Tony Orlando and Dawn

This article is about the pop group. For the Swedish black metal band, see Dawn (metal band).

Tony Orlando and Dawn
The group at the premiere of their television show, 1974.
Background information
Also known as	Dawn Dawn featuring Tony Orlando
Origin	New York City, New York, United States
Genres	Pop
Years active	1970–1977
Labels	Bell, Elektra
Past members
Tony Orlando Telma Hopkins Joyce Vincent Pamela Vincent

Tony Orlando and Dawn was a pop music group that was popular in the 1970s. Their signature hits include "Candida", "Knock Three Times", "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree", and "He Don't Love You (Like I Love You)".

History

Tony Orlando was born Michael Anthony Orlando Cassavitis in April 1944.^[1] After almost a decade of singing and with only three Top 40 hits, two in 1961 and another in 1969 as the lead singer for the studio group Wind, he had not had any further successes. He stopped singing entirely, and by 1970 he was a retired cover singer. He began publishing music for April-Blackwood Music, a division of Columbia Records, instead.

A song was given to Orlando titled "Candida," and was brought to him after being turned down by other producers and singers. Orlando was not able to originally lend his name to the song as he was working for April-Blackwood, and recording under his own name would be a professional conflict of interest. After an insistence by producer Hank Medress that he dub his voice over the male vocals on the original track, the single was released on Bell Records as being performed by the band "Dawn" in order to protect his position.

The background singers on the track were Sharon Greane, Linda November, Jay Siegel, and Toni Wine, who co-wrote the song. Phil Margo played drums on the original session and the arranger was Norman Bergen. After the single hit #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart (#1 on the Cashbox Top 100), Orlando wanted to start performing again. Together as the new band they then recorded the follow-up song "Knock Three Times" which also became to a major hit.^[2]

Bell Records, who distributed the single, was desperate to have a real-life act to promote "Dawn"'s records. Tony asked former Motown/Stax backing vocalists Telma Hopkins and Joyce Vincent Wilson to become Dawn. They then went on the road after "Candida" climbed the charts and "Knock Three Times" followed, eventually hitting #1 in early 1971. After a tour of Europe, Telma and Joyce assumed background vocal duties in the studio as well. They were joined in the studio by Joyce's sister Pamela Vincent who in addition to singing arranged all the backing vocals. Prior touring commitments with Aretha Franklin prevented Pamela from appearing with Dawn on tour. The first single with their voices in the background was "Runaway/Happy Together" in 1972.

The group (now billed as 'Dawn featuring Tony Orlando') released another single in 1973 and it almost immediately became their next #1 single - "Tie a Yellow Ribbon 'Round the Ole Oak Tree." In terms of sales, this single was the most successful in the group's career.

Period of group's variety show

The group's next single, "Say, Has Anybody Seen My Sweet Gypsy Rose" (from their concept album Dawn's New Ragtime Follies) went to #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. CBS gave the group a television variety show in the summer of 1974, after The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour ended its run. The show was in the same vein as its predecessor (with sketches featuring sarcastic back-and-forth banter between Orlando with Hopkins and Wilson, similar to the sarcastic dialogue between Sonny and Cher), and became a Top 20 hit. It ran until December 1976.

With a new name ("Tony Orlando and Dawn") and a new record label (Elektra), the group continued their string of hit singles during the show's run hitting the Top 10 on the Hot 100 and/or adult contemporary charts including "He Don't Love You (Like I Love You)" (a reworking of Jerry Butler's "He Will Break Your Heart") which went to #1. A remake of the Sam Cooke song "Cupid", was the group's last Top 40 single on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1976.^[3] "Sing" reached #7 on the Adult Contemporary Chart in 1977 and was the last Tony Orlando & Dawn single until 1991's "With Ev'ry Yellow Ribbon (That's Why We Tie 'Em)". The group went their separate ways later in 1977.

Later career

They reformed in 1988 for a five-week tour that wound up lasting into 1993 with Pamela finally becoming a visible Dawn member stepping in whenever Telma was fulfilling her television obligations.

