That 'Four Seasons' Sound

Lost and Not Found – Motown remains 'The Holy Grail'

It all goes back to 2011 and Bill Hollands article titled - 'Labels Strive to Rectify Past Archival Problems' in which he highlighted the problems of the Motown Archive in New York State.......but also to the shock of us finding 3 songs from a cassette tape of Bob Crewe acetates that showed that the Tape Index sent to us by an ex-Motown employee was totally correct......the tracks existed and were not all 'out of key demos' as Peter Bennett, the FSP lawyer had told us in 2008. As the Artists Card shows there are 43 SMX[Stereo Mixes.....all saved to safety T Tapes] of the Four Seasons biggest hit at the label and one of their most loved UK Hits, 'The Night'. They have certainly not been 'pulled' and supplied to Bob Gaudio as the Motown Librarian Andy Skurow hasn't found this Artists Card in Motown's Microfiche Library.

Legendary Motown Sound Engineer Russ Terrana mixed the first 14 STEREO Mixes on 1^st February 1972 and the last of those mixes was probably the one selected for the 'Chameleon' album. But as the need for a single release increased after the album release in May 1972, it was mixed 7 more times on 6^th June. Motown hesitated over a single release but did Mixes 22 to 34 on 8^th July and again Mixes 35 to 39 on 13^th and a demo/acetate was done. But MoWest chose 'Walk On, Don't Look Back' for US release and pushed the track to a UK release in October 1972. This would ultimately lead to it becoming a hit. Only 'we', can reveal this story from the above Artists Card. It's success was made as an essential playlist track at the Northern Soul Club, Wigan Casino [a former theatre] in 1974 which led to it's re-release in March 1975 and a Nr 7 UK Hit.

Motown asked Russ Terrana to revisit the Master Sessions and he found an Alternate Take featuring Frankie Valli's intro[instead of the Four Seasons] for Mixes 40 to 43 in August 1975 for their 'Inside You' album after the group had left the label. These various unreleased mixes although of interest to fans have not been recovered from Motown's vaults as I write this. Maybe it is deemed 'not worth the cost or trouble'. Just another track with alternative Masters we would like to hear.

Bill Holland captured the problem of Motown and other 'majors' back in 2011 when he said.......

“The Motown vault, now owned by Universal, is estimated to be about 30,000 tapes, and is "typical of a smaller company of that era," said one veteran whose first-hand observations were corroborated by other sources. A peek at the Motown vault serves also as a description of the holdings of other once- small labels that came to prominence in the '60s.

The good news in the case of Motown is that they have most of the masters and most of the multitrack reels, but engineers and producers taped over a lot of sessions. Tape was expensive. They'd get a master and then use the rest of the reel for the next session. So there aren't many alternate takes. There never were.”

That however isn't the case with the FV/4S tracks listed as 'unreleased' except perhaps for the ones with the same songs recorded by Michael and Jermaine Jackson or The Jackson Five. Many session mix downs from the Valli/Seasons sessions were copied to safety 'T' Tapes as was normal at the West Coast Studios......in Detroit these were DM tapes. Bill Holland again.......

"Also, there are safeties or copies of probably everything on so-called DM (lesser quality, backup) reels. They'd copy these copies off when they sent the production masters to the pressing plant. Some are on standard 1/4" tape, but 300 or so mono tracks are stripped onto three-track reels, like 36 songs, 12 squeezed on one track, end to end.

"Some of the mixed masters are missing or hard to find--I wouldn't say gone," said another source. "A lot of them have been recovered over the years, those left stored at outside mastering labs. Most acetates and metal parts (not as necessary in a tape-era vault) are long gone, though.”

“Other masters are just worn from use, so to get the best sound, you have to remix," said a source. "And the problem of remixing from the multitracks is that it's very hard to duplicate the 'Motown mix' sound-- they had their own custom EQ boards, custom reverb.

"If you look hard enough, though, you can find a substitute (of the era). Take Stevie Wonder's 'Fingertips': there might be like 20 mixes, done at five sessions, all stored in different places. They'd do a song until they got it right. The problem is finding the right version."

All the sources said that the Motown vault has many unreleased masters of both well-known and lesser- known artists, and many reels of live shows. "They used to bring a three track machine down to the Twenty Grand Club in Detroit to record on weekends for years."

Overall, the various sources said, the Motown vault is in good shape. "But trying to find the definitive master can be a problem," said a source. "Remember, the label has gone through four owners, three cities, and seven addresses, if you include Detroit."

"Other indies, especially smaller companies, had the same 'tape-over-it' policy to keep costs down," said another source. "But even RCA, Capitol, ABC, Mercury-Smash,[Vee-Jay] and Philips-Mercury had policies in place throughout the '60s and '70s of reusing, scrapping or not storing multitrack session tapes, and just keeping mixed masters.” This has been the policy for the FSP storage for all of the analogue history of recordings by 'The Four Seasons' and 'Frankie Valli' as our tape Research revealed with just Safety Copies from the Studios.

Stuff is just missing and no-one knows where it may be..but we found what we could with Bill Inglot. It is a common problem with many artists.

”Sony can't find some Bang label multitrack masters. On the other hand, somebody opened a mystery box at BMG the other day and found some unreleased 'Hot Tuna'. It happens all the time in the industry." ...said a Bill Hollands source.

There is no evidence the FV/4Seasons recordings as dentified as existing in the Tape Index were taped over but the tapes need research to find their efforts with the various producers. Also tracks not known to be completed [but were listed] have been found with producer Michael Masser. I did not get to share the extensive data I had found on Artists Cards with Andy Skurow when he ordered the tapes down for review from Iron Mountain based on the Motown Tape Index. Just some confirmation from his partial scan of tape box data of what should have been there from the index and a few surprise tracks with vocals like 'Chained' and 'Starvin For Your Love' being found[but not approved for release]. The fact is they all needed 'listening tests' …......but clearly Bob Gaudio did some as we got 13 approved although not the 30 plus we expected to be found. Such is life as a music detective!! Bob Gaudio did not share the findings of his review of the Master Tapes nor do we know if he received all we had listed.

We were however given full access to the tapes Bill Inglot was rummagind through and those he digitized for us...well almost!!!...we did not get any of the 16 track tapes that he found for listening....but in a last push he found the best of the pre-Motown 'unreleased' and sent them.

Also when searching the FSP Storage Tape Box Scans we found a 5 “reel Master can with five 'unreleased titles'.......but when we played the tape it unfortunately turned out to be a 'distorted' two track MONO version of the Studio Masters recordings of 'Timeless'.......so with one track still intact we recovered the recordings for inclusion as the only surviving 'Timeless' MONO 'LIVE' recordings....recorded before the final mix 'takes' used in past releases.

Of the original tape of 5 lost 'unreleased' tracks ????......maybe in another box or possibly 'stolen'!!!!!...and when did this loss occur....maybe back in the 1960s!!!!......we never got to search anymore. The budget for transfers 'ran out'....and there are 200+ unmarked tapes still there 'unresearched'.

So you have to find and play the tapes......Bob Gaudio said that he couldn't remember [the titles at Motown] we advised him of and he would 'go through them with Frankie at the weekend' …....Frankie of course has a great memory......as he was on all of the tracks with several different producers......some Stereo and Mono mix-down test versions made it to 'Evaluation Tapes' in 1973 and got copied to the FSP storage and we found them and they will no doubt appear in due course as alternate takes as they have slightly different orchestra and vocal...[hopefully in the Snapper Music Box Set as we asked]...but all are complete session master mixes. We even know of two whole albums mixed and assembled for release and abandoned at Motown. We know the Production Tape numbers .....Do Bob or Frankie know this ? The tapes just needed finding and none have surfaced yet.....but 'listening tests' are needed for all of the identified tapes and should be shared with the 'curation' team. We know the Tape Numbers......are they still there?

We have found 90% of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons Catalogue.......but not all......and not the alternate takes and mixes..and 13 of a potential 30 unheard songs at Motown. As another collector said of the problems with finding masters: "I've found tapes in every imaginable place, not just vaults. In basements, even unheated garages. Unmarked boxes, no track sheets, the works.” There is more to be found.

Bill Holland again as he interviewed researchers......"We found the tapes for Leiber and Stoller's indie labels, Daisy, Red Bird, Tiger, Blue Cat masters, in the old Brill Building. In an unoccupied room on top of a file cabinet by an open window. Exposed to New York summers and winters since probably 1963. They were like linguini in the boxes. Believe it or not, once we re-wound them and worked on them, the tapes played fine."

The reason to act is because as Bill Holland put it.....”Most of the 65 experts interviewed for this article expressed concern about the future of archiving recorded sound. First, they were concerned that with the CD reissue boom of the late '80s and early '90s apparently leveling off, [and now receding by the 2020's as streaming and downloads grow in dominance].......funding for archiving and preservation efforts at some companies are already becoming a lesser priority.[this is now known to be the defacto situation post pandemic] And they are also worried about reliable preservation in a digital universe.”

And as was stated by 'Second Disc'....”With the end of every year comes 50th anniversary batches of classic past outtakes and ephemera surreptitiously dumped onto digital music services - all to preserve the copyright to prevent the 50 year European gray-market from taking advantage of lapsed copyrights.” Pink Floyd/The Beatles and The Beach Boys are all taking care to protect recordings with digital downloads as are many other artists from the 1970s. We have supplied many unreleased and salvaged LIVE tracks for the FSP now, in the Snapper Music Box Set from decades of collecting......and at Motown tracks like the unheard and unreleased 'Chained' and 'Save The Children' by Frankie Valli will have dropped out of copyright and more will as the year ends......but there is no movement from Universal or the FSP re more Motown so the question arises......who owns these 1971 to 73 'Unreleased' Motown vaulted tracks? The rest drop out of copyright for Universal as the original owners at the end of 2023.

We are still on course for the FSP and Snapper Music to deliver the NEW SET of the 'Whole Catalogue Masters' in April/May and for this eventually to be available also in the strengthening digital streaming/download age in time. And we look for more to be added as the 'Out-Take' CD' [Disc 46] of tracks salvaged that did not make it into the Box Set. We still have many tracks and by investing in SSD.......[Solid State Disc Storage for digital masters] ….....THE NEW LIBRARY of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons will be created from 2023 onwards by us[in the best sound quality avaialble] as we have collected since 1988 from our CD discography....

https://www.seasonally.co.uk/CDDiscog_files/Page685.htm

We are lucky to have had the opportunity to help salvage this music since 2018 for all of the fans.....it is a set curated by the fans and for the fans. We also already have THE MONO 45 Archive from 1961 to 1970 and have now recovered more MONO 1970 mixes........More Motown unreleased?????? Only Bob Gaudio can say YES!.....will he and Frankie invest in recovering the art for art's sake? The future beckons.......

Casey Chameleon

PS.....Our research enabled me to create a re-mix of an underdub recording of 'The Night' from the many mixes done. It captures more of the instrumentation and minus the 'dreaded' tambourine in the official mix. An interesting 'mix'.

Happy New Year everyone.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgxYNbX7Scc

The FSUKAS End Of Year Report – 'It’s CHRISTMAS'

Well another year gone and all a bit older but after previous FINAL TOUR visits since 2017 we had the joy of another UK visit and a chance to enjoy Frankie Valli [with his music, singers and band]. A final chance to see him perhaps, but also a broadcast PBS show at Mohegan Sun [which many have seen] was also a treat for fans.

Our aim has, since 2018, been to get the 'Unreleased' tracks and the issued albums and singles out in the LIMITED EDITION Snapper Music Box Set. The delay to the issue from December to [we hope no later than] April was a big disappointment. The confirmation of the content [as finalised and approved with the late Bob Fisher and I] has not been updated on the web site either. We did it all to celebrate the work of Bob Crewe and Bob Gaudio in the studio with Frankie Valli. We even found a LIVE studio recording of 'Can't Take My Eyes Off You' for inclusion as the photo below illustrates them recording [Photo courtesy of George Schowerer - Sound Engineer: Mirasound Studios].

But with so much income for the labels and FSP from this £875,000 project, it makes it the biggest and clearly the best ever presentation of their career......and maybe amongst their last CD based release as the music industry boast a major growth in streaming access?. Check out some of the forecasts here.

https://victrola.com/blogs/articles/what-is-the-future-of-music-in-the-digital-age

Global News tells us........”There is something very, very wrong with today’s music. It just may not be very good.” This is NOT actually correct as there are some brilliant new voices and stylists around today, but taken generally they make a good point........“Current” music 'is becoming progressively less popular' when measured by the number of streams and sales. Whatever is being released today just isn’t resonating with the public the way it did in the past. People are showing a growing interest in listening to older music instead. And there’s still more to consider. Cast your mind back to 1962. Music that was thirty years old then 'sounded' old. Not only was modern pop music still developing, but we’d barely begun to use things like electric guitars and proper amps. Effects pedals hadn’t been invented yet nor had synthesizers. Recording studios were primitive things compared to today, capable of only producing material in mono [like 'Sherry'...ed.] But then starting sometime around 1969, the sonic quality of recordings reached new levels. A song recorded in 1972 sounds every bit as good as something recorded this year. (In fact, you can make an argument that because of over-production, digital technology, and too much compression, older records sound 'better' than what we have today.)” That is certainly true of the coming Motown Unreleased in the Snapper Music Box Set.

Though streaming may provide 82% of the Music Industry income, with the massive number of tracks needed to maintain growth, it has work to do. The Hype Magazine says that, less noticed, are .....“the shortcomings of the music streaming market. A less known effect is related to the pay for the artists. It seems that the division of the fee does not favour the artists, no matter how frequently their songs are played. The streaming channels, the major labels and the most famous artists are getting a higher percentage of the fee. Smaller and medium size artists, even though popular, come last. This is because the fans don’t have a say in the way fees get allocated.”

But CD Box Set releases are the in-style releases on line but generally because they sell between £25 and £50 for mini sets of up to 6 CDs. To those used to owning a disc or download, the forthcoming Box Set will provide the Four Seasons Partnership and the fans with a new set of masters rather than waiting for them to choose to 'stream' them sometime in the future. But whether we consume our FV/4S music as files or as streamed consumption we want it when we want it via instant access now. Our role as 'curators' of the 'Four Seasons History' has been revitalised by the research we were able to do for the Box Set and it opened up so much information to introduce new fans to the music and as a source to find out more. Although we haven't updated our web site since 2018, [www.seasonally.co.uk] it remains an essential source re discographies and reference articles....so it answers many needs and our two Facebook pages offer places to post videos and You Tube tracks as well as regular discussion, blogs and videocasts. We intend to keep this flow of information as a free resource for all fans and collectors.

In the 'Seasons On Saturday' videocasts we will continue to explore with our panel of expert collectors/fans/former Seasons the research we have done into the 'real story' of the Four Seasons MUSIC..[NOT the 'Jersey Boys' one.].. ...focussing on how it was created.....how it succeeded [or failed] in each decade of the last century since the 1950s. We as the 'curation network' are predominantly the BABY BOOMERS......and whilst we do not have an infinite 'value', we are 20% of the UK population...we are as old as we are and want the product we want......we are tech 'embracers'...so in the UK 13.6m of us love music and if only 50% know and love Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons as they were 'enshrined ' as the Jersey Boys'.....then over 6m will be interested in a GOOD and INTERESTING product like the Snapper Music Box Set. Data showsthat boomers are active on social media, spending around one hour 48 minutes a day browsing Facebook and Instagram. They are 19% more likely to share content than any other generation, and 58% more likely than millennials to click through to a brand’s website from a social media post. and make up one of the wealthiest generations, with one in five classed as millionaires.[not in our network unfortunately....at the moment......well no-one is admitting to that!!!]

