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Created 1989 for THE BILLBOARD BOOK OF ONE-HIT WONDERS Book size restrictions excluded this Artist.

 

ROCCO GRANATA

“Marina”

(ROCCO GRANATA)

Laurie 3041

No. 31    December 23, 1959

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A Italian singer, songwriter, accordionist, born August 16, 1938, in Waterscheri, Belgium or

possibly Figline, Vigliaturo); that was Rocco Granata.  And that may be the mere amount that is

known to us outsiders us U.S. listeners.  Oh, we know that Europe was hopping all

over like starved Mexican jumping bean in a bowl of sauerkraut when this “Marina” tune was

released.

It was Bob Schwartz, the head of Lauire Records that had “discovered” a promo copy of the

recordings in his in-take mail pile.  Observers noted that Schwartz flipped for the number once it

hit his turntable.  Rights for a U.S. release were gathered and bunches of English-only citizens were

humming, moving about and laying down their monies for copies.  Fifty-five years have passed and

dwindling numbers of not-deceased-yet Americans want to know about this nimble number that

may still reside in the privacy of their dust collecting, cobweb encased basement corners.

Only an uneducated guess, but the throbbing slapped bass sound and the quiver of his voice would

possibly indicate that Rocco had the hots for this Marina.  What became of this fellow and his lusted

one?  Considering that the disk was a fairly large hit, why did the U.S. label–in some wisdow born

of practice–never again see fit to issue another Rocco record?