Hugo & Luigi
Encyclopedia
Hugo & Luigi were an American
record producing
team, made up of songwriter
s and producers Luigi Creatore
and Hugo Peretti
, who shared an office in New York's Brill Building
. Besides their working relationship, the two were cousins.
First coming to attention with singles released on Mercury Records
in the mid-1950s, they went on to produce Perry Como
, Elvis Presley
, Sam Cooke
and other artists for RCA Victor, including the hit record
s "Twistin' The Night Away", "Another Saturday Night", "The Lion Sleeps Tonight
" by The Tokens
, the Isley Brothers's classic "Shout", and Little Peggy March's "I Will Follow Him". They co-wrote Presley's hit "Can't Help Falling in Love
", with George David Weiss
. They also produced albums by Della Reese
including The Classic Della
, a collection of pop songs based on classical themes and Waltz With Me, Della, a collection of popular songs in 3/4 time. Their track, "La Plume de Ma Tante
" reached #29 in the UK Singles Chart
in July 1959.
Hugo & Luigi were also onetime co-owners of Roulette Records
. Songs composed by the duo were often credited to "Mark Markwell", and records they produced carried their distinct logo. While at Roulette Hugo and Luigi did a series of Beautiful Music
recordings of "Cascading Voices" and later "Cascading Strings."
After founding Avco Records
and producing artists such as The Stylistics
in the 1970s, Hugo & Luigi launched a new label, H&L Records
, which they ran until they retired, at the end of the decade. Peretti (born December 6, 1916) died on May 1, 1986.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
record producing
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
team, made up of songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
s and producers Luigi Creatore
Luigi Creatore
Luigi Creatore is a American songwriter and record producer.From a musical family, Creatore began his career as a writer. After serving with the United States military during World War II, in the 1950s he became a writer then partnered with his cousin Hugo Peretti to form the songwriting team of...
and Hugo Peretti
Hugo Peretti
Hugo E. Peretti was an American songwriter and record producer.Born in New York City, Hugo Peretti began his career as a teenager, playing the trumpet in the Borscht Belt in upstate New York...
, who shared an office in New York's Brill Building
Brill Building
The Brill Building is an office building located at 1619 Broadway on 49th Street in the New York City borough of Manhattan, just north of Times Square and further uptown from the historic musical Tin Pan Alley neighborhood...
. Besides their working relationship, the two were cousins.
First coming to attention with singles released on Mercury Records
Mercury Records
Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...
in the mid-1950s, they went on to produce Perry Como
Perry Como
Pierino Ronald "Perry" Como was an American singer and television personality. During a career spanning more than half a century he recorded exclusively for the RCA Victor label after signing with them in 1943. "Mr...
, Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
, Sam Cooke
Sam Cooke
Samuel Cook, , better known under the stage name Sam Cooke, was an American gospel, R&B, soul, and pop singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur. He is considered to be one of the pioneers and founders of soul music. He is commonly known as the King of Soul for his distinctive vocal abilities and...
and other artists for RCA Victor, including the hit record
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
s "Twistin' The Night Away", "Another Saturday Night", "The Lion Sleeps Tonight
The Lion Sleeps Tonight
"The Lion Sleeps Tonight", also known as "Wimoweh" and originally as "Mbube", is a song recorded by Solomon Linda and his group The Evening Birds for the South African Gallo Record Company in 1939. It was covered internationally by many 1950s pop and folk revival artists, including The Weavers,...
" by The Tokens
The Tokens
The Tokens are an American male doo-wop-style vocal group from Brooklyn, New York. They are known best for their chart-scoring 1961 single, "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" .-Career:...
, the Isley Brothers's classic "Shout", and Little Peggy March's "I Will Follow Him". They co-wrote Presley's hit "Can't Help Falling in Love
Can't Help Falling in Love
"Can't Help Falling in Love" is a pop song originally recorded by American singer Elvis Presley and published by Gladys Music, Elvis Presley's publishing company. It was written by Hugo Peretti, Luigi Creatore, and George David Weiss. The melody was based on "Plaisir d'Amour" but with a different...
", with George David Weiss
George David Weiss
George David Weiss was an American songwriter and former President of the Songwriters Guild of America.-Career:...
. They also produced albums by Della Reese
Della Reese
Delloreese Patricia Early, known professionally as Della Reese , is an American actress, singer, game show panelist of the 1970s, one-time talk-show hostess and ordained minister. She started her career in the 1950s as a gospel, pop and jazz singer, scoring a hit with her 1959 single "Don't You...
including The Classic Della
The Classic Della
The Classic Della is an album by actress and singer Della Reese. The songs are based on classical music pieces by Tchaikovsky , Debussy , Schubert , Chopin , and Puccini...
, a collection of pop songs based on classical themes and Waltz With Me, Della, a collection of popular songs in 3/4 time. Their track, "La Plume de Ma Tante
La Plume de Ma Tante
is a musical written, devised, and directed by Robert Dhery, with music by Gérard Calvi, and English lyrics written by Ross Parker. It was nominated for the Best Musical, but lost to Redhead...
" reached #29 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
in July 1959.
Hugo & Luigi were also onetime co-owners of Roulette Records
Roulette Records
Roulette Records is an American record label, which was founded in late 1956, by George Goldner, Joe Kolsky, Morris Levy and Phil Khals, with creative control given to producers and songwriters Hugo Peretti and Luigi Creatore. Levy was appointed as director...
. Songs composed by the duo were often credited to "Mark Markwell", and records they produced carried their distinct logo. While at Roulette Hugo and Luigi did a series of Beautiful Music
Beautiful music
Beautiful music is a mostly instrumental music format that was prominent in American radio from the 1960s through the 1980s...
recordings of "Cascading Voices" and later "Cascading Strings."
After founding Avco Records
Avco Records
Avco Records was a record label started in 1968 by Hugo Peretti, Luigi Creatore and Joseph E. Levine as Avco Embassy Records. In the late 1960s, they released a psychedelic rock album by the group Bead Game, titled Welcome. The Embassy name was dropped in 1971 making the label Avco Records...
and producing artists such as The Stylistics
The Stylistics
The Stylistics are a soul music vocal group, and were one of the best-known Philadelphia soul groups of the 1970s. They formed in 1968, and were composed of lead Russell Thompkins, Jr., Herbie Murrell, Airrion Love, James Smith, and James Dunn. All of their US hits were ballads, graced by the...
in the 1970s, Hugo & Luigi launched a new label, H&L Records
H&L Records
H&L Records was a record label founded by Hugo Peretti and Luigi Creatore after they left Avco Records. They took The Stylistics with them....
, which they ran until they retired, at the end of the decade. Peretti (born December 6, 1916) died on May 1, 1986.