According to a report published in The Financial Times, it’s estimated that of every £1 of household wealth in the UK, boomers own 36 pence. Brands that offer high-quality products or services will win the hearts of baby boomers and will turn them into brand advocates. There’s already a whole host of baby boomers smashing stereotypes on Instagram, showing people they can be who they want and dress as they like at any age. Baby boomers believe their glory days are still ahead of them. Therefore, marketers must tap into these desires to effectively sell their services and products. Boomers are influencers.

BUT a 'lethargy' has developed in the Music Industry and it has stopped the Record Business!. For example majors like Universal Motown are taking several years to get projects to the Record Companies for their issue [and doing none internally] and so everything has ground to a halt. The Music Business 'Big Three'.....[Universal/Sony/Warner] only want mega video and sound projects selling millions of copies and short term revenue. The laws of the universe will change this as it is a short term fix to get annual revenues. It can't last. We see the big picture and what we have achieved in the last 12 years. Artists need to take control of their catalogue and copyrights.......and if it costs money then please invest.

We as a network of 'curators' have enabled Snapper Music to create the most in-depth representation of a 'brand' from the Four Seasons in 1962 to Frankie Valli up to 2010, in a unique and very comprehensive catalogue of music/pictures/memorabilia and stories, ..although the music will remain the same...just the original mixes [but so much more of it] will be re-mastered... in a CLASSIC ANTHOLOGY The FSUKAS world- wide network want to be 'influencers' with a knowledge base better than any through their career. We are continuing to push for more visionary 'projects' to bring what we know is unheard and unreleased music from the past into all futures. The Motown Tapes remain the biggest [and only known] set of 'session tapes' and mixes, but we know that other sources....including Bob and Frankie have unreleased music stored. Universal and the other two 'majors' are finding the costs of recovery and digitally re-mastering the stored 'unreleased' tracks even by classic established artists like Frankie Valli difficult to deliver due to the costs of extraction, mixing and re-mastering. It is unclear just how many of the Motown session tapes Bob Gaudio has been sent? We will keep asking to be told and have our research verified [as the Box Set shows] or proved wrong. We will not accept otherwise. BUT....The Snapper Music Box Set is coming out next year, after 4 years...... it is too close to GO!!! Collect your Box Set here.!!!!....the full catalogue.

With our own 're-mixing' efforts using AI we hope to deliver new ways to hear what exists on tape/disc and we will generate more Digitally Extracted Stereo [DES] mixes in the future. We don't do 'cover groups/versions' in our FB groups but are happy to hear previously unheard or live tracks including the creation of different ways to hear the original...[we hope to have the 'Dawn' and 'Rag Doll' albums in full and balanced DES next year]...... 'That Four Seasons Sound'...will live on and get stronger as more younger people want to know more re how this amazing music was made. Our focus remains on discussion/research and sharing the information and making sure all the very best 'mixes' are preserved and available. And we have the backing of one of the world’s TOP RESTORATION SOUND ENGINEERS willing to help us find ways to research and deliver new projects. It is an offer we can't refuse.

This is the essence of 'curation' in the 21^st Century, via the expert network we have developed. But as has become obvious from the Snapper Music Project, “the artists and followers will need to have a much closer and mutual interaction. They will be able to influence each other for the benefit of good quality music.”.....Hopefully Bob Gaudio and Frankie Valli are listening. The days of'Alexa …..play me Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons Rare and Unreleased?' are coming........!

Next year our Seasons On Saturday videocasts will cover the Motown period in the early 1970s and the second 'hit making' iteration of Frankie and the group through to 1980. How a misguided Berry Gordy lost control of his move to LA, to create the West Coast Sound of pop......or soul.....but created a 'goldmine of productions the world is demanding we should hear. We will keep 'Campaigning' for their release. Our message to Bob Gaudio is 'If you want to maximise profit?....Join the Record Companies, and wait for years”......but if you want to recognise 'art'.......join the 'Curators'. You know where we are. We can help you develop your own approach.....and maybe this is it?

So it has been a good year and hopefully next year’s release will be as 'big' as many of the long term collectors believe. A real platform for Volume 2 of the Music Detective work we want to help lead.

Our audience is growing and when they see and hear the results in the Snapper Box Set, the next phase will launch, as the fans will want more.

Here is one of our best DES mixes from 2022

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpXHrDxcpM0

And the group's accapella version from 1992

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIfif0KOe7c

And this new DES Mix works so well with centered vocals

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4QMPFAZ5-c

Join us on Facebook for news of rare recordings and the research......

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1049892628364291

and to catch recordings of LIVE concert clips from Carlos and Carmine visit the OFFICIAL 'fanzone' at.....

https://www.facebook.com/groups/frankievallifans

Happy Christmas and a Healthy New Year to all readers and contributors via our Facebook pages.....from Spain.........Ken Charmer

 

The ULTIMATE Box Set is not coming soon!

An Apology.

I wrote a post back in June this year as I completed corrections with Snapper Music to both tracks included, and Collectors Notes which had been supplied a year earlier for the Box Set and I wrote with so much optimism as Snapper/Madfish announced the release date of December 9th 2022. This week I have had to completely re-visit the blog posts as we are told, with no explanation, that the release date has moved to 14th April 2023....after an unknown number of fans have ordered and in many cases paid full price in expectations they would stand by this promise. This sad position follows over 4 years of hard work by me and a network of fans in the UK and USA providing tracks and research to Snapper Music.

Back in August 2018 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 ironic 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....or been prepared for the answer …... ever!. And it was maybe painful for them to revisit that period in time. It has been 51 years this month, Frankie and the group signed to Motown and began recording sessions with at least 15 tracks announced as completed in a Motown Newsletter in January 1972 as they prepared for a UK tour. It remains the only record label storage of comprehensive Master Session Tapes found to date. But ….like it did not exist until I proved it did.!! It's existence was denied in 2008 by Harry Weinger of Universal and Peter Bennett, former lawyer to the Four Seasons Partnership.

Since 2018 I worked tirelessly with Bob Fisher to research and gather tracks from the FSP storage facility in LA and after nearly 4 years and a huge review of tape transfers, the memorabilia, photos, picture sleeves and paper records regarding releases from our fan network, we have the storytelling done and some of the unheard tracks found...with superb artwork...and a good bunch of UNRELEASED and LIVE tracks....and some of the MOTOWN UNRELEASED of the 30+ we demonstrated are there and complete.

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 whilst at Motown. 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 me that 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...THEY WANT EVERYTHING and feel they deserve it.....and Frankie himself has come to realise that in recent years with the adulation shown by UK show audiences how important we have been to his career.

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] gave 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 during this period.

Frankie and Bob Gaudio's commitment to this Box Set we believed was testimony and trust that the UK fan group.....now over 51 years old.......could tackle such a project with Snapper Music. And we worked hard to deliver after a difficult 4 years and the loss of our ex-Motown set producer Bob Fisher who sadly passed away before its completion. Unfortunately despite requests for reconsideration we could not get more of the Motown Unreleased Tracks we have researched...other than the 13 tracks Bob Gaudio chose to approve..nor could we get access to the tapes to confirm their suitability or verify our more extensive paperwork than was found by the Library Manager at Motown....or any inclusion in the tape research process. It was for Bob Gaudio and Universal Music a no-go area for the research team.

What was to be included always was and remains the choice of Frankie Valli and Bob Gaudio who own the music and the rights to release it or not. The fans network knew that but contributed some 50+ tracks from decades of sources which the FSP now have copyright and total control of....as is there right. We, the fans, made that happen. The rest came from delving into the FSP archive as far as we were able to achieve within the funding of this project.

Whilst no music set can ever be truly ULTIMATE ....Certainly this is not final as to what exists [we know there are more tracks]....but this is pretty good ....but it is 'the best of its respective kind' and 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 and some we found. All of the subsequent CD era original albums and 'special' re-mixes of the CD and Dance Mixes are collected up to 2010.

In June we had a release date given of 9^th December and pre-ordering started, with the design of the package complete as far as we knew. This is now delayed to 14^th April 2023. A sad and unexplained delay.

I have been asked to show 'integrity' and not criticise anyone involved in the project. But my integrity is to the fans as they are the 'customers' but also to the quality of the 'curation' process. I personally apologise to all readers for the delays in getting our research to completion as we had planned but it is not down to the commitment and work of me or Bob Fisher and those in our 'collectors' network who helped us so much. Everyone in the Snapper production team, I believe, worked hard to achieve release including the engineer, designer, writers and admin.

I believed in the commitment of Bob Gaudio and Frankie Valli in this compilation and believed and told many fans this could be the start of a series of Unreleased and LIVE concerts as has been done with the Beach Boys Catalogue and career. However the experiences over the last 4 years has left me feeling dismayed, disappointed and disenchanted by the Four Seasons Partnership and the senior management at Snapper who promised Lynn Boleyn, Bob Fisher and I so much back in 2018. This is not a criticism, just how I feel.

As a former Fellow for the Association for Project Management and having completed several multi-million pound projects during my working life, I know that of the 3 objectives of a project [TIME/COST/QUALITY] .......the one that must be maintained is QUALITY and that is is based on the record and reputation of Snapper Music. It will/has been a long wait but the quality is/will be unsurpassed if the content remains as we agreed with Snapper and Bob Gaudio in June 2021 and as the promised sound engineering standards.

We do deserve an apology for the delay and an explanation, given the love for the music we, the fans have shown.[and the pre-orders placed, many on my recommendation]. I know I have done all I can to make the project successful.

However, as our resident music historian, I will in our FB group continue to publish research of known sources of quality tapes and maybe as with the Beach Boys and Beatles, more will be funded to bring rare and unheard tracks, demos or rehearsals to the fans. [possibly in our lifetime]. I will enjoy The Beatles 'Revolver' Box Set this Christmas instead.

The Seasons On Saturday podcasts will continue the 'panels' views on the career of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons as we reach 1970 in the next few weeks and we will move through the 1970s over the next few months. And I am also using the research and collated information to re-write and update my former e-book, The Rise And Fall Of The NEW Four Seasons and eventually to publish this.

And as the the rest of the unheard catalogue and LIVE sound board tapes show more recordings are out there. As I have said ….the Campaign goes on.

Ken

 

The Limitations Of 'Four Seasons' Fan Club Life and the Catalogue

We only got to see this one Tape Box scan from the Universal Motown Storage but it tells us what we had told Bob Gaudio and Frankie Valli and members of this group existed . Although we have researched and provided tape source information for over 10 years, we never got to see the rest of the 29+ Motown Multi-track Tape Box scans from Snapper during the project. You could ask why?....as we did. But we moved on and finished the full catalogue research based on what we had access to.

Taking a breath on a sad day and now waiting for final production and issue, some of our team members think...”This is only the beginning!.......'A NEW BEGINNING' …..in terms of the Motown Catalogue perhaps. Thanks you to all our readers for your comments and support for the Snapper Music Box Set to date, via social media and personal communication with me. It really was a labour of love from my perspective, both for the range and creativity of the music and of course Frankie Valli's awesome voice, but also for the relationships amongst fans and collectors we have developed since the 1970s and working with the late Bob Fisher, a dearly missed friend.

I was talking with an 'iconic' sound engineer recently re how he has achieved historic 'curated' projects with major artists and I was sharing with him the long and frustrating 'life' of 'Seasons' fan club members who have in the experiences of the Four Seasons UK Appreciation Society [FSUKAS]been both 'joyous' yet 'limited' and in terms of releases often left us feeling 'disappointed' and frequently 'let down'. Not however by Frankie and his commitment to tour and entertain the fans. Frankie spoke in interview about his love for sharing his music 'LIVE' but also the magic of creating in the studio and this box set will reveal that more fully than ever before. But what we have gathered is not enough, particularly in comparison with the legendary Beatles and Beach Boys. The passion and obsession of some of their fans and their large fanbase numbers has meant that their 'brand' has become a major commercial project. Feeding the fans every conceivable mix and bit of studio chatter has however been an expression of their 'art' and an important part of music history. The difference is of course that they retained their 'multitrack' session tapes. We found none in the FSP storage.......only at Motown do such 16 and 24 track masters survive.......and we scraped the barrel to find all we could of 'out-takes'

As we await the Snapper Music Box Set release it is with some frustration that after the release of the Beach Boys 'Surf's Up/Sunflower' Bonus CD Box Set and the 'Sounds Of Summer' set we are told.....”All 30 tracks on disc 1 of 'Sounds Of Summer' have been mixed in immersive Dolby Atmos, joining the group’s 'Christmas Album' which was mixed in spatial audio and released this past holiday season, and continuing the initiative to present the group’s catalog in the enveloping and exciting new audio format.“,..........we now have to see the announcement of another step in exploring the back catalogue of The Beatles with the forthcoming release of 'Revolver'......”The new special edition of 'Revolver' album from 1965, complete with tons of bonus tracks and alternate takes, comes out on October 28, 2022. The super-deluxe version will be a 5-CD set. You can pre-order that set for $139.00 at the official Beatles store.” This package [it has been revealed] will contain a 'restored' Mix of the album using AI powered digital extraction[DES] from the old four track tapes plus alternate Takes as Bonuses. This is restoration not previously possible and enabled by ever improving technology. Even I have been able to demonstrate how this type of AI software can provide enjoyable alternatives versions of the 60s Stereo Tracks on my You Tube Channel with some of Frankie and the groups classic recordings.

What these Beatles and Beach Boys releases reveal is that if you are regarded as a 'legendary' group, you develop a huge and generationally renewing collectors base. The Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons Full Catalogue release was always a major way for us fans to catch up [with everything].......but even now to still be left behind by other 60s groups [unfortunately by understandable delays].

As you will all know this set has been designed and built around 'rare and unreleased' sides, both MONO and STEREO'. But as I have said from a collectors and fans perspective it is not enough and is only levelling up to some extent the catalogue of the 'mega groups'. 'Working Our Way Back To You' is a very apt title for the set. As fans, many of you have trusted my commitment with the late Bob Fisher to the content, by ordering the limited edition. We both said we would see this production through to final mastering but with his passing and other pressures that has not been possible. We always planned to check the final mastering.

I have always been open and transparent with the fan base as my allegiance is to the network that helped us so much to achieve the set we have gained approval to. That is limited in a number of ways and the content does not include as many completed and unreleased Motown [and other]Tracks as I and you would have wanted. I am not angry or negative re what we achieved [at long last] but only asking a question many have asked me......."as you have evidence that more tracks are there and completed and in good sound quality why could they not be included"?. Time and cost pressures and particularly the pandemic made the planned approach impossible. The problems of getting 2 track Stereo versions of 16 track masters from Universal Motown during lockdown made it difficult to get songs to Bob Gaudio for approval and his commitment to the Neil Diamond stage production limited the 'mixing' he could do for this set. But lack of communication at times particularly since Bob Fisher's passing has meant that I am only 'Track Advisor' although I did contribute the Collectors Notes with the help of key knowledgeable music detectives. Snapper accepted these with little edit which I guess I should be grateful for and I hope they explain the release history and meet your approval but I have had no opportunity to collaborate with the Sound Engineer or check the sound quality of the final product. Hopefully the final quality [from 'best available sources' Snapper say] will meet all our expectations and the huge investment in the research of tracks Bob Fisher and I did........ Not least helped by the 'memorabilia' and photos of John Pingree, Bob Crewe's Sound Engineer George Schowerer and the superb design work of Rachel Gutek.....and the Snapper team.

