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.
Trapeze
Lou Christie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Trapeze, sha la la, baby you'll never fly with me)
I gotta live fast, & you got what I need (trapeze)
I want you baby, lovin's like a trapeze (trapeze)
We had a swingin' thing (trapeze) & then I can't get thing
Now you're falling, falling, falling
I told you, hold on tight (trapeze), I'd love & kiss you right
One in a million I thought you would be (trapeze)
Your love was not enough to fly with me (trapeze)
We started swingin' high (trapeze), & then he caught your eye
You missed your timing, timing, timing
I saw the danger sign (trapeze), your eyes were missing mine
You were lying, lying, lying
I'm lookin' down, you're on the ground & crying (trapeze)
Goodbye, baby, 'cause I gotta keep on flying (trapeze)
You played a 2-faced game (trapeze), I'll never feel the same
Now I'm flyin' high, baby, now 'cause you lied, baby
Goodbye, romance (trapeze), there'll be no 2nd chance
No maybe, bye baby, your turn to cry baby
Lou Christie's song Trapeze is a heartfelt ballad about a doomed romance. The comparison with a trapeze is used as a metaphor for the love between two people, likening it to the daring, acrobatic stunts performed by trapeze artists. However, despite the enthusiasm and passion expressed in the lyrics, the relationship has reached a point of no return, where one party must move on without the other.
The opening lyrics set the tone, with Lou Christie repeating the refrain 'Trapeze, sha la la, baby you'll never fly with me.' The subject is a lover, who despite their desire for Lou, will never be able to meet his needs or match his ambitions. He is a risk-taker, someone who is always looking for the next thrill, whereas she is content to live a slower, more cautious life. The analogy of the trapeze is used to emphasize this difference, with Lou professing that he wants his lover to hold on tight so that he can show her the heights of passion. However, she is unable to keep up, and as a result, he cuts her loose and says goodbye, content to continue flying solo.
Line by Line Meaning
Trapeze, sha la la, baby you'll never fly with me
The singer sets the stage for the metaphor of love as a trapeze, indicating that the addressee cannot keep pace or sway with him.
I gotta live fast, & you got what I need (trapeze)
The singer implies that he is a thrill seeker and demands that his partner match him, otherwise she will miss out on the rush.
I want you baby, lovin's like a trapeze (trapeze)
The singer likens their affair to the acrobatics of a trapeze, where the highs are exhilarating but the slightest mistake can lead to a fatal crash.
We had a swingin' thing (trapeze) & then I can't get thing
The artist admits that they had an exciting relationship, akin to the swinging motion of a trapeze, but something went awry and he cannot comprehend what happened.
Now you're falling, falling, falling
The artist notes that his partner did not hold on tight, much like an acrobat free-falling from the trapeze, and he is not there to save her from the impact.
I told you, hold on tight (trapeze), I'd love & kiss you right
The singer urges his partner to hold on tight and promises to give her everything she desires, hoping to alleviate her anxieties about their relationship.
Now you're calling, calling, calling
The singer acknowledges that his partner is calling out for help, but he is not listening because he feels that she let go of him first.
One in a million I thought you would be (trapeze)
The artist once held his partner in high regard, considering her to be irreplaceable, but now he doesn't regard her in the same way.
Your love was not enough to fly with me (trapeze)
The artist believes that his partner's love was not enough to keep up with his reckless desires, and as such, she is not capable of flying high with him.
We started swingin' high (trapeze), & then he caught your eye
The artist recalls the time when they were able to swing high together, but lost his partner's attention when she became sidetracked by someone else.
You missed your timing, timing, timing
The singer laments that his partner did not seize the moment when they were both in sync, resulting in their relationship falling apart due to missed opportunities.
I saw the danger sign (trapeze), your eyes were missing mine
The artist recognized the warning signs that their relationship was in danger and that his partner's affection was no longer directed towards him.
You were lying, lying, lying
The singer accuses his partner of lying to him about the authenticity of her feelings, or at the very least, not being completely honest with him.
I'm lookin' down, you're on the ground & crying (trapeze)
The singer uses the trapeze metaphor to show that he's currently flying high, while his partner is left behind and upset, lamenting their failed relationship.
Goodbye, baby, 'cause I gotta keep on flying (trapeze)
The singer has no intention of turning back, as he is determined to keep flying high and move on from his failed relationship.
You played a 2-faced game (trapeze), I'll never feel the same
The artist believes his partner played him for a fool while they were together, and as such, he cannot trust her or feel the same way towards her.
Now I'm flyin' high, baby, now 'cause you lied, baby
The artist asserts that he is doing even better now because he has separated from his partner, who he deems to have lied to him.
Goodbye, romance (trapeze), there'll be no 2nd chance
The singer suggests that their romance was a fleeting affair, as it is now over and no chance of reunion exists.
No maybe, bye baby, your turn to cry baby
The singer definitively states that there is no hope of reconciliation between him and his former partner, and that she will have to be the one to face the consequences of their breakup.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: LOU CHRISTIE, TWYLA HERBERT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind