Having recovered from my own ‘grand opening’ of my Box Set with my son Mark, I have started to realise the ‘enormity’ of our achievement since 2018 in this ‘work of art’ by the team I assisted as ‘Master Track Adviser’ and what we learned in the process.
Last time in my first ‘Post Project Review’ I covered the concept and research work and how Bob Fisher and I worked with Bill Inglot to get a full list of tracks approved by Bob Gaudio and Frankie Valli. Ian Crocket had convinced Snapper that this concept could be a reality.
In this blog I start to cover the written work and content as was achieved in the final issue. In many ways these blogs are a continuation and are complementary to my Collectors Notes…….and this remains the Box Set that keeps ‘giving and giving’ and those who have it are finding that. To some this review process may seem an irreverent and somewhat irrelevant commentary. But in the world of Collectors and curators facts are facts [unless told by ‘four guys’!!]
Paul Sexton ‘book’ included in the box set as a history of the Four Seasons has been long overdue and a superb effort. The Graphics and Design by Rachel Gutek are wonderful throughout, as are the photos, illustrations and memorabilia, many provided by our own John Pingree, Lynn Boleyn, Ray Nichol and myself but perhaps none are better than George Schowerer’s [Bob Crewe’s Sound Engineer] studio photos in 1967 at Mirasound Studios. The photos and memorabilia used are often very rare and outstanding throughout and it was pleasing to see all the full page album illustrations. Paul Urbahns who helped superbly on the project as one of our research team commented on the Book before we move onto the other blog reviews and comments across the internet.
“Paul [Sexton] puts a positive spin on everything, not really telling it like it was in Jersey Boys….and in the process some things fans and Paul may not know have arisen and been noted by the network of Collectors.
As was the original Box Set concept Paul does focus on the original albums, some have said a little too much as ….” we all know the 4 Seasons were a singles band and their albums were not generally big sellers. As Bob Gaudio famously pointed out they were not the Beach Boys or the Beatles. The various ‘Greatest Hits’ sets (Golden Hits, Gold Vault of Hits, Edizione D Oro, Story, etc) of the 60s are given the 'short shrift’. Those were their [and Philips] biggest sellers. Paul does admit Vee-Jay's Golden Hits, "which peaked at number 15 in the US, nevertheless spent 56 weeks on the chart - far longer than any original set in the group's entire history." From Paul Urbahns library of research we are told “the album remained a standard store stock item even after Vee-Jay ceased operation. ‘One Stop's’ around the country (that was the national record distribution network) had new copies in stock for years throughout the end of the 60s. In fact, two years after Vee-Jay closed, and Gold Vault of Hits had been issued, Billboard still listed Golden Hits of the Four Seasons in their ‘Guide To Basic Inventory’ for all record stores. The other Vee-Jay album that sold well after they closed was the ‘Best of Jerry Butler’. ‘Introducing The Beatles’ also outlived the label. But it was soon bootlegged. In fact most used copies available today are bootlegs.
The ‘Live On Stage’ (Vee-Jay album) goes largely unnoticed and unmentioned, except for a brief paragraph on page 50. [It is however put in context in my ‘Collectors Notes’ ed.] It is briefly mentioned that the group owing Vee-Jay an album and two singles in 1965 ‘to be issued 90 days apart.’ As one Collector noted…..”actually Crewe only provided one single (Little Boy in Grown Up Clothes) as for the second single Vee-Jay had to issue ‘My Mother's Eyes’ …..hacked crudely from the live sound album master. The very important mention of the Copa Club engagement in 1963 is in the Collectors Notes which is where the album came from isn't there. But it is so good to see the crazy ‘ad’ on page 33 for the June 27th Copa show. It looks like a Christmas show, complete with "Season's Greetings." The zodiac symbols in the background could easily be confused with snowflakes. But now we know the popular ‘Pat Cooper’ was the stand-up comedian on the same bill. It's too bad the Partnership did not open their files to Paul as there is much backstory they could have provided. The book is largely based on recorded interviews, as I understand it.”
“One thing that may mislead fans is reference to ‘Tommy Divito in playing excellent guitar on ‘Teardrops’. Collectors know from interview with Charles Calello and his book ‘Another Saeson’ that it was session player Vincent [Vinnie] Bell who used the same watery sound to make a big hit of the ‘Airport ‘Love Theme on DECCA in 1970. So apparently, he did not know that generally the 4 Seasons did not play on their songs. We know generally Bob Crewe hired NY session players and the 4 Seasons added vocals. There are a few places where individual musicians, mostly Tommy did play small parts. Primarily overdubs. Joe Long and Bob Gaudio clearly stated on the BB Saga Radio show, that the ‘Genuine Imitation Life Gazette’ was the first album the band actually played on.”
