Costandinos finally charts !

[remicks]

*****

With what song to make the disco charts does Alec R. Costandinos first make his debut there ?? ??

Let's see if your answer matches mine !!! :grin::-P
????



*****

[rhessel]

Hi remicks:

Perhaps I've found love by Love & Kisses?

Cheers,

Hessel

[remicks]

Originally Posted by rhessel

Hi remicks:

Perhaps I've found love by Love & Kisses?

Cheers,

Hessel

The brilliant I FOUND LOVE / Love & Kisses was released around July of 1977 .....

.... my answer predates that .....

sorry Hessel !

????

*****

[Bernie]

Ah-ha... Your trying to pull a fast one. It has to be "Love In C-Minor" since he was a co-producer, though not credited as an artist

[the disco kid]

Originally Posted by Bernie

Ah-ha... Your trying to pull a fast one. It has to be "Love In C-Minor" since he was a co-producer, though not credited as an artist

my thought as well, the import of 'love in c minor" on Maligator came out in 1976, but the U.S. release didn't get released till 1977.

[remicks]

Originally Posted by Bernie

It has to be "Love In C-Minor"

...............but then again .... does it ??

Let's see .....the delightful LOVE IN "C " MINOR begins its chart run in January of 1977.


Yep ....sorry guys ...... got one here that predates it !!

? ? ? ?


*****

[DJ-Pir]

Not so likely, but Alec did co-write with Demis Roussos...

Forever and ever charted in 1974 in Holland, does that count :-)

And to go back even further, Alec wrote for Dalida in the early 70's, just
can't remember the title............... but she did have a bundle of hits...

Oh, just see that it has to be the "disco" chart.... back to the record stack...

[Videoskooter]

Something by "Kongas" perhaps??


BTW, not only Sir Alec worked with Demis, Harry Chalkitis also wrote songs for the Greek soprano and that's the guy behind 'Queen Samantha'!

[dancer5612004]

Originally Posted by remicks

*****

With what song to make the disco charts does Alec R. Costandinos first make his debut there ?? ??

Let's see if your answer matches mine !!! :grin::-P
????



