Don Randi (born February 25, 1937) is an American keyboard player, bandleader, and songwriter who was a member of the Wrecking Crew.

Career

Randi was born February 25, 1937 in New York City. He was raised in the

Catskill Mountains The Catskill Mountains, also known as the Catskills, are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains, located in southeastern New York. As a cultural and geographic region, the Catskills are generally defined as those areas c ...

and studied

classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical music, as the term "classical music" also ...

. In 1954, he moved to Los Angeles and became a studio musician. During the next year, he began working at record distribution company where he was influenced by

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

musicians, particularly

Horace Silver Horace Ward Martin Tavares Silver (September 2, 1928 – June 18, 2014) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger, particularly in the hard bop style that he helped pioneer in the 1950s. After playing tenor saxophone and piano at sch ...

. 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 Harvey Phillip Spector (born Harvey Philip Spector; December 26, 1939January 16, 2021) was an American record producer and songwriter, best known for his innovative recording practices and entrepreneurship in the 1960s, followed decades later by ...

Wall of Sound The Wall of Sound (also called the Spector Sound) is a music production formula developed by American record producer Phil Spector at Gold Star Studios, in the 1960s, with assistance from engineer Larry Levine and the conglomerate of session m ...

. He played piano on "

These Boots Are Made For Walkin' "These Boots Are Made for Walkin' is a hit song written by Lee Hazlewood and recorded by American singer Nancy Sinatra. It charted on January 22, 1966, and reached No.1 in the United States ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and in the UK Singles Chart. Su ...

" by

Nancy Sinatra Nancy Sandra Sinatra (born June 8, 1940) is an American singer and actress. She is the elder daughter of Frank Sinatra and Nancy Sinatra ( Barbato), and is best known for her 1966 signature hit "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'. Nancy Sinatra ...

and on her albums, as well as being a member of her touring band for decades. He performed on

the Beach Boys The Beach Boys are an American Rock music, rock band that formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian Wilson, Brian, Dennis Wilson, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and frie ...

' "

Good Vibrations "Good Vibrations" is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys that was composed by Brian Wilson with lyrics by Mike Love. It was released as a single on October 10, 1966 and was an immediate critical and commercial hit, topping record c ...

" and "

God Only Knows "God Only Knows" is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1966 album ''Pet Sounds''. Written by Brian Wilson and Tony Asher, it is a Baroque-style love song distinguished for its harmonic innovation and its subversion of typica ...

". His piano can be heard on the

Buffalo Springfield Buffalo Springfield was a rock band formed in Los Angeles by Canadian musicians Neil Young, Bruce Palmer and Dewey Martin and American musicians Stephen Stills and Richie Furay. The group, widely known for the song "For What It's Worth", relea ...

songs "Expecting to Fly" and "Broken Arrow". He claims to have played on over three hundred hit records, working with

Linda Ronstadt Linda Maria Ronstadt (born July 15, 1946) is a retired American singer who performed and recorded in diverse genres including rock, country, light opera, the Great American Songbook, and Latin. She has earned 11 Grammy Awards, three American ...

(the harpsichord on "Different Drum"),

Quincy Jones Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (born March 14, 1933) is an American record producer, musician, songwriter, composer, arranger, and film and television producer. His career spans 70 years in the entertainment industry with a record of 80 Grammy Award n ...

Cannonball Adderley Julian Edwin "Cannonball" Adderley (September 15, 1928August 8, 1975) was an American jazz alto saxophonist of the hard bop era of the 1950s and 1960s. Adderley is perhaps best remembered for the 1966 soul jazz single "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy", whi ...

Herb Alpert Herb Alpert (born March 31, 1935) is an American trumpeter who led the band Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass in the 1960s. During the same decade, he co-founded A&M Records with Jerry Moss. Alpert has recorded 28 albums that have landed on the ...

Sarah Vaughan Sarah Lois Vaughan (March 27, 1924 – April 3, 1990) was an American jazz singer. Nicknamed "Sassy" and "Jazz royalty, The Divine One", she won two Grammy Awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, and was nominated for a total of nine ...

