Roberto Danova (born Giacinto Bettoni; 27 August 1937) is best known as a music
composer
A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music.
Etymology and Def ...
,
arranger
In music, an arrangement is a musical adaptation of an existing composition. Differences from the original composition may include reharmonization, melodic paraphrasing, orchestration, or formal development. Arranging differs from orchest ...
and
producer, achieving
record chart
A record chart, in the music industry, also called a music chart, is a ranking of recorded music according to certain criteria during a given period. Many different criteria are used in worldwide charts, often in combination. These include ...
success - particularly in
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the s ...
, the
UK,
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
,
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring coun ...
and
Australasia
Australasia is a region that comprises Australia, New Zealand and some neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term is used in a number of different contexts, including geopolitically, physiogeographically, philologically, and ecologic ...
.
Producing, arranging and composing
During the 1970s 1980s and 1990s Danova produced, arranged, or had compositions covered by many popular performers, including
Joe Dolan
Joseph Francis Robert Dolan (16 October 1939 – 26 December 2007) was an Irish entertainer, recording artist, and pop singer. Chiefly known in Ireland for his association with showbands and for his innovative style and high pitched singing v ...
(with whom he made a key contribution in the mid-1970s),
Johnny Logan (whose career was overseen in the late 1970s by Danova and
Louis Walsh
Michael Louis Vincent Walsh (born 5 August 1952) is an Irish music manager and television personality. He has managed Johnny Logan, Boyzone, Jedward and Westlife, four of Ireland's most successful pop acts in the 1990s and 2000s. He later be ...
),
Mungo Jerry
Mungo Jerry are a British rock band, formed by Ray Dorset in Ashford, Middlesex in 1970. Experiencing their greatest success in the early 1970s, with a changing lineup always fronted by Ray Dorset, the group's biggest hit was " In the Summer ...
,
[ ]Tom Jones
Tom Jones may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
*Tom Jones (singer) (born 1940), Welsh singer
*Tom Jones (writer) (1928–2023), American librettist and lyricist
*''The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling'', a novel by Henry Fielding published in 1 ...
,[ ]Demis Roussos
Artemios "Demis" Ventouris-Roussos ( ; el, Αρτέμιος "Ντέμης" Βεντούρης-Ρούσσος, ; 15 June 1946 – 25 January 2015) was a Greek singer, songwriter and musician. As a band member he is best remembered for his work in ...
,[ Engelbert Humperdinck,] and Showaddywaddy,[
Since the mid-1980s Danova has developed an instrumental project ''General Lafayette'', a series of albums and singles featuring some of his own compositions through the sound of the trumpet.] From 1977 to 1980, Danova released an album and singles as Roberto Montecristo.
The premiere of his musical ''The Phantom of the Opera on Ice'', featuring a cast of Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...
n ice skating
Ice skating is the self-propulsion and gliding of a person across an ice surface, using metal-bladed ice skates. People skate for various reasons, including recreation (fun), exercise, competitive sports, and commuting. Ice skating may be per ...
stars and live singers, played at various locations in the UK between 1995 and 1996. A VHS video was issued in 1999, and a CD/ DVD with some modifications was released in 2006 by Plaza Records London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
.
In 1998 he produced ''Credo'', a musical celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label= Hebrew/ Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and relig ...
. The concept album was featured on BBC Radio 3
BBC Radio 3 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It replaced the BBC Third Programme in 1967 and broadcasts classical music and opera, with jazz, world music, drama, culture and the arts also featuring. The sta ...
in April 2001.
Also the same year he guested on the Don Maclean
Don Maclean (born 1942/1943) MBE KSS is an English actor and comedian, who appeared on the BBC television series '' Crackerjack'' with Michael Aspel, Peter Glaze and Jan Hunt in the 1970s.
Born in Birmingham, he attended Clifton Road S ...
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 15 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the station broadcasts a wide range of content. ...
show.
Danova was honoured in 2012 by the Irish Country Music Association at a ceremony in Mullingar, County Westmeath, Ireland for his outstanding contribution to Irish Popular Music.
Record labels
*''Ritz Records'' London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
: 1977–1981 - Established his first production company and label in 1977.
