Teddy Randazzo - Hit-making Years

Hit-making Years

Randazzo wrote a string of major hits for other artists with composing partner, Bobby Weinstein, including "Pretty Blue Eyes", a top ten hit for Steve Lawrence. He penned many songs for Little Anthony and the Imperials, producing and arranging several albums for the group in the mid-60s. The hit songs included "Goin' Out of My Head" (#6 Pop, #22 R&B), which was covered by numerous artists including The Zombies and Frank Sinatra; "Hurt So Bad" (#10 Pop, #3 R&B), which was covered by The Lettermen (#12 in 1969), as well as Linda Ronstadt who took it to #8 in 1980; and the Imperials' Top 20 hits, "I'm On The Outside (Looking In)" and "Take Me Back". The Lettermen combined "Goin' Out of My Head" with Frankie Valli's hit, "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" in a medley which reached #7 in 1968.

He arranged and produced two albums on MGM Records with Baltimore girl group, The Royalettes including the Top 50 hit "It's Gonna Take A Miracle" in 1965. He gave the group a big production sound with a full orchestra (compared to sparer instrumentation for Little Anthony recordings), but despite critical acclaim and good reviews for their live shows, the group failed to achieve a major commercial success. "I Want To Meet Him", the follow-up in 1966, reached the Hot 100 and the Top 30 R&B charts. "Miracle" was revived in 1982 by Deniece Williams, who took it to the number 1 R&B spot and #10 in the Hot 100.

All of the 27 songs that Randazzo produced on the two albums, plus another issued on single, appeared on a CD retrospective of the Royalettes' complete MGM output released by UK label, RPM in late 2010.

Many of Randazzo's tunes became pop classics, recorded by a gamut of industry giants from Ella Fitzgerald to (as mentioned previously) Frank Sinatra. "I've lost count on how many versions there are", Randazzo once said of "Goin' Out Of My Head". It is now included in the Top 50 most recorded songs with sales of over 100 million by over 400 artists, according to the Songwriters' Hall Of Fame.

Randazzo wrote "Yesterday Has Gone", which was recorded by UK band Cupid's Inspiration in 1968 and climbed to #4 in the UK pop chart. Later, he provided several songs for albums by New York soul group, The Manhattans, during their 1970s' hey-day, including the 1977 hit, "It Feels So Good To Be Loved So Bad" (#6 R&B, #66 Pop), "There's No Good In Goodbye", "A Million To One" to name a few. He also wrote and produced for The Stylistics. Albums include "Fashionably Yours" and "Love Spell." At this time, Teddy co-wrote songs with his then girlfriend, Victoria Pike and songwriters Roger Joyce and Souren Mozian.

During the early and mid 60's, Randazzo toured extensively with his own band appearing at the Copacabana, New York, Hotel Americana, San Juan and regularly at the Thunderbird Hotel, Las Vegas. Band members included renowned musicians: Larry Taylor, Gerry McGee, Tommy Boyce, Bobby Hart, Vince Megna, Billy Lewis, Kenny Rankin, Bobby Weinstein and Billy Barberis.