Sacco was born in Glenwillard, Pennsylvania[1] and raised in suburban Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Sacco traveled to New York after graduating from Moon Area High School and found work as a session vocalist.
His sister Susan Christie had a minor hit with the novelty song "I Love Onions", which peaked at #63 on the Hot 100 in 1966.
Robbee and Roulette: 1961-1963
Sacco also recorded a few unsuccessful discs of his own for various record labels in both New York and Pittsburgh, most notably "The Jury" (as by "Lugee & The Lions") on the Pittsburgh-based Robbee label, which achieved local success. "The Gypsy Cried" features the vocal style that would characterize all of Christie's biggest hits: verses sung in his normal register, and then a dramatic shift to his falsetto on the choruses. That song was released in 1962 on the tiny C&C label and unexpectedly credited to 'Lou Christie' without Sacco's permission. Sacco had been working on a list of potential stage names, and he has stated that he hated the name for decades afterwards: "I was pissed off about it for 20 years. I wanted to keep my name and be a one-named performer, just 'Lugee'."
After the C&C release became a Pittsburgh hit, "The Gypsy Cried" was picked up by Roulette Records and charted nationwide, peaking at #24, selling over one million copies, and receiving a gold disc. "The Gypsy Cried" was the first of numerous songs Christie co-wrote with his songwriting partner Twyla Herbert, a self-described eccentric and mystic, who was over twenty years older than Christie but also shared his love of classical music. The two struck up a working relationship after Christie auditioned for her at the age of 15 and began a lifelong friendship which ended only with her death in 2009.
Christie's follow-up single, "Two Faces Have I" in March 1963, was an even bigger hit, peaking at #6 and also selling over a million copies. He joined Dick Clark's Caravan of Stars Tour. A third Roulette release, "How Many Teardrops" (written by Milan), stalled at #46 as Christie's career was temporarily derailed by his induction into the U.S. Army. (A copy of "How Many Teardrops" is included on the Milan compilation album Hell Bent for Leather.) Christie would not have another charting single for two and a half years.
Re-establishment and Rhapsody: 1965-1966
While a stint in the military might have ended the careers of many musicians, Christie's career was quickly re-established after his discharge when he signed with the MGM label. MGM reportedly disliked Christie's first single for the label, with MGM's president reportedly throwing the tape into a wastepaper basket. But Christie's new management promoted the record in California, and when it gained some traction (eventually reaching #2 on KHJ the last two weeks of 1965), MGM released it. "Lightnin' Strikes" reached #1 in the U.S. on Christie's 23rd birthday on February 19, 1966; entered the UK Top 20, becoming his first hit in that country; and peaked at number one in Canada.
But Christie's next release would ignite a firestorm of controversy and censorship. Released in the spring of 1966, "Rhapsody In The Rain" featured a haunting melody inspired by Tchaikovsky's "Romeo and Juliet", telling of a teenager's regret over his sexual experience in the back seat of a car during a rainstorm as the windshield wipers made a rhythmic sound of "together, together".[citation needed] Later after the romance ends, the wipers seem to say "never, never".[citation needed] Many radio stations banned the song, and MGM insisted on a re-recorded version that toned down the lyrical content.[citation needed] Despite the edited version, many stations instead played two older songs re-released by other labels Christie had once recorded for: "Outside the Gates of Heaven" (on Co & Ce Records, a successor to C&C) peaked at #45, while "Big Time" (on Colpix Records) managed to hit #95. All three singles hit nationally within three weeks of one another, in March 1966, while "Lightnin' Strikes" was falling off.
Whether it was the controversial lyrics or competition from the other singles released simultaneously, "Rhapsody" only managed to hit #16 in the U.S. and #37 in the UK. Christie's career seemed to be derailed once again as his followup for MGM, "Painter", which also borrowed a melody from classical music - this time from Puccini's opera Madame Butterfly - stalled at #81. Two further MGM releases (produced by Jack Nitzsche) from 1966 missed the Billboard Hot 100 entirely, even though "If My Car Could Only Talk" (peaking at #118) seemingly revisits the ill-fated lovers from Rhapsody.
Resurgence and Romeo: 1969-1970
After being dropped by MGM and an unfruitful stint with Columbia Records in the late 1960s, Christie teamed up with Buddah Records (a move prompted by his business manager Stan Polley) and bubblegum music record producer Tony Romeo and had a surprise Wall of Sound constant uptempo hit "I'm Gonna Make You Mine" (which Romeo wrote) in the early autumn of 1969. Helped by two promotional videos distinctly different from each other, the song peaked at #10 in the U.S. but across the Atlantic climbed to #2 on the UK Singles Chart and thus became his biggest hit there. A follow up, "She Sold Me Magic" charted only in the UK, peaking at #25, and was later covered by Elton John. Conversely, "Are You Getting Any Sunshine?" only charted in America, where it reached #73.
Recoveries and Remakes: 1971 to present
Christie spent the early 1970s in London, largely outside of the music industry and battling drug addiction. In 1971 he released a concept album called Paint America Love and was married in London to former UK beauty queen Francesca Winfield. In 1974, Christie would try another new musical style, going country on his Beyond The Blue Horizon album. The title track, a remake of a hit song from 1930, written for the film Monte Carlo, features one of Christie's strongest non-falsetto vocal performances.[citation needed] The song missed the Country charts entirely, and only made #80 on the pop chart, but managed a respectable showing at #12 on the Adult Contemporary chart. The song has been used in several film soundtracks, most notably in 1988's Rain Man.
