Customer Reviews

Sweet and Lovely: The Best of Nino Tempo & April Stevens

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Brother and sister Nino Tempo and April Stevens had chart successes both together and individually from the 50's into the 70's. This compilation, while focusing on their stint at Atco in the early 60's and later with White Whale Records, also includes April's solo minor hit from '59, "Teach Me Tiger", along with two previously unreleased songs done in the 90's. The Atco recordings include all their charted singles headed up by the chart-topping "Deep Purple". A lesser number of cuts from their White Whale period follow, among which is the Spectorian marvel "All Strung Out".

Nino and April's musical talents beyond just performing are made evident here and the variety of styles handled range from schmaltzy and sophisticated pop to country and r'n'b. While much of Nino and April's output is represented here, there are a few omissions such as April's "Wake Up And Love Me" on A&M, that, had they been included, would have made this a five-star collection.

Sound quality is generally very good although a few early Atco tracks are noticeably sandy. Tracks are in stereo with the exception of 1,3,4,7 and 11. The eight-page liner notes booklet includes a musical backround on the pair with some pics. Though not totally comprehensive in coverage, this piece offers an excellent overview of this highly talented yet underappreciated duo.

More White Whale recordings of Nino and April are available on the Varese Vintage "All Strung Out" CD. In addition, their first two Atco albums are available on a Collectables two-fer. For those seeking a deeper mining of this pair's musical output, these CDs are also worthwhile.

If Nino & April had come along in 1952, rather than l962, they would have been huge stars. Their rockabilly style with the pop standards of the 40s and 50s was unique and commercial. Nino's musicianship was (is?) superb. But in the 60s, hard rock was taking over record sales. And Nino & April's best stuff was looked upon as "novelty". Although "Deep Purple" and "Whispering" were their big sellers, their "Tea For Two" and "Paradise" may be the best versions I ever heard. Terrific also are the original "Together" and Nino's inspired version of "Begin The Beguine". Trying mainstream rock, the pair had somewhat of a comeback with "All Strung Out" in 1966 and then faded to the nightclub circuit. Also liked Nino's attempt at country and jazz on the last two cuts. I dare you to listen to this album twice and not have Nino and April's unique phrasing pulsing in your head.

I heard this album while browsing around a downtown record store and was moved to buy it. Most of the songs are strong, only a few sound dated and one really stinks. Tempo & Stevens' version of "Stardust" is the best I've ever come across. This music belongs in your collection.

This (Sweet And Lovely: The Best of Nino Tempo & April Stevens) is an excellent CD from Varese Sarabande that features original Atco and White Whale recordings..It is now out of print. However, Amazon's "Buy The MP3 Album...at the Amazon MP3 Downloads Store" link will take you to K-Tel album Nino & April recorded very quickly back in the early 80's. It's not their best work and in the tradition of K-Tel, the songs are all re-recordings. Potential buyers should be aware that they would NOT be purchasing THIS album.

If you know classics like "Stardust" etc. from other vintage recordings (Nat Cole,..) you will find a pleasant difference in this arrangements. "Teach me Tiger" is an absolute must for Fans and a real smashing title.

This CD would be perfect had it had her recording of 'Do It Again' and 'Fly Me to the Moon'. The 'Teach Me Tiger' rendition was exactly as I had remembered from 1963.

I don't see how anyone can say there's only 1 good song here, "All Strung Out" and "The Coldest Night of The Year" are fabulous, jazzy pop just as good as the no.#1 hit "Deep Purple". "I Can't Go On Livin'" is very much in the Righteous Brothers vein, as is "You'll Be Needing Me Baby". "Paradise" and "Whispering" never quite achieve their pop ambitions, but "Teach Me Tiger" is terrific camp. Overall, a nice souvenir of another era. But it's missing one of their best songs, "Land of 1,000 Dances", for which they did a Kinescope video!

Judging from some of the other reviews, many people may be unaware that April Stevens goes back just a tad further than the debut of her smash hit with brother Nino in 1963.

