Caravelli (Claude Vasori, Paris, France, 2 September 1930 – 1 April 2019) w… Read Full Bio ↴Caravelli (Claude Vasori, Paris, France, 2 September 1930 – 1 April 2019) was a French orchestra leader, composer and arranger of orchestral music.

The son of an Italian father and a French mother, Vasori was initially instructed in music by his mother in piano and voicing/harmony at seven years old, and later, when he was thirteen he began to attend the Paris Conservatoire. At twenty he was professionally touring, accompanying singers on piano, and at 26 years old he started as an orchestra conductor.

Vasori took his stage name in 1956 from the newly introduced twin-jet Caravelle from Caravelle Aerospatiale. This plane was the first jet created for the short-haul market. The first Caravelle entered service for Air France on May 9, 1959. He made it more Italianate in honor of his father's origins, changing the last letter: “Caravelli et son Violons Magiques/& his Magnificent Strings”.

In 1959 with the help of the French jazz musician Ray Ventura, he obtained a contract to form his own orchestra oriented to popular music. He signed a contract with the French record label Versailles. His first album Dance Party was recorded. Under licenses these early recordings were released internationally (20th Century Records in the USA, Ariel in Argentina, Fermata in Brasil, and Discophon in Spain). In 1962, he composed Et Satan conduit le bal original soundtrack under his real name, French film starred by young Catherine Deneuve. In 1963, he composed "Accroche-toi Caroline!" which was used by the BBC as the theme to the Vision On television series.

The Versailles label was acquired by Columbia Records in 1964. The wider distribution of their product led to gold records in France, Japan, Israel and South America. In Brazil his first released CBS album was titled Voyage Musical, in Argentina Merci Cherie.

With his orchestra he also made recordings with Maurice Chevalier and Charles Trenet (La mer/Beyond the sea) among other singers. In 1970 he composed the music for the film L'Homme Qui Vient De La Nuit, starred by Ivan Rebroff, and in the same period recorded an album in USA. His first Japan Live Concert is recorded in 1972 by CBS.

In 1973, one of his own compositions was included in the Frank Sinatra album Ol' Blue Eyes Is Back: “Laisse moi le temps” / “Let Me Try Again”, original French lyrics by Michel Jourdan, English lyrics by Paul Anka. This song was previously presented in competition at the Festival Internacional de la Canción de Viña del Mar, Chile, by singer Romuald representing France and obtaining the second prize (a Chile song was the winner), although it was considered the best song by critics and people. Making a delayed justice, a few years ago, it was proclaimed the Best Song in the history of this Festival, in its 41st Anniversary, something unusual for a non-first prize in any song contest. This song was also covered by Raymond Lefevre.

In 1978, he composed and recorded the title song of "Goldorak et les 2 Mazingers", for the Japan anime/cartoon. In 1981 he toured the Soviet Union with his orchestra performing in Riga and Moscow with great success (all concerts were sold out). The summer of following year, he returned to the country, this time to make a record for the Melodiya label with Russians musicians and female singers (in his style without lyrics). This record In Moscow included 12 tracks, the majority written by young pop Russian composers, with a couple of traditional tunes. Two of the pieces were recorded in Paris with his own orchestra. In 1983 Caravelli plays Seiko Matsuda was recorded in Japan.

In the middle 1980s, in order to update his sound he used rhythm arrangements by his son Patrick Vasori (born c.1950) using musicians such as Gilles Gambus and Serge Planchon, who also played keyboards with the orchestra. In November and December 2006, he recorded an album titled A New Day Has Come with his Grand Orchestre in Brussels, Belgium, for Reader's Digest.

Japan being a country in which he has a following, Caravelli is one of the few Western artists who have been invited to conduct the Japanese TV Network's NHK Orchestra, In November 200,1 he was touring Japan with an orchestra composed of 32 musicians (tour N° 7 ), invited by the Sony Foundation (the previous tour was in 1996). At this time, Sony Music Japan assembled a 2-CD set Caravelli plays Michel Polnareff and ABBA, being the first (Polnareff) a selection from 1960 and 1970 albums (including his cover of "Love Me, Please Love Me") and the second (ABBA) a selection from 1970's recordings. In December 2003, he toured Japan again; the six concerts were sold out.

He died on 1 April 2019, at the age of 88.

Can
Caravelli Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You're just too good to be true
I can't take my eyes off you
You'd be like heaven to touch
I wanna hold you so much
At long last love has arrived
And I thank God I'm alive
You're just too good to be true
Can't take my eyes off you

Pardon the way that I stare
There's nothing else to compare
The sight of you leaves me weak
There are no words left to speak
But if you feel like I feel
Please let me know that is real
You're just too good to be true
I can't take my eyes off you

I need you baby
And if it's quite all right
I need you baby
And if its quite alright
I need you baby
To warm the lonely nights
I love you baby
Trust in me when I say its okay

Oh pretty baby
Don't bring me down I pray
Oh pretty baby
Now that I've found you stay
And let me love you, baby
Let me love you

You're just too good to be true
I can't take my eyes off you
You'd be like heaven to touch
I wanna hold you so much
At long last love has arrived
And I thank God I'm alive
You're just too good to be true
Can't take my eyes off You

I need you baby
And if it's quite all right
I need you baby
To warm the lonely nights
I love you baby
Now trust in me when I say its okay

Oh pretty baby
Don't bring me down I pray
Oh pretty baby
Now that I've found you stay

And let me love you, baby
Let me love you

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Caravelli's song Can't Take My Eyes off of You tell the story of a person who is mesmerized by the beauty and perfection of their significant other. The singer describes their lover as being too good to be true, expressing their disbelief that someone could be so amazing. They express their desire to hold and touch their partner, noting that being with them is like a piece of heaven. The singer is grateful to have finally found love and is grateful to be alive for the experience.

The second verse finds the singer apologizing for staring at their partner, stating that there is simply nothing else that can compare to their beauty. They admit to feeling weak in the presence of their lover and being at a loss for words. They express their hope that their partner feels the same way and asks them to let them know if it is indeed real.

The chorus repeats the sentiment that their lover is too good to be true and that they cannot take their eyes off them. The bridge expresses the singer's need for their partner and their hope that they can be together to warm each other's lonely nights. They express their love for their partner and ask for their trust that it is okay to love them in return. The song ends with the singer begging their partner not to destroy their happiness and asking them to stay and let them love them.

Overall, the lyrics are a testament to the overwhelming feelings of love and admiration that one can experience for their partner. They express the joy and gratitude of finally finding someone who seems too good to be true and the fear of losing them.

Line by Line Meaning

You're just too good to be true
You are so amazing that it's almost unbelievable

I can't take my eyes off you
I am completely captivated by you

You'd be like heaven to touch
If I could touch you, it would feel like heaven

I wanna hold you so much
I want to embrace you tightly

At long last love has arrived
I have finally found love after waiting for so long

And I thank God I'm alive
I am grateful to be alive to experience this love

Pardon the way that I stare
I apologize for staring so intently at you

There's nothing else to compare
There is no one else quite like you

The sight of you leaves me weak
You make me feel weak because of how attractive you are

There are no words left to speak
I am at a loss for words because of how amazing you are

But if you feel like I feel
If you feel the same way about me as I do about you