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The Four Seasons
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| THE FOUR SEASONS were one of the most successful vocal groups of all time and EMI controls a lion's share of their many hit songs plus the two biggest sellers that FRANKIE VALLI had after he left the group to go solo. Most prominent amongst the writers of these songs were Bob Crewe and Bob Gaudio, the latter being not only a founding member of the Seasons but the group's most consistent songwriter; it was Bob who, with his wife Judy Parker, crafted WHO LOVES YOU and DECEMBER 1963 (OH, WHAT A NIGHT), the two songs which revived the Four Seasons' fortunes in 1975.
Now is a great time to re-visit their rich song catalog. A couple of recent examples of successful remakes of Four Seasons hits were the 1998 version of CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF YOU BABY (Linzer/Randell) by Smash Mouth and in Germany, Hermes House Band re-cut CAN'T TAKE MY EYES OFF YOU, returning that song to the local Top 30. In addition, Lauryn Hill's version was the hidden bonus track on her "Miseducation" album in '98.
Check out the songs below, of which the biggest hits are underlined. I've also included some of the key cover versions. You'll notice that The Four Seasons cut some revivals themselves, but their original songs are the ones which would be great for contemporary covers. Remember just how successful The Spinners were when they re-cut WORKING MY WAY BACK TO YOU on their "Dancin' And Lovin" album in '79.
AIN'T THAT A SHAME (Antoine Domino/Dave Bartholomew)
by The Four Seasons (Vee-Jay: 1963) US #22 Pop, UK #38
Originally a 1955 million-seller for Fats Domino
BEGGIN' (Bob Crewe/Peggy Farina)
by The Four Seasons* (Philips: 1967) US #16 Pop
by Timebox (Deram: 1968) UK #38
BIG MAN IN TOWN (Bob Gaudio)
by The Four Seasons* (Philips: 1964) US #20 Pop
BYE BYE BABY (BABY GOODBYE) (Bob Crewe/Bob Gaudio)
by The Four Seasons* (Philips: 1965) US #12 Pop
by The Bay City Rollers (Bell: 1975) UK #1
CAN'T TAKE MY EYES OFF YOU (Bob Crewe/Bob Gaudio)
by Frankie Valli (Philips: 1967) US #2 Pop
by The Lettermen (in medley w/"Goin' Out Of My Head")
(Capitol: 1968) US #7 Pop
by Andy Williams (Columbia: 1968) UK #5
by Nancy Wilson (Capitol: 1969) US #52 Pop
by Boystown Gang (ERC: 1982) UK #4
by The Pet Shop Boys (in a medley w/"Where The Streets Have No
Name" (EMI: 1991) UK #4, US #72 Pop
Other versions include: Vikki Carr (Liberty), The Easybeats (UA), Bert Kaempfert (Polydor), Al Martino (Capitol), Diana Ross & The Supremes & The Temptations (Motown); Lauryn Hill (Ruffhouse)
C'MON MARIANNE (L.Russell Brown/Raymond Bloodworth)
by The Four Seasons* (Philips: 1967) US #9 Pop
by Donny Osmond (Polydor: 1976) US #38 Pop
DAWN (GO AWAY) (Bob Gaudio/Sandy Linzer)
by The Four Seasons (Philips: 1964) US #3 Pop
Other versions include: Tight Fit (Jive)
DECEMBER 1963 (OH, WHAT A NIGHT) (Bob Gaudio/Judy Parker)
by The Four Seasons (Warner Bros: 1976) US #1 Pop, #18 AC,
UK #1
by The Four Seasons (BR: 1988 re-mix) UK #49
by The Four Seasons (Curb: 1994 dance mix) US #14 Pop
ELECTRIC STORIES (Sandy Linzer/Mike Petrillo)
by The Four Seasons* (Philips: 1969) US #61 Pop
GIRL COME RUNNING (Bob Crewe/Bob Gaudio)
by The Four Seasons* (Philips: 1965) US #30 Pop
THE GIRL I'LL NEVER KNOW (ANGELS NEVER FLY THIS LOW)
(L. Russell Brown/Raymond Bloodworth)
by Frankie Valli (Philips: 1969) US #52 Pop, #32 AC
I MAKE A FOOL OF MYSELF (Bob Crewe/Bob Gaudio)
by Frankie Valli (Philips: 1967) US #18 Pop
IDAHO (Bob Gaudio/Jake Holmes)
by The Four Seasons Featuring Frankie Valli (Philips: 1969)
US #95 Pop
LET'S HANG ON! (Bob Crewe/Denny Randell/Sandy Linzer)
by The Four Seasons* (Philips: 1965) US #3 Pop, UK #4
by Darts (Magnet: 1980) UK #11
by Barry Manilow (Arista: 1982) US #32 Pop
by Shooting Party (Lisson: 1990) UK #66
Other versions include: Manhattan Transfer w/Frankie Valli (Atlantic)
MY EYES ADORED YOU (Bob Crewe/Kenny Nolan)
by Frankie Valli (Private Stock: 1975) US #1 Pop, #2 AC, UK #5
Other versions include: Bert Kaempfert (Polydor)
NIGHT (Bob Gaudio/Al Ruzicka)
by Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons (Mowest: 1975) UK #7
OPUS 17 (DON'T YOU WORRY 'BOUT ME)
(Sandy Linzer/Denny Randell)
by The Four Seasons* (Philips: 1966) US #13 Pop, UK #20
THE PROUD ONE (Bob Crewe/Bob Gaudio)
by Frankie Valli (Philips: 1966) US #66 Pop
by The Osmonds (MGM: 1975) US #22 Pop, #1 AC, UK #5
RAG DOLL (Bob Crewe/Bob Gaudio)
by The Four Seasons* (Philips: 1964) US #1 Pop, UK #2
Other versions include: Tight Fit (Jive), The Tremeloes (Columbia)
RONNIE (Bob Crewe/Bob Gaudio)
by The Four Seasons* (Philips: 1964) US #6 Pop
SANTA CLAUS IS COMIN' TO TOWN (Haven Gillespie/J.Fred Coots)
by The Four Seasons (Vee-Jay: 1962) US #23 Pop
SAVE IT FOR ME (Bob Crewe/Bob Gaudio)
by The Four Seasons* (Philips: 1964) US #10 Pop
SILENCE IS GOLDEN (Bob Crewe/Bob Gaudio)
by The Tremeloes (Epic: 1967) US #11 Pop, UK #1
Original version by The Four Seasons, released as the B-side of
RAG DOLL in 1964.
SILVER STAR (Bob Gaudio/Judy Parker)
by The Four Seasons (Warner Bros: 1976) US #38 Pop, #24 AC,
UK #3
SOMETHING'S ON HER MIND (Bob Gaudio/Jake Holmes)
by The Four Seasons Featuring Frankie Valli (Philips: 1969)
US #98 Pop
THE SUN AIN'T GONNA SHINE ANYMORE (Bob Crewe/Bob Gaudio)
by The Walker Brothers (Philips: 1965) UK #1
by The Walker Brothers (Smash: 1966) US #13 Pop
by Nielsen/Pearson (Capitol: 1981) US #56 Pop
by Cher (WEA: 1996) UK #26
Original version by Frankie Valli in 1965
Other versions include: Neil Diamond (Columbia), The Flying Pickets (Ten)
TELL IT TO THE RAIN (Mike Petrillo/Angelo Cifelli)
by The Four Seasons* (Philips: 1967) US #10 Pop, UK #37
TO GIVE (THE REASON I LIVE) (Bob Crewe/Bob Gaudio)
by Frankie Valli (Philips: 1968) US #29 Pop, #17 AC
TOY SOLDIER (Bob Crewe/Bob Gaudio)
by The Four Seasons* (Philips: 1965) US #64 Pop
WATCH THE FLOWERS GROW
(L.Russell Brown/Raymond Bloodworth)
by The Four Seasons* (Philips: 1967) US #30 Pop
WHO LOVES YOU (Bob Gaudio/Judy Parker)
by The Four Seasons (Warner Bros: 1975) US #3 Pop, #7 AC,
UK #6
WILL YOU LOVE ME TOMORROW (Gerry Goffin/Carole King)
by The Four Seasons* (Philips: 1968) US #24 Pop
Originally a 1961 million-seller for The Shirelles
WORKING MY WAY BACK TO YOU (Denny Randell/Sandy Linzer)
by The Four Seasons* (Philips: 1966) US #6 Pop, UK #50
by The Spinners+ (Atlantic: 1980) US #2 Pop, #6 R&B, UK #1
(YOU'RE GONNA) HURT YOURSELF (Bob Crewe/Charles Calello)
by Frankie Valli (Smash: 1966) US #39 Pop
* The label of all the singles marked with an asterisk credited The Four Seasons (or The 4 Seasons) Featuring the "Sound" of Frankie Valli.
+ Tho' WORKING MY WAY BACK TO YOU was the dominating song, The Spinners' single was a medley with the song "Forgive Me Girl" by Michael Zager. In the UK, The Spinners were credited as The Detroit Spinners so as to not conflict with a similarly-named British folk group.
"JERSEY BOYS", the stage musical which tells the story of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, is a smash hit on Broadway! It opened there in 2005 and among the EMI-published songs in the show are:
BEGGIN' (Gaudio/Farina)
BIG MAN IN TOWN (Gaudio)
BYE BYE BABY (BABY GOODBYE) (Crewe/Gaudio)
CAN'T TAKE MY EYES OFF YOU (Crewe/Gaudio)
C'MON MARIANNE (Brown/Bloodworth)
DAWN (GO AWAY) (Gaudio/Linzer)
DECEMBER 1963 (OH, WHAT A NIGHT) (Gaudio/Parker)
LET'S HANG ON! (Randell/Crewe/Linzer)
MY BOYFRIEND'S BACK (Feldman/Goldstein/Gottehrer)
MY EYES ADORED YOU (Crewe/Nolan)
OPUS 17 (DON'T YOU WORRY 'BOUT ME) (Randell/Linzer)
RAG DOLL (Crewe/Gaudio)
SHORT SHORTS (Gaudio/Dalton/Austin/Crandall)
WHO LOVES YOU (Gaudio/Parker)
WORKING MY WAY BACK TO YOU (Randell/Linzer)
The "Jersey Boys" cast album, produced by original Four Seasons member and ace songwriter Bob Gaudio, is on Rhino Records.
The original Four Seasons & Frankie Valli master recordings are controlled by the Warner Music Group.
Biography courtesy of Alan Warner |
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| Bye Bye Baby (Baby Goodbye) |
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| Can't Take My Eyes Off You |
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| December 1963 (Oh What A Night) |
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| Let's Hang On (To What We've Got) |
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| My Eyes Adored You |
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| Rag Doll |
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| Who Loves You |
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| Working My Way Back To You |
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