The Scalawag Song (and I Will Love You) (Bonus Track)
Two CD set of 27 tracks. Hip-O Select collects the great Motown albums and singles of the Four Seasons and solo Frankie Valli released from 1972 through 1975. The Motown Years, a two CD set compiled with the cooperation o... more »f the group, features the album Chameleon and the LP issued as a Valli solo set, Inside You, along with every U.S. and U.K. single not included on either LP. Eventually Frankie and the group looked to go back to independent production. In 1975, just as they broke away, Motown U.K. released 'The Night,' a popular underground club track, as a single and it leapt into the British national Top 10. Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, who had shared and sometimes battled on the charts with Motown in their respective '60s heydays, signed with the company in 1972.« less
Two CD set of 27 tracks. Hip-O Select collects the great Motown albums and singles of the Four Seasons and solo Frankie Valli released from 1972 through 1975. The Motown Years, a two CD set compiled with the cooperation of the group, features the album Chameleon and the LP issued as a Valli solo set, Inside You, along with every U.S. and U.K. single not included on either LP. Eventually Frankie and the group looked to go back to independent production. In 1975, just as they broke away, Motown U.K. released 'The Night,' a popular underground club track, as a single and it leapt into the British national Top 10. Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, who had shared and sometimes battled on the charts with Motown in their respective '60s heydays, signed with the company in 1972.
CD Reviews
Excellent, fills the gap in your collection.
Coolbert | Cleveland, Ohio | 06/10/2008
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Wow! Finally a quality CD to fill the gap in your collection of 4 Seasons music. The cover art of rare photos of Frankie Valli, Bob Gaudio, Joe Long and Demetri Callas are absolutely great. Fans of bassist Joe Long are in for a real treat as his vocals are very dominant on a number of the cuts. Original Season Nick Massi joins Joe Long and Gerry Polci to backup Valli on a song called 'Hickory'. What more do you want? O.K., how about the fact the song was written by Bob Crewe and Kenny Nolan. These are the cleanest versions of these songs I've heard. You get different edits of 'Charisma' and 'Love Isn't Here (Like It Used To Be)'. The only issue I had, although a minor one, is the lack of unreleased material. This is a must buy Seasonites. Go for it and enjoy."
The long wait is over!
Andre LePlume | swamps of central joisey | 06/09/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"additional product information from the cd itself (a news/press release)
FRANKIE VALLI & THE FOUR SEASONS: The Motown Years
a very rare, limited-edition, hard-to-find legitimate, authorized, non-bootleg CD set that will be sure to vanish as quietly as it appeared. Just like the original vinyl releases on MoWest 36 years ago ... don't miss out on some of the best work by Valli & the Seasons!
It was a dream come true: Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, who had shared and sometimes battled on the charts with Motown in their respective `60s heydays, signed with the company in 1972.
There were two albums, several singles, no hits--at least not right away--and then a mutual parting. But the prized, sophisticated recordings, long sought after by fans, and even more desired since the global success of the musical Jersey Boys, were stuck back in the vault.
Now, for the first time ever, this 2-CD set collects the great Motown albums and singles of the Four Seasons and solo Frankie Valli released from 1972 through 1975. The Motown Years, a 2-CD set compiled with the cooperation of the group, features the album Chameleon and the LP issued as a Valli solo set, Inside You, along with every U.S. and U.K. single not included on either LP. Here's a glimpse inside the set's booklet sleeve notes by noted chronicler Brian Chin:
"Chameleon, produced by [the Four Season's Bob] Gaudio, and written by him with collaborations from his then-wife Brit, Bob Crewe, and the group's newly-arrived keyboard and organ player, Al Ruzicka, plainly responds to the signals of game-changing albums like Carole King's Tapestry and the first post-Beatles solo albums. Confessional, adult-oriented relationship stories dominate the album..."
Eventually Frankie and the group looked to go back to independent production. In 1975, just as they broke away, Motown U.K. released "The Night," a popular underground club track, as a single--and it leapt into the British national Top 10. But by then the Four Seasons had bought back a track they had worked up for Motown: "My Eyes Adored You." It became a No. 1 Frankie Valli solo hit on Private Stock, while "December 1963 (Oh What Night)," written while they were at Motown, became a group No. 1 at Warner Bros. Both songs retained their Jobete Publishing copyright.
The rest of the music they left behind at Motown has endured. Rejoice, Seasons fans. The Motown Years is finally here.