Lee Hazlewood Barton Lee Hazlewood (July 9, 1929 – August 4, 2007) was an American country and pop singer, songwriter, and record producer, most widely known for his work with guitarist Duane Eddy during the late 1950s and singer Nancy Sinatra in the 1960s ...

and

Frank Zappa Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American musician, composer, and bandleader. His work is characterized by wikt:nonconformity, nonconformity, Free improvisation, free-form improvisation, sound experimen ...

. He recorded live albums of piano jazz as a solo performer and as the leader of the Don Randi Trio with

Leroy Vinnegar Leroy Vinnegar (July 13, 1928 – August 3, 1999) was an American jazz bassist. Born in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, the self-taught Vinnegar established his reputation in Los Angeles, California, during the 1950s and 1960s. His trademar ...

and

Mel Lewis Melvin Sokoloff (May 10, 1929 – February 2, 1990), known professionally as Mel Lewis, was an American jazz drummer, session musician, professor, and author. He received fourteen Grammy Award nominations. Biography Early years Lewis was ...

. Randi wrote film scores during the 1970s, including ''

Bloody Mama ''Bloody Mama'' is a 1970 American exploitation crime film directed by Roger Corman and starring Shelley Winters in the title role, with Bruce Dern, Don Stroud, Robert Walden, Alex Nicol, and Robert De Niro in supporting roles. It was very lo ...

'' (1970), ''

Up in the Cellar ''Up in the Cellar'' is a 1970 American comedy film directed by Theodore J. Flicker and starring Wes Stern, Larry Hagman, Joan Collins, Judy Pace, David Cargo, and Joan Darling. The plot concerns a man who decides to bed three women. It was de ...

'' (1970), ''

J. W. Coop ''J. W. Coop'' is a 1972 American Western film set in the world of the modern American rodeo circuit. It stars and was directed by Cliff Robertson who also co-produced and co-scripted the film. Featuring footage from actual rodeo events, it was ...

'' (1972), '' Stacey'' (1973), and ''

Santee Santee may refer to: People * Santee Dakota, a subgroup of the Dakota people, of the U.S. Great Plains * Santee (South Carolina), a Native American people of South Carolina Places * Lake Santee, Indiana, a reservoir and census-designated place * ...

'' (1973). In 1970, he opened

The Baked Potato The Baked Potato is a prominent jazz club on Cahuenga Boulevard in Studio City, Los Angeles, California, opened by Don Randi (father of bassist Leah Randi) in 1970. Randi formed his own group, Don Randi and Quest, as the house band. Over the ye ...

jazz club in

Studio City Studio City is a neighborhood in the city of Los Angeles, California, in the southeast San Fernando Valley, just west of the Cahuenga Pass. It is named after the studio lot that was established in the area by film producer Mack Sennett in 1927, ...

, California, and formed Don Randi and Quest as the house band. The band recorded over 15 albums and was nominated for a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

in 1980 for the album ''New Baby''. In 2010, the Baked Potato was named Best Jazz Club by ''

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

'' magazine. In 2008, as a member of the Wrecking Crew, Randi was inducted into the Hollywood RockWalk.

Discography

As leader

* ''Feelin' Like Blues'' (World Pacific, 1960) * ''Where Do We Go from Here?'' (Verve, 1962) * ''Last Night/with the Don Randi Trio'' (Verve, 1962) * ''Mexican Pearls'' (Palomar, 1965) * ''Revolver Jazz'' (Reprise, 1966) * ''Live On the Sunset Strip!'' (Reprise, 1967) * ''3 in the Cellar'' (American International, 1970) * ''At the Baked Potato'' (Poppy, 1972) * ''Don Randi & the Baked Potato Band'' (JAS, 1975) * ''Bermuda Triangle'' (Dobre, 1978) * ''New Baby'' (Sheffield Lab, 1979) * ''California 84'' (Bee Pee, 1983) * ''Baked Potato Shuffle'' (Baked Potato, 1988) * ''Don't Look Back'' (Headfirst, 1989) * ''Wind and Sea'' (Headfirst, 1990)

As sideman

With David Axelrod * ''Songs of Experience'' (Capitol, 1969) * ''Earth Rot'' (Capitol, 1970) * ''Strange Ladies'' (MCA, 1977) * ''David Axelrod'' (Mo Wax, 2001) With others *

Susie Allanson Susan Allanson (born March 17, 1952 in Minneapolis, Minnesota) is an American country music actress, recording artist and writer. Susie was raised in Southern California and lived in Las Vegas for the early part of her life. Before beginning her ...

