Original Main Title and Love Theme from the film

SOMEBODY MARRY ME (Original Main Title)

I Like Green

“Ethereal Trumpets” Trumpet: Glen Drewes with orchestra

A Very Slippery Slope

S.A.N.T.A. Dot Com is a song for kids, young and old, in today's computer world, who still believe in Santa Claus.   Kara Oates, 13 year old star of Broadway's MARY POPPINS and BILLY ELLIOT, is adorable.  Did you know that Santa has a website?
S.A.N.T.A. Dot Com is a song for all kids, young and old, who still believe in Santa Claus.  Did you know that Santa has a website all his own?    
Lyrics: Hal Hackady Vocal: Kara Oates

S.A.N.T.A. DOT COM

Incidental music for the Tennessee Williams play.  Violin: Luellen Abdoo, Piano: Elaine Chelton 

Small Craft Warnings (as Played On WQXR)

An relaxing banjo.  Walking on the boardwalk at twilight.  Kinda like a Woody Allen scene.
Written for the Boardwalk Empire music library.

BANJO AT TWILIGHT

Beyond Wherever

Jon Montgomery delivers an unforgettable vocal performance.  Backed up by Joe Gianono and his band.


If You Go Away (aka Great Day)

Music On The Balcony

Brandon Maddox and the Reba McEntire Band
One year ago, I never would have thought that I would be off to Nashville to record and produce a new single,“Silly Girl”, with Brandon Maddox, Doug Sisemore, his band and a host of other great musicians at the legendary QUAD studios.  

I got the idea to write “Silly Girl” from two events about 2 years ago.  The first was witnessing a cute little girl spinning around like a ballerina on a street corner in New York City while eating ice cream.  She had a very silly manner about her.  Then I remembered a time when Sandra Kilsby, our production coordinator for this recording, was hanging motionless out of a tree like a drunken Koala bear at her parents home in Pennsylvania while everyone was wondering where she had gone.  Her mother said that she was a very “special girl” and doing silly stuff like that was quite normal for her.  This sort of thing would be typical for a child but at that time Sandra was a mature middle age, 50 plus, woman.  Unlike me, Sandra has always been athletically inclined.  Her father, Whitey, as he is known, acknowledged that she had done silly things like this all her life.   Somehow these two events morfed into the concept for “Silly Girl”.  
“Silly Girl” started as a little tune that came to me while I was walking home.  The lyric was: “How about it, Silly Girl”, that was it, nothing more.  Something intrigued me about this little phrase and the melody and chords that went with it.  It’s a good thing that I sometimes remember to write things down.  Fortunately, this was one case where I did.  Every couple of months this little tune would pop into my mind and I would try to do something with it.  Nothing would happen.  This happened a lot at ever increasing shorter intervals.  It just wouldn’t go away, unlike some other musical ideas that would rightfully disappear forever.  So, …. tick tock, another year went by when one night I sat down, expecting nothing, and there it was.  It came out of nowhere.  I had the rough form of the verse, chorus and bridge as if the written music was handed to me.  I’m not sure how or why this happens and I don’t know if anyone does.  But, Bono of U2 said something once that made sense.   Basically, he said that an idea comes from nowhere and then it takes a lot of hard work, technical skill and blood, sweat and tears to turn it into something that is hopefully worthy of being called music.  I think that’s an accurate way to describe the process most of the time.  Like everything else there are many notable exceptions. 

So, once I had the song done and a demo recorded, I started looking for a singer.  I couldn’t find the right type of voice.  Something was always missing. 
 
I was downtown in NYC, at a charity event, when and met I heard Brandon Maddox sing for the first time.  Several months later I called him to ask if he would be interested in singing the song.  Both Brandon and his manager, Gil, liked the song and we were off and running.  Well, almost off and running.  I live in Manhattan, New York City and Brandon lives in Nashville, Tennessee.  At least we both lived in the USA, so the next question was “do we record North or South of the Mason Dixon Line?”.  We started to schedule things and it soon became clear that it would be easier for me to get to Nashville, due to Brandon’s increasing tour schedule.  I recorded in Nashville a few years ago and knew that recording there with a rhythm section is as good as it gets.  Nobody does it better.  So, at this point I decided to go to Nashville.  I didn’t know too many people and there were lot of logistics to put in place, such as a studio, a band, airline tickets, etc., and needless to say, everything had to go smoothly or everything would fall apart.  Oh, and let’s not forget the “unexpected at the worse possible moment”, … like a total computer “motherboard” meltdown. … More about that later. 
I started making a few calls and quickly realized that I needed someone to represent my interests and help co-ordinate things for the recording in Nashville.  I called Brandon to ask his advice.  He mentioned that he just recorded his last album with Doug Sisemore, who is Reba McEntire’s musical director and that he felt very comfortable working with him, so, I called Doug.   After that, everything fell into place, leaving me free to deal with only the music (and my computer mess, which I did).  Doug put all the pieces in place for me.  He got me his whole band that had just returned from a weekend tour with Reba.  Doug also engaged some of the finest backup singers in Nashville and booked the legendary Quad Studios. So many great artists have recorded so many great songs at Quad, like THE NIGHT THEY DROVE DIXIE DOWN, HEART of GOLD, Taylor Swift, Keith Urban, George Strait, THE BAND, etc. 



