Barry De Vorzon
Encyclopedia
Barry De Vorzon is an American singer, songwriter, producer, and composer. His first composing big hit was the rock song "Dreamin'," sung by Johnny Burnette
in 1960, although he had a number-one hit previously called "Just Married," which he wrote for Marty Robbins
in 1958. Dorsey Burnette
(who he was managing) and Barry co-wrote several of Dorsey's hits ("Hey, Little One"; "Big Rock Candy Mountain"; "Red Roses"; "Noah's Ark").
De Vorzon founded Valiant Records
later in the 1960s, during which time he signed the Association
and produced its first single, a cover of the Bob Dylan
tune "One Too Many Mornings."
De Vorzon wrote "I Wonder What She's Doing Tonight" for the Cascades, but the group didn't record it. Barry ended up recording the song himself, with his group Barry and the Tamerlanes in 1963.
De Vorzon composed the soundtrack
s to many 1970s and 1980s films, and one of the tunes, "Cotton's Dream" (from Bless the Beasts and Children
) was retitled "Nadia's Theme
" and rereleased by A&M for the television soap opera
The Young and the Restless
. "Nadia's Theme" hit #8 on the US Top 40 in 1976 and the album from which it was taken shot to #42 on the Billboard 200
; in 1977, it won a Grammy award
for Best Instrumental Arrangement. The main title song, "Bless the Beasts and Children," was recorded by the Carpenters
and received an Academy Award nomination.
De Vorzon also composed the tune "It's Christmas Once Again in Santa Barbara," which was rerecorded with various other city names, such as San Francisco and San Diego. He also wrote the Theme from S.W.A.T., and co-wrote The Eagles' hit In the City with Joe Walsh
. In 1979 he wrote the music for the movie The Warriors
He is also one of the developers of the MasterWriter creative software for songwriters and lyricists.
Johnny Burnette
John Joseph "Johnny" Burnette was an American rockabilly musician. Along with his older brother Dorsey Burnette, and also a friend named Paul Burlison, Burnette was a founding member of The Rock and Roll Trio. He was the father of 1980s rockabilly singer Rocky Burnette.-Early life:Johnny Burnette...
in 1960, although he had a number-one hit previously called "Just Married," which he wrote for Marty Robbins
Marty Robbins
Martin David Robinson , known professionally as Marty Robbins, was an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist...
in 1958. Dorsey Burnette
Dorsey Burnette
Dorsey Burnette was an early Rockabilly singer. With his younger brother, Johnny Burnette, and a friend named Paul Burlison, he was a founder member of The Rock and Roll Trio.-Background and early career:Dorsey Burnett was born on December 28, 1932 to Willie May and Dorsey Burnett Sr...
(who he was managing) and Barry co-wrote several of Dorsey's hits ("Hey, Little One"; "Big Rock Candy Mountain"; "Red Roses"; "Noah's Ark").
De Vorzon founded Valiant Records
Valiant Records
Valiant Records was an independent record company co-owned by Four Star Television which was sold in 1967 to Warner Bros. Records.Valiant Records was never fully independent, for most of its existence, its distributor was ABC Records before Warners took it over distribution in 1965 and then...
later in the 1960s, during which time he signed the Association
The Association
The Association is a pop music band from California in the folk rock or soft rock genre. During the 1960s, they had numerous hits at or near the top of the Billboard charts and were the lead-off band at 1967's Monterey Pop Festival...
and produced its first single, a cover of the Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
tune "One Too Many Mornings."
De Vorzon wrote "I Wonder What She's Doing Tonight" for the Cascades, but the group didn't record it. Barry ended up recording the song himself, with his group Barry and the Tamerlanes in 1963.
De Vorzon composed the soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
s to many 1970s and 1980s films, and one of the tunes, "Cotton's Dream" (from Bless the Beasts and Children
Bless the Beasts and Children (film)
Bless the Beasts and Children is a 1971 film adaptation of the novel of the same name, by Glendon Swarthout, that was directed by Stanley Kramer, featuring Bill Mumy and Barry Robins.-Plot:...
) was retitled "Nadia's Theme
Nadia's Theme
"Nadia's Theme" is a piece of music composed by Barry De Vorzon and Perry Botkin, Jr. that serves as the theme music to the American television soap opera The Young and the Restless.-Origins:...
" and rereleased by A&M for the television soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
The Young and the Restless
The Young and the Restless
The Young and the Restless is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. The show is set in a fictional Wisconsin town called Genoa City, which is unlike and unrelated to the real life village of the same name, Genoa City, Wisconsin...
. "Nadia's Theme" hit #8 on the US Top 40 in 1976 and the album from which it was taken shot to #42 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
; in 1977, it won a Grammy award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
for Best Instrumental Arrangement. The main title song, "Bless the Beasts and Children," was recorded by the Carpenters
The Carpenters
Carpenters were an American vocal and instrumental duo, consisting of sister Karen and brother Richard Carpenter. The Carpenters were the #1 selling American music act of the 1970s. Though often referred to by the public as "The Carpenters", the duo's official name on authorized recordings and...
and received an Academy Award nomination.
