We were just little kids giggling to a song when my brother and I were introduced to Joe Dolce by our older sister. As we sat on the floor listening to the various records she would play, the song, Shaddap You Face, was a tune which frequented the rotation.
Dolce was born in Ohio in 1947, but by 1978 relocated to Australia, where he released his first single, Boat People. He would continue to perform in cabarets and pubs as the one man band, Joe Dolce Music Theatre.
As a child, the singer would frequently visit his Italian grandparents, and it was being exposed to them and their lingo which would lead to his most popular song of all time, 1981's Shaddap You Face. The track was recorded in 1980 for Full Moon Records, and became a multi-million-selling hit, peaking at number one on the Australian charts.
The song would also become the the title track for his 1981 debut, and that's where we land for today's Retro Spin.
Despite the overall silly nature and ton of the chart topper, the album itself isn't a comedy album. This was both surprising and disappointing. Not only did the title track give this impression, but the first song, a cover of Jimmy Soul's 1963 classic, If You Want To Be Happy, set that tone.
What did catch my ears off guard was his cover of Walking the Dog, which up until this point I thought was an Aerosmith song. Boy was I surprised to discover that even their version was a cover of Rufus Thomas's original from 1963.
The other aspect which caught me off guard was that Dolce wasn't the lead singer on a lot of the tracks. Instead, it was Australian singer, Lyn Van Hecke. Truthfully, she was the better part of the album, with her song, Ain't Been Missing You, stealing the show. It was a true fashion pop song, that really grabbed my attention.
Overall though, the album as a whole wasn't necessarily worth the buy in price. It's a difficult one to track down on CD, being from that particular early 80's era where artists were hit or miss for getting a physical digital release. As such, this one was limited to foreign countries, with this particular release coming from Germany. All in, with shipping, this one set me back about forty-five bucks. This purchase was definitely driven by nostalgic memories, so I suppose if there's a consolation prize, the sentimental value is there.
Since his debut album, Joe Dolce has come and gone throughout the various decades, releasing albums sporadically through his most recent in 2019. Personally, I don't know anything else from him, and despite him having additional albums in the 80's, I'm not necessarily interested in tracking them down. Having Shaddap You Face is sufficient for me.
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Disclaimer: They Toy Box does not endorse or contribute to piracy. Retro Spins posts are intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. None of the music discussed here is available for sale, downloading or distribution.
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| THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS March 14, 1981 |
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| THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS February 14, 1987 |
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