As a music historian and researcher for a few decades now I have, with network colleagues, always looked for the next step and more stories from the past relating to Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. Whilst compiling the Box Set I started to explore AI. The world of sound engineering has for a few years started to experience AI tools that allow separation of music and vocals in songs and not just for the benefit of 'karaoke'.
Today there is now much 'furore' re the risks and dangers of the potential hazards whilst some praise it's ability to compile amazing text from simple questions. There is much more to it's ability to process and analyze data, but for fun I thought I would test it's ability to 'correctly' provide feedback re our favourite group. ChatGPT has recently caused a lot of reaction on the www and it has been banned in Italy. Frankie's influence....?....haha
Well we joined and asked it a couple of questions to test it out. We know it uses vast amounts of text data from internet sources and we all know that the Wikipedia data re the group and Frankie is pretty accurate. So we asked it a simple question......
“Define the core appeal of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons”
Its response was reasonable and what we would all expect.......
“Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons were a popular American rock and pop band in the 1960s known for their unique vocal harmonies and catchy melodies. The core appeal of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons was their ability to blend different musical genres, including doo-wop, rock and roll, and soul, into a distinctive sound that captivated audiences of the time.
One of the main attractions of the group was the high-pitched and powerful vocals of lead singer Frankie Valli. His unique falsetto voice, which he used to great effect on many of the band's biggest hits, such as "Sherry," "Big Girls Don't Cry," and "Walk Like a Man," made him a standout performer in an era of memorable vocalists.
The band's signature sound was also characterized by their tight harmonies, intricate arrangements, and catchy hooks that made their songs instantly recognizable and memorable. This made them popular with a broad range of audiences, from teenagers to older adults, and helped them achieve lasting success and influence in the music industry.
Overall, the core appeal of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons was their ability to create music that was both musically sophisticated and accessible, with memorable melodies and lyrics that touched on universal themes of love, loss, and heartbreak.”
So far so good......but next we delved into the subject of our research to see what it knew about 'what we know' of the “Motown Unreleased”.........
“What is known of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons Unreleased Tracks at Motown”
Its reply and the data collected was such complete 'garbage', that we can all see the weakness of this AI tool......
“Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons are a popular American rock band that rose to fame in the 1960s. While they are best known for their hits like "Sherry," "Big Girls Don't Cry," and "Can't Take My Eyes Off You," they also recorded several unreleased tracks at Motown, the famous Detroit-based record label.
Some of the unreleased tracks recorded by Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons at Motown include "Angel Don't Fly Away," "When the Morning Comes," "Sun Country," and "You're the One." These tracks were recorded in the mid-1960s, but for various reasons, they were not released by the record label.
In 2019, a collection of these unreleased tracks was finally released as part of a box set titled "Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons: The Motown Years." This box set contains 52 tracks, including the previously unreleased songs and a number of alternate takes and demos.
The Motown recordings showcase a different side of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, with a more soulful and R&B-influenced sound. The band's harmonies are as tight as ever, and Valli's unmistakable falsetto shines on many of the tracks.
Overall, the unreleased tracks recorded by Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons at Motown offer a fascinating glimpse into the band's creative process and evolution during a pivotal period in their career.”
The para's above in 'RED' are totally incorrect and show the danger of using such tools at present and the need to focus on the facts we have researched and presented in our FB Page....'The Four Seasons Motown Unreleased Campaign' and this blog. There is still much to discover as recent blogs show and the Snapper Music Box Set will establish more of this nearly lost music, which we hope will see further research and release in 'Future Years' [one of the songs on Disc 22].
In the meantime we will continue to experiment with AI ….BUT …...in the form of the 'Moises' Digital Extraction Tool to create 'new mixes' of our favourite artists. These tools have allowed us to create TRUE STEREO versions of songs like 'Ronnie' which have only ever survived as a MONO recording with the master tapes lost back in the 1960s.
You will find our efforts over the last year or so at the MowestChameleon You Tube site.......along with our Seasons On Saturday Video Podcasts exploring the history of the Four Seaons and Frankie Valli's recordings.
Here is one of our fave creations taking the original MONO only version of 'The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine' from 45 to create a new 'first time EVER version in STEREO' of the of the pre Walker Brothers recording by Frankie Valli.
The lesson of this article is as with any tool or search engine.......use human skills to test and fine tune the results so the data is accurate. But there is much more to come as we explore the DES AI tool further this year as it continues to learn and improve. ….....Never damaging or destroying any aspects of the original sound......but simply allowing it to be heard in a different 'mix'
Casey Chameleon
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