Lou Monte


Lou Monte was an Italian American singer best known for a number of best-selling, Italian-themed novelty records which he recorded for both RCA Victor and Reprise Records in the late 1950s and early 1960s, most famously "Lazy Mary" and the 1962/63 million-selling US single "Pepino the Italian Mouse", plus the seasonal track "Dominick the Donkey". He also recorded on Roulette Records, Jubilee Records, Regalia Records, Musicor Records, Laurie Records, and AFE Records.

Early life

Monte was born on April 2, 1917, in Manhattan to Italian immigrant parents, but his mother died when he was only two. He was raised in Lyndhurst, New Jersey, and he began performing at the age of fourteen. But success came slowly: by his own account, although he sang and played guitar in a number of clubs, he did not begin to gain a large following for about fifteen years.

Early career

By the early 1940s, he was performing in New York City, and he was also a headliner at several New Jersey clubs. But when World War II broke out, Monte had to put his career on hold and enlist in the Army. When he was discharged, he resumed playing in clubs, and got a break when he was hired by WAAT AM 970 in Newark, New Jersey, in 1948 to do his own show. This offered Monte a chance to refine his act and it helped him to gain a much larger audience. The station rewarded him by convincing its sister TV outlet, WATV/13, to give him some airtime.
Beginning with this exposure, Monte made a couple of recordings on local labels. Joe Carlton was an A&R for RCA Victor Records and heard him performing in a spaghetti joint south of Secaucus. He enjoyed his singing style and the way he accompanied himself on the guitar. He offered him a contract with RCA Victor which lasted seven years. Joe Carlton would go on to start Carlton Records.

Success

Monte's first big hit came in 1954, with the release of his version of "Darktown Strutters' Ball". In 1962, Monte released his first million-seller song, "Pepino the Italian Mouse", which was awarded a gold disc. Co-written by Ray Allen and Wandra Merrell and sung alternately in English and a pastiche of Calabrese, "Pepino the Italian Mouse" tells the humorous tale of a mischievous mouse who lives within the walls of a man's home and who pesters him by eating his cheese, drinking his wine and frightening his girlfriend. Arranged by Joe Reisman, who was Monte's longtime collaborator, the single is credited to Don Costa Productions. "Pepino" peaked at number five on Billboard's Hot 100 in mid-January and fared even better in certain markets, including Monte's native New York City, where the single spent two weeks at number one on WABC at the end of December.
The "flip side" of the single featured another Italian-American hybrid novelty song called "What Did Washington Say." The song presumes that George Washington was cold, tired, hungry and without a change of underwear on his famous trip. At one point in the song, "Washington" complains that the pizzas his wife Martha baked were as "cold as ice". His solution? "Sell them to the Indians for only half the price." He then asks his boatsmen to row faster because "tonight I'm posing for my picture on the dollar bill."
Monte's other famous novelty records include "Dominick the Donkey", a Christmas staple in many Italian-American households and "Pepino's Friend Pasqual ", the sequel to "Pepino" followed by "Paulucci, the Italian Parrot" and "Paul Revere's Horse ". "Lazy Mary", a remake of the Italian song "Luna Mezzo Mare", tells the tale of a conversation between a young woman who wishes to be married, and her mother. The somewhat risque song mixes English and Italian verses. The two use double entendre to compare the occupations with the sexual appetites of the various suitors. It peaked at number 12 on the U.S. Pop Singles chart. "Lazy Mary" is routinely played during the seventh inning stretch at New York Mets games, immediately after "Take Me Out To The Ballgame".
"Dominick the Donkey" has enjoyed more recent success in the UK, thanks to its extensive use on The Chris Moyles Show in reference to Newsbeat newsreader and regular show contributor Dominic Byrne during the Christmas season. During the week leading up to Christmas of 2011, the show suggested or hinted that users download the song from iTunes and Amazon. This led to the song being the number two song on iTunes between December 19–25, 2011. "Dominick the Donkey" reached number 3 in the midweek charts on 21 December 2011, before being confirmed at number 3 in the UK Official Christmas Chart for 2011, only beaten by the X-Factor winners and a charity record by the Military Wives. Dominic the Donkey did however outsell several rival chart campaigns most notably campaigns supporting Nirvana's rerelease of "Smells Like Teen Spirit", which made number 11, and unsigned YouTube blogger Alex Day, who reached number 4.
A portion of Monte's song "Skinny Lena" has notably been sampled into the They Might Be Giants track "Number Three."
Monte made TV appearances on syndicated programming such as The Mike Douglas Show, ''The Ed Sullivan Show and the Merv Griffin Show.''
Monte resided in Totowa, New Jersey, where his fan club was based. He contributed to the founding of the Lou Monte, Jr., leukemia laboratory at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, in memory of his son who died of the disease at age 21.
Monte's 1971 recording "I Have An Angel In Heaven" was highly popular in the late 1980s and early 1990s satellite radio version of the "Music Of Your Life."
Monte is interred in the Immaculate Conception Cemetery in Upper Montclair, New Jersey. After his death, his surviving son Ray continued to sing his songs in concert for some time. His son is a professional drummer who plays for many bands.

