Peter Lemongello
Encyclopedia
Peter Lemongello is an American singer from Islip
, Long Island, New York, best known for his album Love '76, one of the first albums to be sold exclusively through television advertising. He is also the cousin of baseball player Mark Lemongello
.
After spending years as a cabaret
career, with several appearances on national TV (including three on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
), Lemongello hit upon the idea of creating an album to be sold exclusively on TV.
campaign, and was also the first entertainer to underwrite a television direct advertising campaign selling shares in the project to private investors.
Using a city-by-city marketing strategy, he and his partners began their Love ‘76 advertising campaign on late-night TV in New York, New York on January 1, 1976 targeting all six New York metropolitan channels 70 to 100 times a week. Sales of the double album
were slow at first: only 43,000 copies were purchased in New York, Connecticut
and New Jersey
in the first three months. Then the promoters began the same campaign in Los Angeles and Las Vegas
and the album began to sell in the millions, attracting widespread media attention.
The artist attracted the attention of Private Stock Records
, who signed Lemongello in April 1976. His second album, released in early 1977, was less successful and failed to make the record charts. Lemongello was soon dropped from the label and concentrated on live performances, appearing at Carnegie Hall
, Madison Square Garden
and Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.
, billed as Branson's "Italian Crooner". Most recently Peter has adopted The Great American Songbook and appears frequently across the country.
that originally aired May 22, 1976, with Chevy Chase
playing a singer named Peter Lemon Moodring
. Chase would also invoke Peter Lemongello as an alias in his 1989 movie Fletch Lives
.
The Love '76 commercial was parodied by recording artist Will Dailey
in May 2009. This video captures the scene of two stereotypical show business managers coercing Dailey
to appear in a TV advertisement for his new album, Torrent, so that he can recreate the success of Peter Lemongello, Zamfir
and Slim Whitman
. The commercial itself is a scene-by-scene recreation of the original Lemongello spot that first aired on television in 1976.
North Babylon, New York
North Babylon is a hamlet in Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 17,877 at the 2000 census.North Babylon is a community in the Town of Babylon.-Geography:...
, Long Island, New York, best known for his album Love '76, one of the first albums to be sold exclusively through television advertising. He is also the cousin of baseball player Mark Lemongello
Mark Lemongello
Mark Lemongello is a retired professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from 1976-1979. He played for the Houston Astros and the Toronto Blue Jays...
.
After spending years as a cabaret
Cabaret
Cabaret is a form, or place, of entertainment featuring comedy, song, dance, and theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue: a restaurant or nightclub with a stage for performances and the audience sitting at tables watching the performance, as introduced by a master of ceremonies or...
career, with several appearances on national TV (including three on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson is a talk show hosted by Johnny Carson under the Tonight Show franchise from 1962 to 1992. It originally aired during late-night....
), Lemongello hit upon the idea of creating an album to be sold exclusively on TV.
Love '76
It is claimed that Lemongello is the first person to sell a million records through a television direct marketingDirect marketing
Direct marketing is a channel-agnostic form of advertising that allows businesses and nonprofits to communicate straight to the customer, with advertising techniques such as mobile messaging, email, interactive consumer websites, online display ads, fliers, catalog distribution, promotional...
campaign, and was also the first entertainer to underwrite a television direct advertising campaign selling shares in the project to private investors.
Using a city-by-city marketing strategy, he and his partners began their Love ‘76 advertising campaign on late-night TV in New York, New York on January 1, 1976 targeting all six New York metropolitan channels 70 to 100 times a week. Sales of the double album
Double album
A double album is an audio album which spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically records and compact discs....
were slow at first: only 43,000 copies were purchased in New York, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
and New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
in the first three months. Then the promoters began the same campaign in Los Angeles and 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...
and the album began to sell in the millions, attracting widespread media attention.
The artist attracted the attention of Private Stock Records
Private Stock Records
Private Stock Records was a record label which was started in 1974 by Larry Uttal after he was ousted from Bell Records. The label had hit records with singles by David Soul of Starsky and Hutch fame , Starbuck , Austin Roberts , Samantha Sang , Walter Murphy and the Big Apple Band , and Frankie...
, who signed Lemongello in April 1976. His second album, released in early 1977, was less successful and failed to make the record charts. Lemongello was soon dropped from the label and concentrated on live performances, appearing at Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
, Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
and Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.
Today
Lemongello has continued his career in Branson, MissouriBranson, Missouri
Branson is a city in Taney County in the U.S. state of Missouri. It was named after Reuben Branson, postmaster and operator of a general store in the area in the 1880s....
, billed as Branson's "Italian Crooner". Most recently Peter has adopted The Great American Songbook and appears frequently across the country.
Parodies
Lemongello was spoofed in the episode of Saturday Night LiveSaturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
that originally aired May 22, 1976, with Chevy Chase
Chevy Chase
Cornelius Crane "Chevy" Chase is an American comedian, writer, and television and film actor, born into a prominent entertainment industry family. Chase worked a plethora of odd jobs before moving into comedy acting with National Lampoon...
playing a singer named Peter Lemon Moodring
Mood ring
A mood ring is a ring which contains a thermochromic element, such as liquid crystal. The ring changes color in response to the body temperature of its wearer...
. Chase would also invoke Peter Lemongello as an alias in his 1989 movie Fletch Lives
Fletch Lives
Fletch Lives is a 1989 comedy film starring Chevy Chase. It was directed by Michael Ritchie with a screenplay by Leon Capetanos based on the character created by Gregory Mcdonald. Fletch Lives was released by Universal Pictures. It is a sequel to the 1985 film Fletch.- Plot :Chevy Chase once again...
.
The Love '76 commercial was parodied by recording artist Will Dailey
Will Dailey
Will Dailey is a Boston-based recording and performing artist on Universal Republic Records. His sound has been described as having a rich vintage vibe while having a firm appreciation of AM rock, pop and big hooks. He is notable as being the winner of the 2006 Boston Music Award for Best Male...
in May 2009. This video captures the scene of two stereotypical show business managers coercing Dailey
Will Dailey
Will Dailey is a Boston-based recording and performing artist on Universal Republic Records. His sound has been described as having a rich vintage vibe while having a firm appreciation of AM rock, pop and big hooks. He is notable as being the winner of the 2006 Boston Music Award for Best Male...
to appear in a TV advertisement for his new album, Torrent, so that he can recreate the success of Peter Lemongello, Zamfir
Zamfir
Zamfir as a placename:* Zamfir, Bulgaria, a village in BulgariaZamfir as a name:* Zamfir Dumitrescu , Romanian painter* Gheorghe Zamfir , Romanian musician * Mircea Zamfir , Romanian gymnast...
and Slim Whitman
Slim Whitman
Ottis Dewey Whitman, Jr. , known professionally as Slim Whitman, is an American country music singer and songwriter, known for his yodelling abilities. He has sold in excess of 120 million albums in unit sales and has had numerous successful recordings...
. The commercial itself is a scene-by-scene recreation of the original Lemongello spot that first aired on television in 1976.