Joey Dee and the Starliters
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Joey Dee and the Starliters | |
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Genres | Rock and roll |
Years active | 1958–present |
Labels | Scepter, Roulette |
Members | Joey Dee David Brigati |
Past members | Joey Dee David Brigati Larry Vernieri Carlton Lattimore Sam Taylor Willie Davis |
Joey Dee and the Starliters (also credited as Joey Dee and the Starlighters) is an American popular music group. The group is best known for their million-selling recording "Peppermint Twist" (1961).[1] The group's most notable lineup is considered to be Joey Dee, David Brigati, Larry Vernieri (vocals), Carlton Lattimore (organ), Sam Taylor (guitar) and Willie Davis (drums).[1] Jimi Hendrix and Joe Pesci played guitar with the group at different times in the 1960s.
Early singles
With lead singer Rogers Freeman, Joey Dee and the Starliters' first single was "Lorraine," backed with "The Girl I Walk To School," in 1958, distributed by the company Little. That same year, Joey Dee recruited David Brigati for the team after meeting him during a gig at Garfield High School in New Jersey. David and Joey would subsequently share lead vocal honors for the Starliters, with Joey ultimately becoming the primary lead singer. Another early single for the group was "Face of an Angel," with David as lead vocal, released on Scepter Records; the flipside was "Shimmy Baby." An album entitled The Peppermint Twisters and credited to "Joey Dee and the Starlighters" was subsequently released by the company Scepter as well.
The 1960s
In 1960, the Starliters were noticed by agent Don Davis while performing at a
In 1961, Joey Dee and the Starliters filmed the movie
In 1962, Joey Dee and the Starliters starred in their second motion picture,
Jimi Hendrix and Joe Pesci played guitar with the group at different times in the 1960s.[4]
Later history
Dee continued to record and issue solo recordings from the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s, including a song he wrote with original Starliters David Brigati and Larry Vernieri entitled "How Can I Forget", which was released under the name Joey Dee and the New Starliters.[1] He continued to travel and make personal appearances with various Starliters.
In 2001 the group was featured on a PBS special, Rock, Rhythm and Doo-Wop, and in 2005 they appeared on the Jerry Lewis telethon for muscular dystrophy.
As of 2009 Joey Dee and the Starliters consists of Dee sometimes performing with Bobby Valli (brother of
Dee has been a long time resident of Pinellas County in Florida.
On September 19, 2010, a street corner was dedicated to the band in their home town of Passaic, NJ. The street signing took place on the corner of Washington Place and Columbia Ave.
In 2021, Joey Dee released his long-awaited autobiography entitled Peppermint Twist Chronicles: My True Story of Sex, Rock n’ Roll, Jimi Hendrix, Fighting Racism, and the Mob. Dee’s memoirs were co-written by J. Kevin Morris. When the book was released, it became one of the top selling music history books on Amazon.
Members
Name | Instruments | Born | Place of birth | Died |
---|---|---|---|---|
Joey Dee (b. Joseph DiNicola) | vocals and saxophone | June 11, 1937 | Passaic, N.J. | |
David Brigati | vocals | October 29, 1940 | Garfield, N.J. | |
Larry Vernieri | vocals | October 9, 1941 | Newark, N.J. | December 7, 1999[5] |
Carlton Lattimore | organ | 1939 | Passaic, N.J. | |
Willie Davis | drums | 1940 | Passaic, N.J. |
Discography
Albums
- Doin' the Twist at the Peppermint Lounge (Roulette, 1961)
- Hey Let's Twist (Roulette, 1961)
- All The World Is Twistin'! (Roulette, 1962)
- Two Tickets To Paris (Roulette, 1962)
- Back At The Peppermint Lounge (Roulette, 1962)
- Hey Let's Twist!: The Best Of Joey Dee & The Starliters (Rhino, 1990)
Singles
Year | A-side/B-side Both sides from same album except where indicated |
Label & number | U.S. chart | Album | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Billboard | Cashbox | ||||
1960 | "Shimmy Baby" b/w "Face of an Angel" |
Scepter 1210 | - | - | The Peppermint Twisters |
1961 | "These Memories" b/w "(Bad) Bulldog" |
Scepter 1225 | - | - | |
"Peppermint Twist" – Part I b/w Part II |
Roulette 4401 | 1 | 2 | Doin' the Twist at the Peppermint Lounge | |
1962 | "Hey, Let's Twist" / "Roly Poly" |
Roulette 4408 | 20 74 |
37 100 |
Hey, Let's Twist! (Soundtrack) |
"Shout" Part I" b/w Part II |
Roulette 4416 | 6 | 9 | Doin' the Twist at the Peppermint Lounge | |
"Everytime (I Think About You)" – Part One" b/w Part Two |
Roulette 4431 | 105 | 80 | Two Tickets to Paris (Soundtrack) | |
"What Kind of Love Is This" b/w "Wing Ding" (from All the World Is Twistin'!) |
Roulette 4438 | 18 | 17 | ||
"I Lost My Baby" b/w "Keep Your Mind on What You're Doin'" |
Roulette 4456 | 61 | 61 | Joey Dee | |
1963 | "The Girl I Walk to School" b/w "Lorraine" |
Bonus 7009 | - | - | Non-album tracks |
"Baby, You're Driving Me Crazy" b/w "Help Me Pick Up the Pieces" |
Roulette 4467 | 100 | - | ||
"Hot Pastrami with Mashed Potatoes" – Part I b/w Part II |
Roulette 4488 | 36 | 40 | ||
"Dance, Dance, Dance" b/w "Let's Have a Party" |
Roulette 4503 | 89 | 90 | Dance, Dance, Dance | |
"Ya Ya" b/w "Fanny Mae" |
Roulette 4525 | - | - | Doin' the Twist at the Peppermint Lounge | |
"Getting Nearer" b/w "Down by the Riverside" |
Roulette 4539 | - | - | Non-album tracks | |
1965 | "Cry a Little Sometime" b/w "Wing Ding" (from All the World Is Twistin'!) |
Roulette 4617 | - | - | |
1966 | "Feel Good About It" – Part I b/w Part II |
Jubilee 5532 | - | - | Hitsville! |
"Dancing on the Beach" b/w "Good Little You" |
Jubilee 5539 | - | - | Non-album tracks | |
"It's Got You" b/w "She's So Exceptional" (non-album track) |
Jubilee 5554 | - | - | Hitsville! | |
1967 | "Can't Sit Down" b/w "Put Your Heart in It" |
Jubilee 5566 | - | - | Non-album tracks |
"How Can I Forget" b/w "How Can I Forget" (Instrumental) |
Caneil 100 | - | - | ||
1970 | "Roses and Candy Kisses" b/w "Roses and Candy Kisses" |
Tonsil 0003 (promo only) | - | - |
References
- ^ ISBN 1-85227-745-9.
- ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
- ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
- ^ Greenblatt, Mike (June 11, 2022). "Joey Dee of the Starliters remembers The Peppermint Lounge, The Beatles as opening act and a young Hendrix". Goldmine. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
- ^ "'60s pop group member dies Tuesday at age 58". The Tampa Tribune. December 11, 1999. p. 73. Retrieved November 19, 2022.