Peter Foldy

Last updated

Peter Foldy
Birth namePeter Foldy
Born Budapest, Hungary
Occupation(s)
  • Singer-songwriter
  • screenwriter
  • film producer
  • film director
Years active1973–present
LabelsKanata (1973–75)
Capitol-EMI (1975–77)
Free Flight Records (1977–81)
Pacemaker (2003–present)

Peter Foldy is a Hungarian-born recording artist, film producer, director and screenwriter. He has been nominated for two Juno Awards and has had multiple top-ten hits across Canada and the U.S., most notably with his first song "Bondi Junction" which reached number one on the Canadian charts. He has written and directed numerous feature films working with actors such as Paul Rudd, Eugene Levy and Academy Award winner, Louise Fletcher.

Contents

Early life

Peter Foldy was born in Budapest, Hungary but soon fled from the then Communist regime with his parents and sister. The family moved to Sydney, where Foldy attended high school and worked as an actor in television commercials. During this time, he also forged a friendship with three young brothers who would later find worldwide success as the Bee Gees.

After a family move to Toronto, Foldy enrolled in film school at York University, once again landing occasional work in Canadian TV commercials. He also formed a rock band that performed in various bars and lounges throughout the city.

Career

Music

Kanata records

Foldy soon began writing songs and quickly landed a recording contract as an artist with a small indie label, Kanata Records. His first single, "Bondi Junction", was released in 1973 and the record eventually reached number one on RPM magazine's Adult Contemporary chart [1] on July 7, 1973. Foldy was also featured on the cover of RPM that same week. The record received two Juno Award nominations, including Canadian Pop Music Single of the Year. [2] He was also awarded a 1973 BMI Canada Certificate of Honour from BMI Canada for "Bondi Junction" which was a legitimate national hit across Canada.

Foldy was suddenly appearing on Canadian TV shows, on radio station charts and on the pages of music magazines, including the popular U.S. teen publication, 16 Magazine . "Bondi Junction" was also released in the U.S. on Playboy Records, a label started by Hugh Hefner, where it penetrated the U.S. market place. Cash Box reviewed the song as "a super commercial track that will immediately influence the teen set." The record also peaked at number 113 in Billboard .

Capitol-EMI and Polydor

In 1975, Foldy was signed by Capitol-EMI of Canada alongside a deal with Polydor in the U.S. His follow-up recordings, "Roxanne" and "Julie-Ann" also reached top-ten status on many charts across Canada, as well as in the U.S.

In 1976, he again received a BMI Canada Certificate of Honour for "Roxanne" and once again made the cover of RPM Weekly on July 3, 1976 (volume 25 #14).

Free Flight records

On the advice of his manager, Foldy left his deal with Capitol with the promise of bigger things in the United States which, unfortunately, failed to materialize. However, a pop label started by RCA Records in Los Angeles called Free Flight Records signed him a couple of years later. The move to Los Angeles allowed Foldy to continue his musical momentum with the self-written singles "Love City" and "School of Love", songs he co-produced with music producer, Tony Brown.

Bronte Road Music

In 2016, Foldy released a 10-track CD featuring all-new music entitled Nine Lives. All songs were written and produced by Foldy. The CD received favorable reviews and radio airplay, particularly the single, "Carly". The album has received critical acclaim by both the Toronto Star [3] and Cashbox Canada. [4]

A new single, "Toxic World" was released in 2019. Written by Foldy, it was co-produced with Miklos Malek. In 2020 he released the single, "This Christmas" co-produced with Gerry Stober and in 2021, another single, "Friend-Zone" was released through Foldy's Bronte Road Music label, also co-produced by Foldy and Miklos Malek.

Film

When Free Flight Records abruptly closed its doors in 1981, Foldy turned his attention back to film, quickly selling his first screenplay, Hot Moves , [5] which became a considerable theatrical and video hit in the mid-1980s. In more recent pop culture, the film has been dubbed as the possible inspiration [6] for the 1999 Hollywood blockbuster American Pie .

More screenplays followed and in the early 1990s, Foldy started directing.

His feature film credits include:

Current projects

Foldy is in development on several feature films as well as two plays, Spin and Liverpool Lads. Spin is a humorous look at the resistance received by Canadian artists when Canadian content regulations were introduced in the early 1970s, while Liverpool Lads is the true story of the first songwriters signed to the Beatles company, Apple, after a random meeting with Paul McCartney in London's High Park. It is based on the book, All You Need Is Luck... Or How I Got a Record Deal by Meeting Paul McCartney, written by Paul Tennant. McCartney has added a glowing quote to the back of the book.

An avid photographer, Foldy has exhibited his black and white photographs.

Discography

Albums

YearTitleRecord label
1974Peter FoldyKanata
2009Bondi Junction and Other HitsPacemaker/EMI
2014Nine LivesBronte Road Music
2014Peter Foldy 4 ChristmasBronte Road Music

