I Just Wanna Stop – Gino Vannelli | Top 40 Chart Performance, Story and Song Meaning
Chart Performance: Pop (#4); 1978
Story Behind The Song By Ed Osborne
Mention the artist “Vann Elli” to all but the most fanatical music trivia buffs and you’ll get a blank stare in return. However, four years after Gino Vannelli, along with brother Joe, released Gina Bold under that name, Gino was on the charts with People Gotta Move (#22; 1974), and on his way to becoming a household name.
Gino and Joe’s musical odyssey together began when the two toured with their band across their native Canada. Finally, they embarked for LA with demo tape in hand.
When opportunity failed to knock, Gino waylaid musician/producer/label owner Herb Alpert at the gates of Alpert’s office. Despite the intervention of a security guard, Gino managed to play a few tunes for Alpert, who signed the
slightly crazed, guitar-totin’ singer. Good to his word, Alpert stuck with the music of Gino, Joe, and Ross (another brother) through five albums before 1978’s Brother To Brother broke Gino into the big time.
I Just Wanna Stop became a smash single and brought Gino a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Vocalist.
This content and all Song Meaning articles were created and written by Top 40 Contributing Editor Ed Osborne. © 2024 Ed Osborne. All Rights Reserved. In addition to these song meaning articles, Ed has written our “Year in Music 1960s-1990s” articles.
Produced by:
- Gino Vannelli
- Joe Vannelli
- Ross Vannelli
Lyrics Written by:
- Ross Vannelli
Ed Osborne
Hi. I got my first record at age two and never looked back, spending a decades-long career in radio and the music business. Even after years of reading about and listening to all types of music, I am still fascinated by it. Apart from that, I’m endlessly intrigued by art, nature, and the inner lives of people (and dogs).