Don Randi (born February 25, 1937) is an American keyboard player, bandleader, and songwriter who was a member of the Wrecking Crew.
Don Randi | |
---|---|
Born | New York City, U.S. | February 25, 1937
Genres | Pop, rock, jazz |
Occupation(s) | Musician |
Instrument(s) | Keyboards |
Years active | 1956–present |
Don was born February 25, 1937, in New York City.[1] He was raised in the Catskill Mountains and studied classical music.[2] In 1954, he moved to Los Angeles and became a studio musician.[2] During the next year, he began working at record distribution company where he was influenced by jazz musicians, particularly Horace Silver.[3]
He began his career as a pianist and keyboard player in 1956, gradually establishing a reputation as a leading session musician. In the early 1960s, he was musician and arranger for record producer Phil Spector's Wall of Sound. He played piano on "These Boots Are Made For Walkin'" by Nancy Sinatra and on her albums, as well as being a member of her touring band for decades. He performed on the Beach Boys' "Good Vibrations" and "God Only Knows".[3] His piano can be heard on the Buffalo Springfield song "Broken Arrow". He claims to have played on over three hundred hit records, working with Linda Ronstadt (the harpsichord on "Different Drum"), Quincy Jones, Cannonball Adderley, Herb Alpert, Sarah Vaughan, Lee Hazlewood and Frank Zappa.[3] He recorded live albums of piano jazz as a solo performer and as the leader of the Don Randi Trio with Leroy Vinnegar and Mel Lewis.[2] Randi wrote film scores during the 1970s, including Bloody Mama (1970), Up in the Cellar (1970), J. W. Coop (1972), Stacey (1973), and Santee (1973).
In 1970, he opened The Baked Potato jazz club in Studio City, California, and formed Don Randi and Quest as the house band. The band recorded over 15 albums and was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1980 for the album New Baby.[3] In 2010, the Baked Potato was named Best Jazz Club by Los Angeles magazine.[4]
In 2008, as a member of the Wrecking Crew, Randi was inducted into the Hollywood RockWalk.[5][6]
With David Axelrod
With others
Based on information from Randi’s book, You’ve Heard These Hands.[7]
Charting for singles is on the US singles charts.[8]
Artist | Title | Date & highest position on US charts |
Miscellaneous |
---|---|---|---|
The Beach Boys | “God Only Knows” | #39, 9/17/66 | |
The Beach Boys | “Good Vibrations" | #1, 10/29/66 | |
The Beach Boys | “Help Me Rhonda" | # 1, 5/01/65 | |
The Beach Boys | “Wouldn't It Be Nice" | #8, 8/20/65 | |
Buffalo Springfield | “Broken Arrow” | Released 11/18/67 | produced and arranged by Jack Nitzsche |
Glen Campbell | “I'm Not Gonna Miss You” | released on September 30, 2014 | for the soundtrack to the documentary Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me, the last song Campbell recorded |
The Crystals | “He's a Rebel" | #1, 10/06/62 | produced by Phil Spector, #2 R&B[9] |
The Crystals | “Da Doo Ron Ron” | #3, 5/11/63 | # 5 R&B [citation needed] |
The Crystals | "Then He Kissed Me" | #6, 8/31/63 | #8 R&B [citation needed] |
Sammy Davis Jr. | “The Candy Man” | #1, 10/6/72 | |
Neil Diamond | “Cracklin' Rosie” | #1, 8/29/70 | |
Lesley Gore | “It’s My Party" | #1, 5/18/63 | #1 R&B,[citation needed] produced by Quincy Jones, arranged byJack Nietzsche |
The Jackson 5 | “ABC" | #1, 3/21/70 | #1 R&B[citation needed] |
Jan and Dean | “Popsicle” | #21, 6/18/66 | |
Ben E. King | “Spanish Harlem“ | #10, 1/30/61 | #15 R&B[citation needed] |
Dean Martin | “Everybody Loves Somebody” | #1, 7/11/64 | |
Barry McGuire | "Eve of Destruction"[10] | #1, 8/28/65 | |
Jack Nitzsche | “The Lonely Surfer” | #39, 9/7/63 | |
Laura Nyro | “Save the Country” | ||
The Paris Sisters | “I Love How You Love Me” | #5, 10/2/61 | |
Ray Peterson | “Corinna, Corinna” | #9, 12/19/60 | |
Elvis Presley | “A Little Less Conversation" | ||
Gary Puckett & The Union Gap | “Young Girl" | #2, 3/16/68 | |
Gary Puckettt and the Union Gap | “Lady Willpower” | #2, 6/22/68 | |
The Righteous Brothers | “You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" | #1, 12/26/64 | #2 R&B [citation needed] |
The Righteous Brothers | “Ebb Tide” | #5, 12/11/65 | #13 R&B[citation needed] |
The Righteous Brothers | “Unchained Melody” | #4, 7/31/65 | #6 R&B[citation needed] |
The Ronettes | Be My Baby | #7, 4/30/66 | #4[citation needed] |
Diana Ross | “Touch Me in the Morning” | #1, 7/7/73 | #5 R&B[citation needed] |
Frank and Nancy Sinatra | “Somethin' Stupid” | #1, 3/25/67 | |
Nancy Sinatra | “These Boots Are Made for Walkin'” | #1, 2/5/66 | |
Nancy Sinatra | "How Does That Grab You, Darlin'?" | #7, 4/30/66 | |
Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood | “Jackson” | # 14, 7/8/67 | |
O.C. Smith | “The Son of Hickory Holler's Tramp” | #40, 4/20/68 | #32 R&B[citation needed] |
Sonny and Cher | “I Got You Babe” | #1, 7/31/65 | #19 R&B [citation needed] |
The Spiral Staircase | “More Today Than Yesterday” | #12, 5/3/69 | |
Stone Poneys | “Different Drum” | #13, 12/9/67 | lead vocals Linda Ronstadt |
Hank Williams Jr. | “Family Tradition” |
A list of notable albums that Randi played on.[7][11]