*''Plaza Records'' London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
: 1981–present - Runs independently alongside his publishing firm ''Quatermass Music''
*Also associated with EMI, Pye Records
Pye Records was a British record label. Its best known artists were Lonnie Donegan (1956–1969), Petula Clark (1957–1971), the Searchers (1963–1967), the Kinks (1964–1971), Sandie Shaw (1964–1971), Status Quo (1968–1971) and Brotherho ...
and Red Bus Music (International) Ltd.
Selected discography credits
* 1972: ''Hideaway'' - Pop Tops - peaked 22 German charts
A chart (sometimes known as a graph) is a graphical representation for data visualization, in which "the data is represented by symbols, such as bars in a bar chart, lines in a line chart, or slices in a pie chart". A chart can represent tab ...
- (co-music/lyrics)
* 1973: ''All Because of You'' - Geordie featuring Brian Johnson
Brian Johnson (born 5 October 1947) is an English singer and songwriter. In 1980, after the death of Bon Scott, he became the third lead singer of the Australian rock band AC/DC. He and the rest of the band were inducted into the Rock and Rol ...
- peaked 6 UK charts - (co-producer)
* 1973: ''Signorina Concertina'' - Shuki & Aviva - peaked 3 Swiss charts - (co-writer/producer)
* 1974: ''Sweet Little Rock'n Roller'' - Jerry Williams (singer)
Erik Sven Fernström (15 April 1942 – 25 March 2018), known by his stage name Jerry Williams, was a Swedish singer and actor. He began his career as the lead singer of The Violents, before launching a solo career.
Early life
Williams grew u ...
- (co-writer)
* 1974: ''Lady Laura'' - Roberto Blanco
Roberto Blanco (legal name: Roberto Zerquera Blanco), was born 7 June 1937 in Tunis, Tunisia. Of Afro-Cuban origin, Blanco is a German Schlager singer, actor, and entertainer.
Early life
Blanco is the son of Cuban folklorist and artist Alfonso ...
- (co-writer)
* 1975: ''Lady in Blue'' - Joe Dolan
Joseph Francis Robert Dolan (16 October 1939 – 26 December 2007) was an Irish entertainer, recording artist, and pop singer. Chiefly known in Ireland for his association with showbands and for his innovative style and high pitched singing v ...
- reported million seller - (co-writer/producer)
* 1975: ''Crazy Woman'' Joe Dolan
Joseph Francis Robert Dolan (16 October 1939 – 26 December 2007) was an Irish entertainer, recording artist, and pop singer. Chiefly known in Ireland for his association with showbands and for his innovative style and high pitched singing v ...
- annual French charts 1975 - (co-writer/producer)
* 1975: ''Träume Weiter Lady Blue'' - Bata Illic - (co-writer and producer)
* 1976: ''Who's That Lady With My Man'' - Kelly Marie
Kelly Marie (born Jacqueline McKinnon; 16 October 1957) is a Scottish singer, best known for the song " Feels Like I'm in Love", a No. 1 hit in the UK in 1980.
Early career
Born to Alex and Jeanette McKinnon, Kelly Marie began training for a p ...
- peaked 4 French charts - (co-writer/producer)
* 1976: ''When'' - Red Hurley
Brian "Red" Hurley (born 11 November 1949) is an Irish singer. Hurley's career includes singing lead for bands such as The Colours, The Wheels, and The Nevada (né The Nevada Showband). He had a series of number one records in the 1970s while p ...
- peaked 4 Irish charts - (producer)
* 1976: ''Tennessee Special'' - Red Hurley
Brian "Red" Hurley (born 11 November 1949) is an Irish singer. Hurley's career includes singing lead for bands such as The Colours, The Wheels, and The Nevada (né The Nevada Showband). He had a series of number one records in the 1970s while p ...
- peaked 3 Irish charts and 11 Netherlands charts - (producer)
* 1976: ''Doktor Bernhard'' - Bonnie St. Claire
Bonnie St. Claire (born Bonje Cornelia Swart, 18 November 1949) is a Dutch singer and actress who has a recording history that began in the 1960s and went through to the 1990s. She was part of the trio Bonnie, Debbie & Rosy, and part of the duo ...
