It is all about 'Looking Back'......which was the title of a 1966 album by the group. But that is what we have been doing on your behalf as part of the Snapper Music Project. For the first time it has been a case of fan involvement in asking the Four Seasons Partnership just what still exists of the Four Seasons Master tapes?
It has been a long project for us as researchers in The Four Seasons UK Appreciation Society on behalf of all fans worldwide.....and recently through a long pandemic....and it is deeply sad that we lost some wonderful people due to Covid. But life and music must go on and it is good to announce that through the collaboration we have had with Snapper Music and the research of the sources we were able to make some amazing finds. The research for their planned Box Set release has now been completed. We are advised by Snapper that Bob Gaudio and Frankie Valli have agreed the content they can release for the fans almost entirely as we asked for.
The final search of tapes and acetates during April 2021 added greatly to the rare and unreleased and alternative versions that have been found. Bob Gaudio personally checked out 29 of the bonus track finds for the set.
It is now for Snapper to take the project forward into the Re-Mastering and Production stage, after the research of sources for the Masters from the Partnership Tape storage, the Universal Motown Archive in New York State and Collectors Archives. Each CD features Bonus Tracks as closely related to the career timeline of Frankie and the group as was possible and the selection for inclusion has sought to include every important recording both released and unreleased in a comprehensive collection.
This has always been the aim of the UK fan group.
The identification and selection of both original and stereo versions of tracks from the 1960s in particular was considered the most intense area for research. But the inclusion of 13 Unreleased and stunning productions from their time at MoWest/Motown with alternate versions together with ALL the released tracks from that period provides a core achievement that was what we in THE FOUR SEASONS UK APPRECIATION SOCIETY signed up for with Snapper Music of London back on 20th August 2018 . And then to our surprise the research team found the LOST DISCO ALBUM and the STREETFIGHTER album studio Tapes plus lots more. All will be revealed and put into context as the release date arrives.
Two objectives for us since 1997 have been finding the UNRELEASED tracks and getting the 1960s albums in MONO, remastered to modern mastering [now 2021] standards. We wanted confirmation of what had survived on tape and for this to be salvaged and restored. We can say that our objectives are 90% achieved [subject to re-mastering] and in our blogs I will up to its release explain what was found. [and what couldn't be found or included].
We and the Snapper Team believe this to be an awesome collection which fans will love. l will post more on our blog through the summer re the individual albums by the group and their background and will advise also as Snapper prepare their press release plans and pre-ordering arrangements. All of you will want to know the final details we know and with Snapper we will provide final details for the Box contents, price and release as soon as possible.
Ken Charmer and Lynn Boleyn
Next Time we will re-visit Casey Chameleon's search for the 'Best Mixes' in 2009 and what has been found in 2021
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