Don Costa
Encyclopedia
Don Costa was an American
pop music
arranger
and record producer
, best known for his work with Frank Sinatra
.
family. As a child, he took a keen interest in learning the guitar
, and he became a member of the CBS
Radio Orchestra by the time he was in his teens
. In the late 1940s, Costa moved to New York
to further his career by becoming a session musician
. He played guitar along with Bucky Pizzarelli
on Vaughn Monroe
's hit
record "Ghost Riders in the Sky." It was around this time that Costa started experimenting with combinations of instruments
, producing musical arrangements, and peddling them to a few notable big band
s.
It was this self-promotion that caused two young up and coming singers to notice his work. Steve Lawrence
and Eydie Gorme
invited Costa to write some vocal backgrounds for their future recordings. He agreed, and thus began an association that led to their joining a new record label
being headed by Sam Clark
as president: ABC-Paramount Records
. It was here that Costa accepted the position of head A&R
man as well as chief arranger and producer. Many hits were to follow, not only with Lawrence and Gorme, but with Lloyd Price
, George Hamilton IV
, and Paul Anka
.
He was voted number one in Cash Box
as the most popular recording arranger and conductor. It was at this time in late 1959 that Costa, along with Lawrence and Gorme, left ABC to join the United Artists
label as A&R Director. Costa continued to produce and arrange for others as well as release his own instrumental albums.
Costa found several of his own instrumental
recordings becoming hits, including the theme tunes from Never on Sunday
and The Unforgiven
. "Never on Sunday" sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc
. The track peaked at #27 in the UK Singles Chart
in late 1960.
During this time, Frank Sinatra had formed a new recording label, Reprise Records
, and he hired Costa to arrange one of his albums, Sinatra and Strings
, released in 1962. This set of standard ballads would remain one of the most critically acclaimed works of Sinatra's entire Reprise period. Costa's largely string-based orchestrations were outstanding, but he was rarely called on to write in a similar style again, during the long association with Sinatra which followed, as the singer concentrated on more contemporary projects with him. Among the standout tracks on Sinatra and Strings are "All or Nothing at All", an unusual verse-only version of "Stardust
" (in juxtaposition to the many chorus-only versions of the song), a ballad rendition of "Night and Day
" which provided a contrast to Sinatra's more familiar big band version, and a rendition of "Come Rain or Come Shine" which frequently is included "Best of" compilations from Sinatra's Reprise years.
The following year, Costa was asked to arrange the charts for the Sarah Vaughan
album, Snowbound
. Barbra Streisand then used the same arrangement of the title song "Snowbound", years later, for her second (2001)Christmas album for Sony Music. Costa also arranged Tony Bennett
's 1965 album If I Ruled the World: Songs for the Jet Set
.
In the mid-1960s, Costa moved from New York to Hollywood, California
, and formed his own company, DCP International, through United Artists. His label had great success by reviving the career of popular 1950s act, Little Anthony and the Imperials. Working with producer-writer Teddy Randazzo, Little Anthony had a string of major hits including "Goin' Out Of My Head" and "Hurt So Bad". In 1963, Costa discovered Trini Lopez
working at "PJ's", a Hollywood nightclub
. Later in the decade, Sinatra again called on Costa to become his primary arranger and Costa's work with Lawrence and Gorme abated. During this period, Sinatra scored one of his biggest hits, the Paul Anka
composed tune "My Way
".
Costa was conducting for Sinatra in Las Vegas
as well as arranging his records when he suffered a heart attack
and required bypass surgery
. After recovering, he started working with Mike Curb
at MGM Records
, producing and arranging material for the Osmond Brothers hits, as well as having a hand in Sammy Davis, Jr.
's "The Candy Man
" and Petula Clark
's cover
of "My Guy
."
In the early 1980s, Costa scored again as an artist
with a hit with his 10-year-old daughter Nikka
entitled "Out Here On My Own." The two were planning a follow-up when Costa died of a heart attack
in New York
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
pop music
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
arranger
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 record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, best known for his work with 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...
.
Career
Dominick P. Costa was born in Boston, Massachusetts, to an Italian AmericanItalian American
An Italian American , is an American of Italian ancestry. The designation may also refer to someone possessing Italian and American dual citizenship...
family. As a child, he took a keen interest in learning the guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, and he became a member of the CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
Radio Orchestra by the time he was in his teens
Adolescence
Adolescence is a transitional stage of physical and mental human development generally occurring between puberty and legal adulthood , but largely characterized as beginning and ending with the teenage stage...
. In the late 1940s, Costa moved to New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to further his career by becoming a session musician
Session musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
. He played guitar along with Bucky Pizzarelli
Bucky Pizzarelli
John Paul "Bucky" Pizzarelli is an American Jazz guitarist and banjoist, and the father of jazz guitarist John Pizzarelli and upright bassist Martin Pizzarelli. Pizzarelli has also worked for NBC as a staffman for Dick Cavett and also ABC with Bobby Rosengarden in...
on Vaughn Monroe
Vaughn Monroe
Vaughn Wilton Monroe was an American baritone singer, trumpeter and big band leader and actor, most popular in the 1940s and 1950s. He has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for recording and radio.-Biography:...
