From a musical family, his father was a big band musician. Gino Vannelli played drums at a young age and after finishing high school studied musical theory at McGill University.
In the late 60s, he signed to RCA Canada under the name Van Elli. He eventually went to Los Angeles, California where he signed with Herb Alpert's A&M Records after chasing Alpert down in the parking lot of A&M Studios. He released his first album with that record label in 1973. Gino's brother, Joe, served as arranger and keyboardist for most of his recording career. At a time when polyphonic synthesizers were non-existent, Joe overdubbed multiple parts to create a texture of sound that was largely progressive for the early 1970s. Gino's 1978 song, "I Just Wanna Stop," written by his brother Joe, earned him an American Grammy Award nomination and reached #4 on the Billboard charts and #1 in Canada. He won Canada's Juno Award for Best Male Artist in 1976 and 1979. Also, Gino and Joe Vannelli shared the Juno Award for Recording Engineer of the Year three times: in 1986 for "Black Cars," in 1987 for "Wild Horses"/"Young Lover," and in 1991 for "The Time of Day"/"Sunset on L.A.". Gino is also noted for being the first Caucasian singer to appear on Soul Train in 1974.
Vannelli's other hits include "Living Inside Myself" (1980) and "Wild Horses" (1987).
In 1990 Gino recorded the album 'Inconsolable man' and toured extensively for the first time in well over a decade. His 'Live in Montreal' album was released in 1991.
In 1993, Québécoise singer Martine St. Clair recorded "Wheels of Life" as a duet with Vanelli as well as a French-language version called "L'Amour Est Loi".
It was some 4 years since his last 'Live' album before Gino released one of his best albums ever, the heavily jazz influenced album 'Yonder Tree'. Issued in 1995 the album received rave reviews from critics and fans alike.
Never one to stand still in terms of style, Gino subsequently released his 'Slow Love' album in 1998. A collection of beautifully crafted romantic songs, slightly more MOR than his previous album.
We had to wait until 2003 for the release of Gino's 'Canto' album. A collection of classical and operatic songs which exemplified his compositional skills as well as his incredible voice. With a symphonic Orchestra he sings in English, Spanish, Italian and French. This album reflected an artist freed from the shackles of commerciality and one able to concentrate on just the music. The result was acclaimed around the world and proved particularly successful in Europe. From the album, Parole Per Mio Padre" (Words For My Father), was so loved by Pope John Paul II that Gino performed the song live at the Vatican in a televised event.
In 2006 Gino released a best of album but again not one to follow the norm, this album entitled 'These are the Days' contained many of his previously best known songs together with 7 completely new pop songs.
He has since released four more albums, the latest of which was released in 2019.
Gino now lives in Oregon with his family where he actively teaches music. He continues to perform across the country today.
Gino Vannelli's official website
Wikipedia entry on Gino Vannelli
Keep On Walking
Gino Vannelli Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This empty heart's in jeopardy
Living without you
It seems I keep falling for someone somewhere
One single hope someone real
Keeps me hangin' on
Now I really don't mind that it's been so long
And it really won't seem like it's been so sad
Just as long as I know I've been missed
Time is on my side
Cause somehow I know you're there
Baby I'm talking about someone like you
I love you in my loneliness
And it keeps me walking on
I've gotta keep walking to someone I love
My faith in your reality keeps me hangin' on
The lyrics to Gino Vannelli's song Keep On Walking speaks to the idea of perseverance and hope. The singer describes his empty heart, living without the one he loves, and how he keeps falling for someone somewhere. Despite the despair he may feel, he clings onto the hope that there is someone out there for him. The repetition of "someone I love" emphasizes the strong desire to find love and companionship.
The lines "Time is on my side, cause somehow I know you're there" suggest that the singer believes in fate and that everything happens for a reason. Even though he hasn't found the love of his life yet, he trusts that she is out there and that they will eventually meet. In a way, the song promotes the idea of not giving up and continuing to walk towards what you want in life, even if it seems difficult or impossible. It's a beautiful message of hope and resilience.
Line by Line Meaning
I gotta keep walking to someone I love
I need to find the person I love and keep searching for them
This empty heart's in jeopardy
My heart is in danger because it feels so empty without my loved one
Living without you
I am living my life without my loved one, which is difficult
It seems I keep falling for someone somewhere
I keep hoping to find someone to love, no matter where they may be
One single hope someone real
I am looking for one genuine person to love, who is real and true
Keeps me hangin' on
The hope of finding that person is keeping me going, despite the difficulties
Now I really don't mind that it's been so long
Even though it has been a long time, I am still committed to finding my loved one
If somewhere in this world you exist
I believe that my loved one is out there somewhere, waiting for me
And it really won't seem like it's been so sad
Once I find my loved one, all the sadness and loneliness I have felt will seem insignificant
Just as long as I know I've been missed
Knowing that my loved one has missed me too will make everything worth it
Time is on my side
I have time to find my loved one, and I am not giving up hope
Cause somehow I know you're there
I have a feeling that my loved one is out there, and that keeps me going
Baby I'm talking about someone like you
I am looking for someone who is just like you, my beloved
I love you in my loneliness
Even when I am alone, I still love my beloved and hope to find them
And it keeps me walking on
My love for my beloved is what is keeping me going, even when things are tough
I've gotta keep walking to someone I love
No matter what happens, I am going to keep looking for my loved one
My faith in your reality keeps me hangin' on
I believe that my loved one is real and out there somewhere, and that belief is what is keeping me going
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GINO VANNELLI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@christinabeanciabattoni428
Gino is one of GOD'S gifts. Someone who has the miraculous ability to engage himself and others in this musical journey. His orchestrations and messages are timeless and hopeful. Class act!
@mariaeugeniacamilli7490
Gino always surprises me. I know what He's able to do. But every new version is outstanding! Unbelievable arrangement, great musicians and AWESOME AND DELICIOUS VOICE, EVER!
@deckenneth
Good grief, how GREAT is this! He's magical and still so at 71. And this arrangement is KILLER!
@dardar227
One of the world's most overlooked and underappreciated talents and voices. So glad he's still sounding and looking good. We want Gino around for a long time!
@justifiedlife1595
Boy, any band good enough to play for Gino must be one kick ass band. Good job guys, also vocals.
@YenneyRossi
🌱🌼 Grazie mille caro Ginno Vanelli per condividere questa bellissima canzone ed interpretazione 🎶🙏✨👍 Ottimo video ✳️ Complimenti ed Applausi 👏👏 Ciao 🇮🇹✔️💙🤗🌱🌼🌱
@PilarCastilloAviles-vp3vc
Increíble con 71 años sin dudas es un genio el mejor no me cansa de decirlo cuanto talento y disciplina para llegar a esa edad con la misma voz que cuando tenía 20 años por siempre Gino
@JosephMage
Fantastic ❤️👏🏽
@sweetlamb9035
Such a beautiful voice he has. Great live performance. I will always love Gino. Thanks for sharing. ❤️
@alejandrodellapenna405
Congratulations from Tigre-Buenos Aires-Argentina...!