Channel: DiscoSaturdayNightTV

Category: Music

Description: Meco Plays The Wizard of Oz is a studio album that was released in 1978. The album sold around 400,000 copies. I personally own one of those copies. The album reached #68 on the US Pop charts and #49 on the R&B charts. Meco is an American record producer and musician, as well as the name of his band or production team. Meco is best known for his 1977 space disco version of the Star Wars theme from his album Star Wars and Other Galactic Funk; both the single and album were certified platinum in the U.S. Meco Monardo was born in Johnsonburg, Pennsylvania, to parents of Italian descent. Building model ships, science fiction and movies were some of his boyhood preoccupations. His father played the valve trombone in a small Italian band, and through him Meco got his first musical education. Meco wanted to play the drums, but his father convinced him that the trombone was the right instrument, and at nine that was the instrument with which he was to stay. However, for Meco, the slide trombone was his choice, troublesome as it was for the small-statured boy to extend the slide fully at first. He joined the high school band while still attending elementary school. At 17, he won a scholarship to the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, which provided him with a solid classical and jazz music education. There, together with his two friends Chuck Mangione and Ron Carter, he started the Eastman School of Music jazz band. When he enrolled at West Point, he also played in the Cadet Band. Out of the army Meco moved to New York City and joined Kai Winding[1] in his four-trombone band, and then from 1965 to 1974 he went on as a studio musician. Originally not inclined toward pop music, Meco's heart changed when he heard Petula Clark's "Downtown." He began doing arrangements, for example the horn section on Tommy James' "Crystal Blue Persuasion" and the Neil Diamond series of Coke commercials. As a session musician he played the trombone with acts like Tommy James, Diana Ross, and David Barretto. Although Meco focused on producing in the late 1970s, he contracted the horns and performed on Diana Ross' 1980 album Diana as a favor to producer (and neighbor) Nile Rodgers. His solo on the single "I'm Coming Out" is notable because of the rarity of trombone features on post-big-band era pop records. Around 1973, Meco, Tony Bongiovi, and a third person[vague] formed the production company Disco Corporation of America, and, from 1974 to 1976, Meco worked as a record producer. The team of Meco, Bongiovi, Jay Ellis, and Harold Wheeler produced the 1974 Gloria Gaynor hit "Never Can Say Goodbye." Carol Douglas' "Doctor's Orders" was among the other productions of that period. On Wednesday May 25, 1977, Meco watched the 20th Century-Fox soon-to-be blockbuster hit Star Wars on its opening day. By Thursday night, he had seen the film four more times, and attended several more screenings over the weekend. He then got the idea to make a disco version of the score by John Williams and contacted Neil Bogart at Casablanca Records to pitch the project. Only after both the picture itself as well as the original score had become huge hits did Bogart agree to help Meco realize his idea. Contact was established with Millennium Records, then a Casablanca subsidiary, and this became Meco's first record company. Here Meco rejoined with Tony Bongiovi as well as Harold Wheeler who had also been part of the team behind "Never Can Say Goodbye" in 1974. Lance Quinn was also part of the Meco team. Meco's third album came in early 1978, and this time it was the music from The Wizard of Oz, which got transformed into a disco album by the same name, as Meco described: "It is my best work, bar none." From this album came the hit single "Themes from The Wizard of Oz: 'Over the Rainbow'/'We're off to See the Wizard.'" Musicians from the MILKY WAY GALAXY Drums: Allen Schwartzenberg, Jimmy Young, Yhtac Xaurt Bass: Neil Jason, Retsim Steab Guitars: Lance Quinn, Cliff Morris, Bob Cadway, Atten Lessik, Inirt Zepol Keyboards: Harold Wheeler, Pat Rebilliot, Ynot Odranom Percussion: Dave Carvey, Nyto Bongo, Ynned Silsek Auto-harps: Gene Bianco, Laup Ekliss Trumpets: Jon Faddis, Dan Cahn, Bob Millikan, Mike Lawrence, Joe Shepley, Randy Brecker, Derf Nardomo, Brad Donmora Trombones: Wayne Andre, Sonny Russo, Eddie Bert, Paul Faulise, Dick Hixson, Alan Raph, Lekly Roomdan, Retsim Ocem Reeds: George Marge, Dave Tifani, Romeo Penque, Eddie Daniels, Phil Bodner, Doowy Thiwe French Horns: Jim Buffington, Bill Brown, Fred Griffin, John Clark, Mali Nyl, Raula Lujei Violins: Guy Lumia, Sanford Allen, LaMar Alsop, Leanie Kranf, Kemie Ceedu, Simm Tenaj, Lewis Eley, John Pintavalle, Dave Davis, Thatie Notsim, Simm Amorni, Tomen Risorm, Paul Winter, Harry Lookofsky, Nala Lebos Cellos: Jesse Levy, Rairy Leicher, Het Mogen, Mijmy Nernie