The Videls (2)  (Rhode Island)


Personnel :

Norman Marzano

Peter "Anders" Andreoli 

Vincent Poncia

Bobby Calitri

Herbert Rickey


Discography :

1959 - Be My Girl / A place In My Heart (Rhody 2000/Medieval 203)
1960 - Mr Lonely / I'll Forget You (JDS 504)
1960 - Now That Summer Is Here / She's Not Coming Home (Tic Tac Toe/JDS 5005)
1960 - I'll Keep On Waiting / Street OfLove (Kapp 361)
1961 - A Letter From Anne / This Year's Mister New (Kapp 405)
1963 - We Belong Together / It's All Over (Musicnote 117)

Biography :

In 1956, While a student at Mount Pleasant High School, Peter Anders replaces Donald Baker as the lead singer in the original Videls, joining Norman Marzano, Bobby Calitri, Maurice “Jimmy Boo” Bouchard, Dino Amaral and guitarist John Corsi in the group. Their sound is  based on the classic five-part harmonies of the popular doo-wop groups.

The original Videls 1957 : John Corsi, Bobby Calitri, Dino Amaral, Frank Bianchini, Norman Marzano, Peter Andreoli

Jimmy Bouchard soon steps aside assuming a managerial role and relinquishing his place to Frank Bianchini. The group makes quick headway into the local music scene and within the year, Peter convinces his friend and on-the-side collaborator, Vini Poncia, to join The Videls as vocalist, musical director and guitarist replacing Corsi. Bianchini departs shortly after that leaving the group in its classic five-piece lineup.

The Videls 1960: Norman Marzano, Peter Anders, Vini Poncia, Bobby Calitri, Herbert Rickey

The Videls steadily increase their fan base and make fast progress musically. They become one of the top acts on the Rhode Island teen scene performing at school dances and proms, CYO (Catholic Youth Organization) gatherings, private functions and occasionally (though underaged) in nightclubs.

It was around this time that Peter adopts the anglicized version of his surname as his stage name: Peter Anders. In the summer of 1958, the group’s manager, Jimmy Bouchard, secures a record deal with a local label, Rhody Records, run by building contractor Joe Criscione. Their first record, “Place In My Heart” backed with “Be My Girl , becomes a local smash selling over 5000 copies and reaching #1 on the local charts toward the end of the year.

The Videls become the area’s top attraction performing at larger and larger venues to bigger and bigger crowds. They continue to progress musically and it was during this time that Peter and Vini form their song writing partnership. At this point, Dino Amaral leaves the group to join another local doo-wop group, The Corals, with the Mancini Brothers (Joe and Richard) and Louie Camp (later one of the area’s top saxophonists). He was replaced by Herbert Rickey.

 The Videls "road" group: Norman Marzano, Bobby Calitri & Joe Mancini (left to right), Richard Mancini (seated)

This final Videls lineup lasts until the breakup of the group. Encouraged by the Rhode Island-based hit songwriter Jimmie Crane and armed with a connection to Lucky Carle, a Rhode Island native then working for the large music publishing firm Peer-Southern in New York, the boys begin to make frequent forays into the city to hawk their wares as performers and writers. This quickly pays off in the form of a contract with JDS Records, a division of the powerful Kapp Records empire.

Their first national release, “Mr. Lonely”, an Anders & Poncia original, becomes a big hit while Vini is still in high school and the group is whisked off directly after his graduation ceremony to join Dick Clark’s Caravan Of Stars tour which includes an appearance on American Bandstand.  The Videls never charted another single, but two of their members became reasonably successful songwriters and charted regularly for much of the rest of the '60s. Andreoli, who changed his last name to Anders, and Poncia, found much greater success during the early '60s as songwriters in association with Phil Spector, co-authoring such future classics by the Ronettes as "Do I Love You?" and "(The Best Part Of) Breaking Up."

The Tradewinds

This led to their signing to Red Bird, where they scored under the alias the Tradewinds, with "New York's a Lonely Town," which made the top 40. They later hit again in a small way as the Tradewinds with the single "Mind Excursion," and even got a full LP release out of it on the fledgeling Kama Sutra label.
http://peteranders.net/timeline/

Songs :

   
Be My Girl                        A Place In My Heart                    Mr Lonely

   
I'll Forget You                Now That Summer Is Here       She's Not Coming Home

   
I'll Keep On Waiting                   Street Of Love               A Letter From Anne

 
We Belong Together              It's All Over

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