Vito Picone (lead singer), born 17 March, 1940
Carman Romano (baritone), born 17 August, 1939
James Moschella (bass), born 10 May, 1938
Arthur Venosa (first tenor), born 3 September, 1939
Frank Tardogano (second tenor), born 18 September, 1941
After Little Star dominated the radio, the band, still in their teens, toured with artists such as Buddy Holly, Dion and the Belmonts, Chuck Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis. However, none of their subsequent singles reached the success of Little Star and eventually the band fizzled out.
In the late 1960s, lead singer Vito Picone restarted the group, this time with three new vocalists Fred Redmond, Nino Amato and Bruce Copp. The core of this group is still together and to this date have not stopped touring around country. They can be seen annually performing at the San Gennaro Festival in Little Italy, Manhattan.
Mention The Elegants and you will say "Little Star". I doubt if many of you can think of any other title by the group. Like the Silhouettes and the Hollywood Argyles (not to mention Kyu Sakamoto and the Singing Nun), the Elegants have the dubious distinction of hitting the number one spot on the pop charts and then dropping out of sight completely.
The Elegants were formed in 1957, but two of the founding members, Vito Picone and Carman Romano, had previously sung (and recorded one single, "Darling Come Back") with a short-lived quartet called Pat Cordel and the Crescents. Pat Cordel (real name Patti Croccitto) was the 15-year old female lead singer of the group and the three male members were not much older. Picone and Romano were not about to give up and recruited James Moschella, Frank Tardogno and Arthur Venosa to form a new group. All five members came from Staten Island, New York. While practicing and playing local talent shows and dances, they picked up a 19-year old manager, Kathy Watts, who schooled them choreographically and musically.
In late 1957, Picone and Venosa wrote "Little Star", based on the nursery rhyme "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" (the melody of which was NOT originally composed by Mozart, in spite of what many sources will have us believe). It went down very well at their performances, but as they did not yet have a recording contract, they could not record it. When the Elegants learned that another Staten Island group called The Secrets were about to record "Little Star" for Decca, they feverishly set about the task of finding a record deal. Enter Blanche Kaslin. In 1955, Blanche (Bea) Kaslin, comptroller for Al Silver's Herald label in New York, had formed her own label, Hull (and later Mascot). Working from two rooms at 1595 Broadway, Kaslin produced a number of vocal group classics such as "A Thousand Miles Away" by the Heartbeats, "Been So Long" by the Pastels, "Book Of Love" by the Monotones, and, later, "Daddy's Home" by Shep and the Limelites. Kaslin recognized the hit potential of "Little Star" immediately. She signed the Elegants to Hull and recorded the song in April 1958, along with its B-side, the quite different "Gettin' Dizzy", a straightforward rocker. But the record would not come out on Hull. From past experience, Kaslin knew that she could not bring home a hit on her own small label. So, to avoid distribution problems, she leased the master directly to ABC-Paramount without ever releasing it on Hull. "Little Star" was one of five inaugural releases on Apt Records, a subsidiary launched by ABC-Paramount in May 1958. By July the record was selling 80,000 copies a day and on August 25th it hit # 1 (for 1 week), a tremendous achievement for a debuting group. The importance of "Little Star" went beyond the record's own success : the sound influenced many young white groups of the late 1950s and early 60s, such as The Capris, the Mystics, Randy and the Rainbows and the Passions.
The follow-up Apt single, "Please Believe Me"/"Goodnight" was issued in October 1958, in the style of Dion and the Belmonts. Although it had widespread intial airplay, it never even touched the Top 100. After another flop in the shape of "True Love Affair", ABC dropped the group. Kaslin held on to the quintet for one more release on Hull, "Little Boy Blue", another nursery rhyme, but this made no impact either, nor did two United Artists singles in 1960. When Vito Picone was injured in an accident in 1961, the remaning group members decided to go it alone, prompting Vito to pursue a solo career when he recovered. In 1965 he was signed to Laurie Records and recorded a few singles with a new group as Vito and the Elegants. After a period of musical inactivity, Picone reformed the Elegants in the late 1970s and recorded an LP with them (their only album) called "A Knight With the Elegants". Since then, Picone has reassembled various groups, called them The Elegants and played the oldies circuit. They are still based on Staten Island.
Along with Dion and the Belmonts, the Elegants were one of the best and most influential white doo-wop groups. But the records they released all tended to sound like "Little Star" and the group never regained their momentum after that colossal hit.
"Little Star" was the only million seller for the group, and was written by Venosa and Picone. It spent 19 weeks in the Billboard Hot 100, earning gold disc status.
The song reached number 25 in the UK Singles Chart in September 1958.
After "Little Star" dominated the radio, the band, still in their teens, toured with artists such as Buddy Holly, Dion and the Belmonts, Chuck Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis. However, none of their subsequent singles reached the charts at all making them a prime example of one-hit wonders.
In early 1970s, lead singer Picone returned to the group replacing Tardogno as the lead singer. That group comprising Vito Picone, Freddie Redmond, Nino Amato and Bruce Copp have been together ever since and to this date, have not stopped touring. They can be seen annually performing at the San Gennaro Festival, in Little Italy, Manhattan, New York.
