Aldo Nova

Biography

Aldo Caporuscio (born November 13, 1956), known by the stage name Aldo Nova, is a Canadian hard rock musician. He gained recognition with his 1982 debut album Aldo Nova, which peaked at Billboard's number 8 position, and its accompanying single, "Fantasy×Fantasy1982 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksAFantasy (extended version)6:19BUnder the Gun3:48", which reached number 23 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and boosted sales for its parent album. In 1997, he won a Grammy Award for Album of the Year as co-producer of Celine Dion's 1996 album Falling into You. He co-wrote four songs on the 2000 album Uno by La Ley, which won the Grammy Award for Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album.

Early life

Nova was born in Montreal, Quebec, to Italian immigrant parents from a small village near Rome. He adopted the stage name Aldo Nova when he started playing guitar and keyboards at age 15.

1980s–1990s

Signing with Portrait Records, Nova released a self-produced album Aldo Nova in 1982, that had two singles: "Fantasy×Fantasy1982 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksAFantasy (extended version)6:19BUnder the Gun3:48" and "Foolin' Yourself". The Top 40 success of "Fantasy" led to Nova being listed as a one-hit wonder by VH1 in 2009.
Nova's second album Subject×Subject13 July 1983 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 14 tracks1Subject's Theme1:372Armageddon (Race Cars)0:253Armageddon2:424Monkey on Your Back4:365Hey Operator3:556Cry Baby Cry4:187Victim of a Broken Heart4:198Africa (Primal Love)0:409Hold Back the Night4:4910Always Be Mine4:1111All Night Long3:4112War Suite1:2713Prelude to Paradise1:3214Paradise3:18...Aldo Nova from 1983, had two singles: "Monkey on Your Back" and "Always Be Mine". His third album Twitch×Twitch1985 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Tonite (Lift Me Up)4:162Rumours of You4:563Surrender Your Heart4:264If Looks Could Kill3:495Heartless3:196Long Hot Summer4:127Fallen Angel4:248Stay3:499Lay Your Love on Me3:5910Twitch2:30 from 1985, had two singles: "Rumours of You" and "Tonite (Lift Me Up)".
Nova was displeased with the third album and the record company's insistence on making a more commercial album. After supporting the Twitch album, Nova's label refused to release him from his contract, and he stopped working with Portrait. In 1990, Aldo Nova wrote the main guitar riff used in the Jon Bon Jovi song, "Blaze of Glory". In 1991, to return the favour, Bon Jovi worked with Nova to release Blood on the Bricks on Bon Jovi's label Jambco Records. It had three singles: "Blood on the Bricks×Blood on the Bricks1991 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Blood on the Bricks4:512Medicine Man4:463Bang Bang4:254Someday5:035Young Love4:126Modern World4:317This Ain't Love5:038Hey Ronnie (Veronica's Song)4:419Touch of Madness4:2210Bright Lights6:18", "Medicine Man", and "Someday".
In addition, Nova produced some of Celine Dion's early albums. He co-wrote the hit song, "A New Day Has Come" for Dion, and has been featured playing guitar, synthesizer, and percussion on her records. He also wrote her songs "I Love You", "Your Light", "I Can't Fight the Feelin'", and "You and I" (which was used as Hillary Clinton's campaign song and as the Air Canada theme song). He co-wrote the Blue Öyster Cult song "Take Me Away" and was a member of the Guitar Orchestra of the State Of Imaginos on their album Imaginos.
In 1994, he brought his hard rock riffs, guitar solos, and energy to the French superstar Patrick Bruel on his album Bruel and on his 1995 tour, with great success.
In 1996, he received a Grammy Award as producer for Celine Dion's Falling into You for Album of the Year. In 1997, he released his own album Nova's Dream×Nova's Dream1996 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 18 tracks1My Soul to Keep0:552Is There Anybody There?3:363Dreamwalk4:024Are You Inexperienced?1:465Excuse Me While I Scream!!!6:316The Pressure's Killing Me1:017Pressure Cooker4:538Falling Back / An Angel Whispered4:339Freedom9:1910Where Am I Now?0:2211Elaye5:5812Dada0:0713Coming Home4:3914Lighting Up0:0915Mary Jane1:5216Carlito's Way5:1917Wake Up!!!1:0218The End6:19, which was seen as a return to his "signature" style of hard rock. He co-wrote the Latin Grammy nominated song "Aqui" for the Chilean rock group La Ley on the album Uno. He also co-wrote and co-produced four other tracks on that album, which won a Grammy for best Latin/Alternative/Rock Album.
As a songwriter, Nova's hits include Clay Aiken's "This Is The Night" (co-written with Chris Braide and Gary Burr), which in the US was a number 1 hit and the best-selling single of 2003. He wrote one and co-wrote more songs on Dion's Taking Chances album.

2000s–present

In 2003, Nova received an International Achievement Award at the SOCAN Awards in Toronto for co-writing the Dion song "A New Day Has Come".
In early 2019, Nova announced to Loudwire that he would release a rock opera in June 2020 under the name The Life and Times of Eddie Gage. He had been working on the album from 2008. The release was delayed, eventually coming out in the smaller EP format on 1 April 2022.

Studio albums

Aldo Nova (1982) No. 8 US 2× Platinum
Subject...Aldo Nova (1983) No. 56 US Gold & Canada Platinum
Twitch (1985) Canada Gold
Blood on the Bricks (1991) No. 124 US
Nova's Dream (1997)
The Life and Times of Eddie Gage – A Rock Opera – 10-song EP – A Little Preview (EP) (2022)
2.0 Reloaded (2022)
Short Stories (EP) (2022)
Sonic Hallucinations (EP) (2022)

Compilations

A Portrait of Aldo Nova (1991)
The Best of Aldo Nova (2006)
Under the Gun...A Portrait of Aldo Nova (2007)