- peaked 11 Belgian
Belgian may refer to:
* Something of, or related to, Belgium
* Belgians, people from Belgium or of Belgian descent
* Languages of Belgium, languages spoken in Belgium, such as Dutch, French, and German
*Ancient Belgian language, an extinct languag ...
charts - (co-writer)
* 1977: ''Who's That Lady With My Man'' - Patricia Paay
Patricia Anglaia Margareth Paaij (born 7 April 1949), best known as Patricia Paay, is a Dutch singer, radio host, glamour model and television personality. In the Netherlands, she is well known for her musical career, which spans over four decade ...
- peaked 2 Netherlands charts - (co-writer)
* 1977: ''Hush Hush Maria'' - Joe Dolan
Joseph Francis Robert Dolan (16 October 1939 – 26 December 2007) was an Irish entertainer, recording artist, and pop singer. Chiefly known in Ireland for his association with showbands and for his innovative style and high pitched singing v ...
- peaked 1 South African charts - (co-writer)
* 1978: ''Où En Est Ma Vie'' - Michel Louvain
Michel Louvain, (July 12, 1937April 14, 2021) was a Canadian singer most popular in the 1960s and 1970s. - (co-writer)
* 1979: ''Sweet Little Rock 'n' Roller'' - Showaddywaddy - peaked 15 UK charts - (co-writer)
* 1979: ''(Gonna Get Along) Without You Now'' (disco mix version) - Viola Wills - (mixer)
* 1979: ''In London'' - Johnny Logan - peaked 29 Belgian charts - (co-writer/co-producer)
* 1981: ''More and More'' - Joe Dolan
Joseph Francis Robert Dolan (16 October 1939 – 26 December 2007) was an Irish entertainer, recording artist, and pop singer. Chiefly known in Ireland for his association with showbands and for his innovative style and high pitched singing v ...
- peaked 1 Irish charts - (producer)
* 1981: ''Sister Mary'' - Joe Dolan
Joseph Francis Robert Dolan (16 October 1939 – 26 December 2007) was an Irish entertainer, recording artist, and pop singer. Chiefly known in Ireland for his association with showbands and for his innovative style and high pitched singing v ...
- peaked 2 Irish charts - (co-writer/producer)
* 1981: ''Fire Queen'' Brian Johnson
Brian Johnson (born 5 October 1947) is an English singer and songwriter. In 1980, after the death of Bon Scott, he became the third lead singer of the Australian rock band AC/DC. He and the rest of the band were inducted into the Rock and Rol ...
and Geordie - (producer)
* 1981: ''The Force'' - Nancy Nova - (co composed/produced)
* 1983: ''You Are No Angel'' - Tom Jones
Tom Jones may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
*Tom Jones (singer) (born 1940), Welsh singer
*Tom Jones (writer) (1928–2023), American librettist and lyricist
*''The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling'', a novel by Henry Fielding published in 1 ...
, also covered by Barbara Mandrell
Barbara Ann Mandrell (born December 25, 1948) is an American country music singer and musician. She is also credited as an actress and author. During the late 1970s and early 1980s, she was considered among country's most successful music artist ...
. - (co-writer)
* 1986: ''Loneliness'' - Brendan Shine
Brendan Shine (born 2 June 1947) is an Irish folk and country singer, television presenter and accordion player from Athlone. He has achieved 40 chart singles in Ireland and 5 Irish number one singles, and is best known for his songs about every ...
- (writer/producer)
* 1986: ''You Are Temptation'' - Miami Showband - (composed/produced/arranged)
* 1989: ''I'll Never Stop Wanting You'' - Dickie Rock
Richard "Dickie" Rock (born 10 October 1936) is an Irish singer. He experienced much success on the Irish charts during the 1960s, but has continued on as a popular live act as well as occasionally hitting the charts ever since.
Early fame
Rock ...
- peaked 10 Irish charts - (producer)
* 1989: ''Impossible To Do'' - Linda Martin & General Lafayette - (arranger/producer)
* 1990: ''D-Day 50th Anniversary'' - BBC Concert Orchestra
The BBC Concert Orchestra is a British concert orchestra based in London, one of the British Broadcasting Corporation's five radio orchestras. With around fifty players, it is the only one of the five BBC orchestras which is not a full-scale sym ...
