Orchestra leader Peter DeAngelis (1929-1982) gathered some of the top New York studio guitarists for the album Love Is a Guitar (ABC-Paramount, 1966). Don Arnone (1920-1995) took the lead on most tracks, ably assisted by Al Casmenti, Vincent Bell and Ralph Casale.
DeAngelis had co-founded Chancellor Records with Bob Marcucci in 1957. The label's major success was launching the careers of teen idols Frankie Avalon and Fabian. DeAngelis had also penned songs for Dean Martin, Eddie Fisher and Al Martino, among others.
Arnone began his professional career at age 18 and he participated in countless recording sessions in New York until his premature retirement at the age of 58, largely due to carpal tunnel syndrome. The full extent of his recording career likely will never be known because he was often not credited, sometimes at his own request. But he did appear on a number of albums by fellow guitarists Tony Mottola and Al Caiola, as well backing such artists as Barbra Streisand, Bette Midler and Perry Como.
Here's Arnone with the Peter DeAngelis Orchestra and Chorus.
The Shadow of Your Smile
Love Is a Guitar has never received a digital release, so if you see a used vinyl or cassette copy at a reasonable price it's well worth picking up for some first-rate easy listening guitar.
As well as providing the musical direction for Chancellor Records, DeAngelis recorded a few sides of his own for the label. Here's one of them. The "happy mandolin" is picked by Al Caiola.
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