THE FOUR SEASONS 'BEST MIXES' – OUR PAST BLOG RE-VISITED

Back in 2009 Casey Chameleon and Sound Engineer Stefan Wriedt wrote a blog for us re the status of the CD based Four Seasons Catalogue and the sources of some of the Mixes ….what existed still as the original vinyl?.... and what the definition was of a 'Best Mix' on CD?. That blog is still relevant [and can be found here] and as we enter the REMASTERING stage of the Snapper Music Box Set we are revisiting that in terms of what has survived and how it has been gathered from a wide range of sources and what we and Snapper are seeking to achieve in the Box Set. Much investment by Snapper Music goes into the artwork and memorabilia gathering and it's presentation which is their hallmark. But so too is the Mastering by Peter Reynolds and his very wide experience.

Our Mega CD DISCOGRAPHY on our web site[See Here].....attempted to track and assess the quality of the CD's by Frankie Valli and the group released from 1988 to 2010......including most in your collections …...and to take a view of their Collectibility[in terms of originality and sound quality]. Many of the links to purchase sites at the time still apply....some very cheap but others 'super' expensive. But with Stefan passing away and the rise of You Tube and streaming it has not been possible.......or worthwhile....... investing effort in such a difficult revision of the CD catalogue web page on our web site without his sound engineering skills. The CD has also become as rare as vinyl although still a viable music storage medium in 2021.

Our focus is MASTERING TODAY and a NEW reference point in terms of the catalogue. SO in this NEW COLLECTION from Snapper Music we have re-visited the ANALOGUE TAPES checking their 'authenticity' as the production intention of Bob Crewe, Bob Gaudio and the other producers involved over the decades. This will probably be the LAST AND DEFINITIVE SET OF MASTERS on CD by Frankie and the group for future generations and for transfer to other media platforms[ie streaming etc].

The variablity of CD quality issues of FV/4S music in terms of MASTERING is so inconsistent since 1988 and of course the 1960s MONO releases have not been properly addressed as we will considered in forthcoming blogs.

Back in 2009 Casey and Stefan set a standard wanted for the catalogue as 'BEST MIXES'

“Firstly the characteristics that make it sound great……

1. Clarity – that sharp clear shape to each element in the sound

2. Content – the sound stage and it’s constituent parts

3. Separation – the difference or space within the sound between the elements

4. Depth – the position of the sounds in terms of the distance they appear from the listener and each other.

We believe the definitive versions need to be stored in the best digital form for future generations of collectors. As mastering improves and the technology to process the sound, we will be able enjoy the Four Seasons as never before. Their collection is too important to be neglected”

That has happened now thanks to Snapper Music and an 'enlightened' attitude from Bob Gaudio and Frankie Valli. The process of finding and reviewing all potential sources for this project has taken 3 years and has been difficult. Over the next 6 months I will outline the search for rare and authentic tracks as recorded by the group with all of their albums and alternate surviving versions worthy of note. Duplication in the set has been avoided as much as possible with the MONO and STEREO versions recovered as they have survived. Acetates and LIVE show recordings have contributed much to the range and importance of the performances over the period and each 'decade' has it's pop/rock music context. Every track included is in the research team's opinion.....'UNIQUE' [ie being the only one of its kind; unlike anything else] The tracks that never made it to STEREO have also been researched too and the original MONO MASTER versions found, along with Pseudo STEREO versions[as produced at the time following MONO only recordings].

In the 2009 Blog Stefan analyzed how no TRUE STEREO version of 'Goodnight My Love' had ever appeared on CD and he tracked the vinyl sources. It took us, as an example,  till April 2021 for Bill Inglot to find a tape source deep in the Four Seasons Partnership Archive and allocate it for 're-mastering'. With the delay of the pandemic more time has allowed intense searches such as this to uncover more 'original' hidden gems.

I will start from the beginning in our next blog and work through the very distinctive 'decade focused' sources of the MASTERS and how they have and are stored and what has survived and been 'rescued'. My conclusion overall is that this has been a major 'rescue mission' and but for this project much would probably be lost forever. I will document what we couldn't find or include.......and the 'rescue work' still needed . And although a huge achievement the research for this set has shown there is more to be found and released......some sources we know of whilst others remain rumours.

And one mystery source remains largely unknown......the 'BOB CREWE ARCHIVE' which remains in the hands of Dan and Reid Crewe at Crewe Studios in Maine.

Ken Charmer – July 2021