De Vorzon also composed the tune "It's Christmas Once Again in Santa Barbara," which was rerecorded with various other city names, such as San Francisco and San Diego. He also wrote the Theme from S.W.A.T., and co-wrote The Eagles' hit In the City with Joe Walsh
Joe Walsh
Joseph Fidler "Joe" Walsh is an American musician, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He has been a member of three commercially successful bands, the James Gang, Barnstorm, and the Eagles, and has experienced notable success as a solo artist and prolific session musician, especially with B.B...
. In 1979 he wrote the music for the movie The Warriors
He is also one of the developers of the MasterWriter creative software for songwriters and lyricists.
Awards and Nominations
"Note: This list is incomplete."- Won the 1978 Grammy for Best Instrumental Arrangement, for "Nadia's ThemeNadia's Theme"Nadia's Theme" is a piece of music composed by Barry De Vorzon and Perry Botkin, Jr. that serves as the theme music to the American television soap opera The Young and the Restless.-Origins:...
(The Young and the Restless)". - Nominated for a 1972 Academy Award for "Bless the Beasts and Children (song)Bless the Beasts and Children (song)The theme song to the 1971 film Bless the Beasts and Children was performed by The Carpenters, and was featured on the B-side to their then-recent hit, "Superstar". The B-side charted on the Billboard Hot 100, eventually topping out at #67. In order to promote it, The Carpenters performed it on...
". - Won six Emmys.
- Received several other nominations.
Soundtracks
Note:this list is incomplete.- Bless the Beasts and ChildrenBless the Beasts and Children (soundtrack)The soundtrack to the 1971 film Bless the Beasts and Children consists of music by The Carpenters, Barry De Vorzon, and Renee Armand. It included The Carpenters' "Bless the Beasts and Children theme song as well as "Cotton's Dream", later known as "Nadia's Theme", which became the theme song to the...
(1971) - DillingerDillinger (1973 film)Dillinger is a 1973 gangster film about the life and criminal exploits of notorious bank robber John Dillinger.It stars Warren Oates as Dillinger and Ben Johnson as his pursuer, FBI Agent Melvin Purvis. The film, narrated by Purvis, chronicles the last few years of Dillinger's life as the FBI and...
(1973) - Hard TimesHard Times (1975 film)Hard Times is a 1975 film starring Charles Bronson as Chaney, a drifter who travels to Louisiana during the Great Depression and begins competing in illegal bare-knuckled boxing matches...
(1975) - S.W.A.T.S.W.A.T. (TV series)----S.W.A.T. is a 1970s American television series about the adventures of the WCPD's Olympic Division Special Weapons And Tactics team operating in an unidentified California city....
(1975) - Rolling ThunderRolling Thunder (1977 film)Rolling Thunder is a 1977 film starring William Devane and Tommy Lee Jones. The film was directed by John Flynn. The screenplay was by Paul Schrader and Heywood Gould.-Plot:...
(1977) - The Ninth ConfigurationThe Ninth ConfigurationThe Ninth Configuration, is an American-made film, released in 1980, directed by William Peter Blatty...
(1978) - The Warriors (1979)
- Private BenjaminPrivate BenjaminPrivate Benjamin is a 1980 American comedy film starring Goldie Hawn. The film was one of the biggest box office hits of 1980, and also spawned a short-lived television series. The film is ranked 82 on the American Film Institute's "100 Funniest Movies" poll, and 59 on Bravo's "100 Funniest...
(1980) - XanaduXanadu (film)Xanadu is a 1980 romantic musical fantasy film written by Marc Reid Rubel and directed by Robert Greenwald. The title is a reference to the poem "Kubla Khan, or, A Vision in a Dream: A Fragment" by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, which is quoted in the film. Xanadu is the name of the Chinese province...
(1980) - Simon & SimonSimon & SimonSimon & Simon is an American detective television series starring Gerald McRaney and Jameson Parker.-History:The original 1978 pilot called Pirate's Key was set in Florida...
(1981) - LookerLookerLooker is a 1981 science fiction film written and directed by Michael Crichton. It starred Albert Finney, Susan Dey, and James Coburn. Former NFL linebacker Tim Rossovich was featured as the villain's main henchman....
(1981) - Mr. MomMr. MomMr. Mom is a 1983 American comedy-drama film directed by Stan Dragoti and written by John Hughes about a stay-at-home dad. The film stars Michael Keaton, Teri Garr, Jeffrey Tambor, Christopher Lloyd, and Martin Mull.-Plot:...
(1983) - V: The Final Battle (1984)
- MischiefMischief (film)Mischief is a 1985 teen comedy film starring Doug McKeon, Chris Nash, Catherine Mary Stewart and Kelly Preston. The film was directed by Mel Damski and written by Noel Black...
(1985) - StickStick (film)Stick is a 1985 crime film directed by and starring Burt Reynolds, based on the novel of the same name by Elmore Leonard.-Plot:Ernest "Stick" Stickley, a former car thief, has just been released from prison. He meets up with an old friend, Rainy, whose "quick stop" near the Florida Everglades...
(1985) - Night of the CreepsNight of the CreepsNight of the Creeps is a 1986 zombie horror film written and directed by Fred Dekker, starring Tom Atkins, Jason Lively, Steve Marshall and Jill Whitlow. The film is notable as an earnest attempt at a B movie and a homage to the genre...
(1986)
External links
- [ Barry De Vorzon] at Allmusic.com