The voice of the Four Seasons UK Appreciation Society, established in 1971. This blog aims to act as a focal point for web based information and the results of our on going research.
It was October 2006 when I launched this blog and started to uncover the past stories of the Four Seasons, and as George Ingram once said “all good things come to an end”.
But after more than 4 years, it is time to move on and so I am passing the blogging role over to Ken Charmer, Lynn Boleyn, Ray Nichol and George Ingram to continue to develop our ‘magazine in cyberspace’ and keep fans entertained and connected.
I’ll continue to develop my epic story of the Four Seasons …’The Rise and Fall Of The NEW Four Seasons’ and in this my final blog post I am able to include the final 2 Chapters.
Which draws the fall of the group to it’s conclusion.
But I hear you say “they never ended”. Yes, even today there is a Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons appearing on stage and we have been entertained very well by the ‘employees’ Bob and Frankie recruited since 1982 to keep his oldies show going. But as far as being an original and creative team - that died when the NEW Four Seasons that we were promised were unceremoniously ‘sacked’.
The full aftermath hasn’t destroyed the music but perhaps diminished its quality since. But that is for you to decide as you read our conclusions.
But as I go searching in the Motown vaults to get the unreleased out check out and subscribe to our new blog….’That ‘Four Seasons’ Sound’ and take care….we need you all to survive long enough to hear the rest of the Motown and Philips unreleased come out on CD. Thanks for all your support and comments. Casey Chameleon
PS This blog remains as an archive of our work so revisit any of our past articles and any comments will be passed to the team at ‘That ‘Four Seasons’ Sound’
The unreleased Motown tracks were a real treat to research and we will return to the subject as the year unfolds when we hopefully get more info from the ‘Artists Cards’ at Motown Universal to compare with the newly acquired Tape Index. After all the excitement of hearing some of these (even if in a poor sound quality), we have to admit that this is something that is as rare as it gets for fans. But we can guarantee that we will continue the fight to get them released and to try to get some more appetisers.
As I looked at the very last track listed on the last multi-track master tape (P2678) I spotted a very prophetic and significant song….the last recording at Motown. The title ‘Future Years’ reminded me that it was time to get back to the ‘bread and butter’ work of researching and commenting on the Four Seasons sound and the groups full body of work in the ‘Analogue Age’. Jersey Boys and the greatest hits compilations may make one think that the Four Seasons Story is complete but our continuing research is showing that this is far from true.
And the focus is now on the future fans and leaving them a fitting legacy as the Four Seasons UK Appreciation Society turns its focus to ‘succession planning’. The aim is to ensure the ‘true sound’ and the ‘real story’ of the group is not dominated or supplanted by the ‘Jersey Boys’ show and that what we grew up enjoying can be appreciated by future generations particularly ‘dedicated’ fans and the family’s and friends of former Four Seasons. Nothing less than would be expected by fans of The Beach Boys, The Rolling Stones or any other ‘iconic’ group of the 60s.
Our plans are progressing to take our research to a new platform to ensure the Four Seasons UK Appreciation Society can be around in 50 years. Read Ken’s challenging essay here …..“Is 60s music about to go over the ‘generation’ precipice?”to appreciate the questions facing all ‘Baby Boomers’ and their music collections.
Ken was also telling me that we may soon have the excitement and hopefully definitive opener in the ‘Battle Of The Biographies’ as Bob Crewe, is working hard with his co-writer. The breaking news is that he is recovering well from his near fatal fall and…. “His co-writer Steven Whitney is actively moving along with Bob's memoirs and it looks like it's gonna hit big.” according to a very reliable source.
And with Charlie Calello actively seeking a publisher for his biography we can hope one hits the book shops before next Christmas..
So now our catchphrase will be the words of the legendary Leonard Nimoy as Mr Spock in Star Trek. ‘Live Long and Prosper”….and eventually you will get to hear the Motown unreleased. and read the ‘real’ story of how Bob Crewe created the success of the Four Seasons by tapping into and maximizing everyone’s talent. We’ve shown this ourselves in our research over the last 15 years so we have every confidence his book (and our future articles) will prove it.
