Vito Picone & Tremonts - Believe My Heart

Tremonts "Ronnie Lapinsky, Bill Frye & Dave Romano" that used Vito's composition of Please Believe Me & recorded this in 1961. In 1965 after Vito went on his own & the Elegants went their ways Laurie matched Vito up with the Tremonts. After this they changed their name to Vito & Elegants and then again to the Elegantes. The Elegantes went back to being the Tremonts. Vito then formed a new Elegants w/ 2 original members & a member from Majestics. Complicated? Joe Dee & Top Hands name on the label is NOT the same Joey Dee that we are all familiar with.
You can go here for the complete details:
http://books.google.com/books?id=mTM_9JTeoMIC&pg=PA176&lpg=PA176&...

Category:

Music

Tags:

• doowop
• doo
• wop
• dowop
• teen
• teenie
• teenage
• dreams

[zzombiieaterrr]

Well I am confused. I have "The Elegants, complete recordings" with almost the exact song on it. (except better) Who originally did it?

[dowopper51]

@zzombiieaterrr This is the only version i've ever known. It is Vito of the Elegants doing lead, as for a different version of "Believe My Heart" I never heard it. They did do "Please Believe Me" on the flip of "Goodnight" that is very very similar to this, are you possibly confused with the two?

[stan6836]

stan6836 As far as I can determine, this great record was released

in 1961, not in 1965.

[dowopper51]

@stan6836 It was released in 1961. In 1965 Vito was signed up again with the Tremonts "Ronnie Lapinsky, Bill Frye & Dave Romano" on Laurie label & called the group Vito & The Elegants. It's a long history and I guess cramping it down made it a little confusing.

[dowopper51]

@RaananVolesPianist It was released in 1962. I was just telling the story of the Elegants because some folks thought the Tremonts were the Elegants. I should put a period after "went their ways". Actually many songs similar to this were still being released in 64-65. Because of the awful Britsish invasion they never even saw top 100s, never mind top 40s.

[RaananVolesPianist]

@stan6836

i find it rather hard to believe that this record was released in 1965. IAs a junior high school student in 1965, I listened to WABC and WMCA cosntantly, and I can tell you without a doubt that nothing like this was ever played on Top 40 radio at that time, except if it was on the "oldies hour." Motown, Beatles, Dave Clark 5, Beach Boys, 4 Seasons, James Brown yest--do-wop, no.

[dowopper51]

@stan6836 Thanks a million Stan, this is what I needed to know! I guess Joe Dee & Top Hands where the instrumental arrangment because they also had another release on Pat Riccio #105 Honky Tonk Guitar / Blind Heart. If you should happen to contact Vito again, ask him who sang falsetto lead on the flip side of this, Legend Of Love. Thanks again for the research!

[stan6836]

stan6836

After emailing Vito Picone recently and getting a very long and friendly response,

I can tell everyone who views these comments that the Joe Dee listed on the label of this record is NOT the more famous Joey Dee of the Starlighters who sang The Peppermint Twist.

[CIB67]

01/03/11 ... Another great song from my teenage years. I have learned so much here while listening to these songs thank you everyone for sharing your information, hey, this is good stuff!

[dowopper51]

@tghughes Yes it is Vito P. It's Joe Dee that has my concern. I may have a way to find if it's Joey Dee & Top Hands, I was talking to Tony Passalaqua lead of the Fascinators, now with The Legends Of Doo Wop this past Nov. He was telling me about a gig in Ormond Beach "only about 15 miles from me" that he and Joey Dee are performing there that night, Jan 7, I'd like to go. It would be a perfect time to get the story straight.