, ''Susie Allanson'' (ABC, 1976) * Harold Betters, ''Funk City Express'' (Reprise, 1966) * Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans, ''Zip-A-Dee Doo Dah'' (Philles, 1976) *

Pat Boone Patrick Charles Eugene Boone (born June 1, 1934) is an American singer and actor. He was a successful pop singer in the United States during the 1950s and early 1960s. He sold more than 45 million records, had 38 Top 40 hits, and appeared in mo ...

, ''Texas Woman'' (Hitsville, 1976) *

James Brown James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, dancer, musician, record producer and bandleader. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th century music, he is often referred to by the honor ...

, ''It's a New Day So Let a Man Come In'' (King, 1970) * James Brown, ''Get On the Good Foot'' (Polydor, 1993) * Roy Brown, ''Hard Times'' (Bluesway, 1973) *

Thumbs Carllile Kenneth Ray Carllile (April 2, 1931–July 31, 1987), better known as Thumbs Carllile (Carlisle in some collections), was an American country music guitarist and songwriter known for his innovative zither-like fingerstyle playing, sitting wit ...

, ''On His Own'' (Gemini, 1973) *

Jerry Cole Jerald Edward Kolbrak (September 23, 1939 – May 28, 2008), known professionally as Jerry Cole, was an American guitarist who recorded under his own name, under various budget album pseudonyms and as an uncredited session musician. Biography ...

, ''Outer Limits'' (Capitol, 1963) *

Cass Elliot Ellen Naomi Cohen (September 19, 1941 – July 29, 1974), known professionally as Mama Cass and later on as Cass Elliot, was an American singer and voice actress. She was a member of the singing group the Mamas & the Papas. After the group brok ...

, ''Cass Elliot'' (RCA Victor, 1972) *

England Dan & John Ford Coley England Dan & John Ford Coley were an American soft rock duo composed of Danny Wayland "England Dan" Seals and John Edward "John Ford" Coley, active throughout the 1970s. Native Texans, they are best known for their 1976 single "I'd Really Lov ...

, ''Fables'' (A&M, 1972) *

Gale Garnett Gale Zoë Garnett (born 17 July 1942) is a New Zealand–born Canadian singer best known in the United States for her self-penned, Grammy-winning folk hit "We'll Sing in the Sunshine". Garnett has since carved out a career as an author and actr ...

, ''Gale Garnett Sings About Flying & Rainbows & Love & Other Groovy Things'' (RCA Victor, 1967) *

, ''The N.S.V.I.P.'s'' (Reprise, 1964) * Lee Hazlewood, ''Love and Other Crimes'' (Reprise, 1968) * Jack Jones, ''What I Did for Love'' (RCA Victor, 1975) *

Dean Martin Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti; June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an American singer, actor and comedian. One of the most popular and enduring American entertainers of the mid-20th century, Martin was nicknamed "The King of Cool". M ...

, ''Once in a While'' (Reprise, 1978) *

Bette Midler Bette Midler (;''Inside the Actors Studio'', 2004 born December 1, 1945) is an American singer, actress, comedian and author. Throughout her career, which spans over five decades, Midler has received List of awards and nominations received by Be ...

, ''Broken Blossom'' (Atlantic, 1977) *

The Monkees The Monkees were an American rock and pop band, formed in Los Angeles in 1966, whose lineup consisted of the American actor/musicians Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork alongside English actor/singer Davy Jones. The group was conc ...

, ''Listen to the Band'' (Rhino, 1991) *

Sandy Nelson Sander Lloyd Nelson (December 1, 1938 – February 14, 2022) was an American drummer. Nelson, one of the best-known rock and modern jazz drummers of the late 1950s and early 1960s, had several solo instrumental Top 40 hits and released over 30 ...

