Hank Cicalo was born June 25, 1932 in Brooklyn, NY.  He attendedP.S. 101, Body Junior High School and Lafayette High.  Served in the U.S.Marine Corps for 4 years; fought in the Korean War in the 1^st MarineDivision from 1950-1954.

In 1954 Hank went to work for Audio Sonic Recording, with onestudio in the Brill Building and one studio on 46^th St. in NewYork.

In 1956 Hank moved to California and went to work for Armed ForcesRadio Network.  He engineered the “Standard Oil School Broadcast Series”which featured Carmen Dragon & the Glendale Symphony.  It won manynational and Peabody Awards.  In 1957 he started in the mastering room atCapitol Records, then progressed to 2^ndengineer and worked with manygreat engineers like John Krause, Hugh Davies, John Palladino and PeteAbbott.  Some of the artists’ albums he worked on were Frank Sinatra, DeanMartin and Nat King Cole. He moved up to engineer while at Capitol and workedwith such notables as Cannonball Adderley, Peggy Lee, Ed Ames and Lou Rawls.

In 1963 Hank went to work for RCA Records in Hollywood.  Asone of the lead engineers at RCA he worked with manyartists, including Eddie Arnold, Vic Damone, Ann-Margret, Eddie Fisher, PeterNero, Duke Ellington, Wayne Newton & Tommy Leonetti.   

In the mid-60’s Hank also worked closely with Tom Mack, producerfor Dot Records.  Their projects included The Mills Brothers, The LennonSisters, Jimmie Rodgers, Glen Campbell, Ernie Andrews, Frankie Carle and HarryJames.  Their biggest project together was Lalo Schifrin’s MissionImpossible, for which Hank was nominated for his first Grammy Award.

While at RCA, Hank recorded The Monkees for Colgems Records.  In total, he did 4 albums with the band, including The Monkees, More of TheMonkees, Live 1967 and Headquarters.   All 3 studioalbums with the group went multi-platinum, each reaching number 1 on the Billboardcharts.  Hank also recorded the scores for the popular Monkees televisionshow and engineered tracks on The BirdsThe Bees & The Monkees, Pisces,Aquarius, Capricorn and Jones, Ltd., and Head.  Hank toured with the band in 1967 and mentions that themost frightening experience he has ever had was being attacked by a mob ofteenage girls while in a limousine with The Monkees.  After the groupdisbanded Hank engineered Mike Nesmith’s first solo album, The Wichita Train Whistle Sings. 

 In 1967 Hank also engineered an album for Monkeessongwriters Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart.  It was the duo’s first albumentitled, Test Patterns. 

That year he left RCA to become the studio manager at AmigoRecording Studio in North Hollywood.   At Amigo Hank worked withlegendary record producer, Snuff Garrett, who owned the studio.  Garrettused the facility while working as the staff producer for Liberty Records. Together he and Hank recorded such greats as Steve Douglas, Shorty Rogers,Peggy Lee and The Lennon Sisters.

During the late 60’s Hank did many freelance projects includingnumerous NBC Television specials, such as Alice In Wonderland withDon Costa.  He also did multiple projects for Mercury Records includingalbums with Big Mama Thornton, Blue Cheer, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, Tongue &Groove and Harvey Mandel. 

In 1969 Hank started his working relationship with A & M andOde Records.  During the next several years Hank worked very closely withOde’s owner, Lou Adler, to produce some of the best music of the early 70’s. AtOde Hank worked with several artists including Tom Scott, Tufano &Giammarese, Merry Clayton & Gene McDaniels.  He recorded Rocky HorrorShow – L.A. album and Roxy cast album.

 By far, Hanks greatest success at Ode Records were the 6albums he did with singer/songwriter Carole King including 1971’s largest-sellingalbum, Tapestry.  Other albumsHank worked with Carole and Lou on were Rhymes& Reasons, Fantasy, Wrap Around Joy, Really Rosie and Thoroughbred.