Singles

YearTitleRecord label
1973"Bondi Junction" / "Alice Mary Jane MacPherson" (#17 [13] )(#1AC)Kanata/Quality
1973"I'll Never Know" / "Yes, Operator" (#61 [14] )(#55AC [15] )Kanata/Quality
1974"When I Am So in Love" / "Remember" (#63 [16] )(#18AC [17] )Kanata/Quality
1974"Christmas Eve with You" / "Spanky" (#21AC [18] )Kanata/Quality
1975"Hollywood" / "Paris Bound"Capitol/EMI
1976"Roxanne" / "Funny" (#39 [19] )(#13AC [20] )Capitol/EMI
1977"Julie Ann" / "Paris Bound"Capitol/EMI
1979"Love City" / "Turn It Up" (#10AC [21] )Free Flight/RCA – U.S.
1982"School of Love" / "Love City" (#25AC [22] )Rio
1982"My Christmas Wish for You" / [Instrumental] (#29AC [23] )Nightflite
1988"Desperately" (duet with Mona Lisa Young) / [Instrumental] (#26AC [24] )Filmstreet – U.S.
1988"Is There Love in Your Heart" / "Desperately" (#25AC [25] )Southside
2003"All I Want for Christmas Is You"Pacemaker
2009"Change Your World" (with Róbert Gulya)Pacemaker
2019"Toxic World"Bronte Road Music
2020"This Christmas"Bronte Road Music
2021"Friend-Zone"Bronte Road Music

Filmography

YearTitleClassPositionStarringAwards/notes
1985Hot MovesFeature filmCo-writer/associate producerJill SchoelenRIAA Gold Video Award
1992HomeboysFeature filmWriter/co-producerTodd Bridges
1992Jamie's SecretDramatic short subjectWriter/directorPaul RuddBest Director/Best Film – ICVM Awards 1993
Cine Golden Eagle Award Winner 1993
1992Question of EthicsDramatic short subjectWriter/directorPaul RuddCine Golden Eagle Award Winner 1993
1993Desperate MeasuresDramatic short subjectWriter/directorBest Youth Film – ICVM Awards
Cine Golden Eagle Award Winner 1994
1993Midnight WitnessFeature filmWriter/director/producerMaxwell Caulfield and Jan-Michael Vincent
1994TrystFeature filmWriter/directorBarbara Carrera, David Warner and Louise FletcherAired on Showtime Network USA
1995Widow's KissFeature filmCo-writer/directorStarring Beverly D'AngeloHBO World Premier 1995
1996US Customs ClassifiedTelevisionSegment directorAired on FOX
1996Seeds of DoubtFeature filmDirectorPeter Coyote
1996Irresistible ImpulseFeature filmDirectorDoug Jeffrey and Kathy Shower
1997Oomba MakoombaTelevisionSegment directorWalt Disney Channel
1998Conversations in LimboDramatic short subjectDirectorJason Priestley and Costas MandylorToronto Short Film Festival Award Winner 1999
1999More to LoveMisc.Music supervisorMaxwell CaulfieldWinner New York International Film Festival 2000
2000Silver ManFeature filmDirectorEugene Levy, Joey Pantoliano, Daniel Baldwin and Louise FletcherWinner Best Film, Best Director Planet Indie 2000 (Toronto)
Winner Jury Prize, Best Feature – Tambay Film Festival (Florida)
2003My First TimeTelevisionCo-creator/co-producerReality series
2003Incredible Mrs. RitchieFeature filmAssociate producerGena Rowlands and James CaanMultiple Emmy Award Winner
2006Out of OmahaMisc.Music supervisorDave Foley and Lea Thompson
2007Head, Heart & BallsDramatic short subjectWriter/director/musicAdam Carolla
2010The Wheeler BoysFeature filmCo-producerBill Campbell, Portia Doubleday and Alex Frost
2014The Christmas SwitchFeature filmMusic supervisorNatasha Henstridge and Brian Krause
2015Fair HavenFeature filmMusic supervisorTom Wopat, Michael Grant and Gregory Harrison
2019Love on RepeatFeature filmDirectorJen Lilly, Jonathan Bennett, Andrew Lawrence
2019A Thousand Little CutsFeature filmProducerMarina Sirtis, Andrew Creer, Rebecca Liddiard
2021Black BagsFeature filmProducerLaura Vandervoort, Olesya Rulin
2021Help WantedFeature filmDirectorSarah Fisher, Conner Floyd, Preston Ward
2021Looking For Dr. LoveFeature filmDirectorAnna Marie Dobbins, Julian Shaw
2021House of LiesFeature filmProducerKaterina Eichenberger, Rib Hillis, Colt Prattes

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References

  1. "RPM AC Playlist - July 7, 1973" (PDF).
  2. 1974 Juno Awards
  3. Toronto Star Article, 08/29/2014 at the Toronto Star
  4. Cashbox Canada article, 08/07/2014 at Cashbox Canada
  5. Hot Moves at the Internet Movie Database
  6. Canada.com news "Aussies behind American Pie raunch"
  7. Tryst at the Internet Movie Database
  8. Widow's Kiss at the Internet Movie Database
  9. Seeds of Doubt at the Internet Movie Database
  10. Silver Man at Rotten Tomatoes
  11. "Love on Repeat". IMDb . February 14, 2020.
  12. "Help Wanted". IMDb .
  13. "RPM Top 100 Singles - July 7, 1973" (PDF).
  14. "RPM Top 100 Singles - February 2, 1974 - Page 15" (PDF).
  15. "RPM Top AC Singles - February 2, 1974" (PDF).
  16. "RPM Top 100 Singles - March 23, 1974 - Page 15" (PDF).
  17. "RPM Top AC Singles - April 13, 1974" (PDF).
  18. "RPM Top AC Singles - December 28, 1974" (PDF).
  19. "RPM Top 100 Singles - November 20, 1976" (PDF).
  20. "RPM Top AC Singles - November 13, 1976 - Page 26" (PDF).
  21. "RPM Top AC Singles - December 1, 1979" (PDF).
  22. "RPM Top AC Singles - August 14, 1982" (PDF).
  23. "RPM Top AC Singles - December 25, 1982" (PDF).
  24. "RPM Top AC Singles - August 7, 1989" (PDF).
  25. "RPM Top AC Singles - August 20, 1988" (PDF).