Introduction
Gino Soccio (born September 9, 1955) is a Canadian disco record producerbased in Montreal. His only US Billboard Hot 100 entry was the #48 hit single "Dancer" in 1979, but he did hit #1 on the US Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart twice ("Dancer" / "Dance to Dance" in 1979, and "Try It Out" / "Hold Tight" in 1981, six weeks each). "Dancer" peaked at #46 in the UK Singles Chart in May 1979. Soccio's third biggest hit, "It's Alright" / "Look At Yourself", from his album, Face to Face, reached #2 for 5 weeks also on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. "Turn It Around" was released only as a single in 1984.
Early life
Soccio was born in Verdun, Quebec, of Italian descent.
Career
Soccio got his start in disco when Montreal producer Pat Deserio called him and asked if he would play keyboards and help compose for the Kebekelektrik album.Prior to this, Soccio was working as a local session musician.The Kebekelektrik album helped to launch Soccio's career, as his composition "War Dance" became a hit on U.S. dance floors, a song Soccio himself had deemed "filler".
In 1978 Soccio released a dance single, "The Visitors", which was later remixed by Ouimet. That year he also played keyboards on the Bombers album Bombers.
His debut solo album "Outline" was released in 1979 and contained the hit "Dancer"; the album received critical acclaim and brought him international recognition.
In 1979, Soccio also recorded a disco album with Guy Lafleur which cost CAD$100 000 to produce.
In the UK he received airplay from Robbie Vincent on BBC Radio London, and Greg Edwards on Capital Radio on imported RFC Records, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Records.
He also assembled and produced the disco studio group, Witch Queen, best known for their hit, "Bang A Gong" / "All Right Now" (1979).It peaked at number eight on the US Hot Dance/Disco chart.
Discography
The discography of Gino Soccio consists of four studio albums, three compilations and seventeen singles.
- Studio albums
| Year | Title | Chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US |
US R&B | ||
| 1979 | Outline
|
79 | 34 |
| 1980 | S-Beat
|
– | – |
| 1981 | Closer
|
96 | 26 |
| 1982 | Face to Face
|
– | 45 |
- Compilation albums
- Remember (1984, Celebration)
- Greatest Hits (1989, Unidisc)
- The Best Of Gino Soccio (1994, Unidisc)
- Singles
| Year | Title | Chart positions | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US |
US Dance |
US R&B |
UK | |||
| 1977 | "Sauve Qui Peut" | – | – | – | – | — |
| 1978 | "The Visitors" | – | – | – | – | Outline |
| 1979 | "Dancer" | 48 | 1 | 60 | 46 | |
| "Dance To Dance" | – | – | – | |||
| 1980 | "S-Beat" | – | 4 | – | – | S-Beat |
| "Heartbreaker" | – | – | – | |||
| 1981 | "Try It Out" | – | 1 | 22 | – | Closer |
| "What You Feel Is Real - Hold Tight" | – | – | – | |||
| 1982 | "It's Alright" | – | 2 | 60 | – | Face to Face |
| "Remember" | – | – | – | |||
| "You Move Me" | – | – | – | |||
| 1983 | "Get It Up" | – | – | – | – | — |
| 1984 | "Turn It Around" | – | – | – | – | Remember |
| "Out Of My Life" | – | – | – | – | ||
| 1985 | "Human Nature" | – | 50 | – | – | |
| "Temptation Eyes" | – | – | – | – | ||
| 1986 | "Magic" | – | – | – | – | — |
- Notes
- A^ "Human Nature" actually charted at #50 on Billboard Dance/Electronic Singles Sales chart.