The Highlights (1) (Chicago)
Personnel :
Frank Pizani (Lead)
Frank Calzaretta
Tony Calzaretta
Bill Melshimer
Jerry Oleski
Discography :
Frank Devon
1955 - Cry Baby / Tic Toc Melody (George Rank And Orchestr) (Klick 1602)
The Highlights (1)
1956 - City Of Angels / Listen, My Love (Bally 1016)
1957 - To Be With You / Will I Ever Know? (Bally 1027)
1958 - Indiana Style / Turn Around Shoes (Bally 1044)
Frank Pizani
1957 - Angry / Every Time (Bally 1040)
1958 - Lisa The Tower Of Pisa / You're Breaking My Heart (Carlton 476)
1959 - Play A Slow One / So Goes My Love (Warwick 518)
Frank Pizani bb Harvey & The Moonglows (Uncredited)
1959 - Wanna Dance / It's No Fun (Afton 616)
1959 - Steady Cha Cha / The Stars Will Remember (Afton 617)
Frank Pisani
1959 - I Volunteer / If You Should Ever ( Argyle 1001)
Tony Calzaretta
1963 - Our Wedding Day / Tear Drops On My Pillow (Mal 1001)
Biography :
Born and raised in “The Patch” on Chicago’s Near Northwest Side, Frank Pizani graduated from Holy Rosary Grade School, St. Mel High School and DePaul University. His big break came in the mid- 1950s while he was working as an usher at WGN-TV for “Bandstand Matinee,” the No. 1 show for teens at the time. Frank would settle the audience down before the show by singing the current hits. One day, the audience convinced the show’s host, Jim Lounsbury, to let Frank sing live on television. He caught the eye of the show’s producer, who paved the way for Frank’s first record, “Cry Baby, Cry” under the name of Frank Devon.
In 1956 Frank joined Frank Calzaretta, Tony Calzaretta, Jerry Oleski and Bill Melshimer, The Highlights were born. The Highlights were catapulted to national fame when they won the “Arthur Godfrey Talent Show” . The group's first recording was of a song called "Jingle-lo", which they took to the local Bally Records. Bally Records was an independent record label formed in Chicago in December, 1955. It was active during 1956 and 1957. It was a subsidiary of Bally Manufacturing Company and was headquartered at 203 N. Wabash Avenue in Chicago. The label liked the group but not the song "Jingle-lo" , and gave them one called "City Of Angels" instead .
"City of Angels" [Bally 1016] reached #5 in Chicago and #19 nationally after its release in September, 1956, resulting in personal appearances and TV guest spots. In February The Highlights' followup single, "To Be With You" [Bally 1027], which reached #16 locally and #84 nationally. There's no telling what could have happened to them, where it not for the petty jealousies of the other four boys, whom Frank brought together for the group. They went behind Frank's back and bought the rights to name "The Highlights", and then said to him: "We own the name now, so if you wanna keep being the star of this group, you're gonna have to work for us".
The Highlights without Frank Pizani Frank Pizani
There was no way he could accept this proposition, so he quit. The four other Highlights, without Frank fizzled like stale soda water, while Frankie couldn't get any work, because he was not allowed to bill himself as "formerly of the Highlights". About a decade later, another Chicago group wanted to call themselves The Highlights, but upon finding out that name was already taken, changed their names to the Chi-Lites, and the rest is history. In 1958, The Highlighs recorded "Indiana Style" & "Turn Around Shoes [Bally 1044] and broke up, Tony Calzaretta will record a single under his own name in 1963. Frank Pizani starts a solo career with "Angry" & "Every Time" [Bally 1040]. Frank Pizani made #14 locally and #70 nationally with "Angry". In 1958 {August 21st} Frank Pizani performed "Angry" on the Dick Clark ABC-TV weekday-afternoon program 'American Bandstand'.
The Highlights without Frank Pizani
In 1958, Frank recorded four songs for a new label, Afton Records. He recorded at Chess Studios in Chicago. Leonard Chess helped Frank produce the session and Harvey and the Moonglows get credit for the arrangement and a great vocal background on "Wanna Dance" b/w "It's No Fun" (Afton 616) and "Steady Cha Cha "b/w "The Stars Will Remember" (Afton 617).
Songs :
(updated by Hans-Joachim)
The Highlights (1)
To Be With You City Of Angels
Listen, My Love Will I Ever Know?
Indiana Style / Turn Around Shoes
Frank Pizani
Angry / Every Time Lisa The Tower Of Pisa
You're Breaking My Heart
Frank Pizani bb Harvey & The Moonglows
Steady Cha Cha The Stars Will Remember
It's No Fun Wanna Dance
Tony Calzaretta
Our Wedding Day
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