Dr. Hypp
DISC 1: FRANKIE VALLI AND THE FOUR SEASONS
1. A New Beginning (Prelude)
2. Sun Country
3. You're A Song (That I Can't Sing)
4. The Night
5. A New Beginning
6. When the Morning Orders
7. Poor Fool ... Frankie Valli
8. Touch The Rainchild
9. Love Isn't Here (Like It Used To Be) ... Frankie Valli
10. Walk On, Don't Look Back
11. How Come?
12. Life And Breath
13. Hickory
14. Charisma unedited version
15. Charisma single version
16. Thank You
Disc 2: FRANKIE VALLI
1. Just Look What You've Done
2. Love Isn't Here (Like It Used To Be)
3. Baby I Need Your Loving
4. Inside You
5. Thank You
6. Hickory
7. Life And Breath
8. The Night - with the Four Seasons
9. With My Eyes Wide Open
10. 10. You've Got Your Troubles
11. Listen To Yesterday
12. The Scalawag Song (And I Will Love You)
"
At Last:The Great Four Seasons Motown Sessions
Rick Holly | Lafayette, NJ. USA | 12/10/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I have one of those all to rare vinyl versions of "Chameleon". I have had it since it's release. Like alot of later era Motown product it suffered from very poor pressing and has a slight warp that always effected the first few songs. I took back two copies to the store and was disappointed that even my third copy had problems. Fortunately I kept it and put it on tape (cassette and reel to reel) and played it often. Now hearing it perfectly remastered on CD is a real treat. If you are buying this thinking you'll hear the Four Seasons sounding much like their 60's hits, you'll be shocked. The songs on this CD are so different than any of their other recordings, there is little to compare it to. All I can say is the musicians on this CD are great and Joe Long's bass lines rival any other player of that era. Some of the songs are so bass driven, it is nearly the lead instument. Get this CD and try to put your mind in that early 70's period when this was recorded. This is a great performance.
I had not heard the solo Frankie Valli material that was recorded by the same musicians at the same time the Chameleon tracks were being done. They are definately Frankie Valli solo songs. Less harmony, more ballads. Less up material.There is even a different mix of "The Night" from the Four Seasons "Chameleon" sessions minus the classic Four Seasons type harmonies."
Missing Years Retreived
Nanny | South Alabama | 03/25/2010
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I have looked for this music for a long time and finally decided that I had just dreamt I heard these songs. When I saw this CD I wondered if it might contain the "missing years" of Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons music and it does!! I'm enjoying this music. Brings back a lot of memories from the '70's and fits in that missing puzzle piece. Several of the songs sound like updated '60's Four Season music (especially the handclap beat behind Hickory). Definately recommend for Frankie Valli & Four Season fans."
Artistic Triumph, Promotional Failure
J.C. Clark | 05/07/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"When I first heard this material on a bootleg CD back in the Nineties, I was floored by how good most of the songs and performances were. It was hard to believe this stuff had never entered the public consciousness in America. Later on, I found out that The Night was a hit in the U.K., but many of these songs could have been hits...if only Motown/MoWest had promoted them. And perhaps radio stations thought that the Seasons were yesterday's news by the Seventies.
As other reviewers have noted, this is not the Four Seasons of Sherry/Rag Doll/Let's Hang On, although the great harmonies are still here. When the group moved to MoWest, they became more soulful, and the lyrics reflected a more mature viewpoint, often being very personal and confessional. Some of the songs are directly about the breakup of marriages of group members, such as Bob Gaudio.
An interesting story which reflects the problem the group had at Motown; "My Eyes Adored You", which would become a #1 hit in 1975, was recorded while they were at Motown. The label did not believe in it. Frankie Valli said the label would have believed in it had it been recorded by The Jackson Five. Valli had to pay Motown for the right to take back the song, in order to record it on another label and have a hit with it. Also, Motown would not issue a greatest hits package by the group. Valli and Gaudio had to market it on TV and issue it on the Longines Symphonette label. (I can remember those commercials when I was a kid!) And it sold wonderfully! The Beach Boys were at #1 with Endless Summer, and Sixties nostalgia was in, but Motown couldn't be bothered. For whatever reason, they were not interested in promoting the Seasons, even though the group was making excellent music. After Valli and the Seasons left Motown, they tore up the charts with My Eyes Adored You, Swearin' To God, Who Loves You, Oh What A Night (December, 1963), and Grease.
This music also highlights the tremendous bass guitar work of group member Joe Long. Hopefully, rock critics will listen to this music and realize that this very modest gentleman was one of the great players of the era. His harmony singing was quite good, too.
Also, this music is a triumph for Bob Gaudio, who wrote most of the group's hits. Gaudio proved here and on the Gazette album of 1969 that he could write serious, complex, artistic music. He was not just a popmeister. But this music is also very tuneful and is easy on the ears at the same time it is dazzling you with its brilliance.
Nick Massi, whose 1965 exit from the group has been immortalized in Jersey Boys, came back in 1973 to sing on "Hickory" and "Charisma". You can actually hear him do a few bass "yeah"s on the latter tune. His brilliant vocal arrangement on "Hickory" gives the song that classic Sixties Seasons vibe. "Hickory" is one of those great tunes you listen to and wonder how on earth it wasn't a big hit back in the day.
In summation, this is a great purchase for any Four Seasons fan or anybody who likes soulful pop music from the Seventies.
Track Listings (15) - Disc #1