Santa Esmeralda

Santa Esmeralda is a French-American musical group, formed in 1977 by French composers and producers Nicolas Skorsky and Jean-Manuel de Scarano. The group featured various studio musicians and singers, with Leroy Gomez as the lead vocalist for their breakthrough hit "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood". This single, released in 1978, transformed the Animals' classic into a disco anthem with its stampeding Flamenco rhythm and Spanish guitar. It topped charts in Germany and Austria, reached number 4 in Switzerland, and placed at number 15 in the USA. The accompanying album Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood (1977) also peaked at Number 1 in Germany and was certified platinum. Subsequent releases included The House of the Rising Sun (1978), featuring Jimmy Goings on lead vocals, and other albums like Another Cha-Cha (1979) and Don’t Be Shy Tonight (1980). Santa Esmeralda's music gained renewed popularity when "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" was featured in Quentin Tarantino’s 2003 film Kill Bill. The group continued to release compilations and remixes, including The Greatest Hits in 2004.