There is, we all accept, the urgent need to release this set and then to take stock re the size and spread of the fan base [the market for product beyond the 'hits']. I would like to think that 2500 copies will sell by mid 2023 and we as fans can look ahead [to more]. Bob Gaudio and Frankie Valli need to decide if they want to sell further product from their past by researching tape sources and build a future as 'legendary' artists with those that got them there. What do Four Seasons fans want?.......We in the FSUKAS want to celebrate all that they have achieved with the group and their co-creators such as Bob Crewe and Charlie Calello[to name just two...et al]

There are further sources and tracks to be found by the FSP but the first step is understanding and engaging with the fan base and past collaborators. Our FB presence shows the people are out there with the interest. Finding an 'investor' Record Company and Top Engineering led team of researchers is what the other 'legendary' groups have done. Frankie and Bob could do that too.....No !!!...need to do that. You cannot achieve it by simply selling your 'publishing'. You may own [most of] your 'catalogue' but you need to 'invest' in research and 'curate' it as 'art' and as a path to a future income stream for future generations. Perhaps the forthcoming 'Jersey Boys' TV Movie will trigger the next step and we can see our Campaign for the review and release of all of the Motown material and more.......complete its mission. Your comments and expectations can be voiced in our FB groups.........Ken

The Four Seasons Motown Unreleased Campaign

Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons Fans

 

In the UK there has been no greater demonstration of the importance of what we have lived through and shared as illustrated with the recent passing away of Queen Elizabeth II. An illustration of one thing the British do well is respect history and commitment as we [in the UK] have shown for her as the world has seen this last week. In an emotional week for us in the UK, it struck me when I recalled as a 5 year old her Coronation on 2nd June 1953 and our Garden Party, it was the same year that Frankie Valli started his career recording 'My Mothers Eyes'. UK fans also showed and shared our respect and love for Frankie Valli on his visit to the UK this summer working hard to entertain us at 88.

In remembrance today of Her Majesty as Ken Charmer – Former Civil Servant with Lynn Boleyn – MBE , Dr George Ingram and Ray Nichol, The Four Seasons UK Appreciation Society – Core Team.

 

 

The Snapper Music Box Set - Final Content Corrections

The confirmation by Snapper Music on their Madfish on-line ordering site is a welcome sight for Collectors of The Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons catalogue. We did not expect the publication of the track listing so soon as this was still being edited a fortnight ago, but it gives everyone the chance to see what we uncovered in 3 years of research of all available sources with Bill Inglot, past Four Seasons and the fan network.

But in the rush to press a few tracks got missed off the list and publicity, and which Snapper have confirmed to me will be in the final release. So this blog confirms the revisions to the track listing provided on the Madfish 'official' site. Firstly the UNRELEASED Tracks.....

• 'Killing Time' – the Crewe-Nolan penned recording missed off the 'Streetfighter' album in 1986.....somehow it got lost!!.[ I have my ideas as to why back then]....but thankfully found now in time for the Box Set and to be included on Disc 33[or 34].

• 'Can't Take My Eyes Off You' – Alternate LIVE studio version from Acetate – currently missed out of the list for Disc 13, but now restored. Given the information from Artie Schroeck, this is a very special version, as he says....."The version of Can’t Take My Eyes Off You was his performance on the session. At that time the American Federation of Musicians made the artists sing on the live session. I had the acetate of that performance and made a tape for Frankie. It was a great performance. Because it was Frankie singing live with a big band which he always wanted to do. I was pissed when they made him sing it over. ". Fortunately a superb previously unheard and original MONO version of the song has survived and is being included.

• 'Michael and Peter' - Frankie Valli/Jake Holmes DEMO MASTER for the Frank Sinatra 'Watertown' album recorded in 1969 – Currently missed out of Disc 16, but now restored.

Then there rare tracks not previously available in digital form included.

• 'Deep Inside Your Love' – Rare 45 'B' side1986 – Currently missed out of Disc 33[or 34], but now restored

• 'September Rain' as a 45 issue was an alternative recording and mix to the later album version running 2:58 rather than the 3:16 album version and with slightly different and some would say more jazz influenced orchestration.

• The 'Swearin' to God' 45 edit which was the hit version is also added as a BONUS Track to the 'Close-Up' album

• Also to make it clear, both the the previously 'unreleased' MONO MIX version of the 'Half and Half' album is included as well as the STEREO.

However there are always hits and misses in a set as big as this and there are several Out-Takes which Bob Fisher and I had wanted to be left with the count-ins and outro chat by Bob Crewe, but these have been edited out by the engineer, and fans will get 'edited versions and have to wait post release for Bob Crewe's PRICELESS comment at the end of 'Watch The Music Play'.......as before he stops recording, he says.......”Thank You Gentlemen.....that was 'lovely'”....and there are other 'Raven' session Out-Takes 1-4 of which 1 and 4 are included in edited form. However ALL of the 'Timeless' MONO Takes included appear to LIVE session masters as Artie's description.

All were in the Final List agreed with Bob Gaudio, and as Bob Fisher and I drafted it.

Now with the Book detailing the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons and special Collectors Notes done, and with these tracks confirmed to me as above, it will allow Snapper to finish the set and complete 'production' targeting a 9^th December 2022 release date

The final Mastering has not been sound quality checked by producer Bob Fisher due to his premature passing last year, or by me in any way to make comment so we all have to await release and hope all goes to plan. We said back in 2021 what we wanted in terms of sound quality based on research of all of the CD re-issue catalogue since 1988.

https://thatfourseasonssound.typepad.com/seasonally/2021/07/the-four-seasons-best-mixes-our-past-blog-re-visited.html

This set has been re-mastered based on NEW transfers and we are hoping for so much.

There is always with such research, threads that could have been followed up, but would have needed more expensive Engineer's tape research time and so a 'coulda …. woulda..... shoulda' list is inevitable. Other tracks were missed due to various time and compilation decisions or not judged alternative 'takes', where it was felt the differences between album and 45 was not sufficient to justify inclusion.......and there may have been other takes and edits we just couldn't find in time. The Extended Instrumentals of 'Beggin' and 'I'm Gonna Change' could not be included due to space issues around the late 60s finds.....and there may be some unreleased tracks remaining in the Mercury Philips storage as some 16 track transfers from the Philips Reels were found but not fully mixed down other than 'Need To Get To Know You' and 'The Goose'

In retrospect, I would have liked to include the 4 songs by Don Ciccone and the band 'on their own' from a sound check recording in 1977, but these are on You Tube …......and a search of the Drexel University donated 'Sigma Studio' tapes could have donated two more tracks 'Can't Be Too Much Music' and 'Stagger Lee'....but we did find  the unreleased 'Back in Action' and the LOST Disco Album set from those 1979 sessions. Obviously the REST of the Motown Unreleased is still wanted and will be campaigned for until Bob Gaudio and Frankie Valli allow us to research all of the 29 plus tapes recovered from Universals storage for a future 'release event'

Some material was clearly unfinished and of poor quality, and some LIVE concerts suffered from Frankie having flu, so decisions re omission were based on historical importance and sufficient sound/performance quality for preservation.

Credits are included to all who helped Bob and I with tracks that we could identify as Collectors sources and the Four Seasons membership list was completed thanks to Musical Director, Robbie Robinson.

What remains is for us now is to get our own thoughts together on the influences that define the Catalogue tracks: the albums and 45s and the constraints of the various Record Companies......together with Bob Gaudio and Frankie Valli's decisions on their career objectives.......and much will be discussed in our 'Seasons On Saturday' podcasts from July to the release date [and beyond] and then you will all be able to react to your purchases. Next will be Part 6 and a review of the 1966 to 69 period and the influences and history of recordings now uncovered in the context of this tape research.

It has been and remains a great honour and real fun reviewing the past music of this legendary vocalist and all of his recorded Four Seasons and much easier for us to evaluate and compile than for Bob and Frankie with perhaps many painful connections with their private lives and business decisions. Ours is the joy of fans......and before you ask I am already planning Disc 45 – The Snapper Box Set 'Out-Takes' for 2023....haha

I am sure some kind soul will make this information available to the music collectors forums.

Ken Charmer – for The Four Seasons UK Appreciation Society Box Set Team [Lynn Boleyn, Dr George A Ingram, and Ray Nichol] and our US associate Paul Urbans

The ULTIMATE Box Set is coming

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 9^th [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

The DAWN/RAG DOLL Re-Mastering Project 2022

These two albums remain two of the best selling Four Seasons albums ever and when ACE Records issued them on a Two-Fer in 1994 we had the best versions ever from the STEREO album Masters in the FSP vaults.

Now in 2022 as we are about to receive the MONO albums as well all re-mastered in the Snapper Music Box set the only problem is that some tracks on the STEREO albums are MONO and most STEREO versions of tracks are mixed 'wide' with the backing vocals separated in the right channel. But with Digitally Extraction software the music and vocals can be extracted and RE-MIXED to ensure all tracks are mixed consistently as on the Dawn album Tracks 3/4/5/8/11/12 and track 12 on Rag Doll.

So why not tackle this and see if a consistent vocal and instruments album can be created from the best Masters we have from the excellent ACE CD 554 from 1994. Particularly as we have a 1 Bit Studio transfer thanks to the late Stefan Wriedt to work from.

Here is a sample so far as we enjoy the 'together' sound of the Four Seasons for the whole album mixed this way. You will in time have the choice of the MONO....the original STEREO Mixes....and these NEW Centered Vocal Mixes in 2022. Enjoy!!!

Ken Charmer

 

 

 

 

 

 

'A Soul Of Cellophane' - Frankie Valli 1968

The research of the Four Seasons Partnership Archive we thought would have produced several unreleased tracks from the late 60s recording session as well as both STEREO and MONO Masters of singles and the albums. Well, it was a case of good news and bad news.

The BIG find of a MONO mix of the Genuine Imitation Life Gazette was a starting BONUS whilst news of the Half and Half album also in unreleased MONO form gave us optimism more would surface as many experimental sessions took place during the period from 1968 to 1970.

One such track that had never been released in STEREO was ‘A Face Without A Name’…although it is rumoured to have been released on 45 on Bob Crewe’s CGC Label CGC – 18 DJ PROMO, but we have been unable to find anyone who has ever had a copy or check . This Master was 1-44773 but it was also a Master number 1- 42858 from late 1968 sessions and released on Philips. So was it recorded twice? We will probably never know. There has never been a more ‘cutting’ lyric from Bob Crewe as he ‘calls out’ a former partner as having a ‘soul of cellophane’ in this sad and  rare song . It is a song and an arrangement worthy of highlighting and reviewing.

Our research of the FSP archive revealed one version was on the tape of UNRELEASED tracks on a 5 inch Tape Reel so we asked Bill Inglot to send it but the tape box turned out to have the damaged MONO Timeless tracks in the Tape Box. So as there are 200 tapes [5 inch] still in the storage ……many unlabelled ….and obviously with little time [and a spent budget] he couldn’t find it, so we have lost this Master [and ‘I Was A Boy/Baby’ and ‘Alone Again’ – an Artie Schroeck penned song on the same tape]

There appears to be only the one MONO surviving version after checking all the transfers. This appears to be as the ACE Half and Half album CD Bonus Track. Well we have no choice unless anyone knows of another version?

A copy on the PolyComp Salvage Tape or a vinyl dub was our only alternativet. As no-one has it in STEREO this appears the best and only surviving version and has been used in the Box Set.

So as an experiment our DES team worked using AI software to produced an interpretation of how this superb song and performance might sound in STEREO which we have uploaded onto you Tube. The instrumentation is mixed into both channels….and builds gradually in we hope an entertaining version in which the piano is clearly on the left as can be heard at 3:19 mins……

Here is the result……….Ken Charmer

 

 

THE FRANKIE VALLI AND THE FOUR SEASONS MOTOWN UNRELEASED PROJECT PLAN – CONCLUSIONS

So in Spring 2022 as we approach the release of the Snapper Music Box Set I have shared the accumulated information from Universal Motown's paper records from the 1970s . The research from the start of the century has been a core reason for the incorporation in a 'catalogue' based box set and I have done the Research Plan blog posts and maintained the social media Facebook Page “The Four Seasons Motown Unreleased Campaign' because we and Snapper Music with Bob Gaudio have not had the disclosure of the full story of what IS in the vaults and the comprehensive feedback from Universal to the research team I was a member of. Back in 2018 when Snapper Music were in contract discussions with Gene Zacharewicz at Universal it was confirmed that there were between 38-50 tapes that needed be researched to identify the released and 'unreleased' tracks that have survived. The Vault Service Tape Manager Andy Skurow was to research the Tapes and by early 2019 he had identified 19 unreleased vocals and had a further 11 that needed to be reviewed. This was based on the Tape Boxes and internal correspondence. Bob Gaudio was concerned re the complexity and uncertainty but eventually accepted he would review 2 track Masters and then Mix from 16/32 track those he and Frankie approved. It is clear the Vault manager simply read what was on the tape boxes and he said that listening tests of the multi-tracks was needed. It was eventually agreed he was to supply Bob and Frankie with either ALL of the Multi – tracks or selected and discovered 'unreleased' vocals. I believe he supplied a restricted selection. That is my opinion, but whatever happened we [Bob Fisher and I] were left out of the 'loop'. The Four Seasons at Motown has always been maintained by a veil of secrecy particularly in the days of lawyer Peter Bennett who told me any tracks there had been wiped or were demo's.....but facts are facts and I have told Harry Weinger at Universal that 'openness and transparancy' should be the way to work with researchers like myself and former Motown people such as Bob Fisher[unfortunately Bob passed away during our project]. I have only published all we know now because Universal have always operated a 'smoke and mirrors' approach rather than collaborative re these tracks. Unfortunately this is still a failure of the Record Industry and even Bob Gaudio[and maybe Frankie] have wanted this archive hidden from research for over 43 years.

As a part of the Snapper Research team we did NOT get to see the Tape Box scans[even though these were made available to Bob Gaudio], other than one, and our Tape Index Spreadsheet was criticised as 'loaded with errors'. Given that this was a Motown Tape Index supplied back at the start of the century from their paper/computer records this was a surprise as it was a follow on to the original listing of unreleased titles supplied in the 1990s by Tom DePerrio, and was confirmed by Cary Mansfield and corroborated in many cases by Artists Cards in 2011.  The details provided by Universal Motown to Snapper and Bob Gaudio was clearly incomplete and did not target the Tapes identified fully re the location advised on Artists Cards as these Project Plan Notes show. Delays within Universal [pre-pandemic] and pressure to complete contracts on this key part of the Box set did not help. After this superficial review it is no wonder Bob Gaudio was reluctant to review the tapes due to the time and cost involved and he rightly expected more from them. T tape safety copies and P tape transfers have not been fully followed up, and this exercise does Universal no credit nor the Archive Management Team. Feedback to Snapper revealed some previously unknown recordings [like 'Chained' and 'Starvin' For Your Love'] and it did indicate that most of the tracks we had discovered as having had Motown Master Nr's were existing most likely completed tracks. Andy Skurow did not share data with us and we believe Bob Gaudio as he should. In many cases Stereo Mix Downs existed but were not supplied. We could have helped trace down more but maybe it would have added work for the Vault Issue Department.?

I do know that Bob Gaudio appreciates that there is a sizeable group of fans and collectors in the world that have worked very hard to get the material that is going into the Box Set. He trusted us to find what we could in the Four Seasons Partnership[FSP] storage facility of tapes and the quality of what he has reviewed and approved for release from Universal Motown is superb. He asked back in 2019.....”Someone at Universal, if possible, could get a 2-track on the songs that Frankie put vocals on. Snapper have agreed to cover the cost, if indeed it is reasonable.  Once I can decide with Frankie, what is acceptable for release with Snapper, I would then require 16/24 or 32 tracks.  I would then mix them down for the Snapper project.  I hope this isn’t too much to deal with, because revisiting the past can sometimes be painful.  But apparently, there is a world of fans who would appreciate everyone’s efforts.  I thank you for all for your time.”......We reckon he did the best he could in in the time available for inclusion and for contracts to be set. It is just unfortunate that 'I Will Love You Like A Man' was left out after approval for perhaps LGBTQ sensitivity reasons.

