Don was born February 25, 1937, in New York City.[1] He was raised in the Catskill Mountains and studied classical music.[2] In 1954, he moved to Los Angeles and became a studio musician.[2] During the next year, he began working at record distribution company where he was influenced by jazz musicians, particularly Horace Silver.[3]
In 1970, he opened The Baked Potato jazz club in Studio City, California, and formed Don Randi and Quest as the house band. The band recorded over 15 albums and was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1980 for the album New Baby.[3] In 2010, the Baked Potato was named Best Jazz Club by Los Angeles magazine.[4]
In 2008, as a member of the Wrecking Crew, Randi was inducted into the Hollywood RockWalk.[5][6]
^"Detailed Biography". Alchetron. Alchetron. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
^ abRandi, 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
^Whitburn, Joel The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, Billboard Books, New York, 1992
^Hartman, Kent, The Wrecking Crew: The Inside Story of Rock and Roll’s Best-Kept Secret, Thomas Dunne Books, St. Martin’s Press, New York, 2012 p. 120
^Whitburn, Joel, The Billboard Book of TOP 40 Albums, Billboard Books, New York 1991
^"The 25 Greatest Christmas Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. 30 November 2019.
Don Randi Interview - NAMM Oral History Library (2016)
October 14, 2023
randi, born, february, 1937, american, keyboard, player, bandleader, songwriter, member, wrecking, crew, born, 1937, february, 1937, york, city, genrespop, rock, jazzoccupation, musicianinstrument, keyboardsyears, active1956, present, contents, career, persona. Don Randi born February 25 1937 is an American keyboard player bandleader and songwriter who was a member of the Wrecking Crew Don RandiBorn 1937 02 25 February 25 1937 age 86 New York City U S GenresPop rock jazzOccupation s MusicianInstrument s KeyboardsYears active1956 present Contents 1 Career 2 Personal life 3 Discography 3 1 As leader 3 2 As sideman 4 Notable singles 5 Notable albums 6 References 7 External linksCareer EditDon was born February 25 1937 in New York City 1 He was raised in the Catskill Mountains and studied classical music 2 In 1954 he moved to Los Angeles and became a studio musician 2 During the next year he began working at record distribution company where he was influenced by jazz musicians particularly Horace Silver 3 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 s Wall of Sound He played piano on These Boots Are Made For Walkin by Nancy Sinatra and on her albums as well as being a member of her touring band for decades He performed on the Beach Boys Good Vibrations and God Only Knows 3 His piano can be heard on the Buffalo Springfield song Broken Arrow He claims to have played on over three hundred hit records working with Linda Ronstadt the harpsichord on Different Drum Quincy Jones Cannonball Adderley Herb Alpert Sarah Vaughan Lee Hazlewood and Frank Zappa 3 He recorded live albums of piano jazz as a solo performer and as the leader of the Don Randi Trio with Leroy Vinnegar and Mel Lewis 2 Randi wrote film scores during the 1970s including Bloody Mama 1970 Up in the Cellar 1970 J W Coop 1972 Stacey 1973 and Santee 1973 In 1970 he opened The Baked Potato jazz club in Studio City California and formed Don Randi and Quest as the house band The band recorded over 15 albums and was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1980 for the album New Baby 3 In 2010 the Baked Potato was named Best Jazz Club by Los Angeles magazine 4 In 2008 as a member of the Wrecking Crew Randi was inducted into the Hollywood RockWalk 5 6 Personal life EditHe is the father of musician Leah Randi 7 Discography EditAs leader Edit 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 amp 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 Edit 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 Susie Allanson ABC 1976 Harold Betters Funk City Express Reprise 1966 Bob B Soxx amp the Blue Jeans Zip A Dee Doo Dah Philles 1976 Pat Boone Texas Woman Hitsville 1976 James Brown 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 On His Own Gemini 1973 Jerry Cole Outer Limits Capitol 1963 Cass Elliot Cass Elliot RCA Victor 1972 England Dan amp John Ford Coley Fables A amp M 1972 Gale Garnett Gale Garnett Sings About Flying amp Rainbows amp Love amp Other Groovy Things RCA Victor 1967 Lee Hazlewood 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 Once in a While Reprise 1978 Bette Midler Broken Blossom Atlantic 1977 The Monkees Listen to the Band Rhino 1991 Sandy Nelson Rock n Roll Revival Imperial 1968 Jack Nitzsche The Lonely Surfer Reprise 1963 Michelle Phillips Victim of Romance A amp M 1990 Elvis Presley NBC TV Special RCA 1991 Michael Quatro Gettin Ready Prodigal 1977 Emitt Rhodes The American Dream A amp M 1970 Nelson Riddle Contemporary Sound of Nelson Riddle United Artists 1968 Tommy Roe Beginnings ABC 1971 The Ronettes Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes Featuring Veronica Philles 1964 Nancy Sinatra Sugar Reprise 1966 Stone Poneys Evergreen Vol 2 Capitol 1967 Townes Van Zandt Our Mother the Mountain Poppy 1969 Stephanie Winslow Crying Warner Bros 1980 Notable singles EditBased on information from Randi s book You ve Heard These Hands 8 Charting for singles is on the US singles charts 9 Artist Title Date amp highest position on US charts MiscellaneousThe Beach Boys God