Romeo – Dino | Top 40 Chart Performance, Story and Song Meaning
Chart Performance: Pop (#6), R&B (#69), and Dance (#35); 1990
Story Behind The Song By Ed Osborne
In 1990 Las Vegas radio disc jockey Dino Esposito became the first non-African-American recording artist to use New Jack Swing in his music. Dino, as he was billed, was born in Encino, CA, then raised in Hawaii and Connecticut. 1989 saw him debut on the charts with 24/7, which peaked at #12 R&B and #42 pop.
Follow-up I Like It fared less well at Black radio, yet, bounded to #7 at mainstream Top 40 and #3 Dance. Sunshine and Never 2 Much Of U turned in so-so performances in 1989 and 1990, before Dino released his biggest-ever pop hit, Romeo, written (like his previous singles) by him.
Dino landed just one more track on the charts, Gentle, which topped out on both lists at #31, before disappearing from the scene.
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:
- Dino
Lyrics Written by:
- Dean Esposito
- Frederick Reeves
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).