The Critters - Mr. Diengly Sad (Appreciation)

Don was easily one of the nicest musicians that I have EVER had the pleasure of meeting and hanging out with, for a short period of time.

 

You are most welcome and notice that spelling of "Dyingly" on that Japanese version, which Don said was the way that the word was "supposed" to have always be spelled, but the folks at KAPP Records got it wrong and the rest is history!

 

yes...

 

I like the spelling mistake better...it fits the song.

 

It really is a great little pop tune, despite the title which is cringe-worthy,
the lyrics are quite astute and convey knowing.

Nice easy-listening tune.

 

And in glorious MONO ...

 

Agree about the song.
Disagree about the title.

 

"Mr. Dieingly Sad", as was "Younger Girl" and the rest of that great first album of The Critters on KAPP, was recorded in the basement studio at 1650 Broadway in New York, called Allegro Studios, which at the time was literally just a 4-track demo studio for Kama-Sutra. The Four Seasons "Rag Doll" was recorded there, as was Tommy James & The Shondells "Crimson & Clover", a few years later. Jimi Hendrix also recorded something very early in his career in that studio as well!

 

Lead on Oh What A Night was Gerry Polci, the drummer. Don did have a few lines, and so did Frankie.

 

that's cool! thanks...

 

that's the way I first heard it on the radio...love it and love the stereo just as much...

 

the critters best of on CD was very difficult to find for while, then suddenly a whole bunch of them started popping up on different websites at reasonable prices. i do not think they were boots either, kind of like the chicago 'made in japan', which did the same thing.

 

One of the most beautiful songs to ever make the Top 40. Just incomparable, musically and lyrically. I honestly believe that songs like this fall magically out of the sky. I'll bet Don Ciccone would say that's just how it happened. It flows so beautifully that I can't believe it was labored over.

Another recommended Critters tune from that original era is "Gone for Awhile." I believe it was a B-side, and also showed up on the album.

(Side note: I had a friend back in the 70s who was a drummer. Somehow he acquired a bass guitar, which he knew absolutely nothing about playing. But he taught himself the bass part of "Mr. Dieingly Sad" entirely by rote, one note at a time, just because he loved it so much.)

 

I have 3 different (legal, not bootlegs) CD's of their "Younger Girl" album:

The first CD I bought was the one on Taragon in 1994.
(Taragon/MCA Special Products #MCAD-22126, 1994)
I remember e-mailing Eliot Goshman (The guy behind Taragon records) about a year before this got released and although I doubt that I was the ONLY person who requested this album getting a CD release, Eliot got it done for all of us. I probably gave Eliot Don Ciccone's contact info, as I was in contact with Don back in those days myself? Oh well, Thank you Eliot, wherever you are now, for getting this great album released on CD!
Eliot's CD included the original album, along with 8 single or other rare KAPP recordings. Eliot oddly sequenced this CD with what seems to be the songs presented in order of their recording master numbers, rather than with the original final track sequence. That always bugged me, as I have always felt that the original sequence was a pretty damn good one and this CD's track sequencing seemed a bit hodgepodge, as it also included outside songs inside of the original album's songs.

The second CD that I bought was around 1997, which is an Import from Japan
(Universal #MVCE-22012, 1997)
This CD had the entire "Younger Girl" album, in it's original track sequence, plus the same 8 bonus tracks. The weird part about this CD is that it has some tracks in MONO and some in STEREO, including inside the "Younger Girl" album tracks.

The third CD is the great 2012 reissue from our very own forum member Steve Stanley and his "Now Sounds" reissue label.
(Now Sounds #CRNOW33, 2012)
Steve Stanley kindly reissued his CD with the album in it's original track sequence and completely in MONO, along with 13 other Kapp and earlier Musicor tracks, also all in MONO.

The "Younger Girl" album is one of those rare '60's albums, where it's kind of fun to hear in BOTH MONO & STEREO, as each format presents the album a little differently and sometimes more significantly. The track "It Just Won't Be That Way" is the real standout track in both formats. The MONO version of that song sounds like a missed AM smash, while the STEREO version has this cool low bass roar that gives the song an overlooked '60's light rocker vibe.

By the way, one last thought and nothing against my late dear old friend Don Ciccone, whom I miss, but my favorite track on the "Younger Girl" album has always been Jimmy Ryan's short and sweet closing track on Side One, called "Come Back On A Rainy Day". That song is just so '60's perfect for me, with it's early Beatles-esque harmonies and guitar work, that I always include it whenever I'm in a "listen to the '60's music" groove. If ever an album track that deserved a single release, "Come Back On A Rainy Day" is it! Sadly, there is no current video of the song on U-Tube to share with those of you who have never heard it, so make sure to hunt down one of the above CD's or an original vinyl KAPP copy of the album, to hear it ..., you can thank me later!

 

A GREAT TRACK, indeed!

 

Adding to my post #39 above ...

Here is the entire "Younger Girl" album. I recommend, if you have the time, to listen to the entire album, but before you do, please jump ahead to around the 12:09 mark of the video and listen to the great "Come Back On A Rainy Day", which is my personal favorite by The Critters ...

 

One of my favorite songs from its era. Highly underrated IMO.

 

I was a big fan of Younger Girl and my 11-year-old self really didn't appreciate Mr. Dieingly Sad when it came out. It took a while but I got there eventually. Excellent song!

For some reason I rarely listen to either of them, and I don't have a CD comp, so I'm off to do just that, they're almost certainly on YouTube ...