's hit
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
record "Ghost Riders in the Sky." It was around this time that Costa started experimenting with combinations of instruments
Musical instrument
A musical instrument is a device created or adapted for the purpose of making musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can serve as a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. The history of musical instruments dates back to the...
, producing musical arrangements, and peddling them to a few notable big band
Big band
A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...
s.
It was this self-promotion that caused two young up and coming singers to notice his work. Steve Lawrence
Steve Lawrence
Steve Lawrence is an American singer and actor, perhaps best known as a member of a duo with his wife Eydie Gormé, billed as "Steve and Eydie"...
and Eydie Gorme
Eydie Gormé
Eydie Gormé is an American singer, specializing, with her husband, Steve Lawrence, in traditional pop music, in the form of ballads and breezy swing. She has earned numerous awards, including the Grammy and the Emmy...
invited Costa to write some vocal backgrounds for their future recordings. He agreed, and thus began an association that led to their joining a new record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
being headed by Sam Clark
Sam Clark
-Studio albums:-Singles:-Music videos:-Filmography:-Awards and nominations:-External links:* on SoundCloud...
as president: ABC-Paramount Records
ABC Records
ABC Records was an American record label, founded in New York City in 1955 as ABC-Paramount Records. It originated as the main popular music label operated the Am-Par Record Corporation, the music subsidiary of the American Broadcasting Company . ABC-Paramount Records' first president was Samuel H....
. It was here that Costa accepted the position of head A&R
A&R
Artists and repertoire is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists. It also acts as a liaison between artists and the record label.- Finding talent :...
man as well as chief arranger and producer. Many hits were to follow, not only with Lawrence and Gorme, but with Lloyd Price
Lloyd Price
Lloyd Price is an American R&B vocalist. Known as "Mr. Personality", after the name of one of his biggest million-selling hits...
, George Hamilton IV
George Hamilton IV
George Hege Hamilton IV is an American country musician. He began performing in the late 1950s as a teen idol, later switching to country music in the early 1960s.-Biography:Hamilton was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina...
, and 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"...
.
He was voted number one in Cash Box
Cash Box magazine
Cashbox magazine was a weekly publication devoted to the music and coin-operated machine industries in the USA which was published from July 1942 to November 16, 1996...
as the most popular recording arranger and conductor. It was at this time in late 1959 that Costa, along with Lawrence and Gorme, left ABC to join the United Artists
United Artists
United Artists Corporation is an American film studio. The original studio of that name was founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charles Chaplin, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks....
label as A&R Director. Costa continued to produce and arrange for others as well as release his own instrumental albums.
Costa found several of his own instrumental
Instrumental
An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
recordings becoming hits, including the theme tunes from Never on Sunday
Never on Sunday
Never on Sunday is a 1960 Greek black-and-white film which tells the story of Ilya, a prostitute who lives in the port of Piraeus in Greece, and Homer, an American tourist from Middletown, Connecticut — a classical scholar enamored with all things Greek. Ilya is a character close to the...
and The Unforgiven
The Unforgiven (1960 film)
The Unforgiven is a 1960 American western film filmed in Durango, Mexico released in 1960. The film was directed by John Huston and starred Burt Lancaster, Audrey Hepburn, Audie Murphy, Charles Bickford and Lillian Gish...
. "Never on Sunday" sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
. The track peaked at #27 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
in late 1960.
During this time, Frank Sinatra had formed a new recording label, Reprise Records
Reprise Records
Reprise Records is an American record label, founded in 1960 by Frank Sinatra. It is owned by Warner Music Group, and operated through Warner Bros. Records.-Beginnings:...
, and he hired Costa to arrange one of his albums, Sinatra and Strings
Sinatra and Strings
Sinatra and Strings is a 1962 album by Frank Sinatra. The set of standard ballads is one of the most critically acclaimed works of Sinatra's entire Reprise period.It was Sinatra's first album with arranger Don Costa...
, released in 1962. This set of standard ballads would remain one of the most critically acclaimed works of Sinatra's entire Reprise period. Costa's largely string-based orchestrations were outstanding, but he was rarely called on to write in a similar style again, during the long association with Sinatra which followed, as the singer concentrated on more contemporary projects with him. Among the standout tracks on Sinatra and Strings are "All or Nothing at All", an unusual verse-only version of "Stardust
Stardust (song)
"Stardust" is an American popular song composed in 1927 by Hoagy Carmichael with lyrics added in 1929 by Mitchell Parish. Originally titled "Star Dust", Carmichael first recorded the song at the Gennett Records studio in Richmond, Indiana...