Orlando is still a popular appearance performer on tour regularly with the Lefty Brothers and Toni Wine. Hopkins made a very successful acting career for herself in series like Bosom Buddies, Gimme a Break, Family Matters, and Half and Half. Joyce and Pamela Vincent continue a prolific career as session singers. A DVD compilation from the variety series was released in 2005 along with the group's catalog of albums on CD. Tony Orlando & Dawn released A Christmas Reunion that same year. Publicity events for those releases marked the first time Telma, Joyce, and Pamela appeared onstage together. Toni Wine also participated in those shows. The group was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2008. Tony Orlando & Dawn occasionally reunites for television and benefit performances. In 2009 Joyce Vincent joined Scherrie Payne and Lynda Laurence's, Former Ladies of The Supremes' group. She continues to tour and perform to enthusiastic audiences all over the world.

Discography

Albums

• Candida (1970)
• Dawn Featuring Tony Orlando (1971)
• Tuneweaving (1973)
• Dawn's New Ragtime Follies (1973)
• Tie a Yellow Ribbon (1973)
• Prime Time (1974)
• Candida & Knock Three Times (1974)
• Tony Orlando & Dawn II (1974)
• Golden Ribbons (1974)
• Greatest Hits (1975)
• He Don't Love You (Like I Love You) (1975)
• Skybird (1975)
• To Be With You (1976)
• The World of Tony Orlando & Dawn (1976)
• Christmas Reunion (2005)

Hit singles

• 1970 "Candida" #3 US (Gold); #9 UK; #8 AC
• 1970 "Knock Three Times" b/ Home #1 US (Gold); #1 UK; # 2 AC
• 1971 "I Play and Sing" #25 US; #15 AC
• 1971 "Summer Sand" #33 US; # 9 AC
• 1971 "What Are You Doing Sunday" #39 US; #3 UK; # 23 AC
• 1972 "Runaway/Happy Together" #79 US
• 1972 "Vaya con Dios" #95 US; #37 AC
• 1972 "You're a Lady" #70 US
• 1973 "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Old Oak Tree" #1 US (Gold); #1 UK; #1 AC
• 1973 "Say, Has Anybody Seen My Sweet Gypsy Rose" #3 US (Gold); #12 UK (1974 release); #1 AC
• 1974 "Who's in the Strawberry Patch with Sally" #27 US; #37 UK; #3 AC
• 1974 "It Only Hurts When I Try To Smile" b/w She Can't Hold A Candle To You" #81 US; #36 AC
• 1974 "Steppin' Out (Gonna Boogie Tonight)" #7 US; #4 AC
• 1975 "Look in My Eyes Pretty Woman" #11 US; #6 AC
• 1975 "He Don't Love You (Like I Love You)" b/w "Pick It Up" #1 US; #1 AC
• 1975 "Mornin' Beautiful" b/w "Dance Rosie Dance" #14 US; #2 AC
• 1975 "You're All I Need to Get By" b/w "I Know You Like A Book" (non-LP track) #34 US; #13 AC
• 1975 "Skybird" b/w "That's The Way A Wallflower Grows" #49 US; #7 AC
• 1976 "Cupid" b/w "You're Growing On Me" #22 US; #2 AC
• 1976 "Midnight Love Affair" b/w "Selfish One" #15 AC
• 1977 "Sing" b/w "Sweet As Candy" (non-LP track) #58 US; #7 AC

References

1. ^ Hyatt, Wesley (1999). The Billboard Book of #1 Adult Contemporary Hits (Billboard Publications), page 127.
2. ^ "Linda November and Artie Schroeck (contains clips of singing)" (audio). Ronnie Allen Show. December 2009. http://www.jerseygirlssing.com/Ronnie%20Allen%20Show%20--%20Linda%20November%20and%20Artie%20Schroeck.mp3. Retrieved June 15, 2011. 
3. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 8th Edition (Billboard Publications), page 472.

External links

• Tony Orlando Official Site