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Paul Vance
Joseph Paul Florio (November 4, 1929 – May 30, 2022), known professionally as Paul Vance, was an American songwriter and record producer, primarily from the 1950s until the 1970s.
His most successful song compositions, all written with Lee Pockriss, included "Catch a Falling Star", "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini", and "Tracy".
He was born Joseph Paul Florio in Brooklyn, New York, United States on November 4, 1929. He started writing song lyrics in his early teens, before serving with the U.S. Army at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
After opening an auto salvage business in his twenties, he met composer Lee Pockriss, and the pair started writing together. Pockriss described their working relationship as ideal - "He [Vance] understands the public, I understand the profession". They co-wrote the hit song "Catch a Falling Star," recorded in 1957 by Perry Como, which topped Billboard's "Most Played By Jockeys" chart. It became one of Como's signature songs, and was the first gold record certified by the Recording Industry Association of America. The song's success enabled Vance to become a full-time songwriter.
Another success, written with Pockriss, was "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini," recorded in 1960 by Brian Hyland, which rose to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Vance got the idea for the lyrics of "Itsy Bitsy Bikini" because his two-year-old daughter was too shy to wear a bikini in public. The song was a Top 10 hit in other countries around the world.
In all, Vance wrote over 300 songs, including recordings by Johnny Mathis, Paul Anka, and Tommy James and the Shondells. Pockriss and Vance released a single in 1959 for Columbia Records as 'Lee and Paul,' a novelty tune called "The Chick."[citation needed] They also provided English lyrics for the songs "Calcutta" and "(Alone) In My Room". "What Will Mary Say", a Top 10 hit for the singer Johnny Mathis in 1963, was written by Vance with Eddie Snyder.
Vance and Pockriss wrote a song titled "Leader Of The Laundromat," in 1964, the song was a spoof of "Leader of the Pack" by the Shangri-Las, and Vance produced a recording of the track by a trio consisting of Ron Dante, Tommy Wynn, and Vance's nephew Danny Jordan. The record was released under the name the Detergents, and its success led to an album, The Many Faces Of The Detergents, which Vance produced and for which he, along with Pockriss, penned all the songs. The release of "Leader of the Laundromat" earned a lawsuit against the group by "Leader Of The Pack" composers Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich, and George "Shadow" Morton. Dante would later work alongside Barry as lead vocalist for the Archies.
Vance and Pockriss wrote "What's Going On in the Barn," in 1965, which Billy Thornhill recorded for Wand Records as the B-side to his recording of "The Key," written by Pockriss and Hal Hackady.[citation needed] The following year, Vance had a minor hit as a singer when his recording of "Dommage, Dommage (Too Bad, Too Bad)", intended as a demo, was released by Scepter Records.
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Paul Vance
Joseph Paul Florio (November 4, 1929 – May 30, 2022), known professionally as Paul Vance, was an American songwriter and record producer, primarily from the 1950s until the 1970s.
His most successful song compositions, all written with Lee Pockriss, included "Catch a Falling Star", "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini", and "Tracy".
He was born Joseph Paul Florio in Brooklyn, New York, United States on November 4, 1929. He started writing song lyrics in his early teens, before serving with the U.S. Army at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
After opening an auto salvage business in his twenties, he met composer Lee Pockriss, and the pair started writing together. Pockriss described their working relationship as ideal - "He [Vance] understands the public, I understand the profession". They co-wrote the hit song "Catch a Falling Star," recorded in 1957 by Perry Como, which topped Billboard's "Most Played By Jockeys" chart. It became one of Como's signature songs, and was the first gold record certified by the Recording Industry Association of America. The song's success enabled Vance to become a full-time songwriter.
Another success, written with Pockriss, was "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini," recorded in 1960 by Brian Hyland, which rose to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Vance got the idea for the lyrics of "Itsy Bitsy Bikini" because his two-year-old daughter was too shy to wear a bikini in public. The song was a Top 10 hit in other countries around the world.
In all, Vance wrote over 300 songs, including recordings by Johnny Mathis, Paul Anka, and Tommy James and the Shondells. Pockriss and Vance released a single in 1959 for Columbia Records as 'Lee and Paul,' a novelty tune called "The Chick."[citation needed] They also provided English lyrics for the songs "Calcutta" and "(Alone) In My Room". "What Will Mary Say", a Top 10 hit for the singer Johnny Mathis in 1963, was written by Vance with Eddie Snyder.
Vance and Pockriss wrote a song titled "Leader Of The Laundromat," in 1964, the song was a spoof of "Leader of the Pack" by the Shangri-Las, and Vance produced a recording of the track by a trio consisting of Ron Dante, Tommy Wynn, and Vance's nephew Danny Jordan. The record was released under the name the Detergents, and its success led to an album, The Many Faces Of The Detergents, which Vance produced and for which he, along with Pockriss, penned all the songs. The release of "Leader of the Laundromat" earned a lawsuit against the group by "Leader Of The Pack" composers Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich, and George "Shadow" Morton. Dante would later work alongside Barry as lead vocalist for the Archies.
Vance and Pockriss wrote "What's Going On in the Barn," in 1965, which Billy Thornhill recorded for Wand Records as the B-side to his recording of "The Key," written by Pockriss and Hal Hackady.[citation needed] The following year, Vance had a minor hit as a singer when his recording of "Dommage, Dommage (Too Bad, Too Bad)", intended as a demo, was released by Scepter Records.