& Central Band of the Royal Air Force
The Central Band of the Royal Air Force is an RAF regular band and is part of Royal Air Force Music Services. The motto of the band is ''Aere Invicti'' (Latin for "Invincible with the Brass").
History
The Central Band of the RAF was formed in ...
- (co-producer)
* 1990: ''Voices Of The Highlands'' - Karl Denver
Karl Denver (16 December 1931 – 21 December 1998) was a Scottish singer, who, with his trio had a series of UK hit singles in the early 1960s. Most famous of these was a 1961 version of " Wimoweh", which showed off Denver's falsetto yodel ...
- (composed/co-produced/arranged)
* 1993: ''General Lafayette – Angel in Blue'', trumpet instrumental - arranged and produced by Danova
* 1994: ''Nostradamus'' - Engelbert Humperdinck(re-mixed 2012), - (co-composer/producer)
* 1995: ''Sister Mary'' - Demis Roussos
Artemios "Demis" Ventouris-Roussos ( ; el, Αρτέμιος "Ντέμης" Βεντούρης-Ρούσσος, ; 15 June 1946 – 25 January 2015) was a Greek singer, songwriter and musician. As a band member he is best remembered for his work in ...
- (co-writer)
* 2006: ''Mr Midnight'' - Mungo Jerry
Mungo Jerry are a British rock band, formed by Ray Dorset in Ashford, Middlesex in 1970. Experiencing their greatest success in the early 1970s, with a changing lineup always fronted by Ray Dorset, the group's biggest hit was " In the Summer ...
. - (writer/producer/arranger)
*2009: ''Tu Per Me'' - La Voce Del Nord, by Angelo Camassa - over 20 million YouTube
YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...
views - (producer)
*2010: ''It's Wonderful'' - Rock Mystery, composed by Angelo Camassa - over 25 million YouTube
YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...
views - (co-writer / producer)
* 2014 'Pop Songs of the 70s, 80s, 90s, Vol. 3 Various Artists' ''It's Raining'' Richard Cocciante
Riccardo Cocciante (; born 20 February 1946), also known in French-speaking countries and the U.S. as Richard Cocciante (), is an Italian singer, composer, theatre man and musician. He acquired French citizenship.
Personal life
Cocciante was ...
* Further credits; Irish charts Discogs
Discogs (short for discographies) is a database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. While the site was originally created with a goal of becoming the ...
, All Music
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
, ''45cat'' French charts
Film
* 1990: ''Undercurrents'', starring Mary McGuckian
Mary McGuckian (born 27 May 1963) is a film director, producer and screenwriter from Northern Ireland.
Early life
Born and brought up in Northern Ireland during The Troubles, McGuckian completed her formal education in the Republic of Ireland ...
- soundtrack song ''The Woman in Me.'' - 1987 recording produced by Danova.
* 2017: '' Hangman'', starring Al Pacino - soundtrack song "House of the Rising Sun
A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...
", Brian Johnson
Brian Johnson (born 5 October 1947) is an English singer and songwriter. In 1980, after the death of Bon Scott, he became the third lead singer of the Australian rock band AC/DC. He and the rest of the band were inducted into the Rock and Rol ...
and Geordie - 1974 Geordie recording produced and arranged by Danova.
Television
* 2009: '' :nl:'t Vrije Schaep'', featured song ''Doktor Bernhard'', performed by Loes Luca
Louise "Loes" Diana Wilhelmina Catharina Luca (born 18 October 1953) is a Dutch actress, singer and comedian. She began her career in the 1980s as a stage actress and singer in various musicals. She later started a successful film and television c ...
& Hans Kesting
Hans Kesting (born 6 October 1960) is a Dutch actor. He appeared in more than fifty films since 1987. He was diagnosed with HIV in 1996. In 2016 he was awarded the Louis d'Or
The Louis d'or () is any number of French coins first introduced by L ...
- ''Doktor Bernhard'' co-written by Danova.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Danova, Roberto
1937 births
Italian male composers
Italian songwriters
Male songwriters
Italian record producers
Italian music arrangers
Living people