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Monday, May 15, 2023

Al Caiola – Bonanza! 1960-1969


 Alexander Emil Caiola (September 7, 1920 – November 9, 2016) was an American guitarist, composer and arranger, who spanned a variety of music genres including jazz, country, rock, and pop. He recorded over fifty albums and worked with some of the biggest names in music during the 20th century, including Elvis Presley, Ray Conniff, Ferrante & Teicher, Frank Sinatra, Percy Faith, Buddy Holly, Mitch Miller, and Tony Bennett.

Caiola was a studio musician in the 1950s in New York City. He released some minor records under his own name in that decade. In addition, he performed under the musical direction of John Serry Sr. on an album for Dot Records in 1956 (Squeeze Play).

In 1960 he became a recording star on the United Artists label for over ten years. He had hits in 1961 with "The Magnificent Seven" (#35 in USA) and "Bonanza" (#19 in USA). 

Caiola released singles and albums throughout the 1960's and beyond, though no others appeared on the charts except for an entry in 1964 with "From Russia with Love". United Artists used him to make commercial recordings of many movie and TV themes: "Wagon Train (Wagons Ho)", "The Ballad of Paladin", "The Rebel", and "Gunslinger". His album Solid Gold Guitar contained arrangements of "Jezebel", "Two Guitars", "Big Guitar", "I Walk the Line", and "Guitar Boogie".

The Magnificent Seven album, other than the title track, consisted of a variety of pop songs with a jazzy bent. Guitars Guitars Guitars was similar. There was a wide variety to his albums — soft pop, Italian, Hawaiian, country, jazz. 

1 The Magnificent Seven

2 Bonanza!

3 The Lonely Rebel

4 The Bounty Hunter

5 Sergeants Three March

6 Experiment In Terror

7 Guitar Boogie

8 Kalinka

9 Gunsmoke

10 Burke's Laz Theme

11 Smoke Signal (Redwing)

12 From Russia With Love

13 The Guns Of Navarone

14 Tuff Guitar

15 Ram-bunk-shush

16 Honkytonk (Pat 2)

17 Hunky Funky

18 Hearts Of Stone

19 I'll Walk The Line

20 Big Guitar

21 Two Guitars

22 Foot Stompin'

23 Wheels

24 Jezebel

25 Mexico

26 Brasil

27 The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise

28 Return Of The Magnificent Seven

29 Stag Or Drag

30 Scalphunters Theme

31 High Chapparal

32 Stiletto

33 Guitar Woman


Al Caiola – Bonanza! 1960-1969

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