" (in juxtaposition to the many chorus-only versions of the song), a ballad rendition of "Night and Day
Night and Day (song)
"Night and Day" is a popular song by Cole Porter. It was written for the 1932 musical play Gay Divorce. It is perhaps Porter's most popular contribution to the Great American Songbook and has been recorded by dozens of artists....
" which provided a contrast to Sinatra's more familiar big band version, and a rendition of "Come Rain or Come Shine" which frequently is included "Best of" compilations from Sinatra's Reprise years.
The following year, Costa was asked to arrange the charts for the Sarah Vaughan
Sarah Vaughan
Sarah Lois Vaughan was an American jazz singer, described by Scott Yanow as having "one of the most wondrous voices of the 20th century."...
album, Snowbound
Snowbound (Sarah Vaughan album)
-Reception:The Allmusic review by John Bush awarded the album four stars and said that "Despite the peaceful atmosphere and strolling tempo, Vaughan hardly treats the material as a cinch for her voice; all of these eleven songs find her searching for different ways to present timeworn...
. Barbra Streisand then used the same arrangement of the title song "Snowbound", years later, for her second (2001)Christmas album for Sony Music. Costa also arranged Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett is an American singer of popular music, standards, show tunes, and jazz....
's 1965 album If I Ruled the World: Songs for the Jet Set
If I Ruled the World: Songs for the Jet Set
-Track listing:# "Samba Do Avião" – 3:43# "Fly Me to the Moon" – 4:10# "How Insensitive" – 4:23...
.
In the mid-1960s, Costa moved from New York to Hollywood, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, and formed his own company, DCP International, through United Artists. His label had great success by reviving the career of popular 1950s act, Little Anthony and the Imperials. Working with producer-writer Teddy Randazzo, Little Anthony had a string of major hits including "Goin' Out Of My Head" and "Hurt So Bad". In 1963, Costa discovered Trini Lopez
Trini Lopez
Trini Lopez is an American singer, guitarist and actor.-Career:Lopez was born in Dallas, Texas, on Ashland Street in the Little Mexico neighborhood. He began his entertainment career in Dallas playing at the Vegas Club, a nightclub owned by Jack Ruby...
working at "PJ's", a Hollywood nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
. Later in the decade, Sinatra again called on Costa to become his primary arranger and Costa's work with Lawrence and Gorme abated. During this period, Sinatra scored one of his biggest hits, the 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"...
composed tune "My Way
My Way (song)
"My Way" is a song popularized by Frank Sinatra. Its lyrics were written by Paul Anka and set to music based on the French song "Comme d'habitude" composed in 1967 by Claude François and Jacques Revaux, with lyrics by Claude François and Gilles Thibault. Anka's English lyrics are unrelated to the...
".
Costa was conducting for Sinatra in Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
as well as arranging his records when he suffered a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
and required bypass surgery
Coronary artery bypass surgery
Coronary artery bypass surgery, also coronary artery bypass graft surgery, and colloquially heart bypass or bypass surgery is a surgical procedure performed to relieve angina and reduce the risk of death from coronary artery disease...
. After recovering, he started working with Mike Curb
Mike Curb
Michael Curb is an American musician, record company executive, NASCAR and IRL race car owner. A Republican, he served as the 42nd Lieutenant Governor of California from 1979-1983 under Democratic Governor Edmund G. "Jerry" Brown, Jr...
at MGM Records
MGM Records
MGM Records was a record label started by the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film studio in 1946, for the purpose of releasing soundtrack albums of their musical films. Later it became a pop label, lasting into the 1970s...
, producing and arranging material for the Osmond Brothers hits, as well as having a hand in Sammy Davis, Jr.
Sammy Davis, Jr.
Samuel George "Sammy" Davis Jr. was an American entertainer and was also known for his impersonations of actors and other celebrities....
's "The Candy Man
The Candy Man
"The Candy Man" is a song from the 1971 film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. It was written by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley specifically for the film and does not appear in the original book or the 2005 film adaptation of Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory...
" and Petula Clark
Petula Clark
Petula 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...
's cover
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of "My Guy
My Guy
"My Guy" is a 1964 number-one hit single recorded by Mary Wells for the Motown label. Written and produced by Smokey Robinson of The Miracles, the song is a woman's dedication to the goodness of her man .The single became the biggest hit ever for Wells, Motown's first female star, and reached the...
."
In the early 1980s, Costa scored again as an artist
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....
with a hit with his 10-year-old daughter Nikka
Nikka Costa
Domenica "Nikka" Costa is an American singer whose music combines elements of funk, soul, and blues. She also had a career as a child singer starting in the early 1980s. She is the daughter of notable music producer Don Costa and is married to Australian producer/songwriter Justin Stanley.- Early...
entitled "Out Here On My Own." The two were planning a follow-up when Costa died of a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
As a solo artist (selected)
- Music to Break a Sub-Lease (1958)
- The Theme from "The Unforgiven" (1960)
- Hollywood Premiere! (1962)
- Days of Wine and Roses (1966)
- Modern Delights (1967)
- The Don Costa Concept (1969)