According to the Elegants website, Freddie Redmond died of emphysema in 2006, and was replaced by original member, James Moschella. As of 2012, the Elegants are still performing at concerts and events throughout the United States, under the name "Vito Picone & The Elegants". They still perform "Little Star", as well as their interpretations of many golden oldies. The Elegants band consists of Mike Catalano on bass guitar, Joe Lucenti on lead guitar, Mark Garni on keyboards and Sal Albanese on drums.
Moschella performed with The Charts in the 1980s.
Get Well Soon
The Elegants Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I sit alone
Hoping you′ll get well soon
And come home to me
(Get well soon)
I sit in my room
Each and every night
Are you feeling alright
For I, I miss you so
Darling, get well soon
I'm so sorry baby
You′re feeling ill
And no matter what
I'll be waiting still
For I, I miss you so
(Miss you so)
So, please get well soon
I never have felt so a-lone before
I wait impatiently for your knock, on my door
Though you've been gone a few days it seems
One million years, you are all of my dreams
So I pray to God that I
(Do hear my plea)
And then may-be baby, you′ll
(Come on home to me)
Woah, I miss you so
Darling, get well soon
Oh, oh darling, get well soon
The lyrics to The Elegants' song "Get Well Soon" express the singer's longing for their loved one who is currently ill. Each night, under the moon, the singer sits alone, hoping and praying for their loved one to recover soon and come back home to them. The repetition of the phrase "get well soon" emphasizes the urgency and sincerity of their wish for their partner's well-being.
The singer spends their nights in their room, consumed with thoughts about their loved one's condition. They wonder how they are feeling and if they are alright. The deep sense of love and longing is evident as they express how much they miss their partner. Despite the distance and separation caused by the illness, the singer remains faithful and patient, promising to wait for their loved one to return. The lyrics convey empathy and support, letting the sick person know that they are not alone and that their absence is deeply felt.
The lyrics also touch upon the emotional toll the illness has had on the singer. They admit to feeling lonely like never before, eagerly waiting for their partner's return. The passage of time feels immeasurable, with the absence of their loved one making it seem like "one million years." The singer's pleas to God reflect their desperation, hoping that their prayers will be heard and their loved one will come back home. The final plea to "get well soon" is a heartfelt expression of love and longing as they wait for their partner's recovery.
Line by Line Meaning
Each night under this moon
Every evening, while this moon shines in the sky
I sit alone
I find myself in solitude
Hoping you'll get well soon
Wishing for your speedy recovery
And come home to me
And return to my side
(Get well soon)
(I send you my wishes for a quick recovery)
I sit in my room
I remain in my personal space
Each and every night
Every single night without exception
Wondering how you are
Pondering about your well-being
Are you feeling alright
Are you in good health
For I, I miss you so
Because, I yearn for your presence intensely
Darling, get well soon
My beloved, recover swiftly
I'm so sorry baby
I deeply regret, my love
You're feeling ill
You're experiencing sickness
And no matter what
Regardless of the circumstances
I'll be waiting still
I will patiently await
So, please get well soon
Therefore, I implore you to recover quickly
I never have felt so alone before
I have never experienced such solitude previously
I wait impatiently for your knock, on my door
I eagerly anticipate the sound of your arrival at my doorstep
Though you've been gone a few days it seems
Even though your absence feels longer than just a few days
One million years, you are all of my dreams
It feels like an incredibly long time, as if you are the only subject of my dreams
So I pray to God that I
Therefore, I beseech God that I
(Do hear my plea)
(Please listen to my desperate request)
And then maybe baby, you'll
And perhaps, my love, you will
(Come on home to me)
(Return to my loving embrace)
Woah, I miss you so
Oh, I long for you intensely
Darling, get well soon
My beloved, recover swiftly
Oh, oh darling, get well soon
Oh, oh my love, heal quickly
Writer(s): Ola Kluft, Pehr Anders Astrom, Thomas Carl Chaminda Hedlund, Martin Gustafsson
Contributed by Makayla R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@sophissanti
Each night under this moon
I sit alone, hoping you'll get well soon
And then come home to me
(Get well soon)
I sit in my room
Each and every night, wondering how you are
Are you feeling alright?
For I, I miss you so, darling
Get well soon
I'm so sorry baby
You're feeling ill and know that I'll,
I'll be waiting still
For I, I miss you so, darling
Get well soon.
I've never felt so alone before
I've waited patiently for your knock on my door
Though you've been gone a few days it seems
Watcha-doo, yeah-yeah, you're the girl of my dreams
So I pray to god
That (You'll hear my plea), then ba-ba-baby
You'll (come on home to me)
For I, I miss you so, darling
Get well soon.
@joehill8014
great song and best hair ever.
@The_Drifter79
Only 38 and I would listen to this and the like over any of the crap music of today.
@philpatzold2240
happy 40th one buddy
@mobilelocks9827
42 years old now!
@StingrayLS7
Nice many thanks ......
@larrydorfman2741
ONCE AGAIN IN MY OPINION THEIR BEST SONG/BALLAD TYVM
@cdsnow-dr1gk
Omg !! Just Beautiful !! Smooth harmony !!
DOOWOP FOREVER !!!!
@sabinorios5948
Lovely so smooth
@bethfraley7580
Love these oldies
@charlesmule6473
One of my favorites should of been a big hit.