Period 1971[Oct] – 1972[Aug]
Session Tape Notes 2022
Artist:Frankie Valli
Core Tapes to be researched: P2079: 2201: 2203: 2225
Unreleased Tracks
Track Title: What Love Has Joined Together - [found and for release Summer 2020]
Artist: Frankie Valli
Producer: Cleveland - Payton
Motown Master: 60662
First Location Tape: P2079
Notes
Only 2 songs are listed on Tape P 2079 in November 1971 and they became Motown Masters 60662 and 65 both produced by Cleveland and Payton and both songs were previously released by Motown artists. Perhaps the producers chose 'What Love Has Joined Together' because of a Smokey Robinson and the Miracles album title side from the 1970 'concept' album of the same name. That version is a beautiful update to the same song from the 1965 Temptations on the 'Sing Smokey …..' album and a Mary Wells recording from 1964 and there is an Artists Card to prove Frankie Valli tried a cover version too. These are indicated by Artists Cards as Frankie Valli 'solo' sessions. At first thought it was difficult to see with many of these tracks with in-house producers at Mowest what Frankie Valli could add to already issued material that wasn't hit single standard or what the producers were looking for, particularly for such an old song. But Tape P2079 almost certainly contains other songs currently 'unlisted' as the size of such tapes means several completed mixes could have been accommodated and the producers would probably have tried more than 2 songs at the session.
Although 2019 research indicated that the Tape Box listed the song as NO VOCAL by Frankie Valli as it was ‘Assigned to The Commodores’, it was a completed song.[It shows that you have to play the Tapes]
The song was found and approved for this year’s Box Set release and is a wonderful version by Frankie Valli. It is clear that a Frankie Valli does ‘Motown Classics’ was a proposed album and as Wikipedia says.....“Due to its beauty and intimately romantic style, this song has been and continues to be a popular staple at weddings. There were no singles released from this album “. A listen to Smokey's lyric...."It would be easier to take the cold from snow or the heat from fire than for anyone take my love from you..." delivered so well by Frankie with Motown male backing singers shows it was a contender for a potential solo album track and is well worthy of release.
Track Title: Save The Children
Artist: Frankie Valli
Producer: Cleveland - Payton
Motown Master: 60665
First Location Tape: P2079
Notes
Frankie Valli must have taken some convincing that he should record a version of Marvin Gaye's 'Save The Children' but it is evident that producers Cleveland and Payton did persuade him and the song was completed and became the second Motown Master (nr 60665) on one of the earliest Master Tapes in the Four Seasons Motown Tape archive. Al Cleveland who co-wrote it must have seen that Valli could 'add-value' to the original unless it was just 'album fodder'? The song originally recorded on Marvin's 'What's Going On' album there features Marvin recording both a spoken word recitation of the song and a vocal version then mixing the two vocals together in stereo with Marvin's soft-spoken vocals on one side and his expressive tenor on the other.
It is both unique and distinctive and it seems unlikely any other version could be as effective. Not a hit but did get some chart action in the UK. Diana Ross did a medley version with 'Brown Baby' on the 'Touch Me In The Morning' album. Maybe Frankie would rather his effort was never heard and at present that is likely to be the case. The allocation of Frankie Valli to a series of producers for solo work at the start of their Motown contract remains one of the mysteries of this period and I recall Bob Gaudio commenting somewhat critically on Motown trying all sorts of producers to find a hit sound in interview in the mid 70s. Tape Box data indicates 1 lead + 2 [spoken]Narrations by Frankie
Track Title: I Will Love You Like A Man
Artist: Frankie Valli
Producer: Larson - Marcellino
Motown Master: 60842
First Location Tape: P2225
Second location: T2170
Additional location: P7675?