Discography

Singles

  • 1953 − Jealous of You / Angelina
  • 1953 − A Baby Cried / One Moment More
  • 1954 − Darktown Strutters Ball / I Know How You Feel
  • 1954 − Somewhere There Is Someone / Won't You Forgive Me
  • 1954 − Chain Reaction / Vera's Veranda
  • 1954 − Italian Huckle−Buck / Just Like Before
  • 1954 − When I Hold You In My Arms / In My Dreams
  • 1954 − Cats Whiskers / Roulette
  • 1955 − How Important Can It Be / Truly Yours
  • 1955 − The Italian Wallflower / Dream Boat
  • 1955 − Bella Notte / With You Beside Me
  • 1955 − Yaller Yaller Gold / King Of The River
  • 1955 − Tombolee Tombola / Rosina
  • 1955 − Santo Natale / Italian Jingle Bells
  • 1955–60 − The Long Way / Repeat These Words After Me
  • 1956 − Nina, The Queen of the Teeners / Pony Tail
  • 1956 − If I Knew You Were Coming I'd've Baked A Cake / Ask Your Heart
  • 1956 − Elvis Presley For President / If I Was A Millionaire
  • 1956 − Roman Guitar / Some Cloud Above
  • 1957 − Calypso Italiano / Someone Else Is Taking You Home
  • 1957 − Musica Bella / The Wife
  • 1957 − Ha! Ha! Ha! / Round and Round My Heart
  • 1958 − Lazy Mary / Angelique
  • 1958 − Eh Marie, Eh Marie / Sheik of Araby
  • 1958 − Marianna / Strada 'Nfosa
  • 1958 − Skinny Lena / Where Do You Work Marie
  • 1959 − Pizza boy−U.S.A. / The Italian Cowboy Song
  • 1959 − The Angel in The Fountain / Solo Per Te
  • 1959 − Pistol Packin` Mama / Have Another
  • 1959 − All Because it's Christmas / Santa Nicola
  • 1960 − Remember This Gumba / Guarda Che Luna
  • 1960 − Darktown Strutters’ Ball / Half A Love
  • 1960 − Bim Bam Bu / Oh, Oh, Rosie
  • 1960 − The Huckle−Buck / Always You
  • 1960 − Dominick The Italian Christmas Donkey / Christmas at Our House
  • 1960−61 − The Three Italian Bears / Come Prima*
  • 1961 − A Good Man is Hard to Find / Sixteen Tons
  • 1961 − Oh! My Pa−Pa, O Mio Papa / Tici Ti Tici To Tici Ta
  • 1961 − The Sheriff Of Sicily / Katareena
  • 1962 − Pepino The Italian Mouse / What Did Washington Say
  • 1962 − Twist Italiano / Oh Tessie
  • 1962 − Please Mr. Columbus / Addio, Addio
  • 1963 − Down Little Doggie / La Luna Si Cuole Sposare
  • 1963 − Pepino's Friend Pasqual / I Like You, You Like Me, Eh Paisan
  • 1963 − Bossa Nova Italiano / Limbo Italiano
  • 1963 − Paulucci / You're So Smart, You're So Smart, Eh Papa
  • 1963 − Who Stole My Provolone / Hootennany Italian Style
  • 1964 − A Baby Cried / Rooster And The Hen
  • 1964 − Hello Dolly / Jungle Louie
  • 1964 − Too Fat Polka / You're So Bella Isabella
  • 1964 − I Want To Hold Your Hand / My Paisans Across The Way
  • 1965 − Six O'Clock Supper / Mama Get The Hammer
  • 1965 − Oh Lonesome Me / Paul Revere's Horse
  • 1965 − I Know How You Feel / Mixed Up Bull From Palermo
  • 1965 − No, No Don't Cry, My Love / Don't Wish Your Heartbreak On Me
  • 1966 − Cheech the Cat / Makin' Whoopee
  • 1966 − Seventeen / Oh How I Miss You Tonight
  • 1967 − There'll Be Some Changes Made / When You Get What You Want
  • 1967 − Digga Digga Baby / A Girl, A Girl
  • 1967 − I Don't Play With Matches Anymore / All For The Kids*
  • 1968 − My Wife, The Dancer / Leaky Gondola
  • 1969 − Goombar Custer's Last Stand / Tattooed Susie
  • 1972 − I Really Don't Want To Know / I Have An Angel In Heaven
  • 1972 − She's Got To Be A Saint /
  • 1976 − Paul Revere's Horse / Jerusalem, Jerusalem
  • 1977 − Crabs Walk Sideways / Nicolina
  • 1981 − Shadda Up You Face / Lazy Mary
Promotion release to radio stations only.

EPs

Lou Monte Sings for You
RCA Victor EPA-4177
  1. Lazy Mary
  2. Don't Say Forever
  3. Mama
  4. Just Say I Love Her
Lazy Mary
RCA Victor EPA-5105
  1. Darktown Strutters Ball
  2. Lazy Mary
  3. Eh, Marie! Eh, Marie!
  4. Italian Huckle Buck
Lou Monte Darktown Strutters Ball
RCA Victor EPA-568
  1. A Baby Cried
  2. One Moment Please
  3. Darktown Strutters Ball
  4. Won't You Forgive Me
Pepino, the Italian Mouse & Other Italian Fun Songs
Reprise # R-6058 EP
  1. Pepino the Italian Mouse
  2. Twist Italiano
  3. What did Washington Say
  4. Please Mr. Columbus
  5. A Good Man is Hard to Find
  6. Mala Femmena
  7. Show Me the Way to Go Home