Gino Vannelli: On The Trek To Stardom - Chicago Tribune
Friday, August 22nd, 1975

Mick Jagger barely had gotten his sound system out of town when Gino Vannelli's act swept into O'Hare.

Tho the two events seem unrelated, and insignificant, at that, they actually were of great sociorock importance. Gino Vannelli is a rising star in the rhythm-blues-rock market, a knock-'em-dead performer replete with effeminate good looks and plenty of downright sex appeal. We all know that Jagger parlayed that girl-boy countenance, unisex body (emphasis on the pelvis), and penchant for rock 'n' roll into. Vannelli could reach that same superstar status. The beat goes on.

Vannelli's father was a professional singer who turned his sons (Gino has two brothers) on to the joys of entertaining. When Gino was 10, he was convinced he was destined to be the next Gene Krupa. Then Daddy Vannelli suddenly gave up his blossoming career to take over his father's barbershop business. Somehow his boys didn't take to the barber business with the same enthusiasm. To this day, Gino rarely has his hair cut because "it used to hurt to be cut," he says. "I'd pull on it all the time, and my hair was always tangled in back because of all the curls."

"All the curls" is a big reason Gino has to go around talking seriously about his music all the time. People have a tendency to go gaga over Vannelli's face rather than his musical ability. "Some people think I'm just a sex symbol," he says. "People who want to look deeper discover my reverence for music. When I perform, I don't do anything that's contrived, tho people say I'm sensual. The female appeal I have is not so much sexual but sensual and emotional." Gino also acknowledges a big following in the gay community and is quick to add that he loves women.

And Vannelli is dedicated. The Canadian-born singer has been in and out of bands since he was 11 years old. When he was first into professional music, his loyalties were split. "I was mentally overwhelmed by jazz artist like Brubeck and Miles Davis, but physically I was part of the Beatle era," he explains. "Later I drifted into James Brown and Wilson Pickett and revolted against the Beatles. That's when I began to play rhythm and blues. I was into that whole young, white R&B thing that happened in 1967. It was the hip thing to do."

Gino was only 16 when he began going thru the bad times. He was signed to a record company and tried to make it in New York. "I used to go back and forth to my home on Montreal. I'd sing with a group for a while and get some money, or I'd get some money from my parents, even tho it made me feel guilty, and come back to the city and try to write music," he says. His standard of living wasn't too good, and as far as forging ahead in his career, the New York venture was a bust.

"Herb Alpert accidentally got to hear one of my tapes," Gino says. "I auditioned for him and he liked what I did; so he produced the first album." That was two and a half years ago. "Crazy Life," released on A&M Records, did absolutely nothing. "The music could not be categorized," he says. "I was a new artist, and the record company really didn't get behind it. Now I'm glad it didn't happen. I wouldn't have been ready for it."

After sulking for a year in Montreal, Gino grew up. He got a group together (he and his brother had played all the instruments on the first album), arranged the music, and wrote a lot of new material.

"The second album was more of a success," he says. "It was a cult album. In certain cities, I'm not known at all, but in other cities (and Chicago is one of them) I have a strong following. The second album sold about 13,000 copies in a year in this city. I'm glad my success was not a sudden outburst because people don't come to see me just to hear a particular song."

Vannelli characterizes his music as a conglomeration of 23 years of listening. "My music comes from a search for something that's different in myself. I must have something to say. My music appeals to people who are progressive, who value the music, and who will put up with someone who's self-centered. My audience comprises the people who like to be dared to dig it."

Gino has a great respect for his audience. At first, he considered himself lucky to get a gig at Mister Kelly's where he will perform thru Saturday. The management didn't think he could fill the house for his two-night stand last week. As it turned out, the place had an overflow crowd both nights, and Vannelli was invited to stay another week.

That's the kind of thing that has been happening to Vannelli. The kind if thing he thinks will continue to happen, that he intends to make happen.

Vannelli is "too restless" to have a home right now. "I live in the cosmos," he says. "My home is within myself." Gino figures to do a lot of cross-country traveling during the next year. "I think things are about to go crazy after this third album ('Storm At Sunup'). I'm showing people that I'm a reality. And my performing is sometimes better than my albums."

"Tho I'm very young, music has been a long process. The rewards have been very slow and, therefore, not as exciting. My dream is just to keep self-satisfied. I have endless potential, and I don't believe in little goals. My one objective is to be respected and successful. I need to know I'm pleasing myself. Unless I'm sweating thru a performance, I don't feel good."