Notes
Some tracks in the Motown Vault by The Four Seasons remain intriguing titles that make you wonder how they came to be recorded. One such track is 'I Will Love You Like A Man'. It seems an incongruous title today. And maybe given the LGBTQ following it was dropped by Bob Gaudio after being approved . Tape Box records show.... 1 Lead and a shadow lead. But the completed Master Nr 60842 sits amongst the earliest of Frankie Valli's recordings at Motown [with Mel Larson and Jerry Marcellino who were involved in producing the released Valli version of 'Baby I Need Your Loving'] and this may have come from that session even though the Master Nr is much later. This song was mixed to Stereo Master on 12th February 1972(or maybe 17th) by Russ Terrana. We've not found any writer credits or other versions and this remains a mystery track we may never hear given Bob Gaudio’s decision not to include it in the Box Set..
Track Title: Thank You For Yesterday
Artist: Frankie Valli
Producer: Hal Davis
Motown Master: 60918
First Location Tape: P2203
Second location: T2298
Notes
Here is a great title for a song and a message from us to Frankie Valli......'Thank You For Yesterday' and it remains a mystery who the song writers are? But this Artists Card shows that the Master Nr 60918 probably places its recording before 'Life and Breath' and 'Thank You' in February 1972. It is according to an Artists Card a Hal Davis production and was mixed to Stereo so will exist on both the original 16 track master tape (P2203) and a T2298 tape stereo master .
Track Title: Stop, Look, Listen To Your Heart Together - [found and for release Summer 2020]
Artist: Frankie Valli
Producer: Hal Davis
Motown Master: 60950
First Location Tape: P2201
Second location: T2230
Additional Location: P7420
Notes
The original was by The Stylistics in 1971 and we have heard the 1973 Diana Ross/Marvin Gaye version of 'Stop, Look and Listen To Your Heart' but here is an Artists Card that shows not only that the Mowest interns couldn't spell Frankie Valli's name but that several Stereo Mixes where done and deleted from T tapes in February 1972 before a copy was made to P7420 which must have been after the group left the label or possibly to an album tape as the number sequence indicates this. One of the several Hal Davis productions done with Frankie Valli it is on the same original tape (P2201) as 'Life and Breath' and was (we understand) found in the 2008 Motown Years CD project research. We believed it was complete, mixed and ready for release, and has been found and approved in the Box Set. A superb vocal version by Frankie Valli it matches the Stylistics version in terms of quality and far surpasses the Gaye/Ross version. It is believed to pre-date that version and that Gaye/Ross used the same backing track. This is real treasure for Collectors.
Track Title: Torn Between Two Lovers
Artist: Frankie Valli
Producer: Not Known[Possibly Hal Davis]
Motown Master: Not Known
First Location Tape: P2203
Notes
The title strikes a chord as Wikipedia tells us...... “"Torn Between Two Lovers" is a song written by Peter Yarrow (of Peter, Paul and Mary) and Phillip Jarrell. As the writing date is unclear.....is it possibly the song done by Frankie Valli? The location on P Tape indicates an early 1972 recording session. There is no other evidence to show the song was written this early but it was performed by Yarrow before its 1976 recording. It may be a different song altogether.?
This recording is on the same tape as 'Thank You For Yesterday' which was a Hal Davis production. But no Artists Card or Motown Master Nr have been found. Apparantly the Master Tape Box says of this song ......’ Assigned to G.C. Cameron’ . No lead’ by Frankie Valli... but has the tape been played?
Track Title: Chained
Producer: J. Marcellino - M.Larson
Motown Master: Not Known
First Location Tape: P2060
Notes
The title is almost certainly the Marvin Gaye Northern Soul Classic penned and produced in 1968 by Frank Wilson. Evidence from partial tape box research shows that although not registered anywhere in Paper Records at Motown, it is on Tape P2060 which is the first of the Master Tapes after they signed to Motown in October 1971. The Motown Tape Librarian confirmed a lead vocal by Frankie exists on this tape
Next Time The Four Seasons session tracks 1971-72
Ken Charmer - Music Historian
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