, ''Rock 'n' Roll Revival'' (Imperial, 1968) *

Jack Nitzsche Bernard Alfred "Jack" Nitzsche ( '; April 22, 1937 – August 25, 2000) was an American musician, arranger, songwriter, composer, and record producer. He first came to prominence in the early 1960s as the right-hand-man of producer Phil Spec ...

, ''The Lonely Surfer'' (Reprise, 1963) *

Michelle Phillips Michelle may refer to: People *Michelle (name), a given name and surname, the feminine form of Michael * Michelle Courtens, Dutch singer, performing as "Michelle" * Michelle (German singer) * Michelle (Scottish singer) (born 1980), Scottish wi ...

, ''Victim of Romance'' (A&M, 1990) *

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

, ''NBC-TV Special'' (RCA, 1991) *

Michael Quatro Michael Quatro (born 12 June 1943, Detroit, Michigan, USA) is a keyboard player and songwriter who has released eleven albums since 1972. He specializes in keyboard-driven progressive rock. Career Quatro's music gained popularity in Detroit, Mi ...

, ''Gettin' Ready'' (Prodigal, 1977) *

Emitt Rhodes Emitt Lynn Rhodes (February 25, 1950 – July 19, 2020) was an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and recording engineer. At 14 years, Rhodes began his career in musical ensembles the Palace Guard as the group's drummer before jo ...

, ''The American Dream'' (A&M, 1970) *

Nelson Riddle Nelson Smock Riddle Jr. (June 1, 1921 – October 6, 1985) was an American arranger, composer, bandleader and orchestrator whose career stretched from the late 1940s to the mid-1980s. He worked with many world-famous vocalists at Capitol Records ...

, ''Contemporary Sound of Nelson Riddle'' (United Artists, 1968) *

Tommy Roe Thomas David "Tommy" Roe (born May 9, 1942) is a retired American rock and pop singer-songwriter. Best-remembered for his hits "Sheila" (1962) and " Dizzy" (1969), Roe was "widely perceived as one of the archetypal bubblegum artists of the late ...

, ''Beginnings'' (ABC, 1971) *

The Ronettes The Ronettes were an American girl group from Washington Heights, Manhattan, New York City. The group consisted of lead singer Veronica Bennett (later known as Ronnie Spector), her older sister Estelle Bennett, and their cousin Nedra Talley. The ...

, ''Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes Featuring Veronica'' (Philles, 1964) *

, ''Sugar'' (Reprise, 1966) *

Stone Poneys Stone Poneys (also The Stone Poneys, Linda Ronstadt and the Stone Poneys, and The Stone Poneys With Linda Ronstadt) were a folk rock Trio (music), trio formed in Los Angeles, consisting of Linda Ronstadt on singing, vocals, Bobby Kimmel on rhythm ...

, ''Evergreen Vol. 2'' (Capitol, 1967) *

Townes Van Zandt John Townes Van Zandt (March 7, 1944 – January 1, 1997) was an American singer-songwriter.

, ''Our Mother the Mountain'' (Poppy, 1969) *

Stephanie Winslow Stephanie Winslow (born August 27, 1956 in Yankton, South Dakota) is an American country artist. In the late 70s and 80s, she had a series of hit singles on the ''Billboard'' country music chart. Career In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Wins ...

, ''Crying'' (Warner Bros., 1980)

Notable singles

Based on information from Randi’s book, ''You’ve Heard These Hands''.Randi, Don, with Karen "Nish" Nishimura, You’ve Heard These Hands: From the Wall of Sound to the Wrecking Crew and Other Incredible Stories, Hal Leonard Books 2015 pp.227-230 Charting for singles is on the US singles charts.

Notable albums

A list of notable albums that Randi played on.Whitburn, Joel, The Billboard Book of TOP 40 Albums, Billboard Books, New York 1991

References

External links

Official website

Don Randi at Discogs.comDeane Ogden podcast, March 12, 2014Don Randi Interview - NAMM Oral History Library (2016)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Randi, Don 1937 births Living people Jazz musicians from New York (state) Songwriters from New York (state) Musicians from New York City Musicians from New York (state) 20th-century American male musicians 20th-century American pianists 21st-century American male musicians 21st-century American pianists American jazz pianists American male jazz musicians American male pianists American pop pianists American session musicians The Wrecking Crew (music) members American male songwriters