We were asked by Snapper 'what do you want to have in the planned Box Set most of all?'....and before I could think?.........Lynn Boleyn said 'THE MOTOWN UNRELEASED'........!!!!!.....In retrospect this is amusing as the Motown Unreleased Campaign has been going now since 2011, due to my research. But no-one related to Bob Gaudio and Frankie Valli's music has ever asked us that question before …... ever!.
Since then and after nearly 4 years and a huge review of tape transfers, the memorabilia, photos, picture sleeves and paper records regarding releases, we have the storytelling done and the tracks found...and superb artwork...and we have a good bunch of UNRELEASED and LIVE....and even some of the MOTOWN UNRELEASED. Some US music historians/sound collectors on the Steve Hoffman Forum accused me of being somewhat 'anal' re wanting these tracks from a largely non-existent period in Frankie's career. One top collector believes many US fans have little interest in this or even later periods saying......”It's obvious from the Partnerships reactions or 'non action' [over the decades] that they would rather forget Motown ever "never happened" for them”. For members of that group the Box Set should have been out a year ago for many as all they wanted was the 1960s albums in MONO and 'Edizione D'Oro'!!!! …a feat not possible with the pandemic!!.......but this to me also revealed the US/UK fan disconnect with regard to the UK fan groups 'holistic' view of the career of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons........and Frankie himself has come to realise that in recent years. We revitalised his career in 1970 taking 'You're Ready Now' into the charts for the first time as we did 5 years later with 'The Night' thanks to the Northern Soul Dance scene. We also [as did other countries around the world give them hits with 'Fallen Angel', 'Silver Star', and 'Down The Hall']. The US market and record companies did not see the worldwide support they deserved.
Frankie and Bob Gaudio's commitment to this Box Set is testimony and trust that the UK fan group.....now over 51 years old.......could tackle such a project with Snapper Music. And we will deliver after a hard 4 years.
Now at last we have a release date and the design of the package is complete. December 9th [world crises permitting] will be the date this 44 CD Box Set will see release. Whilst no music set can ever be truly ULTIMATE........this is given the history of pop music and the ebbs and flows of a 60 year career since 'Sherry'.....more comprehensive than ever before, thanks to many dedicated [and patient] 'music detectives' over the decades.....and in both the UK and US. Even Tommy DeVito's archive has been 'mined'. Classic sounds and stunning finds abound through every decade of the 'analogue' tape era from 1961 to 1986. All of the subsequent original albums and 'special' re-mixes of the CD and Dance Mix Era are collected up to 2010
We think that this is an iconic set of music by a true legend of the music industry......L'Eridata
https://burningshed.com/store/madfish/frankie-valli_four-seasons_working-our-way-back-to-you_boxset
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