As we enter the PRODUCTION STAGE of the Snapper box set of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons Catalogue 1962 to 2010, I will be doing Blog posts relating to the highlights and this is the story of one UNIQUE CD which developed out of the Tape research. We were given unique access to the NEW transfer from the Four Seasons Partnership [FSP] Archive.
Some tapes emerged which seemed to be related to the 'Heaven Above Me' album from 1980 and several tracks were clearly Unreleased or Alternate Versions and so we tried to analyse what MAY have happened.
Whilst Frankie was at Warners for the FRANKIE VALLI IS THE WORD album Bob Crewe[ with Bob Gaudio] recorded Back In Action/Can't Be Too Much Music/ Stagger Lee according to Warner paper records of masters completed. During this period Bob Crewe wrote[ with Larry Brown] , recorded for Warner Bros [probably late 1978] and released Fancy Dancer as a 45. [Warner Curb WBS 8734] It reached Nr 77 on the Billboard Chart and Nr 36 on the Adult Contemporary Chart in the USA. In Feb 1979 'Doctor Dance' was mixed for release but would come out over a year later as a B side.
Only 'Back In Action' appears to have been copied to the Partnership Vaults from the Warner sessions . How or why we do not know.....nor does anybody know where the other two tracks are.? [In a studio archive somewhere ….we wish we had access but probably Sigma Sound New York.. If any tapes remain unclaimed they may now be held at Drexel University, Philidelphia as noted on Wikipedia.]
A number of tracks have been found in the FSP Archive as proposed versions. Most of these tracks are known but as other recordings. Those found here are UNRELEASED. A proposed album was prepared for release on 22nd May 1979. but only one side of the album has survived on Tape.
So as a NEW Record Deal with MCA was signed it meant a Crewe and Gaudio re-recording for MCA 5134 and the result was the Heaven Above Me album in 1980. The dates for these earlier recordings are indicated as mainly in mid 1979 according to tape box dates. A number of original versions with extended mixes and alternate vocals or arrangements were laid down and remained in the Partnership vault until now. We have carefully reviewed these and although at first they just had the potential to be BONUS tracks the idea of a CLUB disco album emerged and we looked at how they might fit together as a DISCO album. HEAVEN ABOVE ME stands iconically as the last CREWE/GAUDIO masterpiece but this set stands on its own as a CLUB SET.
The result is an album that builds slowly to the break-out in 'Let It Be Whatever It Is' and then rocks TOTAL DISCO before a gentle wind-down of ALL UNRELEASED versions.
BACK IN ACTION – THE LOST DISCO ALBUM
Track 1 – Back In Action – 4mins 53secs....with fade [Unreleased]
Track 2 – Fancy Dancer – 4mins 18 secs.....longer version than 45 with fade [Unreleased]
Track 3 – Let It Be Whatever It Is – 7mins 59 secs....longer version with extra vocals [Unreleased]
Track 4 – Dr Dance – 6mins 7secs – Extended 2nd Mix with extra vocals [Unreleased]
Track 5 – Eat Your Heart Out - 5mins 24 secs – Extended mix [Unreleased]
Track 6 – Passion For Paris – 9mins 20secs – Extended Mix [Unreleased]
Track 7 – Soul – 11mins 19 secs – Salvaged 'Casey Chameleon'EDIT [Latin Version- Edit of damaged tape]
Track 8 – Back In Action[Reprise] TV Instrumental [Unreleased]
Wind-down Track 9 – Where Did We Go Wrong – Original Long Version Extra vocal - 3mins 58sec [Unreleased]
Wind-down Track 10 – If It Really Wasn't Love – No female backing: Valli Solo [Unreleased]
Wind-down Track 11 – Just Say That You Love Me – Valli Solo [Unreleased]
The Master Tape that contained the proposed single of 'Soul' was mixed on 19th October 1979 with a longer version for 12”. But we found the tape damaged and so we edited what was remaining and the result was a combination of the two and it runs 11 mins 19 seconds. What is different re this version is it contains a 'Latin' background singer solo in the middle...which appears twice due to this edit......as a result it is a completely different[and unique] version to the 'Heaven Above Me' album song
We think overall this works as a totally UNIQUE album set and runs 54mins 48 secs of Dance floor music plus Wind-down. We have used up the remaining space on the CD with a set of unreleased ballads found on the tapes …....as a Wind-Down set from the DANCE SET [around 10 mins] …....these are all extra alternative versions of tracks which are entirely 'collectable' and are forerunners to the 'Heaven Above Me' album.
But there is more.......
We also had some really good ALTERNATE VERSIONS worthy of inclusion as BONUS Tracks which will fit comfortably at the end of the Heaven Above Me album but that ORIGINAL and final set of album mixes is the 'creme de la crème'. These tracks are just some 'icing' on the cake for fans as alternate versions
Heaven Above Me - BONUS TRACKS
Track 9 – Back in Action – 4 mins 53secs: Alternate version with New Ending[no fade]
Track 10 – Soul[Latin Version]_Heaven Above Me[Valli Solo]Joined by Partnership 15mins48secs
Track 11 – Dr Dance - 3rd Alternate – TV instrumental Mix
We have extracted all the tracks and sent them as sets for Re-Mastering and as part of the BIG LIST they have been approved by Bob Gaudio and will be Mastered for the Box Set.
This was Bob Crewe's last major Partnership work with Bob Gaudio before his retirement from mainstream production that generated the Heaven Above Me album . These tracks show it's development......but mainly the PURE ENERGY and FUN in it's DANCE productions.
Ken Charmer
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