Only Knows 39 9 17 66The Beach Boys Good Vibrations 1 10 29 66The Beach Boys Help Me Rhonda 1 5 01 65The Beach Boys Wouldn t It Be Nice 8 8 20 65Buffalo Springfield Broken Arrow Released 11 18 67 produced and arranged by Jack NitzscheGlen Campbell I m Not Gonna Miss You released on September 30 2014 for the soundtrack to the documentary Glen Campbell I ll Be Me the last song Campbell recordedThe Crystals He s a Rebel 1 10 06 62 produced by Phil Spector 2 R amp B lt v Whitburn Joel The Billboard Book of TOP 40 R amp B and Hip Hop Hits Billboard Books New York 2006 p 128 lt ref gt The Crystals Da Doo Ron Ron 3 5 11 63 5 R amp B citation needed The Crystals Then He Kissed Me 6 8 31 63 8 R amp B citation needed Sammy Davis Jr The Candy Man 1 10 6 72Neil Diamond Cracklin Rosie 1 8 29 70Lesley Gore It s My Party 1 5 18 63 1 R amp B citation needed produced by Quincy Jones arranged byJack NietzscheThe Jackson 5 ABC 1 3 21 70 1 R amp B citation needed Jan and Dean Popsicle 21 6 18 66Ben E King Spanish Harlem 10 1 30 61 15 R amp B citation needed Dean Martin Everybody Loves Somebody 1 7 11 64Barry McGuire The Eve of Destruction 10 1 8 28 65Jack Nitzsche The Lonely Surfer 39 9 7 63Laura Nyro Save the Country The Paris Sisters I Love How You Love Me 5 10 2 61Ray Peterson Corinna Corinna 9 12 19 60Elvis Presley A Little Less Conversation Gary Puckett amp The Union Gap Young Girl 2 3 16 68Gary Puckettt and the Union Gap Lady Willpower 2 6 22 68The Righteous Brothers You ve Lost That Lovin Feelin 1 12 26 64 2 R amp B citation needed The Righteous Brothers Ebb Tide 5 12 11 65 13 R amp B citation needed The Righteous Brothers Unchained Melody 4 7 31 65 6 R amp B citation needed The Ronettes Be My Baby 7 4 30 66 4 citation needed Diana Ross Touch Me in the Morning 1 7 7 73 5 R amp B citation needed Frank and Nancy Sinatra Somethin Stupid 1 3 25 67Nancy Sinatra These Boots Are Made for Walkin 1 2 5 66Nancy Sinatra How Does That Grab You Darlin 7 4 30 66Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood Jackson 14 7 8 67O C Smith The Son of Hickory Holler s Tramp 40 4 20 68 32 R amp B citation needed Sonny and Cher I Got You Babe 1 7 31 65 19 R amp B citation needed The Spiral Staircase More Today Than Yesterday 12 5 3 69Stone Poneys Different Drum 13 12 9 67 lead vocals Linda RonstadtHank Williams Jr Family Tradition Notable albums EditA list of notable albums that Randi played on 8 11 Artist Title Date amp highest position on US charts MiscellaneousThe Association And Then Along Comes the Association 5 10 01 66The Beach Boys Pet Sounds 10 06 11 66The Beach Boys The Smile SessionsBuffalo Springfield Buffalo Springfield Again Released 11 18 67Tim Buckley Goodbye and Hello Released September 1967Leonard Cohen Death of a Ladies Man Released November 13 1977 produced by Phil SpectorNeil Diamond Tap Root Manuscript 13 11 21 70The Electric Prunes Mass in F Minor arranged by David AxelrodCass Elliot The Road is No Place for a LadyThe Jackson 5 ABC 4 6 6 70Love The Best of LoveThe Monkees The Birds The Bees amp The Monkees 3 5 18 68The Monkees More of the Monkees 1 2 11 67Michael Nesmith The Wichita Train Whistle SingsMickey Newbury An American TrilogyHarry Nilsson The Point 25 4 10 71Michelle Phillips Victim of Romance Produced by Jack NitzscheThe Righteous Brothers You ve Lost That Lovin Feelin 4 2 6 65The Righteous Brothers Back to Back 16 2 5 66Tommy Roe Beginnings 1971The Ronettes Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes Featuring Veronica 96 released November 1964Nancy Sinatra Boots 5 3 26 66Nancy Sinatra How Does That Grab You Nancy Sinatra Country My WayNancy Sinatra NancyNancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood Nancy and Lee 13 5 25 68Sonny and Cher Look At Us 2 9 4 65Phil Spector Back to Mono 1958 1969 Phil Spector A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector In 2019 it was ranked the greatest Christmas album of all time by Rolling Stone 12 The Spiral Staircase More Today Than YesterdayThe Tubes Young and RichTownes Van Zandt Our Mother the MountainTownes Van Zandt High Low and In BetweenHank Williams Jr Family TraditionReferences Edit Don Randi on Apple Music Apple Music a b c Yanow Don Randi AllMusic Retrieved 3 October 2020 a b c d Biography at Baked Potato website Archived from the original on 2016 08 03 Retrieved 2010 09 16 Best Jazz Club Los Angeles August 2010 Archived from the original on 12 August 2014 Retrieved 14 January 2013 Lynne Margolis Glen Campbell Don Randi and Hal Blaine Honored at RockWalk 5 August 2008 Archived September 19 2008 at the Wayback Machine The Wrecking Crew at Hollywood s RockWalk Detailed Biography Alchetron Alchetron Retrieved 14 October 2023 a b 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 Whitburn Joel The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits Billboard Books New York 1992 Hartman Kent The Wrecking Crew The Inside Story of Rock and Roll s Best Kept Secret Thomas Dunne Books St Martin s Press New York 2012 p 120 Whitburn Joel The Billboard Book of TOP 40 Albums Billboard Books New York 1991 The 25 Greatest Christmas Albums of All Time Rolling Stone 30 November 2019 External links EditOfficial website Archived 2010 07 16 at the Wayback Machine Don Randi at Discogs com Deane Ogden podcast March 12 2014 Don Randi Interview NAMM Oral History Library 2016 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Don Randi amp oldid 1180116597, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