 

A friend of mine who's a folk musician in New York has nothing but the kindest words for the Critters' Ken Gorka, who booked The Bitter End for decades.

 

get this one:

https://www.amazon.com/Anthology-Ka...8&qid=1533771954&sr=1-2&keywords=the+critters

 

Don Ciccone and Gerry Polci take centre stage as lead vocalists on much of The Four Seasons underrated 1977 album 'Helicon' where Frankie Valli decided to step back to more of a 'special guest' vocal cameo role

Don sang 'Let's Get it Right' and co-sang 'If We Should Lose Our Love' and the title track 'Helicon' with Gerry

Don sang verse lead vocal on the great 'Rhapsody' with Frankie surging in on chorus lead vocal

and shared bridge vocal spots with Frankie on 'Put A Little Away' and 'New York Street Song (No Easy Way)' where Gerry took main verse vocals

earlier in 1975 Don sang 'Slip Away' on The Four Seasons' Who Loves You' album and has that featured falsetto vocal spot on 'December 63' (singing '....I Felt a rush like a rolling ball of thunder spinning my head around and taking my body under....') with Gerry on verses lead vocal and Frankie singing the bridge section

Don also took a co-lead vocal part in turn with Gerry and Frankie on The Seasons version of 'We Can Work it Out'

Don was a great bass player for The Four Seasons and along with Seasons keyboardist / arranger Lee Shapiro wrote the song 'Carrie (I Would Marry You)' for Frankie Valli and along with the Seasons provided instrumental backing on the 1977 solo album 'Valli' for Frankie

 

All great information that I already knew myself, but is worthy for others who don't!

I have to be honest and say that while I have always enjoyed most of that second Four Seasons album "Helicon" on Curb/Warner Brothers, it simply just didn't have songs with the same staying power, as the "Who Loves You" album did. Bob Gaudio and Judy Parker were on a great roll with the songs on the "Who Loves You" album, but something happened to their songwriting muse on "Helicon". I mean, to this very day, I still have no clue just what the hell the song "Helicon" is about??? How a songwriter goes from some of the most radio friendly songs that Bob Gaudio ever wrote ("Who Loves You" and "December '63") to seriously uninteresting tracks like "Helicon" and "Down The Hall", is beyond me. In my opinion, "Rhapsody" was a good song, that was sadly overdone with too much production and far too long, to be a hit. If I had to pick the one song on "Helicon" that I have always felt "could've" been a hit, is the album closer "I Believe In You". Short song with a lead vocal by Frankie and with a pretty catchy chorus, once it finally gets to it.

 

One of many reasons to own this hits collection.

 

Re 'Helicon' - as far as I could tell the title track was about songwriting itself and the escapism into some imaginary place to be creative together (presumably Gaudio and Judy Parker here)

- hence lines such as; 'meet me in Helicon...I want to write my song' and 'Helicon, let the images unwind...' etc

I agree it's probably the weakest actual song on the album as it's rather plodding, tho' Gerry and Don sing it well

'Down The Hall' charted as a single in the UK - backed with 'I Believe in You' !

while 'Helicon' backed an edited A side version of 'Rhapsody' that also charted in the UK too

Don's feature on 'Let's Get it Right' and Gerry's on 'Long Ago' were decent tracks the latter with strong chorus harmonies despite no Frankie Valli

'New York Street Song (No Easy Way)' which featured two notable vocal passages opening unaccompanied and again with piano/percussion support towards the conclusion where Valli stands out from The Seasons mega tight harmonies otherwise Gerry sings lead with Frankie and Don featured on a couple of lead lines each was one of the best tracks but being apparently re drug addiction would never have made a single !



Overall 'Helicon' besides a greatly reduced vocal role from Frankie Valli (which upset some 'traditional' Seasons fans) was a far 'rockier' album in places which again upset some who expected / wanted perhaps a more 'middle of the road' ballads plus pop and disco-ish modern Seasons (?)

John Paiva played some great lead guitar, Don Ciccone a fine bass and Gerry Polci's distinctive uptempo drumming together with excellent keyboards from both Lee Shapiro and Bob Gaudio made for a really well played album
- Greg Allman was guest organist on 'Rhapsody' too

note that Frankie Valli and Bob Gaudio , the two 'Jersey Boys' of classic early sixties Seasons never actually appear together vocally on 'Helicon' - it's either Frankie OR Bob as backing / harmony vocalists here...

one error in the credits I feel sure of tho' - Frankie does NOT appear to be among the backing vocalists on 'Let's Get it Right' despite him being credited...think it's just Gerry, Don, John on that one

while I'm sure he IS featured on 'Put A Little Away' with Gerry, Don and John as I'm certain I can tell Frankie's voice even when he is just going '....oooohhhh' ! lol


while the 1975 Seasons album 'Who Loves You' had three hit singles - with a single edit of 'Silver Star' sung by Gerry and no Valli present still charting in the UK at least - I do feel 'Emily's Salle De Danse' was overlong and sounded a bit like album 'padding' that might have been stronger had Frankie sang a third verse, as the meandering instrumental concluding portion was a bit tedious...!

 

re above - Put A Little Away

have a listen, Gerry sings lead, Frankie and Don take bridge lines each

Per innersleeve credits the backing vocals are credited to only
'Gerry, Don, John'

however I'm sure I can hear Frankie Valli in the backing vocal harmonies going 'oooohhhh' ....yes ?

Of course I may be wrong here but I feel sure I can hear Frankie Valli in the backing vocalists