Session Review Notes
Period 1973[Jan] – 1973[May]
Artist:Frankie Valli
Introduction
With Bob Crewe recovered from his breakdown in 1970 and being re-signed as a writer producer with Motown[for Bobby Darin sessions in October 1972], he and Bob Gaudio patched up past differences and resumed writing together and in late 1972/ early 1973 recording sessions with Frankie Valli [with perhaps the Four Seasons and/or Motown Session singers as the Four Seasons] took place.
The start of 1973 appears to be a low point for Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons with the imminent demise of Mowest and their allocation back to Motown, when Frankie actually sacked the group and recruited new members Gerry Polci and Lee Shapiro.by the middle of the year.
The return of Bob Crewe shows that they returned to the studio [in late 1972] as at the beginning of 1973 mixing of stereo tracks and registration of Master Nrs for potential release resumed. There is no indication in the filing systems if sessions were in LA or in NYC which was the location for their later 1973 sessions with Bob Crewe. The first P tape(16 track) to be listed in a clear run of sessions involving Crewe/Gaudio were P2388 and 9 with several mixes done to stereo masters in February 1973 and there was a new sound emerging and more importantly Crewe-Gaudio were writing and producing together again. 4th Feb 1973 saw 'With My Eyes Wide Open' (Master Nr 61749) a magnificent anthemic song which should have gotten the interest of Motown Execs. But they didn't see the single potential and this would not get release until the 'retrospective' 'Inside You’ album in 1975
Core Tapes to be researched: P 2388/89: 2414: 2511: 2656
Track Title: Be My Lover Be My Friend
Artist: Frankie Valli
Producer: Bob Crewe – Bob Gaudio
Motown Master: 61633
First Location Tape: P2414
Second Location: T3742
Notes
But the earliest Master Nr from these sessions was we know a song Bob Crewe composed with friends Ellie Greenwich (who we saw helping Bob in the studio in George Schowerer's photos of the 'Can't Take My Eyes Off You' sessions) and former Four Evers singer Steve Tudanger. The song 'Be My Lover, Be My Friend' (Master Nr 61633) is listed in Ellie's compositions on the BMI database, but we can find no record of it being recorded by anyone but the Four Seasons. It was completed and mixed and copied to T3742 as a safety copy. This would appear to be the start of plans for a new album and the start of very important sessions to revive Frankie and the group..
Track Title: Star [found and for release Summer 2020]
Artist: Frankie Valli
Producer: Bob Crewe – Bob Gaudio
Motown Master: 61746
First Location Tape: P2389
Second Location: T3728
Notes
Researching the 'unreleased' tracks and the Artists Cards, it proved impossible to find writing credits for a song called 'Star' as there have been so many with that title on the BMI and ASCAP databases. But the rumoured version as recorded by the Four Seasons was found to definitely exist by the Artists Card which lists the Master as 61746 and is located on Tapes P2389 and T3728. Produced by Gaudio-Crewe it now turns out to have been written by them and it's Master and Tape Numbers indicates it was recorded in December 1972 and January 1973 at the same sessions that produced 'Listen To Yesterday'(61747). But although it is listed as a Four Seasons track it may have been part of sessions involving Motown session singers as on later tracks during this period. It remains 16 track only according to the Artists Card but was confirmed as a salvaged track in the Motown internal memos of 2002 and a contender for CD release in the 2006 draft compilation. The supply to Snapper of a Tape Box scan showed it as on the same tape as 'With My Eyes Wide Open'(61749), and closely followed by 'Inside You'(61758) and 'How Come'(62130). It was the only Tape Box scan from the Motown period that we were supplied with during the box set research and it confirms so much and clearly why it was mixed and approved by Bob Gaudio. But interestingly it is the secondary location T3728 and not the original P notation session tape. That raises more questions from us? It is a very unusual song which starts with a driving rock vocal before it drops in to a slow harmonic Seasons harmony ballad with soaring falsetto by Frankie. It is a simply amazing song and production that will be loved by fans.
Track Title: Listen To Yesterday [Alternatives]
Artist: Frankie Valli
Producer: Bob Crewe – Bob Gaudio
Motown Master: 61747
First Location Tape: P2389
Second Location: T2389 and T3728
Alternative Locations: T4240/P4617[10 Stereo Mixes]
Notes
The reason for including this track is that although released in 2 versions, the original which had two 45 releases has never appeared in CD format. The version released on The Motown Years 2 CD set in 2008 was an alternative version with surf sound opening and Four Seasons type male backing harmonies whereas the original vinyl version [also available on the 'Inside You' 1975 album] features female backing vocals. The tapes need research to recover the original 45 mix
Track Title: Turn It All Around
Artist: Frankie Valli
Producer: Bob Crewe
Motown Master: 62131
First Location Tape: P2511
Second Location: P2656
Additional Location: T4162[24 Track]
Notes
As we attempt to 'Turn It All Around' (and get this music released) we found the Artists Card for this Bob Crewe production from the very important P tape 2505. At least we know the writers for this....Bob Crewe and Bob Hardwick who would also write for the Bob Crewe Generation a few years later (the ‘Motivation’ album). We have never heard the song but the tape contains the incomparable 'How Come' so was probably from the same spring 1974 session. Recorded in stunning 24 track this was copied to 2 different tapes so should have been found and approved in the Snapper Box Set. The question remains ‘how could this not be up to standard.?’
Track Title: Give Us This Day
Artist: Frankie Valli
Producer: Bob Crewe
Motown Master: 62132
First Location Tape: P2511
Second Location: T4162[24 Track]
Additional Location: P2656
Notes
This appears to be the remaining song from the 'How Come' sessions in Spring 1973 which is two Master Nrs later. This we found is a Bob Crewe-Alan Paul Shatkin composition. Shatkin had worked with Crewe as early as 1969 ( To Give/Who Am I – Karen Wyman) and they would team up again for Disco-Tex and the Sex-O-Lettes (I See Your Name) 'Up In Lights' in 1975. 'Anything and Everything'(ain't nothing without you) was published the same month as this recording and this one appears in Crewe's BMI listing.
This Artists Card once again fails to get Crewe's name correct. It was never mixed to Stereo but was copied to 24 track tape. Another mystery track from previously unknown sessions, its completion is evidenced by the Artists Card showing it being Motown Master Nr 62132
All of these sessions were moving to a planned August 1973 album release - Motown 788 [ titled ‘Inside Out’ – but not issued] and these titles are preceding the Bob Gaudio ‘Scalawag’ summer sessions and the Bob Crewe 'Hickory' sessions which we will come to in Parts 6 and 7.
Next Time......Part 6 – Bob Gaudio’s summer sessions
Ken Charmer – Music Historian
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