April Stevens (born Caroline Vincinette LoTempio; April 29, 1929 – April 17, 2023) was an American Grammy award-winning singer of traditional pop, best known for her collaborations with her younger brother, Nino Tempo, as Nino Tempo & April Stevens. Stevens was an inductee in the Niagara Falls Music Hall of Fame[2]
April Stevens | |
|---|---|
 Stevens in 1965 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Caroline Vincinette LoTempio |
| Born | April 29, 1929 Niagara Falls, New York, US |
| Died | April 17, 2023 (aged 93) Scottsdale, Arizona, US[1] |
| Genres | Pop rock |
| Occupation | Singer |
| Years active | 1951–1990 |
| Labels | |
| Formerly of | Nino Tempo & April Stevens |
| Website | ninoandapril |
Biography
editEarly life
editStevens was born in Niagara Falls, New York, as Caroline Vincinette LoTempio, to Samuel and Anna Lo Tempio, both descended from Italian immigrants from Sicily.[1]
Music career
editStevens began her recording career in 1951, aged twenty-two.[3] Her most popular solo recording was her RCA Victor rendition of "I'm in Love Again", written by Cole Porter. Accompanied by an orchestra arranged and conducted by Henri René, the song peaked at number 6 on the pop charts in 1951.[4] Her follow-up, "Gimme a Little Kiss, Will Ya, Huh?", made it to number 10 later that year, and her next release, "And So to Sleep Again", hit #27.[5]
Stevens returned to the US charts in 1959 with the song "Teach Me Tiger", which caused a minor uproar for its sexual suggestiveness and consequently did not receive airplay on many radio stations.[6] The song peaked at No. 86 on the Billboard Hot 100.[7]
Stevens was best known for her 1963 Atco recording of "Deep Purple" (music originally composed for piano[1] by Peter DeRose and lyrics by Mitchell Parish) with her brother Antonino LoTempio (singing under the stage name Nino Tempo).[8] A standard that Larry Clinton and his orchestra and band vocalist Bea Wain had popularized in 1939 and Bing Crosby also had a hit recording with,[1] the Stevens and Tempo version reached number 1 on the Hot 100 on November 16, 1963, and number 17 in the British charts. It featured an appearance by Glen Campbell, who played as a session musician.[1][9][10] The song won the 1963 Grammy Award for Best Rock and Roll Recording. It sold over one million copies and was certified Gold.[11] Nino and April never attained another number 1, as their style of jazz-influenced pop gave way to the British invasion, especially the Beatles.[1]
The duo enjoyed a 1964 follow-up hit in the US with the standard "Whispering" (music by Vincent Rose and lyrics by Richard Coburn and John Schonberger). The recording, which had an arrangement similar to their version of "Deep Purple", reached number 11 on the Hot 100 singles chart. They also had chart success with "All Strung Out", which reached number 26 on the American Hot 100 in 1966. Later that year, the single "The Coldest Night of the Year" was released on in the UK.[12] In December 1967, Stevens issued a double-sided single of "Wanting You" with "Falling in Love Again". "Wanting You" became a Northern soul classic.[13]
In the Netherlands, the duo enjoyed a No. 5 hit in early 1973 with their version of "(Where Do I Begin?) Love Story".[14][15]
Autobiography
editIn her 2013 autobiography, Teach Me Tiger, Stevens said she was born in 1929. She admitted to taking years off her age, and her brother, Nino, going along with it. This was supposedly due to their competition with younger performers who already dominated the record charts in the 1960s.[16]
Death
editStevens died in Scottsdale, Arizona[1] on April 17, 2023, at the age of 93.[17][18][2]
Grammy Award
edit- 1963 — Nino Tempo & April Stevens' rendition of "Deep Purple" received a Grammy Award for Best Rock & Roll Recording.[19]
Discography
editAlbums
edit- Teach Me Tiger (1960)
- Alone (1985)
- A Very Special Time (1989)
- Carousel Dreams (1990)
Singles
edit| Year | Titles (A-side, B-side) Both sides from same album except where indicated |
US | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1951 | "The Sweetest Day"[21] b/w "Don't Do It" |
Non-album tracks | |
| "Dreamy Melody" b/w "Gimme a Little Kiss, Will Ya Huh?" |
A Nino Tempo-April Stevens Program | ||
| "And So to Sleep Again"[22] b/w "Aw, C'mon" |
Non-album tracks | ||
| "Put Me in Your Pocket"[23] b/w "The Tricks of the Trade" |
