All of the original members were Italian Americans from the borough of Queens in New York, United States. Started by first tenor Mike Mincieli, the original group coalesced in 1958 – also including Nick Santo (Santmaria) lead baritone, second tenor Frank Reina, baritone Vinnie Narcardo, and bass John Cassese. Their name was taken from the Lincoln Capri. In 1959, they recorded two songs for Planet Records, "Indian Girl," and "There's a Moon Out Tonight." When the record sold badly, they disbanded and went their separate ways. Frederick Allen, a late night radio disc jockey continued to play their song, piquing the interest of Jerry Greene, an employee of the Times Square Record Store. Greene purchased the master and re-issued the record on Lost Nite Records. WINS 1010's disc jockey Murray the K played the song often, and it sold well. Realizing that their manufacturing and distribution capacity could not meet the demands of a hit record, Greene and Lost Nite sold their interest to Old Town Records, which had the capacity meet the needs of the 1961 number three national hit.
Santo's favorite singer was Clyde McPhatter, along with James Shepherd of Shep and the Limelights. The Capris patterned their sound on African-American vocal groups, rather than fellow Italian-Americans such as Dion DiMucci.
For a time, the Capris toured and performed in major venues all over the United States, but none of their follow up records sold well, and by 1963, members of the original group started to leave the ensemble. Some continued to perform locally as the Capris, but with no national profile.
Nick Santo, who left the group in 1962 and joined the New York City Police Department in 1965, continued to write songs.
In 1982, Santo, Mike Mincieli, and Frank Reina – joined at the time by Tommy Ferrara of The Del-Satins and Tony Danno, recorded "There's a Moon Out Again," an album of 12 songs, including nine compositions by Santo. "The Morse Code of Love," one of Santo's songs, quickly became a requested number on Oldies radio, with many disc jockeys and audience members believing it to be an unreleased song by the original Capris. In 1984, The Manhattan Transfer recorded "The Morse Code of Love" as "Baby Come Back to Me" for their Bop Doo-Wopp album and released it as a single. It reached number 84 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 14 on the Adult Contemporary Chart.
Santo, Mincieli, and Reina, with other singers, continued to perform as the Capris until at least 2002.
Santo died as a result of cancer on December 30, 2010.
A version of the Capris including Frank Reina, is active in 2015.
Mike Mincieli (born Michael Mincieli; their original first tenor) died on March 15, 2015.
Wayne Smith, their most recent lead singer, died on March 12, 2016.
Where I Fell In Love
The Capris Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There's a boy and there's a girl
As happy as can be
There's a heart with initials
Carved in a shady tree
There's a river and a waterfall
Is it's where I fell in love
It's a place where grass grows greener
And blooms a little more bright
It's a place for only dreamers
To steal a kiss goodnight
But the best part of it all
Is it's where I fell in love
There once was a time in my life
When I was so lonely
And then you entered my heart
And I knew you were my one and only
And there we'd stay in our paradise
Two lovers alone with no fear of lies
Until the day I die
There's a boy and there's a girl
As happy as can be
There's a heart with initials
Carved in a shady tree
There's a river and a waterfall
But the best part of it all
Is it's where I fell in love
The Capris' song "Where I Fell in Love" tells the story of a boy and a girl who fall in love in a beautiful, secluded paradise. The lyrics describe the natural beauty of the location, complete with a river, waterfall, and a shady tree with initials carved into it. The significance of this place is in the fact that it is where the two lovers fell in love.
The song sets a romantic mood, describing the idyllic spot where the grass grows greener, the flowers bloom brighter, and dreamers come to steal a kiss goodnight. The lyrics suggest that this place is a kind of sanctuary, where the two lovers can be alone together and escape the stresses of everyday life. They will be together until the day they die, and this perfect spot will always hold a special place in their hearts.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a boy and there's a girl
Two individuals in love, a boy and a girl
As happy as can be
Content and joyful in each other's company
There's a heart with initials
A symbol of love, with the initials of the couple engraved on a tree
Carved in a shady tree
Etched on a tree in a peaceful and secluded area
There's a river and a waterfall
Natural elements in the environment surrounding their love
But the best part of it all
The most significant and cherished aspect of this place is
Is it's where I fell in love
The romantic location where the singer first realized their love for their partner
It's a place where grass grows greener
A location where nature flourishes and surrounds the couple's love
And blooms a little more bright
The flowers and greenery thrive, reflecting the joy and beauty of their love
It's a place for only dreamers
This secluded area only attracts couples with a romantic and idealistic vision
To steal a kiss goodnight
To share a tender moment of affection and love
There once was a time in my life
The past when the artist felt lonely and unfulfilled
When I was so lonely
A time of emotional isolation and unhappiness
And then you entered my heart
A reference to the singer's partner who filled the void in their heart
And I knew you were my one and only
The realization that their partner was their true love and soulmate
And there we'd stay in our paradise
The imagined future where the couple will live in a perfect and idyllic world
Two lovers alone with no fear of lies
A relationship built on trust and honesty
Until the day I die
A commitment to love that lasts forever
Contributed by Julian N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@waltergeldof1871
THIS MY FAVORITE DOOWOP GROUP, THE CAPRIS ! WHAT A AWESOME AND GREATFUL BALLAD !!! THANK YOU FOR POSTING MY FRIEND.
@rtoledo1111
Glad you enjoyed it
@ChristopherLee3247
Enjoyable, relaxing and absolutely beautiful
@cleberparras1977
The Capris is Awesome!!
@pvsrf
Thanks forever por tu preciada music!!!. Mr. Doowop... A cual mejor!!!
@JuanCampoy-rt7jb
The capris my favorite doowop group
@carolcloukeymather4844
I got to see them im concert around 2009!
@mickybowser1434
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@godblessusa8908
god bless you
@mickybowser1434
@@godblessusa8908 oh oh god bless you yes ❤️velvet🌈