Nick Santo, lead singer of The Capris, 69
David Carson
Sunday, January 02, 2011
Nick Santo of the Capris Passes Away
Nick Santo (born Nick Santamaria), of the vocal group the Capris, passed
away on Thursday [30 December 2010] from cancer at the age of 69. He had
been suffering from the disease for the last few years.
The Capris were formed in Ozone Park, NY in 1957 by Santo, Rosario Morice,
Mike Mincieli, Frank Reina, Vinnie Naccarto and John Cassese. All were in
their mid-teens and attended area high schools where they would perform
along with churches and other venues.
The next year, they found a producer and went into the studio for the
first time (Morice was no longer a member of the group). The first song
cut would eventually also be their signature hit, There's a Moon Out
Tonight, but the original issue on Planet Records went nowhere until a
collector purchased a copy at the Times Square Record Shop. The
collector, Jerry Greene, would form Lost Nite Records with his friends and
reissue the song in 1960. A near instant hit in its new incarnation, Lost
Nite would have to turn the record over to Hy Weiss' Old Town Records to
meet the production and distribution demands.
Unfortunately, the group disbanded when the song didn't take off and Nick
went into the army, returning home just as the song was breaking on the
radio. Calls frantically went around to all the members who quit their
jobs and, within a week, the group was playing at the Apollo and other New
York venues. By early 1961, they were on American Bandstand and the song
made its chart ascent to number 3 nationally.
The Capris continued to issue record over the next two years but only
three made the national charts and they never again got above number 74.
Nick left the group in 1962 and tried a solo career which didn't work out,
so he became a New York city police officer.
Twenty years later, Santo formed a new version of the group who recorded
the album There's a Moon Out Again for Ambient Sound Records. The album
contained Morse Code of Love, a song that Nick had started in 1961 but
didn't finish until the 1982 recording. The record sounded so authentic
to the 50's sound that stations started putting it in oldies rotations.
It also went on to become a minor hit for the Manhattan Transfer.
In 1999, the group appeared on Doo Wop 50, the PBS special that kicked off
the reunion shows that run to this day during pledge drives. They were
inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2007, the same year Nick
disbanded the group (a new version has since started).
Diner
> Twenty years later, Santo formed a new version of the group who recorded
> the album There's a Moon Out Again for Ambient Sound Records. The album
> contained Morse Code of Love, a song that Nick had started in 1961 but
> didn't finish until the 1982 recording. The record sounded so authentic
> to the 50's sound that stations started putting it in oldies rotations.
> It also went on to become a minor hit for the Manhattan Transfer.
Ooooh, "Morse Code of Love"! What a fun, fun record.
-Tim