From the tracks listed re vocals existing the Vault Manager made some mistakes but fortunately Bob has found vocals and mixed and approved them for the 13 tracks included. This just confirms the need for 'listening tests'. As a bonus we found alternative mixes of several tracks in the FSP archive supplied back in 1973/74 as sample mixes which we have salvaged so that they can be added to Disc 22 to show the alternative mixes considered at the time. The results overall for this CD are amazing and whilst we haven't heard the rest of the 'unreleased' that we have listed we have evidence that many other tracks with vocals have been found and survive. We believe the whole of the sessions history at Motown should be researched and  made available to fans as has the Beach Boys catalogue of session masters and alternate takes.

The problem is that Universal Motown OWN these masters and whilst in this day and age after 50 years the Masters should, in any reasonable persons eyes, revert to Bob and Frankie , Universal are NOT going to give up masters to their former artists. That is policy. They have licensed both released and some unreleased but will not give up ownership, especially for a music legend like Frankie Valli. The  multi-track tapes represent a gold-mine of the creative skills of artists and producers and they will issue tracks from them when money is to be made from them.......hence the current Stoney/Meatloaf compilation....so soon after his passing.

The notes I have compiled in the Research Plan demonstrate the sources to be checked to verify where completed tracks have survived and not just what appears on the Tape Boxes. If and when the FSP want to or feel able to challenge ownership then maybe we will hear more or maybe Universal Motown will be open to licensing with an independent Record Label in the future.......but don't hold your breath – it has taken 14 years since the first and only CD release of their Motown released tracks.  Mixing and evaluation is a cost I know Bob Gaudio questions as worthwhile spending for release, as is challenging Universal's ownership. As collectors and researchers we know that such finds will be treasures for us and future generations and a good long-term investment for the FSP and if the opportunity to preserve them exists, in the future, we are ready and willing to help and have a plan and know the sources. …....until someone listens to all of the tapes and tells all.

The Motown Master Nr list of Frankie Valli and Four Seasons tracks is given in the link below indicating probably completed tracks with the released tracks being highlighted in yellow. So there are a minimum of 32 UNRELEASED Completed Masters...we have identified locations for 90%....and this summer will see the release of another 13 as highlighted in blue. And whilst we are still alive to say it.......this is our history, and I will keep the FB Campaign Page going and we should all blame Universal Motown for what we and the FSP don't have. They have simply passed all the work to Bob Gaudio for the listening tests and may not have supplied all of the Tapes we have listed. We want more....particularly the missing Bob Crewe productions from 1973......But this Box Set is a godsend....a real treasure for all fans and collectors.....in spite of Universal.

More details on tracks found.....probably!!.......next time

The Motown Master List

'Motown Unreleased' Project Research Plan - Part 7

Session Review Notes

Period 1973[Oct- Dec]

Artist:Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons

Bob Crewe Late 1973 Sessions Frankie Valli[ Four Seasons]

[lncluding Kenny Nolan, Charlie Calello and Nick Massi and a Four Seasons including Gerry Polci and Lee Shapiro, Joe Long and Demitri Callas]

Core Tapes to be researched: P2664:

Track Title: My Eyes Adore You-Title on Artists Card!! [Alternative Mix found and proposed for release Summer 2020]

Artist: Frankie Valli

Producer: Bob Crewe

Motown Master: 62522

First Location Tape: P2664

Second Location: T5178

Additional Location: P5085[Album]

Notes

It's very interesting studying the Artists Card for 'My Eyes Adore You' which shows the first stereo mix done on 11th December 1973 and copies done to T tape 5178 but then again some 6 months later on 4th and 10th June.(the second one being to P5085 the mysterious album tape Motown assembled that month). So then there is the note “mixes out to producer” in red and “tune sold back to producer”.

This raises the question of 'when' was it sold?. Perhaps it was as late as June 1974 and that is when Crewe/Valli/Gaudio started 'hawking it around' to other Record Companies before signing Frankie Valli up to Private Stock.? Does anyone know more?

Charles Calello told us he put added strings on the copy purchased for release in late 1974. This copy remains in Motown’s vault as the original Master and we found a Tape Box of a ‘New Mix?’ version in the FSP Archives. It has a louder guitar in the mix and a different vocal outro from Frankie which is not as effective as the version later released on Private Stock. We have proposed this version for inclusion as a Bonus Track in the Box Set ‘unreleased’ tracks Disc 22.

Track Title: Hymn To Her [found and for release Summer 2020]

Artist: Four Seasons

Producer: Bob Crewe

Motown Master: 62523

First Location Tape: P2664

Second Location: T5198[78?]/T5767

Additional Location: P5085[Album]

Notes

The administrators that did the Artists Cards at Motown in 1973 didn't always get the right 'gender' message as the data for Master Nr 62523 shows.[Titled ‘Hymn To You’ !!] This magnificent Bob Crewe-Kenny Nolan song just oozes quality and the anthemic 4 Seasons which we know include Nick Massi lift it to another level. Frankie Valli may have wanted to get away from his falsetto hence the focus on 'My Eyes Adored You' rather than this but it is suggested he did try to buy 'other masters' from the label in Rex Woodard's article from Billboard in 1981. He now knows the superb master for this still exists and that fans would love it as we have put the acetate on You Tube since 2011 when we uncovered it.  Mixed as early as 11th December 1973 and subsequently copied to album Tape P5085 which we now know had tracks added in May 1974 all too late for a frustrated group and producer and never released. Bob Gaudio already had plans to take this group in a new direction and Frankie Valli wanted to re-establish himself separately as a solo performer. Did Frankie Valli's solo ambitions eventually destroy the Four Seasons sound?.....answers on a postcard to......The Four Seasons Partnership c/o...!!!........it is however ESSENTIAL FOUR SEASONS. The mix approved by Bob Gaudio for inclusion in the Snapper Box Set is different to the copy we found in the FSP Archive....it had been there since 1974??....and is the same choir fade-in start as the acetate. It has been proposed for inclusion in the Box Set as an alternative Mix.

Track Title: Lovers [found and for release Summer 2020]

Artist: Four Seasons

Producer: Bob Crewe

Motown Master: 62524

First Location Tape: P2664

Second Location: T5198

Additional Location: P5085[Album]

Notes

This is one of the last unreleased recordings from the November 1973 sessions with Bob Crewe and Kenny Nolan and the Four Seasons that included Lee Shapiro and Gerry Polci. Charlie Calello was the arranger and Nick Massi also arranged the vocals and contributed to the harmonies. We have salvaged an acetate copy and posted the recovered version of this on You Tube since 2011, but this card confirms all we had from the Tape Index was correct. Bob Gaudio has mixed and approved a version for inclusion on the Snapper Music Box Set. It is on P2664 but was mixed and copied to P5085 in May 1974 which was the album assembled for release as Crewe/Valli/Gaudio decided to leave the label and try to take the songs they had done. It's a pity this one couldn't be bought along with 'My Eyes Adored You' as it would probably have sold well.

The FSP Archive actually contained an alternative mix with slightly different closing which we believe was the final mix selected for copying to the cancelled album tape. It has been proposed for inclusion in the Box Set.

Track Title: You've Got To Make Your Tomorrow Tonight

Second Location: T5198

Notes

This track has been found as an acetate demo but begs the question....Why?. It is a Wonder Who styled song of ‘novelty’ quality but was completed. It can be heard on our You Tube channel ‘Mowest Chameleon’.  Maybe it is more a joke by Bob Crewe to wind-up Motown Execs.? But whilst interesting it isn't a strong addition to the groups catalogue although done at the same sessions as the above tracks and with the same personnel.

Track Title :Hickory [Extended Version]

Artist: Four Seasons

Producer: Bob Crewe

Motown Master: 62521

First Location Tape: P2664

Notes

Although a released 45 - Motown 1288FA we found an acetate in 2011 of the ‘Extended’ version with an extra verse and a superb Frankie Valli falsetto ending. Whether it has been found or reviewed by Bob Gaudio is unclear as he identified that he did NOT WANT the extended version of ‘Charisma’ included in the Box Set even though it was included in the 2008 Motown Anthology 2 CD Box set.!!! Obviously it should be.....but why a NO from him when I sent him the Master of ‘Charisma’ Extended?

The version we have of ‘Hickory Extended’ is on You Tube here, but there is no evidence the version has survived but if so it should be on Tape P2664.....and should be released.

There are rumoured other tracks from this session tape to be confirmed via listening tests which given the volume of Tapes involved may not have happened yet and most certainly Universal Motown are not allowing anything else to be included in the Box Set and Bob Gaudio is not approving anything else for this project

Next Time......Summary/Conclusions

Ken Charmer – Music Historian

'Motown Unreleased' Project Research Plan - Part 6

Session Review Notes

Period 1973[Mid] – Bob Gaudio sessions

Artist:Frankie Valli

Core Tapes to be researched: P2878: 2505

Track Title: Future Years [found and for release Summer 2020]

Artist: Frankie Valli

Producer: Bob Gaudio

Motown Master: 62216

First Location Tape: P2678

Second Location: T5232

Notes

Our final Artists Card in a set of 23 for individual recordings was not the last recording but  from the final Bob Gaudio session at Motown with Valli seeking to find a 'solo' hit.(in May 1973). 'Future Years' had no writing credits as far as we could find during our research but represents a 'telling' title to close the Motown 'unreleased' Artists Cards. With a completed Master Nr 62216 it was probably recorded before 'The Scalawag Song' (62300) although it appears on a later P tape (2678 c/f 2505). Recording dates show May/June recording and it was part of Bob Gaudio’s review of the Motown Tapes transferred to him by the Vault Issue Department at Universal Motown,. He obviously focused on his own sessions which he knew/recalled best and this track has been approved for release as part of the Snapper Music Box Set.. It is an excellent and prophetic lyric written by Tony Martin Jr and Guy Finlay who Bob Gaudio would go on to produce an album with, before leaving Motown. The track was copied to Tapes P5084/5 as part of a planned album in May 1974 as the group and Bob Crewe left the label. Gaudio would leave as a writer/producer in 1975 . It appeared to only ever be stored as a 16 track master but whilst reviewing the FSP archive we found a number of unreleased Motown Copy Tapes and one included this song but in a different ‘Take’ with slightly different closing instrumental and vocal. It has been put forward for inclusion in the Box Set as an Alternative Version.

 

Track Title: Getting Over You

Artist: Frankie Valli

Producer: Bob Gaudio

Motown Master: 62217

First Location Tape: P2678

Second Location: T5232

Notes

It appears that before Bob Crewe took the NEW Four Seasons into the studio with Nick Massi and Charlie Calello in November 1973 that Bob Gaudio did further summer tracks with Frankie Valli targeting a solo hit. The only Master to emerge as a Motown release from these sessions is 'The Scalawag Song' (62300). A beautiful song but another poorly promoted release by Motown. But other songs with earlier Master Nrs would indicate other unreleased but completed songs from such sessions. 'Getting Over You' (62217) is one of three other Master numbers (with 62216 and 8) that appear to come from a May 1973 session that we know very little about. What we do know is the Artists Card captures some clues as to the last solo session Valli did at Motown. Some confusion seems to have existed when the card was produced as to whether the song was being recorded by Martin and Finley as opposed to Frankie Valli. We know Bob Gaudio produced Martin and Finley's sole Motown album 'Dazzle 'Em With Footwork' – a very disappointing sounding album which appeared in 1974 before Gaudio left Motown. A later added note (in red) on the Artists Card indicates the departure of the group from Motown saying 'Out Of Spec' which appears on a few of the last Cards. Although clearly found by Bob Gaudio in his review of the tapes in 2019 it was a surprise that it was not approved for release along with others from these sessions. But it is complete and we want it!!.

Track Title: Whatever You Want [found and for release Summer 2020]

Artist: Frankie Valli

Producer: Bob Gaudio

Motown Master: 62218

First Location Tape: P2678

Second Location: T5232

Additional Location: T5736[30May1974] P5085[Album]

Notes

 A song which is a throwback to 1962 and Bob Gaudio and Bob Crewe's developing writing partnership. The song is 'Whatever You Want' and the Artists Card and Tape Index show this was recorded by Frankie Valli at a May 1973 session with producer Bob Gaudio on P Tape 2678. It is, of course, a re-make of the classic 1962 Jerry Butler song of the same name written by Gaudio-Crewe and originally released on Vee-Jay 486(SS195 UK). Could it be as good as the superb Jerry Butler original updated by Frankie Valli?. Well Motown thought so in May 1974 as they copied it to the then planned P5085 Master tape for a NEW album which would never see release as the group left Motown. It has lush Beach Boys style backing vocals by Motown session singers and a plaintiff Frankie Valli vocal. A great sound.

Well we also found a copy of it in the FSP archive from 1974 so Frankie and Bob had always known it was complete and there. This is an underdub version with a piano only backing. But it is a superb production and vocal/backing and has been proposed by us  for release.

Track Title: You Can't Hold On [found and for release Summer 2020]

Artist: Frankie Valli

Producer: Bob Gaudio

Motown Master: 62299

First Location Tape: P2505

Second Location: T4389

Additional Location:  P5084[Album]

Notes

Back to the Motown Records Artist's Card that supply clues of happenings at Motown in both 1973 and 1974 we found 'You Can't Hold On' was not a song title for which we can identify writers [and Motown refer to it as COPYRIGHT CONTROL] but it was one of a handful of songs Bob Gaudio produced with Frankie Valli in May 1973 as it is on the same P track tape as 'Scalawag' (Master Nr 62300) and has the previous Master Nr 62299. The copy dates were at first misleading, but what has emerged is that Stereo Mixes of the song were made in May 1974 for possible use as the B side to a single proposed for ‘The Night’. We found a copy of both Mix 4 of this track with Mix 39 of The Night [ the Frankie Valli lead-in version of 43 mixed in total !!]. If Valli/Gaudio and Crewe hadn't confronted Motown and left with 'My Eyes Adored You' we may have heard this on a released album in late 1974 as it was also copied to Tape P5085 for that cancelled album. But researching the FSP Archive we also found 2  different versions to the one approved as a final ‘Take 6’ Mix which has alternate Valli and backing vocals and has been put forward for inclusion in the Box Set.

This may also be one of the tracks they also tried to 'buy' from Motown who wanted too much money for them . Were 'My Eyes Adored You' and the released 'Scalawag ', the best of the tracks they had in the vault from these 1973 sessions ?. Well our research and this Snapper Box set release will show there were many quality tracks still left behind [or sitting with Bob Gaudio ] as documented in this research plan.

Next Time......Part 6 – Bob Crewe’s November/December sessions 1973

 

Ken Charmer – Music Historian

'Motown Unreleased' Project Research Plan - Part 5

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

'Motown Unreleased' Project Research Plan - Part 4

Session Review Notes

Period 1972[Aug] – 1972[Dec]

Artist:Frankie Valli

Mid-Late 1972 Frankie Valli Sessions

Background

Record keeping and session information is pretty slim/erratic for this period but based on Master and Tape Index Nrs, sessions with Frankie Valli did take place. Bob Gaudio I recall in interview with Stu Miller at the time said Valli was just doing demos for other artists and it is true some titles listed are released by other artists and some may well be demos. These tracks are grouped together due to limited data with what we know until more is found but generally they cover sessions with Hal Davis, Willie Hutch and Michael Masser. No clear session dates are available for most and some may be recorded earlier in 1972. However if they were given a Motown Master Number we would expect them to be completed. Whether they remain intact requires a tape listening review.

