The “Golden Hits Of The 70s” 

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SANTA ESMERALDA

“DON’T LET ME BE MISUNDERSTOOD”

(Bennie Benjamin, Sol Marcus, Gloria Caldwell)

Casablanca 902

No. 15   February 18, 1978

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Leroy Gomez was born and raised in Cape Cod, and became proficient on the sax, guitar, and flute at an

early age.  Nineteen seventy-three was his year: Elton John made use of Leroy’s sax sound on Goodbye

Yellow Brick Road, and Gomez toured with Tavares.  He had moved to Paris and started working the

cabaret scene when Nicolas Skorsky and Jean-Manuel de Scarano of Fauves-Ruma Productions

approached him about per­forming as lead vocalist for a proposed studio group to be called Santa

Esmeralda.

Four tunes were recorded.  Don Ray, who had assisted in arranging and mixing a hit for CERRONE and

would do the same for LOVE AND KISSES, did the disco arrangements on two Gomez originals and on

two British Invasion classics, “Gloria” (Them) and “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” (the Animals).

Gomez’s vocals were soulful, and even the pulsating background was more rock-era musically appealing

than the usual disco drone.  “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” was issued as a 45, and an album of the

same name also shipped.  Both the single and the LP fared well on the charts­ even rock fans enjoyed that

hypnotic beat.

“House of the Rising Sun,” another Animals hit, was the choice for a follow-up single.  Unfortunately,

neither Don Ray nor Leroy Gomez was involved in the project.  Jimmy Goings was brought in to do lead

vocals.  “House” (#78, 1978) was a Hot 100 item, and the House of the Rising Sun (1978) album sold well.

Once Gomez was gone, so was the chart activity.  Three more LPs were released before Casablanca

shelved the “Santa Esmeralda” name.