Don Costa

Dominick P. Costa (July 10, 1925 – January 19, 1983) was an American pop music arranger and record producer best known for his work with Frank Sinatra.

Biography

During this time, Frank Sinatra had formed a new recording label, Reprise Records, and he hired Costa to arrange one of his albums, Sinatra and Strings, released in 1962. This set of standard ballads would remain one of the most critically-acclaimed works of Sinatra's entire Reprise period. Costa's largely string-based orchestrations were outstanding, but he was rarely called on to write in a similar style again, during the long association with Sinatra which followed, as the singer concentrated on more contemporary projects with him. Among the standout tracks on Sinatra and Strings are "All or Nothing at All", an unusual verse-only version of "Stardust" (in juxtaposition to the many chorus-only versions of the song), a ballad rendition of "Night and Day" which provided a contrast to Sinatra's more familiar big band version, and a rendition of "Come Rain or Come Shine" which frequently is included "Best of" compilations from Sinatra's Reprise years.

The following year, Costa was asked to arrange the charts for the Sarah Vaughan album, Snowbound. Barbra Streisand then used the same arrangement of the title song "Snowbound", for her second Christmas album for Sony Music. Costa also arranged Tony Bennett's 1965 album .

In the mid-1960s, Costa moved from New York to Hollywood, California, and formed his own company, DCP International, through United Artists. His label had great success by reviving the career of popular 1950s act, Little Anthony and the Imperials. Working with producer-writer Teddy Randazzo, Little Anthony had a string of major hits including "Goin' Out Of My Head" and "Hurt So Bad". In 1963, Costa discovered Trini Lopez working at "PJ's", a Hollywood nightclub. Later in the decade, Sinatra again called on Costa to become his primary arranger and Costa's work with Lawrence and Gorme abated. During this period, Sinatra scored one of his biggest hits, the Paul Anka composed tune "My Way".

Costa was conducting for Sinatra in Las Vegas as well as arranging his records when he suffered a heart attack and required bypass surgery. After recovering, he started working with Mike Curb at MGM Records, producing and arranging material for the Osmond Brothers hits, as well as having a hand in Sammy Davis, Jr.'s "The Candy Man" and Petula Clark's cover of "My Guy."

In the early 1980s, Costa scored again as an artist with a hit with his 10-year-old daughter Nikka entitled "Out Here On My Own." The two were planning a follow-up when Costa died of a heart attack in New York.

Albums

References

Category:1925 births Category:1983 deaths Category:People from Boston, Massachusetts Category:American music arrangers Category:American musicians of Italian descent Category:Jamie Records artists Category:American session musicians Category:Deaths from myocardial infarction