A Nino Tempo-April Stevens Program | ||
| 1952 | "That Naughty Waltz"[24] b/w "I Like to Talk to Myself" |
Non-album tracks | |
| 1953 | "Treat Me Nice"[25] b/w "Hot Tamale" |
||
| 1959 | "Teach Me Tiger"[7] b/w "That Warm Afternoon" (Non-album track) |
86 | Teach Me Tiger |
| 1960 | "In Other Words"[26] b/w "Jonny" (Non-album track) |
||
| 1961 | "Love Kitten"[27] b/w "You and Only You" |
Non-album tracks | |
| 1962 | "That's My Name" b/w "Fly Me to the Moon" (Non-album track) |
Teach Me Tiger | |
| 1963 | "Deep Purple" b/w "I've Been Carrying a Torch for You So Long (That I Burned a Great Big Hole in My Heart)" |
1 | Deep Purple |
| 1964 | "Whispering" b/w "Tweedlee Dee" |
11 | Nino and April Sing the Great Old Songs |
| 1965 | "Teach Me Tiger-1965" b/w "Morning Til' Midnight" |
Non-album tracks | |
| "No Hair Sam" b/w "Lovin' Valentine" |
|||
| 1966 | "All Strung Out" b/w "I Can't Go On Living Baby Without You" |
26 | |
| 1967 | "Falling in Love Again" b/w "Wanting You" |
||
| 1974 | "Wake Up and Love Me" b/w "Gotta Leave You Baby" |
93 | |
| "Won't You Marry Me Again" b/w "Gotta Leave You Baby" |
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g Slotnik, Daniel E. (April 26, 2023). "April Stevens Dies at 93; Her 'Deep Purple' Became a Surprise Hit". New York Times.
- ^ a b Scheer, Mark (April 22, 2023). "Music world mourns loss of Falls native and Grammy winner April Stevens". Niagara Gazette. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
- ^ "Music world mourns loss of Falls native and Grammy winner April Stevens". Yahoo News. April 24, 2023. Retrieved April 24, 2023.
- ^ Lonergan, David (2004). Hit Records: 1950–1975. Scarecrow Press. p. 104. ISBN 978-0810851290.
- ^ "Nino Tempo and April Stevens". www.ninoandapril.com. Retrieved April 24, 2023.
- ^ Unterberger, Richie. "Nino Tempo & April Stevens Biography". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved April 29, 2015.
- ^ a b "April Stevens Teach Me Tiger! Import LP". Elusive Disc. Retrieved April 24, 2023.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits: Eighth Edition. Record Research. p. 625.
- ^ Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–2002
- ^ "Nino Tempo & April Stevens | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved April 24, 2023.
- ^ Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p. 167. ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
- ^ "April Stevens and Nino Tempo – Coldest Night of the Year / Ooh La La – Atlantic – UK – 584048". 45cat. May 10, 2012. Retrieved November 10, 2012.
- ^ "Wanting You April". 45cat.com. Retrieved November 10, 2012.
- ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 7, 1973". Retrieved August 7, 2009.
- ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 8, 1973". Retrieved August 7, 2009.
- ^ "April Stevens, 'Teach Me Tiger' & 'Deep Purple' Siren, Then and Now". groovyhistory.com. May 10, 2021. Retrieved April 30, 2022.
- ^ Niagara Falls native April Stevens dies. WGRZ. Retrieved April 19, 2023.
- ^ Crowther, Linnea (April 19, 2023). "April Stevens (1929–2023), Deep Purple singer with Nino Tempo". Legacy. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
- ^ "6th Annual Grammy Awards". National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. 1963. Retrieved April 29, 2015.
- ^ "Nino Tempo and April Stevens". www.ninoandapril.com. Retrieved April 24, 2023.
- ^ April Stevens; The Day Dreamers; The Lennon Bros.; Russ Garcia; L. Wolfe Gilbert; Don R. George (1951). "The Sweetest Day". Society. Retrieved April 24, 2023.
- ^ "LyricsVault: Flooding Server Error". www.lyricsvault.net. Retrieved April 24, 2023.
- ^ "Put Me in Your Pocket". His Master's Voice. Retrieved April 24, 2023.
- ^ "I Like to Talk to Myself/That Naughty Waltz (with vintage RCA company sleeve)". www.vinyl45s.com. Retrieved April 24, 2023.
- ^ "Treat Me Nice; Hot Tamale". National Museum of American History. Retrieved April 24, 2023.
- ^ "April Stevens: (EP) Teach me tiger / In other words / I want a lip / Do it again – View all Vinyl Records". www.goldenoldies.se. Retrieved April 24, 2023.
- ^ "Love kitten de April Stevens, 45T x 1 chez cdandlp". www.cdandlp.com (in French). Retrieved April 24, 2023.
External links
edit- Official website
- April Stevens at AllMusic
- April Stevens discography at Discogs
- April Stevens at IMDb