Victor Calderone
Victor Calderone (born in Brooklyn, New York) , is a house music producers and a deejay in the international nightlife scene.
Introduced into New York City's nightlife by his older brother, Victor signed his first industry contract with Sire Records in 1991.
His remixing resumé is extensive, including hits for Beyoncé, Madonna, Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson, and Sarah Brightman, among many others. He also released several songs on his own and he has hit #1 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart twice. In 1997, he spent a week at the top spot with "Give It Up".
Victor returned to #1 twice in 2001 on both April 28 then again on May 5, with "Are You Satisfied?" featuring vocals by Deborah Cooper .
He has also collaborated with other house music producers, one of the most notable including Peter Rauhofer, the first Grammy Award winner in the Dance Music category. Known as "The Collaboration" they released a popular multi CD set and several hit single tracks.
Contents
1 Discography
1.1 Select Remixes
2 See also
3 External links
Discography;
Select Remixes;
American Pie - Madonna
Beautiful Stranger - Madonna
Don't Tell Me - Madonna
Frozen - Madonna
Hollywood - Madonna
Naughty Girl - Beyoncé
Precious - Depeche Mode
Push It - Garbage
Ray of Light - Madonna
Strict Machine - Goldfrapp
Survivor - Destiny's Child
“If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.”
- Henry David Thoreau
The multi-talented master of musical manipulation has helped redefine the role of the American DJ in recent years, and, in the process, has amassed an impressive array of artistic accomplishments. Equally adept both in the studio and in front of live audiences, Victor is a veritable virtuoso who has inspired, enthralled and entertained legions of sonic savvy devotees around the world. His expertise and imagination transcend conventional expectations allowing him to effortlessly bridge the gap between multiple genres of music and generations of listeners.
Introduced to New York nightlife at the impressionable age of 15 by his older brother Cesar, Victor quickly developed an intense passion for dance music that would form the foundation for the Brooklyn native’s remarkable career. His first taste of success came less than a decade later when Sire Records’ Seymour Stein signed Program Two, Victor’s techno production partnership, to a record deal in 1991. The relationship fizzled after just one album, though, prompting Victor to reevaluate his musical future.
After a self-imposed hiatus during which Victor explored non-musical business ventures, he found his way back to the beat in 1996 when Athena, the woman who would eventually become his wife, encouraged him to return to the studio to create his first solo record, “Give It Up.” This signature hard-house anthem and its explosive follow-up, “Beat Me Harder,” both topped the Billboard dance charts, unleashing the meteoric Calderone phenomenon. Further inspired by New York’s then-thriving club scene, Victor landed gigs spinning at high-profile parties on Fire Island and at legendary NYC nightclubs Limelight and Life, eventually leading to career-defining residencies at both Roxy in New York and Liquid in Miami. Then, just when he thought things couldn’t get any better, Madonna called in 1998 and asked, “So, do you want to remix my first single? Intrigued by Victor’s innovative musical vision and sophisticated style, Madonna bestowed upon him the ultimate compliment – the opportunity to remix, “Frozen,” the lead single from her acclaimed “Ray of Light” album. “She, as an artist, understands better than anybody the need to just let people do their thing, and that’s the way she’s worked with me,” Victor proudly explains. “She just sends me the vocal and she doesn’t give me any guidelines. She just tells me to do my thing.” Victor has since remixed nine other records for Madonna and has established an unprecedented professional and personal rapport with the Grammy-award winning artist.
“Victor Calderone is immensely talented and quite amazing. He never fails to come up with fresh ideas. I love his work and I love working with him.”
- Madonna
The success Victor achieved through his work with Madonna ultimately led to remix projects for some of the world’s top recording artists, including Sting, Gloria Estefan, Bette Midler, Ricky Martin, Elton John, Destiny’s Child, Cyndi Lauper, k.d.†lang, Information Society. Many of these records reached the top of Billboard’s dance charts courtesy of Victor’s unique remixing talents.
Standing out among the many highlights of his extraordinary career is Victor’s experience working with Sting. Acting on Madonna’s recommendation that he ask Victor to remix “Desert Rose,” the second single from his 1999 “Brand New Day” album, the British rocker not only called Victor to remix the record (something he had never done before with his music), but even went into the studio with him to re-record the vocals to match the remixed song’s new dance-oriented rhythm. The song spent an impressive 80 weeks on the Billboard dance charts including nine consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales chart.
