It was and remains an iconic hit and stands proud as a Northern Soul dance floor filler. It was the last track played at Mr M's [the Oldies Room] at Wigan Casino on the night it closed and as a result of it's popularity across the clubs of North-West England in 1973 and 4 became a hit upon it's re-release in 1975 reaching No 7 in the UK charts........but not a lot is known about it's origin and history at Mowest and Motown Records and the neglect of Motown Execs in 1972 to release and promote it in the US.
What we have discovered from the Artists Card for the session tape is that between 1972 and 1975 at least 43 STEREO MIXES were made from the 16 track tape [P2110]. An amazing route to find the right mix for a hit!!!!
'THE NIGHT' was a session track recorded by Bob Gaudio [producer] with the Four Season in late 1971 and January 1972. The song was written by Bob Gaudio and Four Season member Al Ruzika and scheduled for release as mixes were prepared for album release. The group's first album at the newly formed West Coast LA Record Company 'MoWest'......a division of Motown records.
The first mixes were copied to a 16 track [safety copy] and 3 STEREO Mixes [all to - 'Temporary' - T tapes] with a further STEREO Mix on 1st February and a 'dub' cut the next day by Russ Terrana[the renowned Motown Sound Engineer] for evaluation.[Mixes 13-14] The 'Chameleon' album was assembled in the following months and released in May 1971. But on 6th and 7th June Russ created Mixes 15 to 21. Again on 8th July another engineer [B.Mac?] created Mixes 22 to 34 and then on 13th July Mixes 35 to 39. What was going on? Why did they do so many mixes when the track mix was complete and approved and had been released in May on the 'Chameleon' album?. What we do know is that the track was being considered for 45 release and a White Label acetate pressing was done as an evaluation copy Mowest 5025F[b/w Sun Country] in August but it was never released. It was probably a mix from these sessions but not deemed a 'hit sound' by Mowest executives in the USA. It was eventually released but came out only in the UK[and Europe] in October 1972 and although it never got promotion it would go on to become a much beloved dance track.
We did find that although Frankie and the group were about to leave the label [in frustration at the lack of releases and promotion] by mid 1974 an album was assembled on Tapes P5084 and 5 with final mixes for release. Mix 39 on 'The Night' Artists Card is circled as selected for that album which would never see release. What the Artists Card from Motown's paper records also show is that over a year after this prepared album, on 18th and 20th August 1975 Russ once again re-visited the 16 track P tape to produce Mixes 40 to 43. Of these Mixes 42 and 43 are shown as deleted or the tape destroyed. What was Russ Terrana trying to achieve.? We will probably never know.
So where can you currently find the versions available to hear from these 43 mixes today in 2020?
Well the original vinyl album version is preserved on The Night/Inside You CD. And the Anthology Box set of 2008. This features a mix of Organ Left/Tambourine Percussion Right and Frankie/Drums and Bass Centre. I’m calling this the ‘Tambourine’ Version[the original album mix]. This version has been Re-Mastered in 2007 and can be heard on You Tube. Some would say this is the definitive version and it does sound good. It is the Rhino Official version [Re-mastered in 2007] and was also included on the Rhino Rarities Vol 2 in 1992. It runs 3:26.
But You Tube also features an Alternate Mix with the Left and Right Channels reversed and a much stronger drumbeat . And no audible Tambourine and Frankie Valli sings the ‘Beware….etc’ opening[not The Four Seasons]. This runs 3:21 and not the 3:29 indicated but is it the European issue on Rare Earth from 1972 as the scan on the video shows.? We think not!
An ALTERNATE 'VALLI' MIX on You Tube
The 1975 UK Re-issue appears to be a NEW mix running 3:24 and the promo label shows a date of 27th March 1975 but it maybe just the UK 45 from August 1972 re-issued. We think this may be the 'needle drop' version on You Tube and it is the 'Tambourine' Mix which is the original.
The VINYL ORIGINAL 'Tambourine' Mix on You Tube
So mix 40 or 41 and Russ Terrana’s 18th August 1975 notes on the Artists Card may well refer to the Alternate Mix featured on the 'Inside You' Album which was released in September 1975 [a month after his session mixes]in the US. This version also has the reversed channels, lacks the overdub of The Four Seasons warning to ‘Beware…etc’ nor does it have the Tambourine Percussion overdub, and it runs only 3:21. This 'Alternate' version appears on You Tube too and on the Anthology Box set CD2.
The 1975 ALTERNATE 'VALLI' MIX on You Tube
But we have ALSO found an Alternate 3:18 version [maybe a shorter fade] with Reverb on Frankie Valli’s lead in The Four Seasons Partnership Archive which is on a STEREO MIX Master Tape. This version is undated and is also missing The Four Seasons on the intro[Frankie Valli singing 'Beware....etc]. It appears to be the same 'Alternate' Mix included on the Motown Superstars Volume 4 CD [surprisingly running at 3:14] from 1991.
What ‘takes’ and STEREO mixes have survived 'unheard' on 16 track Tape P2110 of this 'monster' hit remains to be seen but at least the 29 P tapes from 1971 to 1974 covering all their sessions are now with Bob Gaudio and so they are preserved in the Partnership's control. And Snapper will get versions for Mastering in the forthcoming Box Set for 2020 release. According to the Artist Card the last note indicates the FINAL STEREO mix of 'The Night' sits on the much later than 1972, P Tape 4336, and that remains in the Universal Motown vault.
Any 'alternate' mixes ‘stand up’ as collectible as far as fans are concerned and maybe someday someone will research whether the T tapes that Russ Terrana mixed have survived and do a ‘Beach Boys Type’ collection of ALTERNATIVE STUDIO MASTERS for us collectors. Do the T tapes still exist in the Motown vault?. Only Andy Skurow, the Motown Library Manager could find them and Universal would only allow that if someone pays for the recovery search. The track remains the most mixed of any of the group’s efforts at Mowest/Motown according to Artists Cards and we can see and hear why. We'll probably never know the full story of these MIXES but this has been a fun music detective review of many peoples favourite Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons 45.
Ken Charmer – MBA : The Four Seasons UK Appreciation Society
Recent Comments