can't Take My Eyes Off You" is a 1967 single by Frankie Valli. The song was among Valli's biggest hits, reaching #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earning a gold record. It was Valli's biggest "solo" hit until he hit #1 in 1975 with "My Eyes Adored You"...
" in 1967 for Frankie Valli
Frankie Valli
Frankie Valli is an American musician, most famous as frontman of The Four Seasons. He is well-known for his unusually powerful falsetto singing voice...
and has written or arranged music for multiple other artists including Liza Minnelli
Liza Minnelli
Liza May Minnelli is an American actress and singer. She is the daughter of singer and actress Judy Garland and film director Vincente Minnelli....
, Sammy Davis Jr. and Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
. In the 1990s, he was a regular performer at Harrah's in Atlantic City with his wife, singer Linda November
Linda November
Linda Ellen November is an American singer who sang tens of thousands of commercial jingles. She was the voice of the singing cat in the Meow Mix commercials, sang the jingle "Galaxy Glue" in the 1981 film The Incredible Shrinking Woman, the "Coke and a Smile" jingle in the classic Mean Joe Greene...
, and in 1997, he wrote, arranged, and produced a tribute to bandleader Spike Jones
Spike Jones
Mel Blanc, the voice of Bugs Bunny and other Warner Brothers cartoon characters, performed a drunken, hiccuping verse for 1942's "Clink! Clink! Another Drink"...
. As of 2011, he continues to perform in Las Vegas.
Biography
Schroeck was born in Irvington, New JerseyIrvington, New Jersey
Irvington is a township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township had a total population of 53,926, a decline of 11.2% from the 60,695 residents enumerated in the 2000 Census.-Geography:...
, the youngest of four boys: John, William, Harold, and Arthur. The entire family was very musical, and Schroeck began playing drums and piano at the age of 3, soon joining his brother Harold to perform at local functions in the North Jersey area, with the boys singing and tap dancing. When Schroeck was 8, he was noticed by jazz drummer Gene Krupa
Gene Krupa
Gene Krupa was an American jazz and big band drummer and composer, known for his highly energetic and flamboyant style.-Biography:...
when the boys were performing in Atlantic City, and Krupa incorporated the boys' work into his own band, as well as that of jazz trumpeter Louis Prima
Louis Prima
Louis Prima was a Sicilian American singer, actor, songwriter, and trumpeter. Prima rode the musical trends of his time, starting with his seven-piece New Orleans style jazz band in the 1920s, then successively leading a swing combo in the 1930s, a big band in the 1940s, a Vegas lounge act in the...
. Harold eventually left the act at the age of 24 to raise his own family, but Artie continued with his music, and also began arranging songs for the bands that he was working with.
In Las Vegas, Schroeck ran into jazz musician Lionel Hampton
Lionel Hampton
Lionel Leo Hampton was an American jazz vibraphonist, pianist, percussionist, bandleader and actor. Like Red Norvo, he was one of the first jazz vibraphone players. Hampton ranks among the great names in jazz history, having worked with a who's who of jazz musicians, from Benny Goodman and Buddy...
while they were both in a piano store and they started an impromptu jam session
Jam session
Jam sessions are often used by musicians to develop new material, find suitable arrangements, or simply as a social gathering and communal practice session. Jam sessions may be based upon existing songs or forms, may be loosely based on an agreed chord progression or chart suggested by one...
. Hampton immediately invited Schroeck to join his own band, where Schroeck remained for the next two years, before leaving to become a professional music arranger at a recording studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
. He worked with Neil Diamond
Neil Diamond
Neil Leslie Diamond is an American singer-songwriter with a career spanning over five decades from the 1960s until the present....
, The Lovin' Spoonful
The Lovin' Spoonful
The Lovin' Spoonful is an American pop rock band of the 1960s, named to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. When asked about his band, leader John Sebastian said it sounded like a combination of "Mississippi John Hurt and Chuck Berry," prompting his friend, Fritz Richmond, to suggest the name...
, Paul Anka
Paul Anka
Paul Albert Anka, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and actor.Anka first became famous as a teen idol in the late 1950s and 1960s with hit songs like "Diana'", "Lonely Boy", and "Put Your Head on My Shoulder"...
