Joseph "Joe" Dolce[1] (pronounced /ˈdoʊltʃeɪ/, originally /ˈdoʊlts/; born 1947 in Painesville, Ohio) is an American-born, Australian singer/songwriter who achieved fame with his multi-million-selling song, "Shaddap You Face", recorded with his group, Joe Dolce Music Theatre, and released in 1980.[2][3][4] The single reached number one in 15 countries,[5] it has sold more than 350,000 copies in Australia and an estimated six million worldwide.[6] It reached No. 1 on the Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart for eight weeks from November 1980.[4] The track famously kept Ultravox's "Vienna" off the number one singles spot in the United Kingdom.[7]Contents [hide] 1 Biography 2 Discography 2.1 Albums 2.2 Singles 3 References 4 External links
[edit] Biography
Dolce was born in 1947 in Painesville, Ohio and joined various bands including Headstone Circus.[2] He relocated to Melbourne, Australia in 1978 and his first single there was "Boat People"—a protest song on the poor treatment of Vietnamese refugees—which did not chart.[4][6] His group, Joe Dolce Music Theatre, performed in cabarets and pubs with various line-ups including Lin Van Hek as singer/performance artist.[2]
In July 1980 he recorded the self-penned "Shaddap You Face",[1] for Full Moon Records label at Mike Brady's new studios in West Melbourne.[2][6] When in Ohio, Dolce would sometimes visit his Italian grandparents—they supplied the inspiration with "What's the matter, you?" and "Eh, shaddap".[6] He wrote the song about Italians living in Australia and first performed it at Marijuana House, Brunswick Street, Fitzroy in 1979.[6] Dolce paid AUD $500 for the recording and spent $1000 on the music video clip, which was created by Melbourne filmmaker, Chris Lofven. It became a multi-million-selling hit, peaking at No. 1 on the Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart for eight weeks from November 1980,[4] in UK from February 1981 for three weeks,[2][7] also No. 1 in Austria,[8] New Zealand[9] and Switzerland.[10][11] Dolce received the Advance Australia Award in 1981.[12]
Follow up single, "If You Want to Be Happy" charted in Austria (No. 7) and New Zealand (top 40) but not in Australia.[4][8][9] Dolce's subsequent singles, including "Pizza Pizza", "Christmas in Australia" and "You Toucha My Car I Breaka You Face" did not reach the top 40 in Australia.[4][6][13] With Van Hek, he formed various performance groups including Skin the Wig, La Somnambule (1984) and Difficult Women (1993).[2][3] Van Hek and Dolce co-wrote "Intimacy",[14] for the 1984 film, The Terminator's soundtrack.[15] He had continued to perform solo shows and with his longtime partner, Van Hek, as part of their folk music-literary cabaret. [edit] Discography [edit] Albums Shaddap You Face (Full Moon, 1981) Christmas in Australia (Hammard, 1981) Memoirs of a Mouth Organ (1997) Difficult Women (1998) Steal Away Home (1999) FreeLoveDays (2000) Flower (2001) The Wind Cries Mary (2007) [edit] Singles "Boat People" (1979) "Shaddap You Face" (Full Moon, 1980) "If You Want to Be Happy" (Full Moon, May 1981) AUT No. 7,[8] NZL No. 33[9] "Christmas in Australia" (November 1981) "You Toucha My Car I Breaka You Face" (June 1982) "Pizza Pizza" (Fable, 1984) "Vaffanculo Polka" (February 1989)