After getting clean at a London drug rehabilitation clinic, he dropped out of the music industry, working variously as a ranch hand, offshore oil driller and carnival barker.[1]
Christie became active on the oldies circuit starting in the early 1980s, even scoring a final U.S. chart hit, credited as "Summer '81 medley" by The Cantina Band (featuring Lou Christie), in 1981 - and, coincidentally, peaking at #81, performing a medley of Beach Boys classics. In 1999 Christie recorded his first all-new album since the 1970s entitled Pledging My Love. In 2004 Christie released his first concert album, Greatest Hits Live From The Bottom Line, which featured studio recording "Christmas In New York" as a bonus track. In addition to the occasional new release, Christie remains a popular concert act on the oldies circuit in the U.S. and UK. He has also hosted a series of programs on SiriusXM radio for the 60's channel.
Painter
Lou Christie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Put my hurt on paper
Make the colors lonely
From gold to gray
Paint her shadow walking away
(Walking away) paint the
End of the world today
And paint me crying on my knees
Paint the trees without no leaves
Green for my envy
Red cause I'm angry
Gray for depression
Losing love was my lesson
Paint me
Come on, come on, paint me
Come on, come on, paint me
Paint me mixed up
Abstract twist her heart
And pay her back
Let the colors run together
Is this my life forever
Forever, forever
Paint me on the back streets
Of town (backstreets of town)
She started my world spinning round
(Backstreets of town)
And paint me crying on my knees
Paint the trees without no leaves
Silver for my tears
Blue for the comming years
Yellow for the good times
Life has no reason or rhyme
Paint me
Come on, come on, paint me
Come on, come on, paint me
Paint me mixed up
Paint me crying on my knees
Paint the trees without no leaves
Black for her gown of lace
Beside her, an empty space
The chapel bells that he erased
From now on, I'll wear a false face
Paint me
Come on, come on, paint me
Come on, come on, paint me
Paint me mixed up
Paint me
Come on, come on, paint me
Come on, come on, paint me
Come on, come on, paint me
The song "Painter" by Lou Christie is a poignant and emotional reflection on lost love and heartbreak. The lyrics speak of a painter who is using their art to express the pain they feel from a failed relationship. The painter is putting their hurt on paper and making the colors lonely, using shades of gold fading to gray. The imagery shifts to a depiction of the end of the world, with the shadow of the lost love walking away. The painter captures his own anguish, crying on his knees, while painting the trees without leaves.
As the song progresses, the painter uses color to express his emotions further. He chooses green for envy, red for anger, and gray for depression. Through his art, the painter tries to capture the abstract twist of his heart as he tries to pay his lost love back. The final part of the song depicts the painter brokenhearted and lost, wandering the backstreets of town. He paints scenes of tears, hope, and good times, using silver, blue, and yellow, respectively. The song ends on a reflective note, with the painter wearing a false face, trying to move on with his life.
In summary, "Painter" is a song about the power of art to express profound feelings of love and heartbreak. The painter uses color and imagery to capture the complexity of his emotions. The song is a powerful and emotional reflection on lost love, using powerful imagery to evoke feelings of sadness and loss.
Line by Line Meaning
Painter
The singer is calling upon an artist to paint his feelings on canvas.
Put my hurt on paper
The artist should capture the author's pain accurately.
Make the colors lonely
The colors should depict loneliness and despair.
From gold to gray
The artist should paint the pride and joy(the gold) fading into depression(the gray).
Paint her shadow walking away
The painter should focus on the author's lost love walking away.
(Walking away) paint the End of the world today
The author's world has ended because of his lost loved.
And paint me crying on my knees
The painter should show the singer crying on his knees.
Paint the trees without no leaves
Depict the bleakness of the artist's life.
Green for my envy
The painter should paint green for the artist's envy.
Red cause I'm angry
Red should be used to show the artist's anger.
Gray for depression
Gray should be used to depict the singer's depression.
Losing love was my lesson
The artist has learned his lesson from losing love.
Paint me
The author once again asks the artist to paint him.
Come on, come on, paint me
The singer is urging the artist to start painting.
Paint me mixed up
The painting should show his confusion.
Abstract twist her heart
The artist asks for an abstract portrayal of his lost love.
And pay her back
The painting should also depict revenge on his lost love.
Let the colors run together
The colors used should blend well together and should flow.
Is this my life forever
The author wonders whether his life will always be like this.
Forever, forever
The author emphasizes that he will feel like this forever.
Paint me on the back streets Of town (backstreets of town)
The painting should depict the artist in a bad part of town.
She started my world spinning round (Backstreets of town)
The author met his lost love in the backstreets of town.
Silver for my tears
Silver should be used to show the sadness in the singer's tears.
Blue for the comming years
Blue should be used to depict the uncertainty of the future.
Yellow for the good times
Yellow should be used to depict the good times the singer once had.
Life has no reason or rhyme
The artist should convey the message that life is unpredictable and chaotic.
Black for her gown of lace
Black should be used to show the singer's lost love in a beautiful gown.
Beside her, an empty space
The painting should show the artist's lost love with an empty space beside her, indicating her absence.
The chapel bells that he erased
The painting should show that the artist erased the memory of his lost love in the chapel.
From now on, I'll wear a false face
The author has decided to put on a facade to hide his true feelings after losing love.
Paint me
The author once again asks the artist to paint him.
Come on, come on, paint me
The artist is urging the artist to start painting.
Paint me mixed up
The painting should show his confusion.
Paint me
The author once again asks the artist to paint him.
Come on, come on, paint me
The singer is urging the artist to start painting.
Come on, come on, paint me
The author keeps urging the artist to paint him.
Contributed by Makayla A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
linda szatkowski
Love this. Lou is fabulous ❤
Steven Alvarez
Such an amazing song
I.F. Horus
really cool.