“SILLY GIRL” could be considered an “epithalamion” also spelled “epithalamium”.  No worries!  Don’t let this shatter your self-esteem.  No one I have ever met knows what “epithalamion” means either.  In fact, I never knew what it meant either until I accidentally stumbled upon it while writing a song for my brother’s wedding. “Epithalamion” originates from the Greek via the Latin language and is poem or song celebrating a wedding, in other words, a “Wedding Song”.  WIKIPEDIA describes a wedding song as “a musical epithalamion”.   I’m certain that “SILLY GIRL” is not the only “Epithalamion” ever recorded in Nashville and I’m sure this will always remain a little know fact. 



About The song:  

“Silly Girl” is an amusing song about a guy who has difficulty “getting the girl of his dreams.  He’s a very normal, genuinely good, simple honest guy who possesses few of the social skills usually needed for courting or dating.  On the other hand, his dedication and determination to marry his girl is his real and true strength.  Like a true fairy tale, in the end, they are married and live happily ever after.  Church bells are ringing/Alleluia.

“Silly Girl” lyrics
 Music & Lyrics by Joe Gianono
 
I don’t real- ly like to dance
I don’t real- ly know if I stand a chance.   
All I real- l y know is, I want to be near ya.    
  
Some-times when I’m a- lone 
I jus(t) want to pick up the phone
You know that’s be- cause I can’t live with- out (ch) ya.  

and, How about it, Sil- ly Girl? 
and, Oh, it would be so nice!
Don’t think twice 
Oh, ba- by It’s al- right.
 
and, What about it, Sil- ly Girl? 
and, What about my sil- ly life? 
Don’t think twice 
Oh, ba- by, Be my wife.  

You know I won’t go a- way.  
 and I nev- er know what you’re gon- na say, 
 but I hope you’ll ag- ree we be- long to - geth- er (ah),
   
From you, I’ll nev- er roam.   
I’ll al- ways want to come home.
With you there be- side me, we’ll be for-ev- er (ah).

and, How about it, Sil- ly Girl? 
and, Oh, it would be so nice! 
Don’t think twice 
Oh, ba- by It’s al- right.
 
Well, in this world you know
It’s so hard to be a- lone
And you know, you know how long it took to find you, oh!

You know I’ll nev - er leave ya,  I’ll be a “True Be- lie- ver (a)
And I’ll stand, I’ll stand, be- side you for- ev- er (a). 
  
SO! , How about it, Sil- ly Girl? 
and, Oh, it would be so nice!
Don’t think twice 
Oh, ba- by It’s al- right 
 
and, What about it, Sil- ly Girl? 
and, What about my sil- ly life?
Don’t think twice 
Oh, ba- by, Be my wife.  
     

The “SILLY GIRL” production team: 

Brandon Maddox (Lead Vocal) 
The Reba McEntire Band: Doug Sisemore (Piano), Mark Hill (Bass), Jeff King (Lead Guitar), Jim Kimball (Rhythm Guitar), Tommy Harden (Drums & Tambourine) and Joe Gianono (Ukulele, Electric Piano, B3 Organ, Chimes) 
Backup singers: Kim Parent, Vickie Hampton & Robert Bailey 
Recorded at QUAD Studios, Nashville, TN 
Recording Engineer: Mark Lonsway 
Assistant Engineer: Jared ???????

Mixed at 316 Studios in Nashville by Mark Lonsway & Aaron Gant 
Mastered at Mayfield Mastering, Nashville, TN by Justin Bonnema 

Production Coordinator: Sandra Kilsby 

Produced by Joe Gianono in association with Gil Coronado & CILA Management

Asscoiate Producers: Richie Addeo, Arthur Bottone, Frank Gianono & Joseph A. Gianono
Special Thanks to Jim O’Brien

Copyright by Joe Gianono Music Publishing (ASCAP)




Joe Gianono

Popular tracks