“There is almost no mention of Nick Massi leaving except what you would read in a press release and I learned more about Charles Callello's time as a "Season" from his book. No mention of three of the Seasons landing in jail in Columbus Ohio (not Cleveland as stated in Jersey Boys). So naturally no jail mug shot of Frankie Valli. It would be interesting to fans to see the mug shots of Bob and Tommy. As we all know Nick had left the group by then and wasn't arrested.”[notwithstanding the story in ‘Jersey Boys’]
There is one other mystifying comment which may have come from some old Philips ‘press release’. It is the assumption that Philips recorded and issued the Four Seasons song ‘Girl Come Running’ in four different languages, or that Philips issued their records through their 33 worldwide affiliates.(page 50). Paul suggests the group recorded the song in French, German and Italian. In 50 years collecting no-one as we know has ever found or heard foreign language recordings by the group, though it would have been a smart move for a company like Philips. In a five volume hardbound books re discography on Mercury and related labels which lists many foreign releases of US masters, there are no [foreign] listings. “Not even the Four Seasons Greatest Hits sets received any kind of routine overseas release. It appears to be very hit and miss,” one curator tells me. Basically Philips issued ‘Four Seasons’ material in English speaking countries/territories which number about 10 at the most….and in some countries like Spain, Italy and Japan, as their English recordings. Such information may clarify the ‘foreign picture sleeves’ in the 45s pics book.
“There are a few other mistakes but basically it is a well done and much needed book on the 4 Seasons which we fans have never had. There are several new excellent books issued every year on the Beach Boys and Beatles but the Four Seasons Story doesn't generate that type of interest. Probably why Rex Woodard could not find a publisher for his book with Tommy deVito. Now that is a book I would really like to read.”
There will be an attempt on the back of this Box Set release to get that book released as well as a book tracking the rise and fall of the group during the 1970s.
But back to the ‘concept’ that Ian Crocket ‘sold’ to Snapper. When we were asked to help Snapper back in 2018 it was clear that when the first album list from Bill Inglot arrived that once a MONO ‘unissued’ version of Genuine Imitation Life Gazette’[GILG] was found in the preliminary archived album list, they wanted to make GILG a focal showcase of the set as a vinyl insert. Hence, the inclusion of the vinyl copy, but after all our work, sadly a fan found the final vinyl pressing in the Box Set has a ‘speed’ flaw in the tape mastering process, that was corrected in the CD version. Mistakes can happen!!
it was also unfortunate that there is a supposed bonus from the ‘Close-Up’ album sessions of unreleased tracks. Do they exist? We later found that the ‘tape collector’ who had these denied they existed.
Snapper have spent so much time and money on this release (and it's been delayed several times due to Covid and production issues), but I am sure they are glad it's just out of the door. I am in a ‘review’ stage with regard to conflicting listing information and discs and the way forward re customers of a ‘very expensive set, at a time of a great cost of living crisis’. We will review and hopefully agree a process regarding the discrepancies later in the year for all customers, I am informed.
The Second Disc Review by Joe Marches drilled down into the highlights and the questions. But he recognises our main aim…...as Lynn Boleyn was asked by Snapper at our first meeting in London….’What do you want included?’…...’The Motown Unreleased’……..and as Joe says….. “The crown jewel of the box is Disc 22, premiering an album's worth of "lost" studio recordings from the Seasons' Motown tenure, all hand-selected by Bob Gaudio for the box”
The REVIEW continues as an expansion of my ‘Collectors Notes’ paying some high complements to the set as we work through our and forum responses of fan expectations and observations. Future blogs will cover facts not understood during the process of compiling and researching anomalies in the ‘masters’ as well as our ‘sound quality’ tests.
But we are all happy that we achieved what we have and Snapper have advised after only six weeks since release more copies have been asked for by Bob and Frankie with 25 delivered for family and friends ……..and sets have been delivered to Kenny Nolan, Charles Calello, Lee Shapiro and John Paiva who all helped make this set happen in major yet individual ways……..with Billy Joel, Paul McCartney and Brian Wilson wanting copies along with major label executives who know and respect Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons history.
[Brian Wilson about to open his copy of the Box Set]
The final word on our Part 2 review though goes to Bob Gaudio and his message to our team through Snapper…..”To anyone who made the remotest contribution to this legacy tribute that we are hopefully worthy of...I can only say “brilliance “ I will always have an undying respect for you. Thanks to all
Bob G”
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