The Four Seasons (band)
- For other meanings of "The Four Seasons", see The Four Seasons (disambiguation page).
The Four Seasons are an American pop and doo wop group, distinct from many similar groups of the 1950s and '60s in their traditional Italian American sound.
Overview
The Four Seasons (Fankie Valli lead singer , Bob Gaudio on keyboards, Tommy DeVito on lead guitar, and Nick Massi on bass), which formed in 1960 released their first hit "Sherry" in 1962. Massi soon left the band and was replaced by Joe Long who became the mainstay on bass on backup vocals for the band though the late 1970s. By the 1980s Valli was the only original band member left. Frankie Valli still tours today as a solo act performing many of the Four Seasons classic songs.
Under the guidance of producer/songwriter Bob Crewe, The Four Seasons followed up "Sherry" with several well-remembered hits, including "Big Girls Don't Cry", "Walk Like a Man" and "Candy Girl". In the mid 1960s, the British Invasion slowed down their career somewhat, but the Four Seasons released several more big hits in 1964, such as "Dawn", "Rag Doll", which was the first single on WABC Radio, New York to be "pick hit of the week" one week and the number 1 single the following week, "Big Man in Town", "Ronnie" and "Save It for Me". Several more Top 10 singles followed, including "Let's Hang On", "Working My Way Back To You", "Can't Take My Eyes Off You", and "C'mon Marianne"; but by 1967 the group's popularity was deteriorating, as public interest moved towards rock with a harder edge and more socially conscious lyrics. The band would, however, enjoy a brief revival in their popularity in the mid 1970s, with the hits "Who Loves You", "Swearin' to God", and their last number one hit "December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)". The latter of the 3 songs was re-introduced in 1994 with the original vocals but an edgier dance background beat and reached #14 on the pop charts, but more impressively, stayed in the Billboard Hot 100 for half a year.
The band name is also the name of a legal partnership, The 4 Seasons Partnership, that Valli and Gaudio entered into at the start of their careers, agreeing to split all the proceeds from their musical efforts 50-50. The partnership continues to this day.
The Four Seasons were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990, and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1999. Jersey Boys, a musical play based on the lives of The Four Seasons, directed by Des McAnuff (The Who's Tommy, 700 Sundays) premiered at his La Jolla (California) Playhouse and opened on Broadway on November 6, 2005, to generally positive reviews. It won the 2006 Tony Awards for Best Leading and Featured Actor in a Musical won by John Lloyd Young & Christian Hoff, Best Light Design in a Musical and Best Musical.
The group's music was one of many influences to the Jersey Shore sound of the 1970's and 1980's.
Discography
Albums
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Singles
- 1962: "Sherry", peaked at #1 on US pop chart
- 1962: "Big Girls Don't Cry", #1
- 1963: "Walk Like a Man", #1
- 1963: "Candy Girl", #3
- 1963: "Marlena"
- 1964: "Dawn (Go Away)", #3
- 1964: "Stay" (originally recorded by Maurice Williams & the Zodiacs)
- 1964: "Ronnie", #6
- 1964: "Alone", #28 (originally recorded by The Shepherd Sisters)
- 1964: "Rag Doll", #1
- 1964: "Save It For Me", #10
- 1964: "Big Man In Town"
- 1965: "Bye, Bye, Baby (Baby, Goodbye)", #12
- 1965: "Girl Come Running"
- 1965: "Let's Hang On (To What We've Got)", #3
- 1965: "Don't Think Twice (It's Allright)" (recorded as The Wonder Who?)
- 1966: "Working My Way Back To You", #9
- 1966: "Opus 17 (Don't You Worry 'Bout Me)", #13
- 1966: "I've Got You Under My Skin", #9 (cover of Cole Porter's classic)
- 1966: "Tell It To The Rain"
- 1967: "Beggin'"
- 1967: "Can't Take My Eyes Off You", #2 (recorded as Frankie Valli)
- 1967: "C'mon Marianne", #9
- 1968: "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" (originally recorded by The Shirelles)
- 1974: "My Eyes Adored You", #1 (recorded as Frankie Valli)
- 1975: "Swearin' To God", #6 (recorded as Frankie Valli)
- 1975: "Who Loves You", #3
- 1976: "December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)", #1
External links
- Video of The Four Seasons "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" 1967
- Rock and Roll Hall of Fame page on The Four Seasons
- Vocal Group Hall of Fame page on The Four Seasons
- The Four Seasons.com fan site
- "Jersey Boys", the Broadway Musical based on the life of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons
- Jersey Boys Blog Dedicated to Jersey Boys; the smash hit Broadway musical of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.
- Big Men In Town A Jersey Boys fansite.