Core Tapes: P2134: P2304: P2351: P2352: P2440

Track Title: With You

Artist: Frankie Valli

Producer: Not Known[possibly Hal Davis]

Motown Master: 61561

First Location Tape: Not Known[Possibly P2304 or P2351]

Notes

It is believed this is the Carole Bayer Sagar – Ken Ascher song that Frankie Valli eventually released on the “Lady Put The Light Out' album on Private Stock PS 7002 in 1977. The Motown Master Nr does confirm a completed product but no Artists Card has been found and the Tape location is unknown

Track Title: Include Me In Your Life

Artist: Frankie Valli

Producer: Not Known[probably Hal Davis]

Motown Master: Not known

First Location Tape: P2304

Notes

A song recorded in the same period by Diana Ross and Marvin Gaye, and released as the B' Side to "My Mistake (Was To Love You)", the writers being McLeod/Bolton and the producer was Hal Davis. The Valli version may well have been used as a demo for the release as it has no Master Nr but listed to exist on Tape P2304. Tape Box information indicates it was “Reassigned to Suzie Ikeda/Suzie vocals/Also Ross/Gaye” but on the 1990s internal Universal  list as recorded by Frankie Valli

Track Title: Point Of No Return

Artist: Frankie Valli

Producer: Not known[possibly Hal Davis]

Motown Master: Not Known

First Location Tape: P2304

Notes

Research Kev Singer identified that this title was recorded by The Stylistics on their self-named 1971 Avco album. As 'Stop, Look and Listen' is also listed as a Valli recorded song [which has been found complete and for release this year] we would suggest a Hal Davis production of this excellent Thom Bell-Linda Creed composition. On the 1990s internal Universal  list as recorded by Frankie Valli

Track Title: Where Love Ends

Artist: Frankie Valli

Producer: Not Known[possibly Willie Hutch]

Motown Master: Not known

First Location Tape: P2134

Notes

All we have for this title is the Tape Index reference  and lists from the 1990s and 2002 [Motown internal memo] which give this track as existing. Only 2 BMI listings exist for the title and one is a Michel Legrand orchestral piece.

Track Title: I'll Make It Up To You

Artist: Frankie Valli

Producer: Not Known[possibly Willie Hutch]

Motown Master: Not known

First Location Tape: P2134

Notes

This and the previous track are listed as on the same tape as the released Willie Hutch produced and written 'Thank You' which was recovered from P2134 and mixed for inclusion on the 1975 album 'Inside You'. Again it is listed in the 1990s and 2002 Motown lists. A review of P2134 16 track Tape is needed

Track Title: Minute By Minute – Day By Day [found and for release Summer 2020]

Artist: Frankie Valli

Producer: Not Known[possibly Michael Masser]

Motown Master: 61587

First Location Tape: P2351[30IPS]

Second Location: T3252/3253

Notes

BMI searches reveal a song called 'Minute By Minute' written by Michael Masser and Kathy Wakefield and given the fact 'After You' see below was recorded by Valli with Masser this was our path of research. The writing duo teamed up with Al Ruzika[of The Night fame] to pen 'Last Time I Saw Him' for the same titled Diana Ross album during this period. This track appears with copies made to T tapes indicating that it was completed and that has proved to be the case and it was somewhat amazing to hear it when Bob Gaudio confirmed it was approved. It is a superb mid-tempo song which Frankie Valli sings with great skill.

Track Title: I Can Get Away From You (But I Can't Get Over You)

Artist: Frankie Valli

Producer: Not Known[possibly Michael Masser]

Motown Master: 61588

First Location Tape: Not Known[Possibly P2351/2]

Notes

This song appears to be written by Pam Sawyer and Michael Masser and was released by Tony and Carolyn on VIP 25068F in 1971. FOUND HERE. No other background info to this track can be found apart from the fact that a Master Nr was allocated which categorises it with the previous song and given the co-writer was Michael Masser it is reasonable to think it is from his sessions with Valli and was completed. There is no Artists Card and only the title appears in the Tape Index and on a list of tracks from Motown during the 1990s and on an internal memo within Motown in 2002.

Track Title: After You [found and for release Summer 2020]

Artist: Frankie Valli

Producer: Michael Masser

Motown Master: Not known

First Location Tape: P2352

Notes

A collectors tape box scan of a 7.5ips reel box with the instrumental track gave us the first clue to these potential Michael Masser sessions and a confirmed Tape index Nr P 2352 confirmed the session......but as the reel we had contains only the music backing and no verification of Valli's lead vocal had been found until surprisingly it was one of the 13 tracks ‘approved’ by Bob and Frankie for release.

The box indicates a November 1972 date for that copy. And with no Master Nr and no Artists Card we thought it was  incomplete. It was subsequently recorded and released by Diana Ross and Englebert Humperdink but with different orchestral arrangements. It is a 'full' musical arrangement with a heart-aching and intense vocal interpretation by Frankie Valli. This surprising find supports the need for a full listening review of all of the 16 track tapes.

The song was recorded by Diana Ross on her self-titled 1976 album. FOUND HERE  in a very different arrangement. Interestingly it is a Crewe/Corbetta/Marmelzat composition and the timing of this potential recording could coincide with Bob Crewe's signing for Motown in fall 1972 and the start of his relationship with Jerry Corbetta [ Note– Jerry Corbetta had performed with the group ‘Sugarloaf’ a Denver, Colorado based rock and roll band that performed from 1970 to 1975. Jerry teamed up with Bob Crewe in 1975 when he was the band leader of the The Jam Band on the Disco-Tex and The Sex-O-Lets first album...and became a four Season in 1979 until 1981) ]

Track Title: Sitting On The Edge Of My Mind

Artist: Frankie Valli

Producer:  Probably Hal Davis

Motown Master: Not known

First Location Tape: P2440

Notes

On the same tape as 'Life and Breath' which was released, Kev Singer tells us, “Then there's the mystery of "Sitting On The Edge Of My Mind". Could this be the same song as recorded by Jermaine Jackson and issued on his "Come Into My Life" album in 1973? This song was written by Don Fletcher, Charlotte O'Hara and Nita Garfield. It was arranged by Greg Poree and produced by ..... Hal Davis. The matrix (side 1 of the LP) shows C5RS-7696-1 and cat no M775L.” The recording by Valli may simply be a demo or simply not given a final mix. 'Life And Breath' itself was only recovered and mixed from this tape in 1975 for the 'Inside You' album and it suggests the rest of the Hal Davis session contents are on this tape.

Track Title: When I Come Of Age

Artist: Frankie Valli

Producer: Hal Davis

Motown Master: Not Known

First Location Tape:P2440

Notes

Again on the same tape as 'Life and Breath'. Researcher Kev Singer told us, “Listed as an unreleased song by Frankie Valli is "When I Come Of Age". The lyric is clearly for a child and any version, given the title alone, sounds like it would have to be a demo if a recording by Valli still exists. The track by Michael Jackson which remained in the vaults was eventually issued on his "Looking Back To Yesterday" album. This song was written by Hal Davis, Don Fletcher and Weldon Dean Parks especially for Michael.” From the Michael Jackson version on You Tube, it appears that any version sung by Frankie would be a Demo.

Next Time......Part 5 – Bob Crewe returns for 1973 sessions

 

Ken Charmer – Music Historian

'Motown Unreleased' Project Research Plan - Part 3

Session Review Notes

Period 1971[Oct] – 1972[Aug]

Artist:Frankie Valli/Four Seasons

Four Seasons - Bob Gaudio produced 'Chameleon' Sessions and other tracks

Core Tapes to be researched: P2105: 2110: 2111;2262

Unreleased Tracks

Track Title: Loving You That's My Thing [found and for release Summer 2020]

Artist: Four Seasons

Producer: Bob Gaudio

Motown Master: 60752

First Location Tape: P2111

Second Location: T2062

Notes

A  discarded track from one of the 'Chameleon' tapes P2111 is 'Loving You, That's My Thing' which sounds like it should be a soul/funk track by the Temptations or Jacksons. But can you judge that on the title? It's certainly not a title we could find any other record of, but evidence was that it was recorded at the same time as 'Poor Fool' and 'You're A Song'. But not heard since. Well until recently that is. A completed version of it has surfaced from the session and the track is an up-tempo harmony laced 'sing-along' 'fun' type song completely different to the serious songs of the ‘Chameleon’ album . A completed Master Nr 60752 (on Tape P2111) exists but no evidence of a Stereo Mix for album/single assessment { Tape Box Data reveals 2 leads, 1 incomplete ] so maybe it was not considered for release although at the time it was one of the 15 completed tracks listed in the TCB Newsletter in Jan 1972 which was the first mention of it. [ A Finished Copy has also been found by fans] . Now we have it from the Master Tape and Bob Gaudio has found and approved the track for inclusion in the Snapper Music Box Set.

Track Title: Lovewell

Artist: Four Seasons

Producer: Bob Gaudio

Motown Master: 60759

First Location Tape: P2111

Notes

One of the more intriguing Artists Card from Motown is a song that appears to be a 'Chameleon' album reject. It has also proved to be a title with no recognisable registered writers. 'Lovewell' was mentioned by Steve Bailey as worked upon at the 'My Heart Cries Out To You' session. But it was not mentioned again other than in the list of 15 tracks laid down in the TCB Newsletter Jan 1971 and we can't find anything on BMI/ASCAP about it. But this shows it was recorded and where it is located.

Track Title: Never Gonna Give My Love to You [found and for release Summer 2020]

Artist: Four Seasons

Producer: Bob Gaudio

Motown Master: 60760

First Location Tape: P2110

Second Location:T2023

Additional Locations: T2062/T2151

Notes

In early 72 newsletters from Stu Miller's notes it was stated....”three (songs from the 15 listed back in Feb 1972)are at present being considered for a first single. They are 'Never Gonna Give My Love To You', 'The Night' or 'Time Will Tell'. .....Al Ruzicka wrote by himself 'Never Gonna Give My Love.....' and co-wrote with Bob Gaudio 'The Night'.

Finding Al's published songs has been pretty difficult at both BMI and ASCAP but we know he also wrote 'Poor Fool' , and co-wrote 'Touch The Rainchild' and it seems he co-wrote 'When Will You Come Home To Me' with Bob Gaudio and Kathy Wakefield(a Motown in-house writer) for Diana Ross and it appears on the 'Last Time I Saw Him' album. This album included two other Bob Gaudio co-written and produced songs.

But we do have the Artists Card for the Four Seasons Sessions at Mowest which shows this track as the last in a sequence of Motown Masters that run from 60752 to 60760. It follows 'When The Morning Comes' and 'Sun Country' and is probably one that didn't make the 'cut' for the ‘Chameleon’ album. This sequence of tracks indicate sessions in November/December 1971 with Stereo Mixes done in January 1972. Obviously from the TCB Newsletter listings at least 15 tracks were mixed to Stereo for potential release. Only 'Love Isn't Here/Poor Fool' made it to 45 and surprisingly the 45 scan names the album source as 'Chameleon' in Feb 1972 when the album didn't surface till May 1972. I'm asking everyone to search their notes and records from back then for any more data but it seems the concept for 'Chameleon’ was set in stone prior to this February 45 release date. Also it appears Gaudio's productions took precedence over other producers(including The Corporation) and it now seems probable that he persuaded Mowest to go with his choice of 45 and that all 8 songs for the album were recorded and mastered(along with others that remain unreleased). Evidence of the Chameleon track sessions was found on cassette tape and this track has surfaced in completed format and it is an up-tempo song with chanted backing by the Seasons. Very like the live song they did in the 1980s concerts [You're Never Too Old To Rock And Roll' ] this is a real hand-clapper and totally different to the tracks selected for ‘Chameleon’. It doesn't fit that concept at all

This track [which we have as a completed demo] was mixed to a 16 track copy tape and two Stereo mixes were made but no dates are given. However Bob Gaudio has found it and it appears ‘Re-Mixed’  from 16 track BUT with loads of reverb and echo on the Four Seasons backing vocals which in my opinion destroys the feel from the session version. It will be in the Snapper Music Box Set

 

Track Title: We Had It All (Walking In The Sunshine)

Artist: Four Seasons

Producer: Bob Gaudio?

Motown Master: 60769

First Location Tape: Not known possibly P2105/10 or 11

Notes

No Artists Card or Tape Index Reference has been found for this track and a long lost demo of the Four Season backing and instrumental track has surfaced giving the perception that Valli never did a vocal lead?. It also appears in this format in the FSP Archive. However a list of Motown Masters confirms the track was [most likely] finished and resides on one of the key tapes noted. The Master Nr immediately precedes 'The Night' and so we surmise it is a Bob Gaudio production. But as a Willie Hutch Master follows 'The Night' on P2105 that is a qualified guess. The song appears in the BMI listing as a Stone Diamond published song and as these publishers did many Motown songs we think it may be a Haynes – Rhone composition or maybe Bob Gaudio could tell us?

Track Title: That's All I Want From You

Artist: Four Seasons

Producer: Bob Gaudio

Motown Master: 60772

First Location Tape: P2111

Notes

When you look at the Four Seasons Motown Tape Index, 3 tapes stand out from the sessions that took place at the end of 1971 as intensive studio recording took place. Tapes P2105/2110/2111 feature predominantly Bob Gaudio produced songs and the majority were very innovative arrangements and original Gaudio or group written songs. Several saw release and I've already featured some that didn't make the 'Chameleon' album or 45 cut. But one features a song that asks the question........was it completed?..The song was recorded and given a Master Nr 60772 on Tape P2111. The Artists Card confirms it's existence although only as a 16 track recording with no final Stereo Mix done to date. But evidence has emerged of the backing track being copied to cassette  A real mystery this one. The fact that a Master Nr exists would indicate a completed session Master but only the tape research would reveal the song which may need a final mix from the 16 tracks. We have the Instrumental version from a session tape cassette but know nothing more re its completed form.

Track Title: You're A Song

Artist: Four Seasons

Producer: Bob Gaudio

Motown Master: 60777

First Location Tape: P2110[Slow Version] P2111[Fast Version]?

Notes

As we've seen with the most recent Artists Cards there were a number of tracks that were recorded as part of the Chameleon sessions, led by Bob Gaudio which never made the 'cut' for the album and which he had never heard since [until the Universal Digital Transfer]. His fan base can just be aghast at this and wonder whether any hidden 'gems' exist or just 'out-takes' he'd rather not have us hear.? But we know the one we have heard.....but 'which version is it?'
Motown Master Nr 60777 is a song from the 'Chameleon' album but there are it seems, a 'slow' version on Tape P2110(along with The Night, Touch The Rainchild and When The Morning Comes) and a 'fast' version on Tape P2111(along with Poor Fool , A New Beginning and a few other unreleased titles ). And a Lead vocal and Harmony vocal are confirmed as existing on that Tape. But it is hard for us to tell which one we have as the released version (probably the 'slow' one) makes it hard to believe there could be an alternative ‘fast’ arrangement - .although we do know at least 18 takes were done . Stereo and 16 track copies exist on T Tapes too. We have a version with Frankie singing it in another key which we believe is an earlier Take.

Until Bob Gaudio tells us what was on the digitized copies of the tapes sent to him by Universal, he'll probably not reveal  the 'other' version, but we'd like to hear it whether it was an out-take or not.

Ken Charmer – Music Historian

 

March 2022

 

Note; The Chameleon session out-takes listed above that we have will be featured in the Motown Unreleased Campaign Facebook Group.

'Motown Unreleased' Project Research Plan - Part 2

Session Review Notes

Period 1971[Oct] – 1972[Aug]

Artist:Four Seasons – Various Producers

Core Tapes to be researched P2060: 2082: 2093: 2105: 2113: 2134: 2205: 2206

Introduction: Early Mowest 1971/72 Session Four Seasons

Just when the various producers sessions occurred after the Four Seasons signed up to Motown in October 1971 is unclear from the Tape Index and the Artists Cards. Tape Nrs and completed Master Nrs do not necessarily run in sequence, but some dates do appear when Stereo Mixes were done from the 16 track Master Tapes that lead to possibilities that condense thinking about the style and sounds being developed. We can clearly see that the original 'Chameleon' sound was a definitive set of sessions that reside on P2110/11 and had an original and very distinctive sound for the time. There was no definitive 'hit' sound during early 1972 and probably Mowest execs were searching for a new LA sound. The country rock singer/songwriter scene was firmly established out of Laurel Canyon and the Eagles country rock style(eg Take It Easy) would emerge by mid 1972 as the Southern California sound. So at the end of 1971 producers at Mowest it appears were looking for a competing adult-contemporay 'blue-eyed' soul sound that would suit AM radio.

