Four Seasons Talk!

Hi Matt and Greg!

My first encounter with the Seasons was hearing "Sherry" on the radio in late '62. I love their earlier things, say up to "Rag Doll" and "Silence Is Golden". After that, I have to pick and choose. My favourite link between them and our Boys is when Brian mimics to perfection the "lie" of the opening chords of “Big Girls Don't Cry" in the chorus of "Finders Keepers". To say nothing of Mike doing a Nick Massi in the bass.

More generally, I've always loved the creative use of the drums on those early Four Seasons records. Curious to hear what Mr Robinson has to say and whether he restricts himself to his tenure as keyboardist and musical director or digs a little deeper into their history.

Got nothin' bad to say about Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. An iconic vocal group with a string of classic songs. Although I certainly get why some folks found Valli's falsetto voice to be grating,
I never really had a problem with it. Hell I even like their forgotten crossover with the Beach Boys on "East Meets West". And Frankie's well into his 80's and still performs (although I've heard about the same reports spoken above that he's lip-synching).

Please excuse my english (I'm better in french!). The Four Seasons and The Beach Boys had many similar aspects throughout their carriers, which are parallel in many ways. Among many other similarities, they were two main dominant acts on the charts in the sixties. They were two of the few acts able to compete against The Beatles. They released their masterpieces in the second half of the 60's : Beach Boys's "Pet Sounds" and Four Seasons' "Genuine Imitation Life Gazette". They lost much of their popularity on the charts. They released the last album of their golden era at about the same time : Beach Boys's "Holland" (early 1973) and Four Seasons' "Chameleon" (1972). They've recovered much of their popularity in the mid 70's : Endless Summer, 15 Big Ones, vs Who Loves You, Frankie Valli's Grease. After a long period of silence, they came back for one album in 1985 with Beach Boy's self-titled album and 4 Seasons' Street Fighter. Again they resurrected in 1992 with Summer In Paradise vs Hope And Glory. They still tour with only a few of the original members. All that is amazing !

I fail to see why you would be discussing the Four Seasons on a Beach Boys Talk podcast. Other than a few similarities between the groups it seems odd. Have you exhausted all Beach Boy subjects?

You make a very valid point. The podcast is called "Beach Boys Talk". One of the BBT podcast hosts is Matt. He mentioned before that he's a big Four Seasons fan, so I'm sure he had something to do with the change in direction this week. Four Seasons you'd better believe it. 

I can see why one would talk about The Four Seasons here on our Beach Boys site or on Matt and Greg's show.
There's not that much info on the group's early days that I can find on the internet.  Real facts are presented
in the Jersy Boys movie, but it's not clear enough.  There are things, complications the principles want to keep
hidden or vague.  I liked the movie enough to buy it.

I sorta screwed up Greg's #1 poll by adding songs that are on my personal Top Songs list that didn't quite hit
#1, but got very close.  "Ronnie" was definitely a #1 Hit in Monroe, Louisiana, and I believe that should be
taken into consideration.  "Dawn (Go Away)"  would have certainly hit #1 if not for those, as I said last night,
pesky Beatles hits as The Four Seasons were themselves peaking in 1964 with the Rag Doll album.

I'll try to stop by tomorrow with a story of how it all fit into my life, and I believe Brian was listening.  Certainly
must have heard "Short Shorts" as his own talent was developing.

I'll leave you with a puzzle.  Frankie at his very best.  This is rare, and still hasn't been figured out.  How was
this track made?  The great Charlie Calello produced Frankie's and Odyssey's versions - both in 1977.  Frankie
did it first, on his Lady Put the Light Out album.  This is a vinyl source:






 

How about AGD as a guest or get two or three longtime fans and ask them how their fandom has changed over the years and what it was like to be a fan in real time.

Hi Greg and mattbbtalk,

Great discussion there with Robby R. So Yogi Berra really did have a house at one end of the fork he said you had to take when you got to it, and Bob Gaudio's house was at the other end! Also loved that story about, I think, Robby's managerial predecessor Jerry Corbetta, who had a swimming pool quickly installed in his garden just so Frank Sinatra could take a dip in it on his one visit!!

As for a major Beach Boys connection, Robby mentioned Frankie Valli describing bass singer Nick Massi as a genius who did a lot of the stuff Brian did, teaching the other Seasons their parts and whatnot. The Brian Wilson of The Four Seasons!

I may have missed it, not having seen much of your preamble, but I believe there was no mention of the "lie" of the sung chords in the chorus of "Finders Keepers" being a faithful take on that of the sung title of "Big Girls Don't Cry". (Wonderful to learn that both bands cut their teeth on the harmonies of The Four Freshmen.)

All in all, a very cool interview. I see no problem at all having contemporaries of the Boys on the show, especially if they're as warm-hearted and open as Robby. It's all part of a broader context.

Anyone else here watch it? 

I have no Four Seasons records at all (unless you include the work by Vivaldi and Max Richter's gorgeous recomposition of it).

My brother bought their slightly peculiar version of "Ain't That A Shame", the 45 which broke their run of US #1's. It has a fabulous B-side -- doo-wop for ever!