*****

I cheated. Here's his history from another forum:
Alec Costandinos was born Alexandre Kouyoumdjiam in Cairo, Egypt, in 1944 to an Armenian father and a Greek mother. Growing up in a household where music was prevailant, his two older brothers studied music at a conservatory, it was ingrained in a young Alec. By the young age of 15 he had already formed his first group and by 18 he had left Egypt for Australia. In Australia under the guise of attending college as a political major he formed his second group, "The Bell Boys." After completeing school and earning his degree he moved to Paris in 1966 at the age of 22.
While in school Alec discovered a knack for song-writing, upon arrival in Paris he found his way into the local music scene via his writing skills. His first break came with writing a minor hit for French pop star Dalida in 1970. This led to studio session work and a chance meeting with fellow Egyptian Demis Russos. The inclusion of Costandinos' "Velvet Mornings" and "Forever And Ever" on Russos' 1974 self-titled album, (released in the U.S. on Big Tree Records), seemed to cement his future as a song writer. His writing and studio work led him to the doorstep of French producer Barclay. Barclay had been working with another young musician, Jean-Marc Cerrone and felt the two should collaborate on an album that he was going to release on Jean-Marc. Alec co-authored "Love In 'C' Minor" and wrote "Midnight Lady" for Cerrone's debut album.
With the success of "Love In 'C' Minor" and the emergence of the 'disco scene' Alec was offered a contract with Barclay's record label. He set up shop in London's Trident Studios and began working nonstop for the next three years. First came the 1977 self-titled debut by "Love And Kisses" on Barclay's label, later re-released on Casablanca Records in America. This debut confirmed Costandinos' gift for epic disco anthems, which often clocked over 15 minutes and spanned the entire side of an album. The album featured Alec's vocal prowess as well as those of Sue Glover, Stephanie DeSykes, Sunny Leslie, Vicki Brown and Joanne Stone, who became known as "The BirdsOf Paris."The album was a summer smash with "Accidental Lover" and "I Found Love (Now That I Have FoundYou).""I Found Love" was later recorded by Jeanie Tracy in 1990 and became a hit all-over again. The album also featured the talents of two future disco stars, keyboards by Alan Hawkshaw (Love De-Luxe With Hawkshaw'sDiscophonia) and arranging and conducting by Don Ray (Garden Of Love).
Next came his first release specifically produced for Neil Bogart's Casablanca label, a conceptual disco album released under the moniker "Sphinx." The album wasn't a huge hit, but it was impressive with its ambitious scope. He only released one self-titled album as Sphinx. The album's two epic side-spanning songs — "Judas Iscariot" and "Simon Peter" — center loosely on an Egyptian theme. The album features many of the same musicians from Love & Kisses: The Birds Of Paris, Alan Hawkshaw and Don Ray. The album also featured The Ambrosian Singers directed by John McCarthy who would later go on to record several Holiday albums as well as appear on albums by such diverse artists as Grace Jones, Neil Diamond, Julie Andrews, and Shirley Caesar. As with his previous release there were no 12" singles issued, perhaps due to the unusal album length of the cuts? With the lack of a bona-fide hit the album was quickly cut-out and has since become somewhat of a collector's item.
Long regarded as Alec's conceptual masterpiece, "Romeo & Juliet" essentially took the epic disco sounds of his dancefloor-friendly style and instilled a high-brow sense of appeal — and it worked, well. This effort secured Costandinos' status as the man who would be offered the opportunity to craft the theme song to Casablanca's soon-to-follow film debut. Costandinos would succeed this album with a number of equally ambitious concept albums, yet none would be this successful or listenable. A true landmark, "Romeo & Juliet" showed that disco music could be just as literate as it was hedonistic. Released under his own name with "The Syncophonic Orchestra" it featured his now steady group of musicians and singers. Besides being the first known disco album recorded with 48-track technology it was also the third album he recorded and released in less 7 months! This was also his first international hit and garned him his first recognition under his own name. The entire album was later released in 1988 on compact disc as part of his "Greatest Hits."
Another conceptual release under the moniker "Sumeria" came next in the summer of 1978. "Golden Tears" was similarly ambitious and the focus was on space, aliens and time travel. All popular themes in 1978 due to the success of "Close Encounters Of The Third Kind." The album had the usual elements of a Costandinos production, swirling strings, massive orchestration and superb craftmanship. Don Ray was back, as were "The Birds Of Paris," but Hawkshaw had left to start his own solo career. Future disco singer Chas Mills was included here, he would later score hits ("Love Triangle,"Love Explosion" and "Never Lover") as Christopher Mills in 1981-1982.
The album also featured one of the legendary voices of rock music, Tony Burrows. Burrows never had a hit under his own name, he holds the unusual honor (you can look it up in the Guiness Book of Records) of having four records in the British Top Ten at once — all under different names. The British session vocalist sang Edison Lighthouse's "Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)," White Plains' "My Baby Loves Lovin'," the Pipkins' ridiculous "Gimme DatDing," and the Brotherhood Of Man's "United We Stand," all of which were big hits in both the US and UK in 1970. He entered the Top Ten again in 1974 with his lead on First Class' "Beach Baby." This album also produced Alec's first 12" single, "Why Must There Be An End/Golden Tears."
Another of Alec R. Costandinos' one-off albums in 1978, "Paris Connection" finds the superstar Euro-disco producer taking a rather hands-off role as sometimes-collaborator Raymond Knehnetsky handles the arrangements and much of the composing. This album is notable for its Euro-disco versions of "You've Lost That Loving Feeling" and "Unchained Melody," which are featured in a side-two medley. Recorded at Trident Studios, Lansdowne Studios, and Air Studios in London, this album wasn't a success upon its release in 1978, nor was it intended to be.
Soon Costandinos was writing the hit theme song to the Casablanca-affiliated disco film "Thank God It's Friday" and contributing another hit song, "You're The Most Precious Thing In My Life," to the film's soundtrack. Both under his Love And Kisses moniker. This would not be his only taste of composing and producing soundtrack music. The soundtrack, more successful than the movie, garnered him a Gold record and another international hit. It also produced his second and third 12" singles, again only as a promotional items. 1978 marked yet another prolific year and his most commercially successful.
Simultaneously, he continued releasing albums as Love & Kisses — "How Much, How Much I Love You" (1978) proved to be their biggest seller ever and the title cut was an instant number one dance floor classic. Most of side two is devoted to "Beauty And The Beast," Alec's cheesy 14-minute disco adaptation of the fairy tale. Costandinos was never one to shy away from camp. Side two ends on a surprising note with "Maybe," a decent, if unremarkable, pop ballad that is a major departure from the sort of hyper Eurodisco Love and Kisses was known for. Once again Alec and "The Birds Of Paris" did the vocal duties while Hawkshaw was back at the keyboards and Don Ray was off on his own career.
Having tasted soundtrack success, Alec was brought in to score and produced the soundtrack to "Trocadero BleuCitron (Trocadero Lemon Blue)" a french family film about a 10-year old skateboarder and his first love, which oddly had a danceable soundtrack. The blue-vinyl album and film went nowhere fast.
Costandinos' attempt to succeed the success of his "Romeo & Juliet" album from a year earlier, "HunchbackOfNotre Dame" wasn't nearly as successful. The album's high-brow sensibilities hamper its dancefloor accessibility, resulting in a frustrating compromise. Granted, there are some impressive moments here, and you can truly sense the album's ambitions, but no matter which way you look at it, this album was a disappointment following the brilliance of earlier albums.
Subtitled "A Musical Fantasy," "Winds Of Change" was yet another soundtrack effort by the prolific Euro-disco producer. Nowhere near as acclaimed or successful as his landmark soundtrack to "Thank God It's Friday,""Winds Of Change" was arranged and conducted by Raymond Knehnetsky, the same guy who collaborated with Costandinos on the 1978 "Paris Connection" project and the soundtrack to "Trocadero Bleu Citron." The movie was an animated series of Greek myths narrated by Peter Ustinov.The soundtrack features Pattie Brooks on the track "Red Hot River Of Fire" and Arthur (John & Arthur Simms) Simms on the others. It's fairly apparent with this album that Costandinos' enthusiasm was beginning to wane.
Love and Kisses pleasantly surprised disco audiences by doing some of its best work on its third and final album "You Must Be Love." Perhaps the fact that commercial radio was receptive to the "Thank God It's Friday" single inspired producer/songwriter Costandinos to streamline Love and Kisses and make the group a bit more radio-friendly — none of the three songs on Side 1. last over eight minutes. Side 1, in fact, contains some of Love and Kisses' most memorable work, including the delightfully Euro-trashy "Ooh La La La La," the Latin-flavored "YourMiddle Name Is Money" and the Gino Vannelli—ish adult contemporary ballad "Find Yourself A Dream." Side 2 is devoted entirely to the 16-minute title song, a shorter edited 12" single helped promote the album and propell it to a top ten dance floor hit. Raymond Knehnetsky helped with arrangements and conducting. Vocals were by Alec, the birds, Arthur Simms, and Katie Kissoon. Kissoon was between hits, having scored her first with brother Mac (Gerald) in 1971 with "Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep" and her future hit "I Need A Man In My Life" didn't come until 1984.
The final album Alec R. Costandinos would release on Casablanca before quickly fading into oblivion, "TheSynchophonic Orchestra Featuring Alirol And Jacquet" isn't one of his more notable efforts. In fact, it's not much of an effort at all. Costandinos wrote a few of the album's songs and mostly conducted the efforts of Alirol and Jacquet. It, of course, wouldn't be a Costandinos album without some sort of concept or theme, and here there are two different moods on each side: side one is dancefloor-orientated, while side two is bedroom-orientated. Still, this isn't exactly a novel concept, and you can't help but feel that Costandinos is less than inspired after having churned out a multitude of releases in the preceding two years. One more album in 1981, "Americana" released on RCA, came and went without notice.
see my attachment/Robert