There are interesting notes and connections in the Artists Cards. Sometimes the Artists Cards are more a mystery than anything else. The first mystery is how 'Walk On Don't Look' back appears with 2 Master Nrs. ? It is the very first Master Nr (60516) which suggests it was their first recording at the label in November 1971 and that is the Master Number that appears on the 45 BUT this wasn't released until 8/72. It doesn't really appear to be their first recording there either and it is not listed in the 15 tracks listed in Feb 1972 in the TCB fanzine as recorded in the early sessions. It is therefore included below as 'unreleased' re the Artists Card Number.  It should be noted that master number 60516 was also used for The Blackberries track "But I Love You More". My understanding is that The Blackberries single MW5020 was a non-issue and the two tracks "Somebody Up There" and "But I Love You More" remained unreleased until The Complete Motown Singles 12A was issued more recently and MW5020 was specially pressed as the 7" fronting that set.

Why in mid 72 this was  preferred to 'The Night' for August 1972 release remains a mystery. For such a strong single on an album to be missed by Mo-West in the USA is amazing. A test promo pressing was produced and we have scans of this. Although released in the UK in Oct 72 [MW3002] lack of promotion in the UK when the Mowest label launched is also a mystery? [It would become a featured track at Mr M's, Wigan Casino Room [and across the Northern Soul scene during 1973 and 74] which would force it's re release and chart entry in 1975(Chart Nr 6 UK)] And if considered a stronger track, why wasn't this alternative 45 'Walk On Don't Look Back' heavily promoted in the USA in Aug 72 and the UK in March1973? What we have heard shows that all of these completed Masters are well worthy of release as they were at the time. moWest simply didn’t have a clue.!

Unreleased Tracks

Track Title: My Heart Cries Out To You [found and for release Summer 2020]

Artist: Four Seasons

Producer: Larson - Marcellino

Motown Master: 60692

First Location Tape: P2060

Second Location: P2082

Additional locations:T2043/T2134/T3984

Notes

Just the second title on the Motown Tape Index the only detail we had on this in the past comes from former Four Seasons International Fan Club President, Steve Bailey(thanks to John Hornsby research). What we can now see from research of the Artists Cards is that the still unreleased song ‘My Heart Cries Out To You’(Tapes P2060/P2082) was co-produced by Marcellino and Larson as a potential single. Steve Bailey the USA fan club President managed to get into the sessions that finished the song. He wrote on a newsletter at the time....” Frankie had already done lead vocal and musical tracks were finished. Joe(Long) and Demitri (Callas) with Mel Larsen did background tracks and then Frankie did some doubling and back- grounds. It is a fantastic song. Maybe the new single. I sure hope so."  The track was copied to two 16 track tapes and at least one Stereo Mix was done. It was the second listed Motown Master by the group at 60692 so probably recorded in November 1971. Essential listening for Four Seasons fans?  Well hearing this find now ‘approved’ for release it is obvious it should have been the first single and heavily promoted as it is a classic in the Four Seasons ‘harmony style’ mid-tempo and falsetto laced song - it is simply superb.

Track Title: Girl, Don't Take Your Love From Me

Artist: Four Seasons

Producer: Willie Hutch

Motown Master: 60749

First Location Tape: P2105

Second Location: T2199

Additional locations:T2200/P6414

Notes

If confirmation were needed that Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons started recording as soon as they joined Motown then this shows it . It also shows us songs they recorded first before being released by others months later whilst this remains left in the vault.  The Tape Box to Tape P2105 shows” 2 versions: 1 Assigned to Four Seasons - 2 Vocals / Another to Michael Jackson - 2 Vocals”.

“Girl, Don't Take You're Love From Me' (Master Nr 60749) which we've heard by Michael Jackson was recorded by the Four Seasons in early November 1971(dub cut 20th November and again 20th December). One of only 2 Willie Hutch productions on them (‘Thank You' being the other).....surely there must be more as yet unresearched?.

A Stereo Mix was copied very late clearly after their departure from the label to Tape P 6414 which suggest post 1975. Songs like this add to the mystery of why MoWest didn't release more in 1972, but when you hear that before The Commodores moved to the main Motown label they had a whole album 'vaulted' at Mowest which remains unreleased to this day, you realise Motown Universal today are way behind the times and have little or no retrospective music release schedule. Perhaps they wrongly assess this period as unworthy of re-visiting or too expensive [legal and production cost] to prepare for release

Track Title: Wigs And Lashes

Artist: Four Seasons

Producer: The Corporation

Motown Master: 60756

First Location Tape: P2113

Second Locations: T2350

Additional location:P7675

Notes
'Wigs and Lashes' we now know was a laid-back mid tempo song written by Larry Mizzel of The Corporation, [tasked to find a new sound for the group] and the Artists Card for Master Nr 60756 was one of a handful they tried with the group. Mixed on 14th Feb 1972 and copied to 2 T tapes it has never appeared by the group although The Miracles versions on their 1973 'Rennaisance' album gives us an indication of how the song may have been handled by Frankie and the Seasons. There appear to be at least 6 mixes done at the time of the Master recording  but one note indicates a copy to P7675 which would have been a 1980s tape after the copying of tracks to the Superstars album (P7245) in 1981.

The Master Nr 60756 only precedes 'When The Morning Comes' by 2 numbers and suggests a November 1971 recording session

Track Title: Time Will Tell

Artist: Four Seasons

Producer: The Corporation

Motown Master: 60757

First Location Tape: P2113

Second Locations: T2083

Notes

Another find of a listed track in the Motown Tape Index I'd never heard......but one I have become obsessed with now thanks to Music Detective Mike 'Doo-Wop' Daddy who sent it to me. I've shared this version with you all on You Tube[Mowestchameleon]. The  version that was released was by Second Nature on Bell Records in 1973....as a Bob Crewe Production. This groups vocals are not the best and it would be interesting to hear the Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons version which was being considered for 45 release in Jan 1971[ according to newsletter notes by Stu Miller]. It is Master Nr 60757 which puts it 2 after 'Poor Fool' and 1 after 'Wigs and Lashes' . The next Master Nr 60758 was 'When The Morning Comes'. Although co-written by Bob Crewe with Louis St Louis it was produced by The Corporation TM.

Track Title: Walk On Don't Look Back [Alternative Master?]

Artist: Four Seasons

Producer: The Corporation

Motown Master: 60960

First Location Tape: P2205

Second Locations: T2735

Additional location: T3010/T3012

Notes

 A look at the Tape box for P2113 may reveal more about the Corporation sessions including when 'Walk On Don't Look Back' was actually recorded. There are two designated Master Nrs for this which is the only track in the index where this occurs. An alternative Master was shown on the 45 and this is the only ever occurrence of this anomally on all their Motown Index. Master Nr 60516-7B doesn't appear on a separate Artists Card. This 60960 card indicates a 'dub cut' in May 1972 post the early Seasons sessions and post the Bob Gaudio 'Chameleon' sessions. Subsequent copies to T tapes including 2 by Russ Terrana which align with the 28^th August release on Mo-West 5026F. Why a Master Nr 60516-7B appears on the 45 rather than 60960 remains a mystery. However the 'released' version HAS appeared on CD on the 2008 Anthology. The Artist Card shows the Stereo Master was copied on 22nd May and again on 7th August with 10 'takes' in total copied. Other version/takes are worthy of research.

Track Title: After I'm Gone

Artist: Four Seasons [possibly Frankie Valli]

Producer: The Corporation

Motown Master: 60961

First Location Tape: P2206

Second Location Tape: T2381

Notes

Although we have a Master Nr and a Production Tape locations for two 16 track versions nothing is known re this song except that we have an Artists Card that show it was recorded with The Corporation which dates it as amongst the early 1972 Four Seasons sessions. The fact that it was copied suggests it was completed but only tape research would reveal more. No other tracks are known from this tape but it may contain much more as it precedes the tape which contains 'Walk On Don't Look Back' which is assessed as being recorded in May 1972.The Master number follows this song and precedes 'Coming Home' and so is obviously from the same sessions

Track Title: Coming Home

Artist: Four Seasons

Producer: The Corporation

Motown Master: 60962

First Location Tape: Not known but possibly P2205 or P2206

Notes

No Artists Card has surfaced for this song nor any mention in the Tape Index BUT an internal report from Motown Universal shows it as a 'completed' Master Nr. The song was subsequently recorded by Michael Jackson and surfaced on a compilation. It appears on You Tube and was produced by The Corporation too. Writing credits are to Berry Gordy-Deke Richards-Freddie Perrin-Alphonso Mizell [The Corporation]. It's Master Nr follows 'Walk On Don't Look Back' Nr 60960 and 'After I'm Gone' Nr 60961 suggesting P2206 as a possible location

Track Title: Live It Up

Artist: Four Seasons

Producer: The Corporation

Motown Master: 60997

First Location Tape: Not known but possibly P2205 or P2206 or P2225

Notes

This song was written and recorded by Jermaine Jackson and released in June 1972. The song appears on You Tube and is a perfect vehicle for Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. A completed Master Nr 60997 indicates it should exist by them. But no clues exist as to which Tape it could reside on but probably the same as the other Corporation productions..

March 2022

Ken Charmer – Music Historian

Motown Unreleased - Session Review Plan Part 1

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

'Motown Unreleased' Project Research Plan - All we know in 2022

Introduction

This project has its roots in the 1975 release of the album 'Inside You' which featured 'previously unreleased' tracks from Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons contract at MoWest/Motown from 1971 to 1974. Released without Frankie Valli’s or Bob Gaudio’s permission, this caused them to distance themselves from their years at Motown, particularly as they had two new recording contracts at Warner-Curb and Private Sock to manage and promote. They had moved on with new material and a NEW sound. The NEW Four Seasons.

And as the Motown contract was an often unhappy period in their personal lives and brought them no musical success they have distanced them from it since as much as they could...it appears. We however have not, as the recordings done are amongst  the best of the 70s session work in the context of that decade.

We were told back in 1975 [and up to 2008] that anything else left would have been 'wiped' from tape or if remaining would be unfinished songs and demos. We believed this until a list of songs emerged from within Motown Universal arising from their database back in the 1990s. Subsequent, anonymous donations to us of the ‘Motown Tape Index’ and the Recording Index Cards from the 1970s, known as 'Artists Cards' confirmed our suspicions that completed Tracks still existed. At the same time we found 3 'finished' demos of completed but unreleased songs on acetate which surfaced in 2010. Our suspicions were confirmed and we have researched and campaigned for their release since.

With the start of the Snapper Music Box Set Project in August 2018 Lynn Boleyn, former Motown UK staffer Bob Fisher and I believed we had broken through and Bob Gaudio and Frankie Valli would want their archive of Multi-Track [16 and 24 track] recording sessions at Motown during their contract, - recovered, preserved and released as we made clear our help and commitment to the Box Set was for this to happen. I had been researching the status of the Tapes in the Motown Tape Index for several years  and had found some verification of the status of what we had never heard of listed as P and T 16 track and Stereo Master Tapes from an 'insider' at Motown Universal. Following our research of the Four Seasons Partnership[FSP] Tape Storage it became clear that this is the only known surviving archive of Multi-Tracks in their whole career catalogue except for what is in Bob and Frankie’s personal storage. All other Studio recordings are lost, as far as we can find at this date. But the Motown Catalogue remains intact we now know.

A  Motown Vaults researcher told me.........

“Apparently T as well as P tapes still exist in the Vaults, like the Detroit DM[Duplicate Master] tapes they seem to have no common format, there are Production Masters, Original Masters, Multi-Tracks, all sorts. Also, a lot of Live tapes have T prefixes.
There are over 1000 finished master tapes from the Detroit era alone in the Vaults. Some contain up to 90 tracks (eg a three track tape with all three tracks full of mono masters). There are thousands more from the LA era, plus the multi-tracks, plus the live tapes ... more than anyone could listen to in a lifetime …
This is why the Vault in NYC is the most exciting music archive of the past that probably exists,.........”  Again the researcher continues......”It is I am told quite possible that no-one has listened to any particular tape since the last time a track was added to it. Researchers have often found tracks that no-one knew were there. One of the stock responses when someone asks, Is such-and-such in the Vaults?, is “With Motown, you never say never” , even CEO Harry Weinger has said this. Who knows? Some tracks went missing for forty years because they were filed under a different artist and a different title.”

Now the Four Seasons analogue Master Tapes were researched, at least in part, some time ago and Harry Weinger confirmed in 2002 “There is a released album, an unreleased album and a Frankie Valli album” and our research of the Artists Cards has shown this. Many tracks listed have been released by other Motown artists usually around the same time. As a result of our research and a UK plan for Unreleased Tracks via an independent label, in 2008, Harry Weinger took over and with the agreement of the Partnership, tapes were researched and this led to digitization of the previously released tracks and all were found except one and the Motown Anthology, the first CD release of their vinyl releases by Mowest and Motown back in the 1970s. However in that set the original version of 'Listen To Yesterday' was replaced by an alternative version with ‘surf sound’ overdub and a male backing vocal rather than the female vocal on the original 45 version.

So what about the unreleased ? I found evidence from more than 3 sources that the 'assets' were there, but as to what has survived in a completed form remained unknown in 2018 when the Snapper Box Set Project was implemented with Universal Motown supplying Bob Gaudio with at least 25 Tapes identified in this plan.... ‘digitized’ and sent to him for evaluation...... It appears unlikely that a full research of the tapes has been done. I doubt this given the above comments and although my research was partial, it was substantially correct and between 38 and 50 tapes were transferred from Iron Mountain [storage] for evaluation containing all of the 16/24 track and Mix-Downs done at the time... It does not however confirm completeness of recordings nor do the Tape Box covers which should record the session information. But the Tape Index we have and the Artists Cards all cross-relate and confirm the recording session work and the Master 16 [or 24 track] location of analogue tapes and songs as well as SMX’s done[i.e. Stereo Mixes].

Bob Gaudio in 2018 said he really wanted the STEREO Mix-downs and to not incur the cost and time commitment of a full research project....[.he had the Neil Diamond Broadway Musical as his priority.]........HOWEVER Bob did ask for the Tapes to be transferred and the Snapper Music Motown UNRELEASED CD took shape..The Motown Librarian found 19 ‘completed vocals’ in a partial review and 11 Tapes still to be checked in 2019. Bob Gaudio didn’t recognise many of the initial list of 19 songs identified on Tape Box Notes and was asking Frankie what he remembered.

By early 2020, Bob Gaudio made the final decision  He either found MIX-DOWN’s from 16 track versions or mixed  them himself to make up the 14 tracks [ well 13...as he withdrew ‘I Will Love You like A Man’ perhaps to avoid a LGBTQ reaction?] . We had 13 approved and mixed. Those he did approve either Frankie or he remembered. 15 Tracks with vocals were indicated by the Motown Librarian at the time of transfer and these have not been approved for release.

Several of these he should have remembered as he produced them. The results of their review were, we believe, kept a secret to only Frankie, Bob and Shannon Gaudio. It seemed incongruous too that Bob somehow had even rejected the inclusion of the EXTENDED version of ‘Charisma’ which had already been [without his knowledge]  included in the Motown  Anthology 2 CD set in 2008!!. Although we have asked Snapper Music for background and more data re the review by Universal and the FSP, we have no explanation for the whole review and selection ‘process’ nor the final result till the Box Set appears. What we know is that the Motown recording story is incomplete and we are documenting our findings and research for the future FULL  project we hope will eventually happen

We advised Snapper we wanted more as there are alternative ‘Takes’ and mixes too, confirmed as existing by the Motown library manager. All of the tapes need to be carefully played and annotated, as ALL of the Four Seasons and Frankie Valli  Motown recordings remain there as 16 track or STEREO Masters. For example there are alternative Mix-Downs [e.g there are 43 Mixes of THE NIGHT] and some tracks have been found in 2019 copied in to the FSP Tape Storage back in 1973. We have found several alternative versions supplied to the FSP by Motown as ‘sample’ Mixes which we have analyzed and put forward for inclusion and we hope these get included. Only the final Snapper Music release will confirm this.