“Victor Calderone is highly energetic and his musical contribution helped introduce ‘Desert Rose’ to an entirely new audience. I look forward to working with him again.”
- Sting
Few DJs or producers have achieved the level of success that Victor has so diligently earned, and membership in this elite club definitely has its privileges. Spared from the stress of pounding the pavement in search of work and the proverbial first big break, Victor now enjoys the luxury of carefully choosing each new project from a multitude of exciting offers. This rare creative freedom has also encouraged him to create more of his own original material. Following the success of 1999’s “Do It Properly,” a joint venture with Grammy-winning remixer Peter Rauhofer, featuring C&C Music Factory vocalist Deborah Cooper, Victor once again enlisted Cooper’s dynamic talents in 2001 to record the #1 Billboard mega-hit “Are You Satisfied,” a record he both co-wrote and produced.
While it is nearly impossible to capture the essence of a live performance on a 74-minute CD, compilations do allow DJs to portray the music of the moment in a practical format that can reach even the most remote listeners. As part of a multi-record deal with Tommy Boy Music, Victor released his first beatmix CD, “E=VC2,” in 1999. Volume 2 followed in 2001 with sales and popularity of both compilations far exceeding all expectations. A third installment is forthcoming that promises to be darker and more progressive than its predecessors.
Victor’s studio work may have jump-started his career, but it’s his live performances that truly showcase his boundless energy and mastery of the turntables. “DJing is a major release for me; it’s something I need in my life,” he insists. “It goes hand-in-hand with the production work and the studio work. If you’re going to be producing dance music, you’ve got to be out there playing it and be in the clubs, so it’s very important to me.”
Victor also understands and appreciates the importance of continually evolving as an artist. While he still enjoys remixing and playing select mainstream records, audiences will notice a distinct difference during his future live sets. Relying less on the diva house vocal anthems that dominated many of his past performances, Victor has reinvented his musical style and will now treat listeners to an edgier and more progressive sound. He will also focus on producing more original underground tracks to compliment his latest transformation.
Shortly after leaving his three-and-a-half year residency at Roxy in May of 2001 to explore other creative avenues, Victor staged his most ambitious spectacular to date. Dubbed “Caligula: A Roman Orgy” and presented during Gay Pride Weekend in New York City, this massive dance party was held at the Hammerstein Ballroom and featured, among others, performances by Cyndi Lauper, Deborah Cooper and a 50-piece orchestra that played Brainbug’s “Nightmare” and Tim Rex’s “Relentless” live for 5,000 appreciative fans. Caligula boldly raised the bar for future events and will now be held annually the last weekend of June.
Victor expanded his rÈsumÈ in 2001 with bimonthly residencies at Stereo in Montreal, Canada and Tribal Sessions in Manchester, England. He also traveled overseas for performances at TLV in Tel Aviv, Israel, Cuvo Paradiso in Mykonos, Greece and L’Enser in Paris, France. He has also arranged the music for the past several Dolce & Gabbana runway fashion shows in Milan, Italy. At home in the United States, Victor spins monthly at Crobar in Miami’s South Beach, occasionally travels for special events around the country and is patiently waiting for the right opportunity to resume a residency in New York City.
Despite his many professional accomplishments, Victor still has some dreams to fulfill, particularly his desire to work on motion picture soundtracks. He is also currently working in the studio with a female vocalist he recently discovered to help develop her burgeoning career while further exploring the down-tempo side of electronic music. Victor’s Sensory Mix of Madonna’s “Don’t Tell Me” and his Calderone & Quayle Dark Side Mix of “What It Feels Like For A Girl,” both experiments in ambient electronica, garnered critical acclaim and impressed Madonna so much that she featured his version of the latter song on her Drowned World Tour.
Because his talent is so prominent, it is easy to forget that Victor Calderone’s career achievements are also the result of his true spirit of determination, as well as his dedication to perfection and persistence in an ultra-competitive industry. His many years of hard work and monumental success are only overshadowed by his sincerity, modesty, unwavering commitment to his craft and fierce devotion to his countless fans. A profoundly influential and inspirational talent, Victor has entertained millions of people, generously donated to charitable causes and earned the utmost respect of his peers, all while boldly pushing the universal limits of originality and ingenuity.
