Tony Orlando and Dawn
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Tony Orlando and Dawn was a pop music group that was very popular in the 1970s. Their signature hits were "Candida," "Knock Three Times," and "Tie a Yellow Ribbon 'Round the Old Oak Tree."
In 1970, Tony Orlando was a failed cover singer. He had two Top 40 hits in the early 1960s but he did not have any success for the rest of the decade. He stopped singing entirely, publishing music for CBS records instead.
Orlando discovered a song, "Candida," which he decided to pass on recording. After an insistence that he dub his voice over the male vocals in the original track, he had the single released under Dawn, so if the record did not succeed, he would not be known as the lead vocalist. The single hit #3 and Tony Orlando decided to change career tracks.
He chose singers Telma Hopkins and Joyce Vincent Wilson to sing with him when he recorded "Knock Three Times." In early 1971, the single hit #1. The group waited until 1973 to release their next single, "Tie a Yellow Ribbon 'Round the Old Oak Tree." In terms of sales, this single was the most successful in the group's career.
The group released a fourth single, "Say Has Anybody Seen My Sweet Gypsy Rose," but the sales started to drop off. In order to boost recognition among the public, CBS gave the group a variety show in the summer of 1974, after The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour ended its run. The show was in the same vein as its predecessor, and became a Top 20 hit. It ran until December 1976, but the group failed to garner any more success with its music, and they broke up shortly after.
Albums
- Candida (1970)
- Dawn Featuring Tony Orlando (1971)
- Tuneweaving (1973)
- Dawn's New Ragtime Follies (1973)
- Prime Time (1974)
- Golden Ribbons (1974)
- He Don't Love You (Like I Love You) (1975)
- Skybird (1975)
- To Be With You (1976)
Hit singles
- 1971 "Candida" #3 US; #9 UK
- 1971 "Knock Three Times" #1 US; #1 UK
- 1971 "I Play and Sing" #25 US
- 1971 "Summer Sand" #33 US
- 1971 "What are You Doing Sunday" #39 US; #3 UK
- 1973 "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Old Oak Tree" #1 US; #1 UK
- 1973 "Say, Has Anybody Seen My Sweet Gypsy Rose" #3 US; #12 UK (1974 release)
- 1974 "Who's in the Strawberry Patch with Sally" #27 US; #37 UK
- 1974 "Steppin' out (Gonna Boogie Tonight)" #7 US
- 1975 "He Don't Love You (Like I Love You)" #1 US
- 1975 "Mornin' Beautiful" #14 US
- 1975 "Look in My Eyes Pretty Woman" #11 US
- 1975 "You're All I Need to Get By" #34 US
- 1976 "Cupid" #22 US