"Deep Purple" by Nino Tempo and April Stevens.

OK, girls and boys, more 60s one-hit wonders: The only chart hit for this brother and sister duo from Niagara Falls, NY came in 1963 with a Peter DeRose/Mitchell Parish 1933 easy-listening composition. The title refers to twilight, the only time two lovers can be together again, if only in their dreams. Released six days before JFK's assassination. A very famous British rock band was named after the tune. #1 Pop, Grammy for Best Rock and Roll Record (!). Covered by, among many others, Jimmy Dorsey, Bing Crosby and Artie Shaw. Masterful 1993 live version on TNN's "American Music Shop" by Cheryl Wheeler, as well as the late great Chet Atkins and Michael Johnson with Mark O'Connor on fiddle. Duo? Song? Answer: "Deep Purple" by Nino Tempo and April Stevens. Antonino LoTempio left us earlier this year at age 90 and his older sister, Caroline Vininette LoTempio, passed away in 2023 at age 93. The song is peculiar in that, in the second half, Nino sings the melody while April speaks the lyrics. Rumor has it that he forgot the words and she spoke them to her brother. The producers decided to leave the recording "as is" because it sounded "so cute". We'll never know... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGDbXEk9USE&list=RDvGDbXEk9USE&start_radio=1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGEWfwII4Cc&list=RDGGEWfwII4Cc&start_radio=1

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