Vintage Rock – September-October 2019

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Santo (left) and

Johnny (right) Farina

pose for a publicity

photo, circa 1959

So did this discourage you in any way?

No. In those days, even though I was only

16, I was pretty full of myself. I just went

right into the building and started knocking

on doors of the major labels, but not one

person wanted to listen to me on the spur

of the moment. They all just wanted me to

leave the demo which actually was just an

acetate some guy made up for me. So I said,

“I can’t leave it. I only have one.” “Alright,

what kind of music is it? Is it doo-wop?”

“No. It’s something totally different, an

instrumental.” “You mean, like Duane

Eddy?” “No, it’s nothing like Duane Eddy.

It’s a steel guitar.” “Is it like Hawaiian or

country...? We’re not interested.” I would

tell them, “One day you’ll kick yourself you

know where, because this will be a monster

hit.” “Yeah, yeah, kid, get lost.” They would

slam the door so fast, you could almost feel

the breeze in the air! [Laughs]

Do you feel there was some divine

inspiration that led you where you

wound up next?

You know, you’re the fi rst person who

ever asked me that. I headed to 101 West

55th Street where there was also music

happening. I see a company listed, called

Trinity Music. I’m Catholic and I’m

thinking, “Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost,”

and that very moment I feel that God is

telling me to go there. Well, I get to their

offi ce. There’s a grey-haired man sitting

behind the desk, eating his lunch, and he

says, “I know, kid, you have a hit record.

Everybody who comes in here says that.

I said, “Well, I really do have one.” He says,

“Leave it here.” I said, “I can’t.”

It seems everyone was giving you the

same runaround.

Well, after about two minutes of going back

and forth, he fi nally says, “Alright, let’s hear

it.” I thought he was going to have some

elaborate sound system, but he puts a penny

on the arm of this cheap turntable to steady

it. I said, “What kind of junk is this? That’s

gonna cut my record up.” He said, “Just play

it!” So after it was over he says, “You want a

part of my sandwich?” At that point, I knew

I had this guy, and that’s how Sleep Walk

got recorded.

As Alan Freed was probably the most

infl uential DJ in America at the time,

how instrumental was he in getting it on

the radio and starting the ball rolling?

My managers knew a lot of people, and they

told me when they brought him the

Santo & Johnny