Alessi Brothers

Lore & Background

Billy and Bobby Alessi attended West Hempstead High School and formed the band The Gentlemen with schoolmates. The band played at teen clubs and venues including Murray the K's World, the Raleigh Hotel, and The Café Wha?. In 1970, the brothers were working in the Broadway cast of Hair when they met former Blues Magoos guitarist Peppy Castro. Together with drummer Mike Ricciardella, they formed Barnaby Bye, which signed to Atlantic Records and released the album 'Room to Grow' in 1973; a second album, 'Touch', followed in 1973 on A&M Records. After Barnaby Bye, the brothers continued as the duo Alessi. Their 1976 album 'Alessi' on A&M produced the hit "Oh, Lori" in 1977. They later charted in the US with "Put Away Your Love" (1982) and in Brazil with several songs. Their early albums on A&M included 'Alessi' (1976), 'Driftin'' (1978), and 'Words & Music' (1979); later albums were released on other labels.

In 1984, Alessi contributed the track "Savin' the Day" to the Ghostbusters soundtrack, which was nominated for a Grammy. Over the years, they arranged, produced, or wrote for artists including Paul McCartney, Deborah Gibson, Frankie Valli, Richie Havens, Olivia Newton-John, and Christopher Cross. They toured with Andy Gibb and contributed background vocals to albums by Art Garfunkel and John Lennon and Yoko Ono. Their songs have been covered by Peter Frampton and Rick Springfield. In the 2000s, they resumed touring and recording as a duo and as part of Barnaby Bye, and were inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame in 2012.

Reader's Guide

The Alessi Brothers' significance lies in their sustained, multifaceted career in pop rock music, from early band formations in the 1960s to international success in the 1970s and continued activity into the 2020s. Their 1977 hit "Oh, Lori" brought them global recognition, and their song "Seabird" gained renewed popularity through use in films and television series such as Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Our Flag Means Death, Sex Education, and Hacks. Beyond performing, they worked as songwriters, arrangers, and producers for major artists and contributed to the Grammy-nominated Ghostbusters soundtrack. Their induction into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame in 2012 recognizes their regional and broader impact. The duo's ability to adapt across decades—from 1960s teen bands to 1970s pop hits, 1980s film work, and 2000s touring—demonstrates their versatility and enduring appeal in the music industry.

Did You Know?

• The Alessi Brothers are identical twins born on July 12, 1953, in West Hempstead, New York.
• Their song "Seabird" was used in the closing credits of the 2016 film Hunt for the Wilderpeople and in multiple TV series including Sex Education and Hacks.
• In 1984, they contributed the track "Savin' the Day" to the Ghostbusters soundtrack, which was nominated for a Grammy Award.
• A minor antagonist in the Japanese manga Stardust Crusaders is named Alessi after the duo.

From High School Stage to Broadway

Billy and Bobby Alessi, identical twins born on July 12, 1953, in West Hempstead, New York, began their musical journey as teenagers at West Hempstead High School. There they assembled The Country Gentlemen alongside classmate Don Droege and drummer Bob Pelicane, performing regularly at a local teen venue called The Mod Scene and at Long Island summer beach clubs. Their live résumé quickly expanded to include Murray the K's World in Roosevelt Field, the Raleigh Hotel in the Catskills, and the legendary Café Wha? in Greenwich Village. The group issued a single, "Saturday Night," credited simply to William Alessi. By 1967 the lineup had shifted into The Look, which recorded "If I Were a Carpenter" backed by "Can You Do" for Verve Records. A pivotal moment arrived in 1970 when the twins were working in the Broadway production of Hair and former Blues Magoos guitarist Peppy Castro joined the show. Together with drummer Mike Ricciardella they became Barnaby Bye, signed to Atlantic Records, and released the albums Room to Grow (1972) and Touch (1973). A third Barnaby Bye record, Thrice Upon a Time, would not see the light of day until 2008, after the group reunited.

Oh Lori and the International Breakthrough

After Barnaby Bye's initial run, the Alessi brothers continued as a duo, and their 1976 self-titled album on A&M Records set the stage for a global moment. In 1977 the single "Oh Lori" climbed to number eight on the UK Singles Chart, where it lingered for eleven weeks, and it cracked the top ten in seventeen additional countries. That same era saw them charting in Brazil with "Sad Songs" and "All for a Reason," as well as "Forever," a track they recorded alongside Christopher Cross. Their 1982 album Long Time Friends, released on Quincy Jones's Qwest label, produced "Put Away Your Love," which reached number seventy-one on the US Billboard Hot 100 and spent four weeks on the chart. In 1984 they contributed "Savin' the Day" to the Ghostbusters film soundtrack on Arista Records, a project that earned a Grammy nomination for Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television Special. The first four Alessi studio albums between 1976 and 1979 all carried the A&M imprint, marking a consistent creative partnership during their most commercially visible period.

Behind the Scenes: Writing, Producing, and Collaborating

Beyond their own recordings, the Alessi brothers built a substantial career as songwriters, arrangers, and producers for a remarkable roster of artists. Their credits include work for Paul McCartney, Deborah Gibson, Frankie Valli, Richie Havens, Olivia Newton-John, and Christopher Cross. In 1978 and 1979 they toured as part of Andy Gibb's Shadow Dancing tour, and they contributed background vocals to Art Garfunkel's 1979 album Fate for Breakfast and to the John Lennon and Yoko Ono record Milk and Honey. Their compositions have been covered by Peter Frampton and Rick Springfield, and their songwriting or vocal work appeared in films such as The Main Event and Ghostbusters. The twins also found steady work writing jingles and advertisements for David Lucas and numerous mainstream consumer brands across the United States. In the 2000s they revived their duo output, releasing new albums on the Eden Roc/Pink Records label, and in 2012 they were inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame, a recognition of their decades-long contribution to the music scene that had first nurtured them in West Hempstead.

Seabird and a Song's Long Afterlife

One of the Alessi Brothers' most enduring gifts to popular culture is "Seabird," a track that found new life decades after its original release. In 2012 it was included on the Late Night Tales: Metronomy compilation by the UK band Metronomy, introducing it to a new generation of listeners. From there the song became a recurring presence in film and television: it plays over the closing credits of Taika Waititi's 2016 adventure-comedy Hunt for the Wilderpeople, appears in the 2021 comedy-drama series Resident Alien, features in a season-two episode of Our Flag Means Death (2022), and closes the season-four finale of Sex Education. It was also used in the 2025 film Pillion, the series finale of Hacks (2026), and the 2023 Marvel video game Spider-Man 2 during the "Howard" mission. A duet version was performed by Ewan McGregor and his daughter Clara for the 2023 coming-of-age film Bleeding Love, and a cover by Jari Jones as Marshmallow appeared in Season 15 of Bob's Burgers. Even the Japanese manga Stardust Crusaders named a minor antagonist "Alessi" after the duo.

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