, and Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, for whom he arranged "I've Got You Under My Skin
I've Got You Under My Skin
"I've Got You Under My Skin" is a song by Cole Porter.I've Got You Under My Skin may also refer to:* "I've Got You Under My Skin" , a 1998 episode of the television series Charmed...
" and "Can't Take My Eyes Off You
Can't Take My Eyes off You
"Can't Take My Eyes Off You" is a 1967 single by Frankie Valli. The song was among Valli's biggest hits, reaching #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earning a gold record. It was Valli's biggest "solo" hit until he hit #1 in 1975 with "My Eyes Adored You"...
". Schroeck also began writing music at this point in his career, such as 1983's "Here's to the Band
Here's to the Band
"Here's to the Band" is a 1983 popular song written by Sharman Howe, Alfred Nittoli, and Artie Schroeck. It was released as a single by Frank Sinatra....
" for Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
, written with Alfred Nittoli and Sharman Howe.
In the 1980s and '90s, Schroeck could often be found performing in Atlantic City, such as at the Harrah's
Harrah's Atlantic City
Harrah's Resort Atlantic City is a hotel and casino, located in the marina district of Atlantic City, New Jersey, and is Harrah's flagship casino.The casino is one of three in the marina district of the city, along with the Borgata and the Golden Nugget...
Atrium Lounge with Linda November
Linda November
Linda Ellen November is an American singer who sang tens of thousands of commercial jingles. She was the voice of the singing cat in the Meow Mix commercials, sang the jingle "Galaxy Glue" in the 1981 film The Incredible Shrinking Woman, the "Coke and a Smile" jingle in the classic Mean Joe Greene...
. A regular who would come to visit whenever she was in town was Liza Minnelli
Liza Minnelli
Liza May Minnelli is an American actress and singer. She is the daughter of singer and actress Judy Garland and film director Vincente Minnelli....
. Schroeck and November had met in the late 1960s while working together on musical projects, but had both been married to other people at the time. In 1988, they became a couple, and they married in 1996. In 1997, the couple directed a production saluting band leader Spike Jones
Spike Jones
Mel Blanc, the voice of Bugs Bunny and other Warner Brothers cartoon characters, performed a drunken, hiccuping verse for 1942's "Clink! Clink! Another Drink"...
, "The New City Slickers Present a Tribute to Spike Jones", which Schroeck wrote, arranged, and produced. His brother Harold was also one of the performers in the show, which featured a nine-piece Spike Jones-style band. The show ran from September 26 – October 5, 1997.
In 2001, Schroeck and his wife moved to Las Vegas.
Schroeck has three children by a previous marriage. The oldest, Shem Schroeck
Shem von Schroeck
Shem Schroeck also known as Shem Von Schroeck is an American musician, a singer, bassist, and drummer. Eldest son of musician Artie Schroeck, Shem was a member of the band Ambrosia, playing with them off and on since 1989, and then worked with Kenny Loggins in the 1990s...
, is also a musician and singer.
Selected works
- 1966, arranger and conductor, "I've Got You Under My SkinI've Got You Under My Skin"I've Got You Under My Skin" is a song by Cole Porter.I've Got You Under My Skin may also refer to:* "I've Got You Under My Skin" , a 1998 episode of the television series Charmed...
", top 10 hit sung by The Four Seasons - 1967, co-arranger with Bob GaudioBob GaudioRobert John "Bob" Gaudio is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer, and the keyboardist/backing vocalist for The Four Seasons.-Early career:...
for gold record "Can't Take My Eyes Off YouCan't Take My Eyes off You"Can't Take My Eyes Off You" is a 1967 single by Frankie Valli. The song was among Valli's biggest hits, reaching #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earning a gold record. It was Valli's biggest "solo" hit until he hit #1 in 1975 with "My Eyes Adored You"...
", sung by Frankie ValliFrankie ValliFrankie Valli is an American musician, most famous as frontman of The Four Seasons. He is well-known for his unusually powerful falsetto singing voice...
