Nick DeCaro

A&M Records hired Tommy LiPuma as a staff producer. LiPuma was friends with Nick DeCaro since meeting him in their hometown of Cleveland, OH and helped Decaro establish himself as an arranger in Los Angeles. Together they worked on A&M Records artists Claudine Longet, Chris Montez, the Sandpiers and others. These recordings are often considered the quintessential A&M Records sound. These recordings are often considered the quintessential A&M Records sound.

By November 1967, Longet's husband, singer Andy Williams, came to several recording dates then asked DeCaro to arrange for him. In 1969, DeCaro recorded his own album for A&M Records, Happy Heart. Nick's version was an instrumental which was climbing the Billboard chart. Andy Williams wanted to record it as a vocal and asked DeCaro for an arrangement. Nick's arrangement for Williams is almost identical to his instrumental. Williams' version became a hit in 1969. DeCaro's own album featured his skills as a song writer, arranger, pianist, vocalist and producer.

Nick DeCaro was one of the most prolific arrangers in the music industry from the mid-1960s through the early 1990s. He worked with over 300 artists from Mel Carter ("Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me") to Elton John ("Your Song") to Barbra Streisand ("The Way We Were"), to The Rolling Stones ("Back Street Girl") to Dolly Parton ("Here You Come Again"). In that time he also returned to arrange songs for a myriad of A&M artists. Click on the Recordings link above for the full list of artists, albums and singles that DeCaro worked. 

You'll understand why A&M thought of Nick DeCaro as "the next Nelson Riddle." In 2018 the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame recognized DeCaro's contributions to music with a reception and event featuring his handwritten arrangements, accordion, and other personal memorabilia.