Tapestry was thesecond solo album for Carole on the Ode label but the first album Hankengineered.   Released in February of 1971, Tapestry was number 1 on the Billboard charts for 15consecutive weeks and held a record for most weeks at number 1 that lasted over40 years.   It still holds the record for most consecutive weeksat number 1 by a female solo artist. The album had been listed on the Billboard200 for over 300 weeks between 1971 and 2011, the longest by a female soloartist.    In terms oftime on the charts, it ranks fifth overall, and in terms of length on thecharts for solo musical acts it ranks second.  It remains the longest charting album by afemale solo artist.   It was the firstalbum to be certified diamond by a female solo artist.  Tapestry had one number 1 single: “It’s TooLate”. 

The album swept the 1971 Grammys.   It took homethe award for Album of the Year – Tapestry, Record of the Year– It’s Too Late, Song of the Year – You’ve Got A Friend andBest Pop Vocal Female – Carole King.   

While at Ode Hank also did multiple albums with saxophone player,Tom Scott.   They worked on 5 albums together with Tom as a soloartist and also with his band The L.A. Express.  The albums include TomCat, Tom Scott & The New York Connection, Blow It Out, Intimate Strangersand Apple Juice.

During his time at A & M and Ode Hank continued to dofreelance work.  Some of his more notable projects were ButterFly with Barbra Streisand releasedin 1974 and Thirty Three & 1/3with George Harrison released in 1976. The album with George Harrison was done in George’s home studio at hiscastle “Friar Park” and included a month-long stay with George at hishome.  

In the late 70’s-early 80’s Hank fulfilled one of hislifelong dreams and opened his own recording studio.  Along with his partner Tom Scott theypurchased a studio in Santa Monica, refurbished it with state of the art equipmentand launched Crimson Sound.  They enjoyedrecording many notable artists there including Donna Summer, Barbra Streisandand Chevy Chase. 

When heleft Crimson, Hank had the opportunity, in 1982, to record the soundtrack tothe classic Ridley Scott film, “BladeRunner.”  He continued as anindependent engineer until 1984 when he took over the scoring stage at MGMStudios.  He was responsible forrecording and mixing the film and television scores on the legendary scoringstage until 1987.  To name just a few,they included the films The Pope ofGreenwich Village, composed by Dave Grusin, Year of the Dragon by Thomas Dolby, as well as the series Knots Landing, Falcon Crest, Highway toHeaven by David Rose, Dallas byJerry Immel, The Fall Guy and Love and Honor by Mark Snow and manyothers.  He also recorded additionalmotion picture scores at other studios, such as Broadcast News and The Toyby Patrick Williams and Sibling Rivalryby Jack Elliott.

Hankbecame an independent engineer again in 1987 and went on to record numeroustelevision series:  Days & Nights of Molly Dodd, Slap Maxwell, Night Court, Joe Bash,Stat, and The Naked Truth.

The late1980’s and 1990’s saw Hank back in the studio recording and mixing albums:  Dreams& Themes by Patrick Williams, Bodyand Soul and The Groove Shop byClayton Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, OnceMore…With Feeling by Doc Severinsen & The Tonight Show Band.   In1995, Hank recorded and produced ProfessionalDreamer by Kenny Rankin.  It was achance for Kenny to record many of his favorite jazz standards

In 1992,Hank recorded the popular children’s album, PureImagination, by Michael Feinstein. It was the beginning of a collaboration that resulted in severalsubsequent recordings.  He engineered Isn’t It Romantic, That’s Entertainment, HughMartin Songbook, as well as SuchSweet Sorrow and Nice Work If You CanGet It – which he also co-produced.

Though hehad worked with him on earlier projects, Hank is particularly proud of Rawls Sings Sinatra, which he recordedwith Lou Rawls in 2003.  It was one ofthe last Lou Rawls projects, and Hank enjoyed working with him again, as wellas with producer Billy Vera.

Hank’smost recent album is the 2-cd 2008 release: Tapestry – Legacy Edition.