During an earlier interview, Victor summed up his prolific career perfectly when he modestly proclaimed, “If it wasn’t for the audience and the fans, I wouldn’t exist, so I wouldn’t have any right coming off to anybody like I’m anything special. I’m very grateful for all the support and everything that’s been going on in my life. It’s been amazing and I’m very happy.”
– Written by Matt Kalkhoff
Remix Credits;
Title's;
Reflections
Bedtime Story
Low Frequency
Lola's Theme
Third Dimention
Strict Machine
Naughty Girl
This Beat Is
Send your love
Hollywood
Die Another Day
Rain
Feeling You
Work It Out
Soak Up The Sun
Insatiable
Alive
Bring It
Emotions
Keep Control
Runaway Lover
Shine
Running
Survivor
Beautiful
What It Feels Like
For The Music
Don’t Tell Me
Independent Woman
Music
Shackles
Don’t Want Another Man
Summer Fling
American Pie
Funkin for
Desert Rose
Your Eyes
If I Want
Beautiful Stranger
Unique
Rhythm Is My Bitch
Metaforce
Joy and Pain
Written in the Stars
Alright
Always You
Por Ariba Por Abajo
Cubik
I’m Beautiful
Tell Me
Sky Fits Heaven
Magalenha
Holy Waters
Cleopatra Theme
Push It
Hoplessly Devoted
Ray of Light
Heavens What I Feel
Happy
Frozen
Dance With Me
Kick Up The Volume
Mighty Real
It’s Over
Never Gonna Fall
It’s My Time
Give Me Love
Sky’s The Limit
K Hole
Me Confund
A DJ Saved My Life
Tic Tic Tac
Make Sweet Music
Horizons
Take Control
Bostich
20,000 HMC
There Is No Law
Oolaa
Chime
Artist's;
That Kid Chris
Madonna
Chus & Ceballos
Shapeshifters
D-Formation
Goldfrapp
Beyoncy Knowles
Superchumbo
Sting
Madonna
Madonna
Astrid
Solange
Beyonce Knowles
Sheryl Crow
Darren Hayes
Kevin Aviance
Soluna
Destiny’s child
Sono
Madonna
Cyndi Lauper
Information Society
Destiny’s Child
Mandalay
Madonna
Colourful Karma
Madonna
Destiny’s Child
Madonna
Mary Mary
Dynamix
Kd lang
Madonna
Towa-Tei
Sting
Elsie Muniz
One Plus One
Madonna
Lisa Unique
Kevin Aviance
Art of Noise
Moa
Elton John
Club 69
Jennifer Paige
Ricky Martin
808 State
Bette Midler
Billie Myers
Madonna
Sergio Mendez
Angelique
Cleopatra
Garbage
Olivia Newton John
Madonna
Gloria Estefan
Towa Tei
Madonna
Ron Perkov
Rob Tissera
Byron Stingly
Dollshead
Lisa Stansfield
Souvlaki
Alcatraz
Mac Vibe
Sizequeen
Factor X
Blacknuss
Carrapicho
Connie Harvey
Lakota Hoskila
BG Prince of Rap
Yellow
Messiah
Messiah
Orbital
Orbital
Record Label's;
-
Maverick
Stereo_Productions
Positiva
Beatfreak
Mute
Columbia
Twisted
Interscope
Maverick
Maverick
Statrax
Columbia
Columbia
Interscope
Columbia
Wave
Dreamworks
Columbia
Groovilicious
Maverick
Edel
Tommy Boy
Columbia
V2
Maverick
Dot Dot Dot
Maverick
Columbia
Maverick
Columbia
Star 69
Warner Brothers
Maverick
Sony Japan
Interscope
Interscope
Electra
Maverick
Sony International
Wave
ZTT
Tommy Boy
Rocket Records
Twisted
Hollywood
Sony International
Universal
Warner Brothers
Universal
Maverick
Epic
Red Ant
Maverick
Almo
Polygram
Maverick
Epic
Electra
Maverick
Arpee
MCA
Nervous
MCA
Arista
Wonder Boy
AMPM
Eight Ball
Twisted
BMG International
BMG International
BMG
Eight Ball
Sony Germany
Epic
FFRR
Kickin
Kickin
FFRR
FFRR
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en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_Calderone
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