[remicks]

Originally Posted by dancer5612004

I cheated.

tsk tsk dancer5482498567 !!

Cheatin' ain't payin' ( this time ) :-P:-P:-P............

My answer ain't in there !!!! :p:p:p

:lol::lol::lol:


?????

*****

[remicks]

*****

keep in mind .... what is being sought here is Alec R. Costandino's first disco chart appearance.8)

CLUE :
Marky's consensus chart is currently reviewing July 1976 ....
and by then Costandinos debut song has already come ... and gone .... ;-):roll:;-)

????


*****

[Salsoul1975]

Two of the oiseaux de Paris, the aforementioned Sue Glover and Sunny Leslie, were background vocalists on Donna Summer's A Love Trilogy and The Four Seasons Of Love albums.

[tony98]

I found my copy of Thank god it'sfriday in my chaotic filing system what's next to it is The Heart and Soul Orchestra - Love in c minor - on Casablanca what a good version it is.

[remicks]

Originally Posted by remicks

*****


CLUE :
Marky's consensus chart is currently reviewing July 1976 ....
and by then Costandinos debut song has already come ... and gone .... ;-):roll:;-)

and I mean long gone .....

FINAL CLUE :

Just reviewed Marky's TOP 463 disco songs of 1975 and its on there .... ......


????


*****

[shenkin2001]

:roll:
Street People

Never Get Enough Of Your Love ?