Carmine D'Amico

Introduction:  Carmine D'Amico is a studio and performance musician who has an outstanding musical legacy and credits that are too numerous to cover totally in this biographical sketch. His skills have been showcased on stage, on records, in movie and television soundtracks, and on commercials that most but the youngest of us have heard and taken for granted. As a multi-Grammy winner, Carmine represents the "old school" of music, in which the ability to successfully play one's part has been the key to outstanding performance. In today's music world, where it is sometimes sufficient to merely know a few chords and licks in order to make a recording, Carmine stands out as a true student of music and an incredible talent whose flexibility and talent are now legendary!

          "Make each note a diamond."   That's what my father, Joseph D'Amico, said to me when I was seven years old and he gave me the choice of playing either the piano or the guitar, and I've never forgotten those words. He told me not to be concerned about how many notes I played when I would solo, but that each note must have meaning. He would sit with me every night teaching me various musical styles, reading skills, guiding me and encouraging me to be the best musician I could be. Joe D'Amico was a perfectionist and he instilled that quality in me. Sometimes it's a burden, but it's always motivating.

          My brother, Chris, was four years younger than I was. He started on guitar, then changed, first to the upright bass (it was taller than he was), and then switched to one of the first Fender Precision electric basses. We formed a band with 2 horns, a drummer and a girl singer. We called ourselves The Glens. We worked at local parties, bars and weddings. We even joined the musician's union before we reached our teens. When I was 9 years old, Chris and I ditched school to go to the Brill Building, the mecca of music in NYC, and recorded a demo. There, we met Teddy Randazzo, composer of "Goin' Out Of My Head." Later in life, we became good friends and still correspond to this day. At that time, he suggested that Chris and I see a man down the hall, named Leo Rogers, who listened to some songs I had composed. He told me that he was putting together a band, called The Royal Teens. We recorded "Who Wears Short Shorts," and it became a big hit. We were signed to Capitol Records. The Teens went on tour. We did American Bandstand with Dick Clark, The Allen Fried Show, Soul Train, as well as concerts. Leo called my parents and asked for permission for me to travel to Europe with the group. Mom Rose said, "No." Leo even offered to hire a tutor to travel with me so that I didn't miss school, but the answer was still no. I wound up doing "50's" hit records at ages 9, 10, 11 with the Shirelles, Connie Francis, Fabian, Frankie Avalon, etc.

          When I was in school, I won scholarships to both high school and college. I graduated valedictorian of Trinity High School with a 99.9 average. I found myself pre-med because dad, not confident that anyone could make a living in the music business, wanted me to be a doctor. However, when the professors found me composing songs during my classes, they suggested that I do what really made me happy. Dad never anticipated that Chris and I would become two of the top studio musicians in NYC.

          I left medical school and transferred to Queens College as a music major. Despite the fact that I was not in class more was because I was touring with a variety of performers, including Tammy Grimes, Liza Minelli, Ed Ames, etc.  I managed to graduate with an A average and received my B.A. in Music Education and a "1-A" draft classification after I lost my student deferment. I was fortunate to be accepted into the Army dance band, not knowing I was going to be stationed in Viet Nam and Guam, working with Bob Hope and a wide variety of performers working with him on USO shows.

          I returned after my tour of duty and resumed my career. While with Ed Ames, I recorded two of his big hits, "Try To Remember," and "My Cup Runneth Over." Ed got called to co-host with Mike Douglas on his nationwide television show and brought me along with him. Joe Harnell asked me to continue as staff guitarist on the show, where I remained for about 3 years. At the same time, I met Emory Davis, son of society band leader Meyer Davis. I worked for Emory doing society parties all over the world. Emory took over as contractor of the Westbury Music Fair, where I worked with Bobby Darrin ("Mack, the Knife"), Sergio Franchi, Patti Austin, Englebert Humperdinck (with whom I recorded "After The Loving"), Vic Damone, Manhattan Transfer, Shirley Maclaine, Henry Mancini, Michele Legrande, Bernadette Peters, The Pointer Sisters, The O'Jays, Jack Jones, Lainie Kazan, Elisa Kashi, and Connie Francis. I have been fortunate to work with some of the finest musicians in the world, including: Bernard Purdie, Steve Gadd, Lionel Hampton, Teo Macero, Bob Cranshaw, Tom Barney, John Faddis, Lou Marini, John Frosk, Doc Severinsen, Jack French, Angelo Baddalemente (composer of the theme song for the TV show, "Twin Peaks), Ron Carter, Vinnie Bell, Max Loving, Tom Malone, John Tropea, Elliott Randall, Boris Kazlow (leader of "The New Charlie Mingus Big Band"), Michael Hinton, and my favorite, Chris D'Amico, my late brother and bassist to the stars, and so many fine
musicians too numerous to name.

