Why are the Four Seasons so underated?

YES!!!! Stereo/Mono of all the Hits! Sounds great! It would be the definitive version to say the least

 

...and 48 Chart Entries

 

Yes, there's that - and also a collection called The Fantastic First Years with Frankie Valli recording as Frankie Valley and Frankie Tyler, as well as a track by Nick Massi and the 4 Seasons.

 

....any further details on the above mentioned? thanks

 

Seconded! My Searchers SACD arrived from RT yesterday and it is pure bliss to hear!!!!!

 

They may have been pretty unhip, but the Seasons belong in a hip assemblage of mid-60s groups--including the Beatles, the Beach Boys, the Hollies, perhaps a couple of others--who could really handle sophisticated harmonies. They really pushed production values in '63-'64, and while they stuck to a retro 50s boy/girl lyric formula most of the time, their "wrong side of town" / "poor boy"/"poor girl" epics (Dawn, Rag Doll, and especially "Big Man in Town" are very cool and remind me of some of Del Shannon's best and hint at some of the later themes of Bruce Springstein. And the recordings? I admit some of the Phillps aren't the best, but when was the last time you heard a first-press stereo Vee Jay? Just flat excellent.

 

I LOVE the 4 Seasons!

As many here know, I'm a HUGE fan of their album/CD called "The Genuine Imitation Life Gazette", which is truly a MASTERPIECE to my ears! I also love all of their old stuff and later Warner Brothers too. For a while back in the late 70's, early 80's, I was in contact with then 4 Seasons mamber Don Ciccone (also a founding member of "The Critters"), we still e-mail each other occassionally. I also recently got to talk with longtime member Joe Long via e-mail. What a GREAT guy he is, plus he shares my love for the "GAZETTE" album! He claims that there is a "Promotional" film for the "GAZETTE" album, which I would truly love to see. He sadly doesn't have a copy, but thinks that Bob Gaudio would!?! Anybody here, know anything about this film???

I would love to see many of Frankie Valli's later "Private Stock" albums reissued on CD, especially "Valli", "Closeup" and "Lady Put The Light Out". I believe that the Masters to all of the Seasons/Valli stuff are now in Frankie and Bob's control. Let's have 'em, but PLEASE Bob Gaudio, no more of those nasty "Seasons" remixed disco CD's on CURB! While I realize that those "discofied" versions may make for some sales, while reinventing the group for a new generation, it has to be somewhat sad when looking back at your catalog of greatness!

Chris C

 

(deleted)

 

The answer to A is "yes" -- most of their hit songs were written by Bob Gaudio and Bob Crewe (their producer). They did have some hits with remakes, most notably their outstanding version of "I've Got You Under My Skin" in 1966, which started a short-lived trend of rock versions of pre-rock standards (such as "I Got Rhythm" by the Happenings and "Ding! Dong! The Witch Is Dead" by the Fifth Estate). But most of their hits were indeed original to the group.

The answer to B also is "yes" -- but the Seasons were primarily a vocal group. And they were hardly unique; for example, most of the Beach Boys' material in 1965 and 1966 featured session musicians to the point where, on some of the records in that period, the only Beach Boys presence was on vocals.

 

Good point regarding the studio backing issue, BUT the Beach Boys were seen as a "real" rock and roll outfit, doing major tours playing instruments, who had a genius writer/producer in the band; with no writers in the group, their link with doo-wop and little high profile touring, the Four Seasons were destined to be under-valued in relation to other "similar" vocal driven outfits--Hollies, Beatles, etc. Not fair, of course, but just the "lay of the land" at that time.

I don't think many fans knew the Beach Boys didn't play on their records.

doug

 

uh...guys, the Seasons used plenty of session guys on their records.

 

I don't think anyone said that the Four Seasons didn't use session musicians.

 

Sorry, i misread it.

 

It's Frankie Valli & the 4 Seasons: The Fantastic First Years (Sparkletone 99005). Has "My Life for Your Love," which, just going from memory, I don't think is on the Bear Family comp.

 

...thanks for the info

 

The Critters, another forgotten band from the 60's and even more underrated. They are a bunch of five guys from New Jersey fronted by singer / songwriters Don Ciccone and Jimmy Ryan. Their songs "Mr. Diengly Sad", "Gone For A While", "I Wear A Silly Grin", "Dont Let The Rain Fall Down On Me" plus the cover of John Sebastian's song "Youger Girl" are timeless and classic at least for my taste.

 

Count me in as a big fan. I still recall listening to them on my blue GE transitor radio while delivering the morning papers to my customers at 4-5am. Oh what a night...err, morning. Candy Girl, Dawn, Rag Doll...great songs even today.

