Dion Dimucci, first with the Belmonts and later on his own, was part of the soundtrack of my life. "I Wonder Why" is one of the great white doo-wop numbers, and Dion's "Runaround Sue" is of course a classic. I can still listen with pleasure to him, to him with the Belmonts, or just the Belmonts without him. Wonderful stuff. Dion's latest CD is Bronx in Blue, and on it he accompanies himself on guitar. That's about the only instrument in the mix, if you don't count his voice. You might not think of Dion as a blues singer (or a guitarist, for that matter), but he pulls it off with aplomb. He's 67 today, but he's still going strong.
6 comments:
Loved all the doo-wop stuff but absolutely hated "Abraham, Martin and John". The played the crap out of it and I never liked it. One San Antonio station still has it in heavy rotation with "In the Ghetto" another retch inducing song.
I confess wasn't much into Dion's folk and religious recordings. I'm glad he didn't ever try "In the Ghetto." And that blues CD is really good.
I liked A, M & J, but not as much as his great doo-wop work. I was really impressed with his--and the Belmonts'--version of "Where or When." Not a doo-wop, but it really showcased their pipes. Hard to believe he's 67. I'm still 16.
"Where or When" was a great song, but it screwed the Belmonts for years to come. The record company didn't think they could do anything but revamped standards after Dion left.
We've seen Dion within the last few years and he can still sing. And he's been married to his wife for something like 40+ years.
I Wonder Why, The Wanderer, Runaround Sue, Little Diane (supposedly based on his sister), so many more.
I LOVE "Little Diane"! Rap lyrics before there was rap:
I wanna knock you down
And slap your face
Bad girls like you
Are a disgrace.
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