After an unsuccessful first single, the group were signed to Laurie Records. Their breakthrough came when "I Wonder Why" made # 22 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and the group appeared for the first time on the Dick Clark TV show. They followed it with the ballads "No One Knows" (#19) and "Don't Pity Me" (#40).
This success won Dion and the Belmonts their first major tour in late 1958, with The Coasters, Buddy Holly and Bobby Darin, and this was followed up by the "Winter Dance Party" tour with Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper. On 2 February 1959, after playing at Clear Lake, Iowa, Dion decided that he could not afford the $36 cost of a flight to the next venue. The plane crashed, and Holly and the other stars were killed. However, the tour continued, with Jimmy Clanton and Bobby Vee being added to the bill.
In March 1959, Dion and the Belmontsβ next single, "A Teenager in Love", was released, making #5 in the Billboard Hot 100 and #28 in the UK Singles Chart, and this was followed by an album, Presenting Dion and the Belmonts. Their biggest hit, "Where or When", was released in November 1959, and reached #3 on the U.S. chart.
However, in early 1960, Dion checked in to hospital for heroin addiction, a problem he had had since his mid-teens. Further single releases for the group that year were less successful, there were musical and financial disputes between Dion and members of the Belmonts, and in October 1960 Dion decided to quit for a solo career. The Belmonts also continued to release records, but with less success.
Dion and the Belmonts reunited in 1966 for the unsuccessful album Together Again on ABC Records, and again in 1972 for a one-off show at Madison Square Garden, recorded and released as a live album.
That's My Desire
Dion & The Belmonts Lyrics
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And reminisce with you that's my desire.
To meet where gypsies play, down in that dim cafe,
And dance 'till break of day that's my desire.
We'll sip a little glass of wine, I'll gaze into your eyes divine.
I'll feel the touch of your lips pressing on mine.
To hear you whisper low just when it's time to go,
The lyrics of Dion & The Belmonts's song "That's My Desire" speak of the deep desire to spend a night with a loved one in a place where they used to rendezvous. The song expresses the longing to drink wine together, dance until the break of dawn, and to reminisce about the memories they shared in the past. The singer wants nothing more than to gaze into their partner's eyes, feel the touch of their lips, and to hear them whisper sweet nothings as they bid them goodnight. This song is an epitome of a classic love song that speaks of intense longing, romance, and passion.
The lyrics of "That's My Desire" were written by Helmy Kresa and Carroll Loveday in 1931, and the song has been covered by several other artists over the years, including Frankie Laine, Sammy Kaye, and Elvis Presley. Dion & The Belmonts released their version of the song in 1960, which was featured in their album, "Presenting Dion and The Belmonts."
Line by Line Meaning
To spend one night with you in our old rendezvous,
I want to spend a night with you at our previous meeting place.
And reminisce with you that's my desire.
I want to talk about and remember our past experiences together.
To meet where gypsies play, down in that dim cafe,
I want to meet you at a cafe where gypsies perform.
And dance 'till break of day that's my desire.
I want to dance with you until dawn breaks.
We'll sip a little glass of wine, I'll gaze into your eyes divine.
We will share a glass of wine while I gaze into your beautiful eyes.
I'll feel the touch of your lips pressing on mine.
I want to feel the sensation of your lips on mine.
To hear you whisper low just when it's time to go,
I want to hear you speak softly to me as it reaches the time for us to depart.
Cherie, I love you so, that's my desire.
My ultimate desire is to tell you, Cherie, how much I love you.
Lyrics Β© Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Spirit Music Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: HELMY KRESA, CARROLL LOVEDAY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind