Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons

This is a compilation of Franki Valli & The 4 Seasons' hits, including "Big Girls Don't Cry", "Sherry", and "December, 1963 (Oh What A Night)". Although they were one of the very biggest rock & roll groups of the 1960s, the Four Seasons – unlike, say, the Beatles, Rolling Stones, or the Byrds – don't excite virtually automatic respect from listeners and critics. A big factor is their most distinguishing trademark, the high falsetto vocals of their lead singer, Frankie Valli. Many also found their material – romantic tunes with tightly arranged group harmonies that updated doo wop ethos into the '60s – a little too clean-cut. Whatever your feelings about the group, though, there's no denying their considerable importance.

The Four Seasons, featuring the remarkable and unmistakeable voice of Frankie Valli, were one of the most popular and successful groups of the 1960s on both sides of the Atlantic, and one of the few American groups to withstand the onslaught of the British Invasion to carry their chart career through into the 1970s. When they had their first big hit as The Four Seasons in 1961 with “Sherry”, they were by no means new to the pop scene and both Frankie Valli and the group had paid their dues for the best part of a decade, honing their skills in a variety of guises on an equally bewildering array of record labels. This great-value 58-track 2-CD set features most of Frankie Valli’s early recordings, both solo and with various groups before they became The Four Seasons in 1960, and then presents their early successes under that name. It comprises selected A & B sides as Frankie Valley, Frankie Valley & The Travellers, The Four Lovers, Frankie Valli & The Romans, The Village Voices, Billy Dixon & The Topics, Johnny Halo, Hal Miller and The Rays, and The Four Seasons for the Corona, Mercury RCA, Epic, Okeh, Cindy, Decca, Topix, Gone and Vee-Jay labels. It also features the tracks from The Four Lovers album “Joyride” and the Four Seasons album “Sherry &11 Others”. Quite apart from setting the scene for the rest of their career as the Four Seasons, this collection of doowop and rock ‘n’ roll from the era when Frankie and his colleagues were exploring the potential of their talent, is hugely entertaining and offers a real insight into what lay behind The Four Seasons’ success.

The mid-'60s were a time of transition for Franki Valli and the Four Seasons. The teen market had put Valli on the map, but he knew that teenagers turn into adults, so he gradually shifted his focus from teen pop to a more mature and middle of the road (although still quite sugary) approach that incorporated influences ranging from Motown and the Beach Boys to the British Invasion. This new outlook would be reflected not only in his work with the Four Seasons, but also in the solo career he launched in 1965. Spanning 1964-1978, Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 spotlights an edgier Valli than you'll generally find on Vol. 1.

The Four Seasons were never in a class with Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers or Little Anthony & the Imperials, and Franki Valli's voice tended to sound shrill. But despite their imperfections, Valli and friends came up with their share of fun, enjoyable teen pop in the early '60s. In fact, it's hard to imagine the early '60s without teen pop favorites like "Candy Girl" and "Big Girls Don't Cry." Spanning 1962-1965, Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 boasts many of the Newark, NJ, group's definitive early hits, including "Stay," "Walk Like a Man," "Sherry," "Big Girls Don't Cry." and "Candy Girl." One hears the group maturing somewhat on 1965's classic, Beach Boys-influenced "Bye, Bye, Baby," which became a major hit for the Bay City Rollers in 1975. Obviously, Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 isn't meant to be an in-depth study of Valli and the Four Seasons, but for the casual listener, this CD and its companion, Vol. 2, are easily recommended.

"Valli" was the 6th solo LP album by Frankie Valli of The Four Seasons, released by Private Stock under catalog number PS 2017 as a stereo recording in 1976. The LP yielded one hit single, "We're All Alone." It reached #78 U.S. Billboard, #74 Cash Box and #73 in Canada. Despite the single’s moderate success, the album failed to make the charts.

"Closeup" is singer Frankie Valli again finding the magic without his Four Seasons, this time in the '70s with two big hits in two different genres. The album is very, very good, and in a roundabout way is a great example of why Clive Davis worked wonders with Bell Records when he turned it into Arista. Former Bell president Larry Uttal had it all in this project, and it should have been much, much bigger - it should have been the album to firmly establish Private Stock Records as a major player. But for all the incredible cast members and all the artistry here Jim Keltner on drums, Bobbye Hall on conga, Clydie King and Patti Austin on backing vocals (seven years before Austin's own number one hit).

With the recent success of the musical Jersey Boys, interest in Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons is at an all-time high. This comprehensive anthology contains 26 timeless classics that Valli and The Four Seasons recorded between 1962 and 1978. Features the timeless hits 'Sherry', 'Big Girls Don't Cry', 'Rag Doll', 'Working My Way Back to You', 'Who Loves You' and 'December 1963 (Oh What a Night)' plus some of Frankie's solo hits including 'My Eyes Adored You', 'Grease' and 'Can't Take My Eyes Off of You'.