Ron Dante
3581975
220911457
2008-06-22T04:58:47Z
PlankBot
7310603
Robot-assisted disambiguation: Anonymous - Changed link(s) to [[Anonymity]]
:''Not to be confused with hypnotist [[Ronald Pellar]], aka Ronald Dante or Dr. Dante.''
'''Ron Dante''' (born Carmine Granito, [[August 22]] [[1945]], in [[Staten Island]], [[New York]]) is an [[United States|American]] [[singer]], [[songwriter]] and [[record producer]].
Dante is best known as the lead [[vocalist]] for the [[cartoon]] [[musical group|group]] [[The Archies]] from [[1968]] to [[1971]]. Their third [[single (music)|single]], "[[Sugar, Sugar]]", written by producer [[Jeff Barry]] with [[Andy Kim]], was the [[Chart-topper|number one]] selling [[gramophone record|record]] of [[1969]]. Prior to his stint with The Archies, in [[1965]], Dante was a member of the [[parody]] group [[The Detergents]], who recorded a song jokingly entitled "Leader of the Laundromat".
Concurrent with his work on the Archies project, Dante was also employed as a [[session singer]], recording [[Demo (music)|demonstration records]], and also sang many [[television]] and commercial [[jingle]]s.
In 1969, Ron recorded an [[record album|album]] under the group name of [[The Cufflinks]] for his old Detergents [[songwriter]]-[[record producer|producer]]s [[Paul Vance]] and Lee Pockriss. Providing both lead and background [[vocal]]s through [[overdubbing]] (as he did with most of the male Archies' vocals) Dante hit the [[United States|U.S.]] [[Record chart|Top Ten]] with the single "Tracy", at the same time that The Archies' "Sugar, Sugar" was at the top spot on the same chart. (Dante was [[Anonymity|anonymous]] on both tracks, as with all Archies and Cufflinks recordings).
Dante's first album release under his own name, on [[Don Kirshner]]'s [[record label|label]], was ''Ron Dante Brings You Up'' in [[1970]]. In [[1972]], also under the supervision of Kirshner, Dante became lead vocalist for another cartoon group, [[The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan|The Chan Clan]]. In [[1979]], he recorded a [[disco]] album under the name ''Dante's Inferno'', and in [[1981]] his second solo album ''Street Angel'' was released.
From [[1973]] to 1981, Ron Dante was the record producer for singer [[Barry Manilow]]. Dante often sang background vocals on Manilow's recordings, including the groundbreaking single "Mandy." Dante also continued to record sporadically during those years; in [[1975]], with Manilow wearing the producer's hat this time, Dante released a dance version of "Sugar, Sugar" as a single under his own name. In [[1978]], Dante produced the [[Tony Award]] winning [[Play (theatre)|play]] ''[[Ain't Misbehavin']]'' on [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]].
During this same period, Dante, who was a Manhattan neighbor of [[George Plimpton]], was invited to serve as the publisher of the ''[[Paris Review]]'' (1978-85).<ref>[http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1406696/ npr.org]</ref><ref>[http://www.theparisreview.org/page.php/prmID/17/ theparisreview.org]</ref>
Dante remains active as a singer, producer, and concert performer. His solo [[CD]] ''Favorites'' was released in late [[1999]], and another CD, ''Saturday Night Blast'', was issued in [[2004]]. The [[extended play]] ''California Weekend'' CD was released in the summer of [[2006]].
Contrary to popular belief, the lead verses to the Archies single, ''[[Jingle Jangle]]'' (portrayed as being sung by either [[Betty Cooper|Betty]] or [[Veronica Lodge|Veronica]]) were not sung by a female vocalist. It was sung by Dante using a [[falsetto]] voice.<ref>[http://www.allbutforgottenoldies.net/interviews/ron-dante/ Interview With Ron Dante<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
== References ==
<references/>
==External links==
*[http://www.rondante.com/ Ron Dante Online]
*http://home.comcast.net/~bubblegumusic/rondante.htm
*http://www.spectropop.com/RonDante/
*[http://www.wfmu.org/playlists/shows/24573 Ron Dante interview on WFMU]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dante, Ron}}
[[Category:1945 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from New York City]]
[[Category:People from Staten Island]]
[[Category:American male singers]]
[[Category:American record producers]]
[[Category:American songwriters]]
[[Category:American session musicians]]
[[Category:Italian-Americans]]
[[de:Ron Dante]]