Born Carol Lo Tempio in Niagara Falls, N.Y. on April 29, 1936, she joined the Henri Rene orchestra in 1951 and, shortly after her 15th birthday, had a # 6 Pop hit with I'm In Love Again on RCA Victor under the billing Henri Rene & His Orchestra with April Stevens. Her sexy, whispering vocal was such a hit, in fact, that when the next single was released - Gimme A Little Kiss, Will Ya Huh? - the billing had changed to April Stevens with Henri Rene & His Orchestra. It made # 10 in August. Later that year the same combination took And So To Sleep Again to # 27.

Whether school beckoned or what, she then disappeared from the charts until December 1959 when, suddenly, she was back with a # 86 Billboard Top 100 hit, Teach Me Tiger, this time with Don Ralke & His Orchestra on Imperial 5626 b/w That Warm Afternoon. In 1962 she then hooked up with brother Nino (b. January 6, 1935) who, after a stint playing sax at Bobby Darin sessions, had secured a contract with Atco. Together they took an old standard, Sweet And Lovely, billed as April Stevens & Nino Tempo, to # 77 Hot 100 in July on Atco 6224 b/w True Love (Means More Than Anything). Follow-up singles failed to chart, and it wasn't until late 1963 that they hit it big with Deep Purple.

Billed from this point on as Nino Tempo & April Stevens, and backed with the mouthful I've Been Carrying A Torch For You So Long That I Burned A Great Big Hole In My Heart, it surged to # 1 Hot 100, AND # 4 R&B in November on Atco 6273. Two months later they were back with another oldie, Whispering, taking it to # 4 Adult Contemporary (AC) and # 11 Hot 100 in January 1964 b/w Tweedlee Dee on Atco 6281. Continuing the theme, they then reached back to one of the most recorded songs ever, Hoagy Carmichael's Stardust, and turned it into yet another hit, this time peaking at # 13 AC/# 32 Hot 100 in March b/w I-45 on Atco 6286.

In May 1964, however, by which time the British Invasion was in full force, the hoary old Tea For Two could only make it to # 56 Hot 100 b/w another oldie, I'm Confessin' (That I Love You), which reached # 99 Hot 100 in April on Atco 6294. That is the only B-side of their his so far to be included here.

Shut out in 1965, they reappeared on the charts in October 1966 with a new label, White Whale, and a # 26 Hot 100 in All Strung Out b/w I Can't Go On Living Baby Without You on white whale 236. The B-side was then re-released in 1967, and in July it topped out at # 86 Hot 100 b/w Little Child on White Whale 252.

Nino would go on to have a # 53 Hot 100/# 78 R&B hit instrumental in 1973 for with Sister James under the billing Nino Tempo And 5th Avenue Sax in A&M 1461 b/w the excellent (and unfortunately omitted) Clair de Lune (In Jazz), and in 1974 was the arranger on Cher's Dark Lady. April, also with A&M, had a # 93 Hot 100 with Wake Up And Love Me in June 1974 in A&M 1528 b/w Gotta Leave You Baby billed simply as April. Their last hit together came in 1975 when You Turn Me On, billed to Nino & April on A&M 1674, made it to # 38 AC in May b/w Never Had A Lover.

This is definitely recommended. You will enjoy the tight harmony of two very talented people.

This CD has some hard to find songs by Nino Tempo and April Stevens, and some I recalled only after listening. The only song that everyone has and knows is Deep Purple, but you will be pleasantly surprised by the variety and quality of the other songs! One of my favorites is All Strung Out. Paradise, Whispering and Stardust are also fantastic! Check it out --- you'll enjoy each song!

This is a wonderful cd...it has all the hits of Nino and April during their "heyday"....The one thing I couldn't understand was that some of the cuts on the package were obviously taken from records...(you can hear the pops and clicks) you would think that the master tapes were available on all the cuts...."Deep Purple" is in Stereo and the package also contains the IMPERIAL issue of "Teach Me Tiger" by April from 1959...If you are a fan of April and Nino, this is a must ad for your collection.