          My old friend, Teddy Randazzo, called me for an album for Walter Murphy, called "A Fifth Of Beethoven."  Through Teddy and Walter Murphy, I wound up doing all the music for "Saturday Night Fever" with the Bee Gees. Walter also called me to do the movie, "Killer Bees." Teddy called me for two albums with the Stylistics. We recorded hits, such as "You Make Me Feel Brand New," and "Betcha' By Golly, Wow." I also did albums with Eric Carman and Peter Lemongello. Teddy introduced me to his best friend, Lou Tobie, and I did four albums with Ray, Goodman and Brown, including the hits, "You Gotta' Be A Special Lady," "Happy Anniversary To You, and "Inside Of You," co-produced by Barbara Baker (wife of Mickey Baker of Mickey and Sylvia "Love Is Strange" fame) and Vinnie Castellano. Continuing with Lou Tobie, I recorded albums with Stephanie MIlls, Vanessa Williams, Patti LaBelle, Freyda Payne, Tina Turner, Ben Vereen, and all of the Sugar Hills Productions, the Motown of New York.

          An old Queens College schoolmate of mine, Marvin Hamlisch, composer of "Chorus Line" and the theme song from the movie "Ice Castles," called me to do a concert tour with him, where I wound up working with Mel. Torme. In the same period, Tony Cabot, bandleader of the Rainbow Room at the Top of the Sixes, introduced me to John Dankworth, alto and clarinet player and husband of Cleo Laine. We played a concert at Carnegie Hall which was recorded and won a Grammy for "Best Jazz Album of the Year - 1976." At the same time, I was doing concerts with Shirley Bassey, Ben Vereen, Josephine Baker, and was introduced to Leonard Bernstein, who was then conductor of the New York Philharmonic. I was asked to played guitar on "Leonard Bernstein's Mass," which was recorded live at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.    Judy Hart Angelo, composer of the theme for the TV show, "Cheers," called me to play for the main them and incidental music. I also played guitar on and off camera for the "Kate and Ally Show," videotaped live out of the Ed Sullivan Theater in NYC.  Angelo DiPippo, arranger and accordianist, called me to play mandolin and guitar in the movie (the wedding scene) and for the soundtrack of "The Godfather," along with albums for Rodney Dangerfield, Dom DeLuise, James Darren, Jimmy Roselli, Al Martino, Julius LaRosa, Tony Bennett, Mary Costa, Jan Pierce, and Trini Lopez. During this same period, I was doing thousands of TV and radio commercials, such as: Miller Beer, Coca-Cola, Pepsi Cola, Budweiser, Kodak, 7-Eleven, Oscar Meyer, Tuscan Farms with Buddy Hackett, etc.

          With Yarone Gershovsky, conductor, arranger and pianist for Manhattan Transfer, we co-wrote two episodes of "The Equalizer" for television. I wrote two original commercials for Snapple beverages, and assorted compositions for MUSAK. The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS), the Grammies, voted me "Most Valuable Guitar Player" in both 1986 and 1987. To this date, I have a total of 11Grammy Awards.

          As the music business changes and evolves, I am producing, composing, arranging and recording for a variety of musical styles and artists, including my own CD titled "The Carmine D'Amico Ensemble," featuring on vocals, my loving wife and inspiration, Ronee. The ending of this bio has yet to be experienced or written. More to come!

NOTE:  A partial discography is listed at the following link.  Carmine's new CD is available by internet before the stores get them. THE CARMINE D'AMICO ENSEMBLE is a mixture of commercial jazz-rock with horns and Carmine's guitar work, and can be ordered via email at: guitaroholic@yahoo.com. There is more description of the CD on Carmine's website: 

studioguitarist.tripod.com/STUDIOGUITARIST2/.

Soundsamples are here:

http://www.mp3.com/CARMINEDAMICOENS

CARMINE D'AMICO ENSEMBLE Reviewed
By Joel Pirard

 "ANGEL REMIX"
CD CARMINE D'AMICO ENSEMBLE
COMPOSED BY S.DACHS ARRANGED BY CARMINE D'AMICO,JOE D'AMICO/DRUMS/P.SEPTIMUS/KEYS/BORIS KOZLOW/BASS