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
Sally
Gino Vannelli Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But words won't stop the pain
She's painting skies of blue
While I'm standing in the rain
I love her still I always will
Sally, she sings the sweetest songs
She's had a change of heart
I can see it in her eyes
I love her so I can't let go
Save every moment save every hour
Gone are the golden days we knew
Someone is lonely in love with the other
And I'm still in love with you
She was a flower child
When whe came into my life
And now the decades gone
And nothings turned out right
The feelings gone but life goes on
Someone is lonely
In love with the other
And I'm still in love with you
Sally, she says the sweetest things
But words won't ever do
You're throwing stones at me
That I can't throw back at you
I love you still
I always will
The lyrics to Gino Vannelli’s song “Sally” reveal a complicated love story between two individuals. Sally is depicted as a charming and sweet person whose words and songs captivate the singer. However, despite her endearing disposition, Sally causes the singer pain and distress. She paints “skies of blue” while he is left standing in the rain, and her “sweetest songs” are actually a lie, revealing a change of heart in her eyes. Nevertheless, the singer loves her and cannot let her go.
The song is a poignant portrayal of unrequited love, a love that has endured through the years but has not been reciprocated. The lines “Save every moment save every hour/Gone are the golden days we knew” convey a sense of loss and regret over the passing of time and the inability to reclaim a once-perfect relationship. The emotional depth of the song is further highlighted with the final lines, “You're throwing stones at me/That I can't throw back at you/ I love you still/ I always will.”
Overall, the lyrics of “Sally” showcase the complexity of human emotions, the joy and pain that comes with love, and the difficulty of accepting the reality of the end of a relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
Sally, she says the sweetest things
Although Sally speaks kindly, her words fail to alleviate my emotional pain.
But words won't stop the pain
Despite Sally's words, my emotional pain remains.
She's painting skies of blue
Sally exudes positivity and optimism.
While I'm standing in the rain
I am experiencing struggle and pain despite Sally's happiness.
I love her still I always will
My love for Sally is unwavering despite my emotional distress.
Sally, she sings the sweetest songs
In addition to her kind words, Sally has a beautiful singing voice.
But the melody is a lie
The sweet songs Sally sings belie the troubling reality of our relationship.
She's had a change of heart
Sally's feelings for me have shifted.
I can see it in her eyes
Her eyes betray her changing emotions.
I love her so I can't let go
My love for Sally prevents me from moving on despite the changes in our relationship.
Save every moment save every hour
I cling to the memories of happier times in our relationship.
Gone are the golden days we knew
Our past happiness has faded and no longer defines our relationship.
Someone is lonely in love with the other
Either Sally or I am feeling lonely and unfulfilled in our relationship.
And I'm still in love with you
My love for Sally persists despite our issues.
She was a flower child
Sally symbolized the peace and love of the 1960s counterculture when we met.
When she came into my life
I met Sally at a significant point in my life.
And now the decades gone
Years have passed, and our relationship has changed significantly.
And nothing's turned out right
Our relationship has not taken the path we had hoped or anticipated.
The feeling's gone but life goes on
While my romantic feelings for Sally have waned, life continues unimpeded.
Someone is lonely
One of us is experiencing loneliness and emotional distress.
In love with the other
Despite our difficulties, strong feelings of love continue to exist between us.
And I'm still in love with you
Despite changes in our relationship, my love for Sally persists.
But words won't ever do
There are no words that can repair our relationship.
You're throwing stones at me
Sally is attacking or accusing me with hurtful words or actions.
That I can't throw back at you
Despite the pain Sally is causing me, I cannot direct any negativity or hostility towards her due to my love for her.
I love you still
Despite our issues, my love for Sally remains
I always will
My love for Sally will never falter, regardless of the difficulties we may face in the future.
Contributed by Olivia M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.