The research of the Four Seasons Partnership Archive we thought would have produced several unreleased tracks from the late 60s recording session as well as both STEREO and MONO Masters of singles and the albums. Well, it was a case of good news and bad news.
The BIG find of a MONO mix of the Genuine Imitation Life Gazette was a starting BONUS whilst news of the Half and Half album also in unreleased MONO form gave us optimism more would surface as many experimental sessions took place during the period from 1968 to 1970.
One such track that had never been released in STEREO was ‘A Face Without A Name’…although it is rumoured to have been released on 45 on Bob Crewe’s CGC Label CGC – 18 DJ PROMO, but we have been unable to find anyone who has ever had a copy or check . This Master was 1-44773 but it was also a Master number 1- 42858 from late 1968 sessions and released on Philips. So was it recorded twice? We will probably never know. There has never been a more ‘cutting’ lyric from Bob Crewe as he ‘calls out’ a former partner as having a ‘soul of cellophane’ in this sad and rare song . It is a song and an arrangement worthy of highlighting and reviewing.
Our research of the FSP archive revealed one version was on the tape of UNRELEASED tracks on a 5 inch Tape Reel so we asked Bill Inglot to send it but the tape box turned out to have the damaged MONO Timeless tracks in the Tape Box. So as there are 200 tapes [5 inch] still in the storage ……many unlabelled ….and obviously with little time [and a spent budget] he couldn’t find it, so we have lost this Master [and ‘I Was A Boy/Baby’ and ‘Alone Again’ – an Artie Schroeck penned song on the same tape]
There appears to be only the one MONO surviving version after checking all the transfers. This appears to be as the ACE Half and Half album CD Bonus Track. Well we have no choice unless anyone knows of another version?
A copy on the PolyComp Salvage Tape or a vinyl dub was our only alternativet. As no-one has it in STEREO this appears the best and only surviving version and has been used in the Box Set.
So as an experiment our DES team worked using AI software to produced an interpretation of how this superb song and performance might sound in STEREO which we have uploaded onto you Tube. The instrumentation is mixed into both channels….and builds gradually in we hope an entertaining version in which the piano is clearly on the left as can be heard at 3:19 mins……
Here is the result……….Ken Charmer
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