Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gormé invited Costa to write vocal backgrounds for their recordings. He agreed and thus began an association that led to their joining a record label headed by Sam Clark: ABC-Paramount Records. Costa accepted the position of head A&R man as well as chief arranger and producer. Many hits were to follow, not only with Lawrence and Gormé, but with Lloyd Price, George Hamilton IV, and Paul Anka. Apart from his arranging skills, Costa was a guitarist. From 1956–'57 he released two 45s on ABC-Paramount using the alias Muvva "Guitar" Hubbard. He wrote the first, "Ponytail", as an R&B instrumental. The second was a cover version of "Raunchy" by Bill Justis.