Steve Alaimo

Steve Alaimo was an American teen idol pop singer in the early 1960s who later became record producer and label owner, but he is perhaps best known for hosting and co-producing Dick Clark's Where the Action Is in the late 1960s.

Early years and the Redcoats

Alaimo was born in Omaha, Nebraska on December 6, 1939, and moved to Rochester, New York at the age of five. He entered the music business during his time as a pre-med student attending the University of Miami. He entered music by joining his cousin's instrumental rock band The Redcoats, becoming the guitarist, and eventually, the singer. The Redcoats consisted of Jim Alaimo on rhythm guitar, Brad Shapiro on bass, and Jim "Chris" Christy on drums. After playing a Sock hop held by local Disc jockey Bob Green and label owner Henry Stone, the band earned a record deal with Stone's "Marlin Records". In 1959, "I Want You To Love Me" became a regional hit for the band. Green became Alaimo's manager, ultimately giving up the role to Stone. That same year, Dick Clark's Caravan of Stars came to Miami needing a band to back up artists, so the Redcoats became that band.

Solo career

The Redcoats broke up in 1960, and under Stone's tutelage, Alaimo became a "blue-eyed soul singer" with an all African-American back-up band. With his new act, he became the house band for a local club known as Edan Roc. Despite his rising local fame, he released two solo albums that didn't exactly earn him the national spotlight. During this time, Stone put Alaimo to work as a promotion man for Stone's Tone Distributors, which got him acquainted with the music industry at large.

National recording career

Through his promotion job, Alaimo landed his first major record deal with Checker Records, a subsidiary of Chess Records, in 1961. There, he struck a minor amount of gold in 1963 with his single "Everyday I Have to Cry Some", peaking at 46 on the Billboard Charts. The song was also a major top 5 hit in Miami, on local radio stations WQAM and WFUN. Later that year, Alaimo left Checker for Imperial Records, and ABC Records, but the fame of his recording career would soon be eclipsed.

TV host: Where the Action Is

Remembering the favor the Redcoats did, Dick Clark wanted to hire the band again for the music show Where the Action Is, but the Redcoats had broken up. Instead, Clark hired Alaimo as the male host and music director. As music director, Alaimo took the opportunity to promote his own records on air, however, he rarely had time to record new songs. Alaimo would also become co-producer of the show, which lasted from 1965-1966.

Music production and acting

After the show's end, he signed with Atlantic Records/Atco Records. In the mid-1960s, he began producing music for groups such as Sam & Dave, Harold Melvin & The Bluenotes, and The 31st of February, an early incarnation of The Allman Brothers Band, for whom he co-wrote one of their most well-known songs, "Melissa". This became a very fertile period, producing many hit records. He also took on the role of film actor during this time, although the films, such as Wild Rebels became forgotten fodder (although Wild Rebels is now known as an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000).

TK Records

In 1969, Henry Stone reunited with Alaimo, who set up Alston Records as an outlet for Alaimo's vision. There, he hit big with Betty Wright's Cleanup Woman, impressing Stone enough to work him in as a full-time partner. Alaimo decided to retire himself as a frontman, and focus exclusively on running a record label. In 1972, Timmy Thomas hit with "Why Can't We live Together" for Henry's Glade Records, which was released in partnership with Atlantic Records. Realizing they can have this type of success alone, Stone decided to consolidate many of his labels under the TK Records umbrella with Alaimo in 1973, releasing records independent of the major label system. In 1974, Harry Wayne Casey and Rick Finch presented a demo to Stone and Alaimo, and they advised having George McCrae sing the final version. The song, "Rock Your Baby", charted as a number one single 1974. Shortly after, the business partnership would rule the music world with the release of KC and the Sunshine Band.

Vision Records

TK Records closed up shop in 1981, forcing Henry Stone to seek out Morris Levy for financial relief, forging a new partnership. Alaimo was edged out, and personally had fallen on hard times. Come 1987, Alaimo was back on his feet, forming Vision Records with engineering giants Ron and Howard Albert, which specialized in top-notch recording for huge stars that once graced Criteria Studios during the 1970s. The label also dabbled in the production and promotion of Miami Bass records including artists such as Beatmaster Clay D.

Discography

Studio albums

• 1961: Twist With Steve Alaimo
• 1962: Mashed Potatoes
• 1963: Every Day I Have to Cry
• 1963: Steve Alaimo
• 1965: Starring Steve Alaimo
• 1965: Where the Action Is
• 1966: Steve Alaimo Sings and Swings

Compilations

• 1996: Hits and Rarities
• 1997: Anthology
• 2005: 50s-70s

Singles

• 1965: "Real Live Girl" (US #77) (from the album Steve Alaimo Sings and Swings)
• 1965: "Cast Your Fate to the Wind" (US #89) (from the album Steve Alaimo Sings and Swings)
• 1966: "So Much Love" (US #92)
• 1971: "When My Little Girl Is Smiling" (US #72)
• 1972: "Amerikan Music" (US #79)

External links

• Mclane & Wong's Steve Alaimo Bio
• A collection of rare Redcoats singles and live performances
• Steve Alaimo Bio at Audio Vision studios