Casey Chameleon
(Ken would like to thank Lynn Boleyn and Eric Charge for the Four Seasons photographs and recognise the copyright of others re the other illustrative images)
Thanks for all the great comments in support of our campaign to get the Motown Unreleased researched, finished and released.
But do the fans have any entitlement to ask for these. The Four Seasons Partnership might answer…NO!! It is our work and we don’t believe it is good enough ! And our blog posts showed not everyone likes the Four Seasons….and why should they.?
As "ian pryke" commented on the Motown Treasures e-group…..
"Why all the fuss over The Four Seasons? They had some hits in the 60's, Let's face it, they weren't the Four Tops or The Tempts. They had an extremely annoying falsetto lead in Valli. At no stage did he even come close to Eddie Kendricks.[I mean, has anyone actually played a ‘best of’ by them all the way thru in one sitting?] Their connection with The Mafia is not unique in the music industry of the time. The stage show Jersey Boys has been a success everywhere. Saw it, ....Ho-Hum, So again, why all the fuss?”
Maybe this is an extreme view but it was one I had to respond too…..
“If you can't appreciate the Four Seasons then you don't get the 60s. Motown may be your bag and you are entitled to stay just there but try to broaden the musical horizon. Many Motown acts were second rate and I would never put them down or put the Four Seasons ahead of the Temptations or the Tops as Top US groups. They were ‘not so smart’, aged singers (apart from Bob Gaudio) and owed so much to Bob Crewe and Charlie Calello. But they created some pop classics. The reason for my/our interest in the Motown Unreleased is that we have been lied to( by MU and The Partnership) and deprived of great music they recorded at Motown.. We have a right to feel aggrieved. I suppose next you'll be saying that the 'Chameleon' album is a 'c#@p' album and 'The Night' is over-rated ....Oh well, to each their own!!”
And Eric Charge was quick to jump to the defense of the Four Seasons sound…” I remember taking my copy of EDIZIONE D'ORO to school and having the other kids being blown away by two albums' worth of fantastic pop hits. I suppose the Seasons spoilt me because not a living soul could make records that classy in Britain (with the possible exception of Dusty).” But then EDIZIONE D'ORO is a whole new subject we will return to later this year.
And another reason to ask for these Motown recordings is that they represent covers or perhaps the originals of some very good and well loved songs and we still haven’t heard the Four Seasons interpretation of these songs. Just sample these and think how the group may have performed them..
A You Tube check on our list was quite revealing.......
Multi-track tape P2389 contains a recording of ‘Star’ from 1973 . Could it be the same song that ‘Stealers Wheel' took into the charts in 1974 and how would the Seasons have interpreted it?
Then there is the Bob Crewe produced version of 'I Won’t Last A Day Without You' which some think may have The Four Seasons on backing vocals. Perhaps but 2 Track reel T3912 suggests that perhaps Valli and Darin used the same backing track.
Then there is ‘Wigs and Lashes’(Reel P2113) which the Miracles performed on their 1973 ‘’Renaisance’ album which is re-mixed below
Looking further.......you notice Multi-track Reel P2203 and ‘Torn Between Two Lovers’. Wikipedia tells us of this song…"Torn Between Two Lovers" is the title of a pop song written by Peter Yarrow (of the folk music trio Peter, Paul & Mary) and Phillip Jarrell. It was inspired by Boris Pasternak's 1957 novel, Dr. Zhivago, which featured a man in love with two women. Yarrow originally intended the song to be sung by a man. It was recorded by St. Paul, Minnesota-born singer Mary MacGregor in 1976, and was a number-one single on the U.S. pop chart in February 1977 and the easy listening chart in the final week of 1976 and first week of 1977. The song inspired the title of a television movie aired in 1979, starring Lee Remick, George Peppard, and Joseph Bologna, in which the song is played. “ Perhaps Frankie Valli’s version is the definitive ‘male’ orientated vocal.even if the lyric doesn't appeal to everyone.
And finally....... the well known song from 1954 that dozens of artists have covered ‘That’s All I Want From You’ was released in 1968 with a ‘harmony/Seasons style sound’ Perhaps the version on reel P2111 features a similar treatment.?