, reached #2 on the U.S. charts - 1967, arranged "We Can Fly", sung by The CowsillsThe CowsillsThe Cowsills are an American singing group from Newport, Rhode Island. They specialized in harmonies and the ability to sing and play music at an early age. The band was formed in the spring of 1965 by brothers Bill, Bob, and Barry, then shortly thereafter added John...
, reached #21 on the U.S. charts - 1967, co-wrote "Lovin' Things" with Jet Loring, which was then sung by multiple artists:
- Scottish band MarmaladeMarmalade (band)Marmalade were a successful Scottish pop rock group, from the east end of Glasgow, originally formed in 1961 as "The Gaylords", later "Dean Ford and The Gaylords". In 1966, they changed the group name to 'The Marmalade'. The most successful period for the band, in terms of UK chart success, was...
released it as a single, which reached #6 on the UK charts in 1968. - Keith Mansfield Orchestra, on his 1968 album All You Need Is Keith Mansfield
- Petula ClarkPetula ClarkPetula Clark, CBE is an English singer, actress, and composer whose career has spanned seven decades.Clark's professional career began as an entertainer on BBC Radio during World War II...
, on her 1969 album Portrait of Petula - The VenturesThe VenturesThe Ventures is an American instrumental rock band formed in 1958 in Tacoma, Washington. Founded by Don Wilson and Bob Bogle, the group in its various incarnations has had an enduring impact on the development of music worldwide. With over 100 million records sold, the group is the best-selling...
, on their 1969 gold album Hawaii Five-OHawaii Five-O (album)Hawaii Five-O is an instrumental album by The Ventures. It was released in 1969 on Liberty Records and reached #11 on the Billboard Top LP chart. The album was certified gold by RIAA on July 21, 1971... - The Grass RootsThe Grass RootsThe Grass Roots is an American rock band that charted between 1966 and 1975 as the brainchild of songwriting duo P. F. Sloan and Steve Barri.In their career, The Grass Roots achieved two gold albums, one gold single and charted singles a total of 21 times. Among their charting singles, they...
, on their 1969 album Lovin' Things
- Scottish band Marmalade
- 1983, co-writer with Sharman Howe and Alfred Nittoli, "Here's to the BandHere's to the Band"Here's to the Band" is a 1983 popular song written by Sharman Howe, Alfred Nittoli, and Artie Schroeck. It was released as a single by Frank Sinatra....
", sung by Frank SinatraFrank SinatraFrancis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the... - 1992, arranged "Live from Radio City Music Hall" for Liza MinnelliLiza MinnelliLiza May Minnelli is an American actress and singer. She is the daughter of singer and actress Judy Garland and film director Vincente Minnelli....
- 1997, wrote, arranged and produced "The New City Slickers Present a Tribute to Spike JonesSpike JonesMel Blanc, the voice of Bugs Bunny and other Warner Brothers cartoon characters, performed a drunken, hiccuping verse for 1942's "Clink! Clink! Another Drink"...
" in Atlantic City - 2005, Artie Schroeck, At the Piano Bar, audio CD
Awards
- 1967, Gold record for arranging "Can't Take My Eyes Off YouCan't Take My Eyes off You"Can't Take My Eyes Off You" is a 1967 single by Frankie Valli. The song was among Valli's biggest hits, reaching #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earning a gold record. It was Valli's biggest "solo" hit until he hit #1 in 1975 with "My Eyes Adored You"...
" for Frankie ValliFrankie ValliFrankie Valli is an American musician, most famous as frontman of The Four Seasons. He is well-known for his unusually powerful falsetto singing voice... - 1970, Pan Am, arranger, "Get into this world" (Clio Award, Radio)
- 1977, McDonald'sMcDonald'sMcDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
, arranger, "You, You're the One" (Clio Award, Television) - 1982, ABC-TVABC-TVABC-TV can refer to:*American Broadcasting Company, a radio and television network in the United States*Australian Broadcasting Corporation's ABC Television network**ABC , the ABC television station in Canberra...
, composer, "Now is the time ABC is the place" (Clio Award, Television/Cinema)