We have been surprised and somewhat amazed that so little has been included from these unreleased tracks given that completed mixes by Bob Crewe, Hal Davis and The Corporation exist. So in our forthcoming blogs we are documenting what we know at this point in time from our paper records as a partial research of the ‘pulled’ Tapes and we will continue ‘Campaigning’ for more. It is necessary for us to be assured each tape has been reviewed in 'real time' by an engineer from the digitized copies that exist. We would have like to have been involved and escape the ‘cloak of secrecy’ re-these recordings.....but that has been Universal and FSP policy.

Our wish to tell the story of the recordings calls for ‘transparency’ of data and is the reason for this series of blogs re possible tracks and locations that may be found during such a review of the tapes and has always been our  approach. Why not be open and build desire in the market place?. The counter argument is that such disclosure can lead to future disappointment if a track cannot be found or is incomplete. But most fans want ‘openness’ as hope is better than zero information. Secrecy is the enemy of an artist’s popularity and legacy.

In our archival research we have 50 Artists Cards, which show the recording history of   songs on 16 [or 24] track Tapes. What we have data on covers 21 known released,and  29 ‘unreleased' songs.. So whilst we have 13 tracks approved and included in the Snapper Box Set, there is still a need for a FULL RESEARCH of the tapes and a dedicated Four Seasons at Motown Collectors Box set as the Snapper Box is a LIMITED EDITION set and only 3 CD’s of the Motown Years which covers 35 songs plus perhaps 9 alternative version. This is not right...... when the research in 2019 showed there is enough unreleased material to justify a dedicated Motown release of up to 60 to 70 tracks for inclusion on such a ‘Collectors’ set. The Four Seasons Motown Unreleased Campaign Facebook page will continue to push for a Project where Bob Gaudio and Frankie Valli would  trust us to research and help compile. We will show in our ‘project plan’ how we would approach this and what we would search for.

This Project Plan is based on a review the Production Tapes pulled from the Motown Universal storage and our Paper Records. There is sufficient data that follows to recover what we believe are a remaining [at least] 15 to 20 extra unreleased tracks located via the  Artists Cards as well as the 13 approved in the LIMITED EDITION Snapper Set as well as the Alternative ‘Takes’ and Mix-downs. T tapes may still be the only source for some Masters and these  should be sought. Now we know there are other tracks previously only rumoured to exist or completely unknown previously [e.g. ‘Chained’....the Marvin Gaye classic song recorded in late 1971 by Frankie Valli]. Questions still remain.re the tracks on the tapes... Are there vocals?  Are they complete or just ‘demos’ ?   Who wants them to remain unreleased?  Are they financially viable?....Bob Gaudio himself posed the question in notes in 2019….. ‘Are they worth the trouble’….?...re the Snapper Box Set before being reminded that the whole concept of the Box Set back in August 2018, that got the UK Fan Club support was based on including UNRELEASED ….and particularly the MOTOWN UNRELEASED…..so it appears he just did what he felt was viable for him at the time…BUT would he do more in the future?

So.........we are realistic as we have been Campaigning for over 20 years to get the breakthrough of the Snapper Box Set. That Snapper and Bob Gaudio’s commitment proved to be limited has been very disappointing and in reality we see 4 barriers to hearing any of the rest of the tracks:-

1. Bob Gaudio needs to be willing to spend money on ‘mixing’ tracks that will not add very much to his income compared to the rest of the Masters already issued.? [ he has said he is not wanting to so far – and whether Shannon Gaudio will in the future is the big question?]
2. Harry Weinger needs to get Universal to commit to it [although they may no longer own the recordings in law] ?
3. No profitable financial model exists to make it viable [at present] as no more than 3/4,000 copies would probably be sold without major promotion worldwide. However owners of the Beatles and Beach Boys Master Tapes have and are doing just what we propose
4. The buying market will reduce progressively as older fans pass away....again without promotion.

There is a possibility that the catalogue investors Primary Wave would see the ‘light’ and someone will seek to generate income before rather than once Frankie and/or Bob have passed away. Maybe the research here will help them but at least we will have shared it. We have seen evidence that the FSP has been primarily money driven in the past and not focused on the ‘art’ and skills of the productions and past musicians, arrangers and producers ...as well as Frankie...but the money will continue to roll in from ‘Jersey Boys’.....and re-issues of ‘Beggin’ !!!

Parts 1 to 6 of our detailed Track knowledge will follow to reflect the songs and the recording session work as we see it.

The Tape Sources

The Universal Motown Tapes we have knowledge of run from P2060 to P2678 [25 in total] for the original ‘Production’ sessions with additional copies made to P and T tapes as noted on Artists Cards. In addition there are 3 Albums of completed Stereo Mixes which should be part of the initial search. These are Located on:-

P4336&7 – Chameleon - Released May 1972 - [used for MW108 CD – The Motown Years 2008]

P4645 – Unreleased Album [Aug 1973} – MW788

P5084&5 – Unreleased Album [May/June 1974]

P5536&7 – Inside You – Released Aug1975 -MWS7007[UK] - [used for MW108 CD – The Motown Years 2008]

Retrieving Tapes P4645/P5084/85 is the first vault search that should be done as this would easily locate a number of 'unreleased'' STEREO mixes completed and transferred to final tape for release. We have recovered some of these tapes from the Partnership Storage which contains an unheard copy of My Eyes Adored You – The Final[and alternative] Mix.

A full list of Master Nrs from an 'internal' Motown Universal spreadsheet is available to complement this list for both released and unreleased. All previously released tracks are NOT included in these lists [bar 2 – 'Walk On Don't Look Back' Alternative Master] and 'Listen To Yesterday' Original 45 Master} and have been issued on CD. The Motown Years 2CD Set 2008 CD issue includes the PREVIOUSLY UNISSUED versions of 'Charisma' [Extended unedited] and 'Listen To Yesterday [Alternative Version] from Tapes P2389 and P2664 respectively.

All Tapes identified as core production tapes should be checked in 'real time' playback as they could contain many original multi-tracks and final STEREO masters. It has been claimed that Motown destroyed or wiped many. This is true and Artist Cards show this but Artists Cards also indicate transfer to alternative T tapes when this happened. Artists Cards confirm this which also indicates that all 16 tracks were completed. Sources within Motown have advised they have to be played to be checked as in the above quote.

Ken Charmer – For the Four Season UK Appreciation Society

Music Researcher

Snapper Music Box Set - Limitations and Transparancy - Pre-Launch 2022 Status

So here we are in 2022 and still no Box Set. I wrote a series of Blogs back in 2020 highlighting the limitations of the forthcoming Box Set contents and as I revisit these blogs and update them, we still await the release of the project we started work on back in 2018, and I face the sad situation that I have lost confidence in the Snapper team since my collaborator Bob Fisher’s passing after they unilaterally decided to change contents without consultation and whilst this is their choice and decision as it is their investment, I cannot confirm the final contents and Snapper have made the decision to keep this confidential and also not to commit to a release date at this point in time.

Whilst this will most likely be before the planned UK Tour by Frankie Valli, I am no longer in the loop. I have been side-lined as I see it. I told Snapper...."The work that Bob Fisher and I undertook in the research and selection of suitable and necessary Masters took 3 years and we have compiled in the order of 814 tracks in the set. I personally spent over 2,000 hours on this work with Bob’s support and help day to day and whilst the SET is based on RELEASED ALBUMS we achieved around 271 BONUS TRACKS [33.29%], of which 60 are Alternative Mixes or UNIQUE 45 Mixes [7.37%]. We found[and got approval to] 129 Unreleased Tracks in the FSP or Universal Motown Storage[15.84%] and The Four Seasons Appreciation Society contributed 82 tracks [10.07%] via our archive and network of sources and Collectors. Whilst sound quality in a few instances was limited, the historical connection of the whole set has integrity as a career spanning profile in my opinion.

A truly superb achievement and yet we could and should have had more. At least 30 more UNRELEASED Tracks from Masters and 16 Track Tapes from Philips in 1970, Universal Motown and Drexel University [Sigma Tapes] were discovered but budget limits and time prevented further research and such efforts must be left to a future project if perhaps someday someone finds this commercially or artistically worthy of ‘preservation’ for the fan base to enjoy. We also know of other potential sources.

As the UK fan group we will continue to Campaign for such further research and in the meantime will share such information we have till we are no longer able to use our Web Site and social media presence passing the baton hopefully to future generations to discover.

I feel sure everyone we know [speaking on behalf of the UK Fan Club Core Group] who love Frankie Valli and all Four Seasons music will enjoy this unique ‘preservation’ of 90+% of the Catalogue of recordings and we look forward to its launch.”....and getting all of the 60s albums in MONO.

It has been a challenging and demanding job to identify and assemble various quality sound recordings and get these published but Snapper have not had explanation from Bob Gaudio as to why the rest of the Motown UNRELEASED Catalogue is below the quality required. They did not want to 'rock the boat' or engage with him re what fans would want and our requests for more. Lack of consultation or dialogue has also been behind the decisions by Snapper to omit superb INSTRUMENTAL versions of ‘Beggin' and ‘I'm Gonna Change’. Both are superb Northern Soul tracks and not poor Masters. So as I revisit the research finds, as to what we recommended should be included.....we will let you all know what the RESEARCH revealed and what still remains and where we believe it is. In the meantime what I said re Motown Unreleased remains correct and whilst this Box Set is ESSENTIAL to Collectors I would understand other fans comments that it could and should have been better if money had been spent on further research or Bob Gaudio and Frankie pushed for more. The pandemic may have delayed this project but that is not down to the efforts of Bob Fisher and myself…..and the support of Lynn Boleyn, George Ingram, Ray Nichol and the network of Collectors that you are.

Back in 2019 we said this with Snapper of a planned 2020 release……

https://thatfourseasonssound.typepad.com/seasonally/2019/09/how-important-is-a-career-box-set-in-2020.html

and this was the Motown Unreleased status in October 2020……

https://thatfourseasonssound.typepad.com/seasonally/2020/10/the-not-so-ultimate-collection.html

and read all of our Motown Unreleased Blog Posts here…..

https://thatfourseasonssound.typepad.com/seasonally/motown-unreleased/

More soon…… .Ken Charmer

Selling The 'Family Jewels'

So why are so many top artists selling their publishing rights to Major Investors and as we start 2022…[the latest being Bruce Springstein……..WHAT COULD THIS MEAN FOR FRANKIE VALLI AND THE FOUR SEASONS FANS? With the Primary Wave’s acquisition of the Publishing Rights of the group in late 2020 [for a 10 year Strategic Partnership] we awaited their approach while finalizing the WHOLE CATALOGUE Box Set with Snapper Music. Whilst we await the confirmation of a ‘release date’ for that 800+track collection in a limited edition 2500 set we know that is simply the beginning of a strategy that they should want to pursue.

Rolling Stone Magazine did an analysis of this last year and with NEWS of the sale of David Bowie catalogue it is a subject once again in the public eye.

https://www.rollingstone.com/pro/features/famous-musicians-selling-catalog-music-rights-1114580/

An article in the NY Times said of this trend….

“Of course, some artists want to sell their rights and receive an immediate lump-sum payment. That is where outside investors come in. The multiples that entire catalogs are being purchased for are high by any measure of an investment’s future value. That’s good for the artist. But it’s uncertain what it may mean for the investor. Mr. Ball, who competes with the funds that are buying entire catalogs, does not dismiss their strategy.

“Their goal is to grow their portfolio as large and as fast as they can, and when they get above a certain level, that value of all those catalogs is much greater than the sum of the parts,” he said. But he said he had more confidence in the funds run by people with music industry experience than those run by private equity managers. “They’re really smart people, but they don’t understand the nuances,” he said. Mr. Knowles said he considered it good to give the older artist the option of getting a lump-sum payment and be done with trying to manage different royalty streams. He also said he was confident that the music business would continue to perform in a way that justified the amounts being paid.“The growth in streaming has increased,” Mr. Knowles said. “It’s changed the dynamics of the music industry. It’s also reduced our overhead. We’re in a very good place in music.”

“Time is passing,” Neil Young explained to fans after news of his deal broke. “I want to cover my family and my art.… A good father plans on how to take care of his children.”. Many of these deals were put together after the pandemic brought the live music business to a complete stop, meaning many veteran artists were suddenly shut off from their main source of income. “Given our current inability to work live,” David Crosby said about the sales of his songs, who noted that it allowed him to pay off his house, “this deal is a blessing for me and my family.”

For  Bob and Frankie given their age as the’ Four Seasons Partnership’ it is obviously a smart move for the next 10 years to Partner with PRIMARY WAVE and their children will obviously benefit now and during those years and it appears Shannon Gaudio will be clearly taking an interest in the catalogue management following his involvement in the evaluation and approval of the MOTOWN UNRELEASED in the forthcoming Snapper Music Box Set. Equally with Reid Crewe’s involvement [Bob’s niece]  with Dan Crewe and  the Bob Crewe Foundation  it makes sense to maximize income now and promote and still achieve income in the future after their similar deal with Resevoir.

Again it is said by Forbes Magazine….”This scenario enables artists to participate in the upside growth that inevitably results from “active” management of their songs and recordings by sophisticated buyers who become real “partners” to maximize value in everything the artist does. Respected buyers carry deep expertise and sophisticated teams of specialists who actively promote the artist’s valuable songs and recordings. These are resources that most artists and songwriters simply can't match on their own. Active, significant attention generates real results. Period……So-called financial multiples on these rights and royalty streams (essentially a multiplier placed on current royalty streams) have never been higher. That means that artists can get a big cash payment right now - in one immediate lump sum - rather than wait for royalty checks arriving over many years that may never add up to the lump sum they can enjoy right now. …Buyout compensation (in the above case, the $6-$30 million number) may be treated as long-term capital gains in the U.S., whereas the feds treat continuing royalty checks as ordinary income. So, that gives artists even more money to enjoy right now. This is a significant, yet frequently not appreciated, factor to consider…

Buyers understand that musicians frequently “don’t need the money.” But getting paid top dollar right now is only one reason to sell. Perhaps even more important to many artists, “active” buyers’ deep expertise and resources grow new opportunities for songs, recordings and the artist’s overall "brand" and legacy.

These are resources that artists, bands and songwriters - no matter how “big” - can't match. Resources, that expand a song’s reach and artist’s audience (including to new generations of fans). Some buyers (those who take an “active” approach) have built significant teams of brand experts, marketing experts, digital experts - in addition to traditional synch and licensing experts - who proactively manage catalogs and create important and innovative new opportunities to maximize the artist’s “brand” and extend their legacy.

Not all buyers are massive nameless, faceless entities. Active buyers listen to the artist’s goals and give real attention and focus to the artist, songs, recordings and overall “brand.”

Sophisticated active buyers think of artists as partners in every sense of the word (and want the artist to feel the same way about them). They develop real strategies together with artists, and frequently share their vision and those strategies early in the deal process. They seek active input. They are receptive to the artist’s wishes. They crave active artist participation. That's why many of the top artists and legends of all time have entered into these kinds of deals. 

For many artists, bands and songwriters, without active management, their "brand" slowly diminishes over time and their songs and recordings lose out on the critical opportunity to be exposed to (and enjoyed by) new generations of fans….For iconic and legacy artists, active management by a dedicated and passionate team of experts is especially critical.

