Joe Dolce - Shaddup You Face

Joseph "Joe" Dolce (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", released under the name of his one-man show, Joe Dolce Music Theatre, in 1980. The single reached number one in 15 countries, it has sold more than 350,000 copies in Australia, remaining the most successful Australian produced single in music history for thirty-one years and selling an estimated six million worldwide. It reached No. 1 on the Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart for eight weeks from November 1980. The track kept Ultravox's "Vienna" off the number one singles spot in the United Kingdom.

Dolce was born in 1947 in Painesville, Ohio and formed various bands including Headstone Circus. with Jonathan Edwards (musician) who subsequently went on as a solo artists to have a charting hit song in the US 'Sunshine'. Dolce 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 he donated to the fledgling Vietnamese community starting to form in Melbourne. His one-man show, Joe Dolce Music Theatre, performed in cabarets and pubs with various line-ups including Lin Van Hek as singer/performance artist.

In July 1980 he recorded the self-penned "Shaddap You Face", for Full Moon Records label at Mike Brady's new studios in West Melbourne. When in Ohio, Dolce would sometimes visit his Italian grandparents—they supplied the inspiration with "What's the matter, you?" and "Eh, shaddap". He wrote the song about Italians living in Australia and first performed it at Marijuana House, Brunswick Street, Fitzroy in 1979. Dolce paid A$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, in UK from February 1981 for three weeks, also No. 1 in Austria, New Zealand and Switzerland. Dolce received the Advance Australia Award in 1981.

(extract from Wikipedia 2011)