What's the best sounding 4Seasons compilation?

 

I'll be seeing Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons this Saturday, February 21st at the Andiamo Celebrity Showroom in Warren, Michigan. We'll be having dinner first and the concert begins at 8:00.

Maybe some of the forum members from the Detroit area are familiar with this place. I've never been there.

I don't consider myself a fan but I do enjoy their music. I'm looking forward to this concert.

 

Don't forget Valli's hit "Swearin' to God"...........

 

Maybe it was their cover of Bob Dylan's "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright" Truly bizarre, but I like it.

I don't have any Four Seasons, but whenever they come on the radio, it's a rush. They had a unique sound, to say the least, very energetic and melodic. I keep thinking, Boy, it takes cajones to put out records like that, and make it work!

 

The CD known as 'The Fantastic First Years' (Sparkletone CD 99005) is a bootleg, fairly hard to find today.

Another hard to find bootleg is 'The Night - Inside You' (Four Tunes Records MW 788-2), comprising tracks from The Seasons early seventies period on MoWest (a Motown subsidiary) and Motown.

ACE Records Ltd did a fine job of reissuing all of The Seasons Vee Jay and Philips albums in the nineties; now out of print:

Sherry/Big Girls Don't Cry (two-fer) CDCHD 507 (two bonus tracks)
Christmas Album/Born To Wander (two-fer) CDCHD 615
Ain't That A Shame/Live On Stage (two-fer CDCHD 596 (2 bonus tracks)
Dawn (Go Away)/Rag Doll (two-fer) CDCHD 554
Entertain You/Working My Way Back To You (two-fer) CDCHD 582 (three bonus tracks)
Sing Big Hits.../New Gold Hits (two-fer) CDCHD 690 (two bonus tracks)
The Genuine Imitation Life Gazette CDCHD 628 (four bonus tracks)
Edizione D'Oro CDCHD 642 (a double vinyl release losing three tracks due to CD time constraints)
Half & Half CDCHD 635 (six bonus tracks)
Frankie Valli Solo/Timeless (two-fer) CDCHD 538 (three bonus tracks)

The only track missing, as far as I know, from the ACE reissues is the single version of "Tell It To The Rain". To me, this was a glaring mistake, considering how close to complete the series was. The album 'New Gold Hits' has an alternate version of 'Tell It To The Rain' (different vocal and mix).

Curb reissued altered versions (changing the running order and, in some cases, the tracks themselves) of their albums in the nineties also. In my opinion, they are nowhere as good as the ACE reissues.

The Seasons did not use session musicians, except for a drummer, in the beginning. They were all accomplished musicians (including Frankie - he could play drums and the bass). Later, Bob Crewe might create the ocassional backing track without them present, or, they might bring in an extra guitar or horns. In other words, as time went on, they used session musicians more often, but not extensively. They were quite capable of pulling off their own "sound". Personally, I always had a soft spot for Joe Long's bass playing.

One of the best B sides ever - "Raven" (released originally only as a B side)

Then, there are the many Rhino compilations out there.

Overall, a great band that probably was its own worst enemy when it came to management and publicity.

 

Oh my God!!! Yes! Where is it?? Where is any other 'Seasons video?? I've been collecting video for almost 20 years and all I've been able to turn up is a couple(3?)Ed Sullivans;Hullabaloo;2 or 3 Where The Action Iss,a color clip of "Dawn" from a movie ("Beach Ball",IIRC) & some '70s stuff from Midnight Special.That's it!

 

And worth getting hold of...

 

Denis, It looks like you and I are, as the Blues Brothers put it, "On a mission from GOD!"

I figure what we need to help in our search, is someone that has direct contact with Mr. Bob Gaudio. The ONLY folks that I know that even get close to Gaudio are somehow involved with Neil Diamond. Bob produced most of latter day Neil Diamond albums! I have repeatedly requested that they ask Bob about this film, but still no answer!?! If ANYBODY still has a copy, I feel that it may be him. I've also tried to contact Jake Holmes (Jake co-wrote the entire "Gazette" album along with Bob Gaudio, an album that by-the-way impressed Frank Sinatra so much, that he had the two co-write his entire "Watertown" album, a year later!)
Jake is a "jingle" composer these days in New York and has written many very popular jingles. He evidently was too busy composing his next masterpiece of advertising when I e-mailed him, as I never heard back from him!

Let's keep hunting this thing down Denis, and any other "Hoffmanites"
that would like to join in our cause!

Chris C

 

Is there a compilation CD I can buy right now that has acceptable sound quality.
Thanks