And, don't forget about music reversion rights under U.S. copyright law. So long as songwriters and artists give sufficient notice, ownership of post-1978 music publishing rights - and potentially even master recordings (there is some debate here) - revert back artists after 35 years (assuming the songwriter or recording artist didn't originally own them outright). That means that, in most cases, songwriters should own all of their publishing rights - and recording artists potentially their master recordings - for all works created prior to 1985 (no matter what those deals looked like back then).”

This blog will continue to promote and discuss the forthcoming Snapper Music release…..and not only the research and finds soon coming to a fortunate 2500 fan collectors, but to promote and push for future releases….LIKE…..’The Frankie Valli and The Four Season Motown BOX SET’ which should include a full 5/6 CD Box of the Released/Unreleased/Alternate Versions that we have shown exist. A full analysis of our data will appear this year from us as Bob and Shannon Gaudio now have all the Multi-track Tapes from Universal Motown and a huge claim to their ownership. We will explore the limits of the current 13 ‘approved’ tracks and the barriers to this potential project….and others.

We will continue to create NEW STEREO MASTERS with DES and share these with you via You Tube….and explore the catalogue history in our ‘Seasons on Saturday’ podcasts.

Our policy of openness and transparency will bring our views on what still exists as UNRELEASED TRACKS and where we believe these songs are, so they can be found and released further promoting the ‘brand’ with fans.

Of course all of our aims support and complement the investors and the artists achievements and ultimately their ‘brand’ and future income……but we also want this to happen for ‘surviving’ fan generations and not just ‘future’ ones so our TELL ALL policy re the music will continue. We can’t wait for action….we want it now and so the CAMPAIGN continues….with our own “dedicated and passionate team of experts”

Ken Charmer – Music Historian for the Four Seasons UK Appreciation Society

Becoming The Four Seasons

Happy Christmas and a hopeful New Year for 2022 to all of our followers from us the founders of The Four Seasons UK Appreciation in our www identity.......George Ingram, Lynn Boleyn MBE, Ray Nichol and myself Ken Charmer[Happy Christmas from Spain].

 

So here is our Christmas 'music treat' of the original Four Seasons line-up 'Becoming the Four Seasons'

It is 60 years last month since the Four Seasons appeared on the record label – Gone 5122. Anyone who studies the Four Seasons catalogue will know their first recording was in November 1961 with 'Bermuda b/w Spanish Lace'.....an unedifying yet interesting beginning.....and even more so as they appeared as Billy Dixon and The Topics before and after that supposed NAME CHANGE. Firstly in October 1961 with 'Trance b/w I Am All Alone', and then in January 1962 with 'Lost Lullaby b/w Trance' both on Topix......and again as the Topics on a single side 45 on Perri 1007 with 'Girl Of My Dreams' in May 1962. So the road to success with Vee-Jay and 'Sherry b/w I've Cried Before' was up to this point in late 1961/early 1962 unclear in terms of the FINAL ID that they would live with and become famous as. They had been recording backing vocals for Bob Gaudio since 1960 and appearing LIVE still as The Four Lovers in the New Jersey area, before their eponymous 'Four Seasons Lounge' bowling alley appearance would lead to the name change as we see in the 'Jersey Boys' Show and film(s)

However Tommy DeVito's Tape Archive revealed how 4 songs preceded their ultimate ID change and led to three songs that would see release, and one that would be recorded three times but never be released at all. All three of these unreleased versions of a song called 'LIKE YOU' [in totally different arrangements] are included in the Snapper Music Box Set coming out next year, but one other song of the 4 DEMOS which was NOT APPROVED by Bob Gaudio for inclusion in the Box Set remains unheard by most fans [until now that is]. You will have to read about the other tracks in the Box Set Collectors Notes and hear the results there of the other salvaged and restored tracks that did get approval.

The four songs which survived as DEMOS on a cassette archive tape in Tommy's collection reached us via the late Rex Woodard who co-wrote the BIO that would inspire the 'Jersey Boys' script from his 1990 interviews with Tommy DeVito. 'Trance/I Am All Alone/Like You/I Still Care' were all recorded as DEMOS in the early 1961. Clearly they impressed Bob Crewe who recorded and released the first two under the Billy Dixon and The Topix 'moniker' on his Topix label 6002.

But 'I Still Care' was selected for recording by Miss Frankie Nolan with the group backing [and Frankie Valli's soaring falsetto vocal] on Paramount 10231 in April 1961 and can be heard below. It is a great 45 performance and song.

The Billy Dixon and The Topics DEMO has surprisingly been rejected by Bob Gaudio for inclusion in the Snapper Music Box Set. We sent it to him and he has heard it.....but surprisingly said NO.... We asked Snapper Music why?..... but never got an answer and they did not approach Bob Gaudio for an explanation!!!!. Maybe as the song by Miss Frankie Nolan appears in 'Jersey Boys', Bob did not want to confuse matters ?. Maybe the sound quality of the DEMO was judged too poor for Inclusion? He wrote it, so receives 'royalties' for it from 'Jersey Boys' but the version by the group that would within a year become The Four Seasons 'sensation' is a full harmony ballad treatment typical of many of their later Vee-Jay tracks. It should have been in the Box for Collectors. We think it is an amazing find.

However with the help of Casey Chameleon and DES Artificial Intelligence 'sound splitting' technology we are able to present and share this extra-ordinary performance in a Digitally Extracted STEREO Version as the only way to preserve this great DEMO. We hope you enjoy it and will form your own opinion if the Four Seasons that became the group we all love should have recorded it and released it at Vee-Jay. We think so!!!

Ken Charmer – For The Four Seasons UK Appreciation Society

 

Finding The Four Seasons Masters 2018 to 2021

Finding the Four Seasons Master has been a four year task to ensure the Snapper Music Box Set contains all that has survived in the FSP Archive of Tapes.

Back in the early 60s tape recorders started to appear and my father’s obsession with new technology meant we were amongst the first people in Liverpool to own a Grundig TK5 reel to reel tape recorder in 1961. The Four Seasons plus many 1960s artists were recorded from radio by a teenage music lover......ME. The Germans invented the tape recorder during the Second World War and by the late 50s and early 60s it had taken over from the acetate as the primary recording medium for popular music and the basis for most of our records. Across the Atlantic the creators of the hits where squeezing every trick out of the sound engineers to give us our MONO singles using the most advanced tape recorders available from makers like AMPEX.

As a Four Seasons Appreciation Society Music Historian my interest is based on research by the late German Sound Engineer Stefan Wriedt  in to Sound Engineering Quality and our aim was always to find the original Masters and have them properly re-mastered and issued in MONO and ‘good’ Stereo. Stefan and I started to critique the poor STEREO of much of the 6os period so I am always asking if we have the best possible recordings from the studios back then when 'Sherry' and the early hits were created by Bob Crewe?.  As we have just had access to the Four Seasons Archive of Analogue Tapes with new digital transfers from 1962 to 1986 from the Partnership storage, we will soon hear what has been salvaged from those tapes for the Snapper Music Box Set for release next year. All the MONO and STEREO catalogue has been found and will be re-mastered to 2021 sound technology standards from new digital transfers by Bill Inglot's Studio with Mastering by Peter Reynolds of Reynolds Mastering on to CD.

Wikipedia tells us.....”Ideally, because of their high resolution, a CD or DVD (or other) release should come from the best source possible, with the most care taken during its transfer. This does not always happen. The earliest days of the CD era found record companies using whatever tapes they had lying around to create their CDs, with frequently underwhelming results. An nth-generation tape equalized for vinyl frequency response might be deemed perfectly acceptable by a record company, and (importantly) might be much easier to locate than the "original" source master. Additionally, the earliest days of the CD era found digital technology in its infancy, which also aided often poor sounding digital transfers marked by dropouts, under-utilization of Signal-To-Noise Ratio, etc. When the first CD re-masters turned out to bestsellers companies soon realized that new editions of bare-bones back catalogue items could compete with new releases as a source of revenue. Back catalogue values skyrocketed, and today it is not unusual to see expanded and re-mastered editions of fairly modern albums.

Theoretically, digital re-mastering should solve some of these problems. Original master tapes, or something close to them, can be used to make CD releases. Better processing choices can be used. Better prints can be utilized, with sound elements remixed to DES or 5.1 and obvious print flaws digitally corrected. The modern era gives content providers almost unlimited ways to touch up, doctor, and "improve" their creations and products, and as each release promises .......improved sound....”

In this Box Set many of those potential problems will be tackled and we will all hear 'what has survived' of those iconic vinyl releases. I wanted to ask a sound engineer from the 60s about the process and to understand why we often don’t have the quality today from the early 60s recordings that we would like on CD's in the 'digital era'.  Fortunately I got the chance to ask not just any sound engineer but one that worked with Bob Crewe and The Four Seasons. George Schowerer was a sound engineer who worked with Bob Crewe in the early sixties and, after a break in the army, again in the latter part of the decade as technology advances changed the quality of recordings.

George confirmed what Wikipaedia says and gave some reasons why we can’t always be sure that what we hear is closely related to the original recordings…….”When the old Rhino 25^th Anniversary CD box set came out, I complained bitterly about the quality of the mixes I had done. They were not equivalent to the mixes that left Mirasound. Eventually, in conversation with Bill Inglot, the engineer responsible for both the Rhino 25^th Anniversary set and the current [then 2007] ‘Jersey Beat’ box-set, he acknowledged that in some cases, the record company involved would not release the original tapes...only a copy...and depending on who made the copy, you got whatever you got at that time. Now, when I chided Rhino about the quality of some of my mixes, I quoted a CD I had (in my library) manufactured by Ace Records from England(CDCHD538) 'Solo/Timeless' by Frankie Valli in which the transfer were the best I've ever heard of my material from Mirasound... so I know that good transfers do exist! Bill Inglot indicated to me that the reason for the earlier Rhino 25^th Anniversary CD album sounds (which were distorted) were due to the quality of what the record companies supplied to him.[in the FSP archive?]. He said that in many cases, the record companies destroyed the multi-tracks to avoid misuse...remixes etc. I think that's crazy, but I haven't lived their life problems with cover records in that era. I remember that the business was ripe with copy records which cut into sales of the original discs. And then there was plain bad re-mastering. I remember  when the first CD of Bread came out, I thought it was a "cover" record! The classic "sound" wasn't there...it was replaced by a very "sterile" mix sans echo...and it was obvious that someone had gone back to the multi-track masters and started mixing them over again without ever listening to the original releases that made them hits! I don't know what I would have done, if I was responsible for master tapes... but then again, I'm one of those people who saves everything (much to my wife's distress).

Crewe indicated to me in April this year [2007] that he had lost some of the multi-tracks due to a studio going out of business (Crewe Records) and others by just being thrown out as well as some studios not doing a proper search for the parties who owned various recordings. I have heard many engineers say that when libraries were full to the brim, studios would notify the various "owners" as to the need for retrieving their tapes. When no one appeared to come for those tapes, studios would then dump them, because they needed the space. Most studios in those days didn't charge for storage and the various companies took advantage of that fact! While I don't have the reasons they sat so long in the studio libraries, I do remember many people not showing interest in picking up their stuff. I guess the original people must have felt that it was now the problem of whomever they sold the masters to. It was a case of the cost. It sure is different now that original masters are so highly valued.. But money is money...in whatever  form it is created.”  

A very true comment and perhaps saving money on storage all those decades ago means now there may be 'limits' [sound wise] to what they have on analogue tape and what can be achieved from the FSP archive. BUT 'money' is also the driver that has made this project possible as with such a high price box set, the research and HQ 2020 transfers have been possible. What we have found from this research of the FSP storage is that the tapes are ALL Safety Copies of the original albums as issued in MONO and STEREO with some copies of tracks from the Studios as DEMO mixes. So far the quality of these new transfers appears good and will be the best achievable as that is WHAT HAS SURVIVED.

 

I asked George if it was true that there was 'distortion' on some Four Seasons recordings…………” Up to and including 4 track,( to an extent) records were in essence a representation of a performance.” This approach was used by Bob Crewe at both Olmstead and Stea-Phillips in a focus totally on the MONO mix for 45 and album. George had his own approach when the group moved to Mirasound due to distortion problems [according to Charles Calello] that they were having in late 1966 at Stea Philips………. “Many of the Season's recordings that came out of Sound Centre in New York had distortion due to the many numbers of overdubs that were a trademark of Bob Crewe's work. I believe the reason for the distortion was the fact that in those days, the playback quality in the "sync" position (in order to add tracks while remaining in sync), was god-awful! So were the consoles used in many of the famous hit records. That's why I pioneered the use of normal playback during the addition of tracks. This was because of Bob's penchant for multiple tracks at any given session...the number never consistent, but could reach 20! In other words the small section strings might be overdubbed three times in the course of the session...same for the horns, etc. The only problem with that method is that all tracks would have to be overdubbed to maintain sync overall. But the quality remained first rate. The only track (or tracks not "bounced") were the final vocals, since playing back all the music tracks in sync position was only for the benefit of Frankie's headphones.” 

“Now in my earlier days with Bob Crewe(59-61) done at Allegro Studios featuring Freddie Cannon, Billie & Lillie, the Rays, and the Shepard Sisters, we had only two mono Ampex recorders which were used. You can imagine how much bouncing was done this way! Other sessions at Allegro (not for Bob),were He's so Fine (Chiffons) and Mickey and Sylvia/Kitty, The Tokens,  etc. Most of those sessions used only two Ampex four channel mixers combined to a MONO output..only by 61/62 did we get into STEREO at Allegro. Keep in mind that none of the works in the early to mid sixties had anything but a single 45 rpm record in mind. That's why the STEREO mixes coming from those days have such a 'ping-pong' stereo balance. We didn't have the availability of the equipment used today. Following that period in Jan.62, when I was drafted into the US army till Jan 64, I was not active in the studios. When Bob found that I had returned, we connected again at Mirasound in 67..the rest is history.”

For most of the STEREO mixes up to 1965 the Four Seasons appear separated from Frankie in the right channel with all of the Drums in the left channel and instrumentation split in the right channel as a result of the limits of 3 and 4 track mixing possible in the studios at that time. It was the tape technology of the day. Motown and Atlantic had 8 track recording and the group were able to take advantage of that in November 1964 when they recorded 'Dawn' and 'No Surfin' Today' with master engineer Tom Dowd at Atlantic before signing to Philips and then back to 4 track and eventually 8 track.

 So I asked George if our expectations of sound quality today from these 60s recording are too high?. Though the  process of 'bouncing' is degenerative to sound purity and clarity, Spector used it as a key element in his "Wall Of Sound". George told us…….“As for the aspect of why many of those recordings cannot produce a current expectation of today’s mixes is very simple. Take "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" for example, by the time the overdubbing was bounced so many times, the mix of strings is down to one track of a multitrack ( 8 track master in this case). Same for each section of the orchestra. So. this prevents a nice spread of the orchestra in STEREO...  The Mirasound mixing board had just twelve inputs and four output buses! That's why my  photos at Mirasound show additional mixers. During the initial session, we used all inputs, sometimes even used the outboard mixers! Then, during overdubs, I switched the use of the console, using eight of the input faders to monitor (in STEREO, since I loved STEREO ahead of its time) the eight channels of the recorder in use. I used the other four inputs on the console (and sometimes the outboard mixers as well) in order to feed the eight track Ampex with the newly overdubbed material.

When you work with Bob, there were several channels of handclaps and tambourines alone [ on many songs, like 'Beggin'], which were all mixed together and "bounced" to one channel. I have no idea what was coming next on the sessions until Bob decided on the spot what to add...so trying to keep the overall picture was quite challenging. But I know what left the studio was clean because of the use of my playback method.    

I hope this gives you some needed answers to the many questions about resurrecting the old material. The MONO stuff is set in stone, while the eight track stuff will be ‘stiff’…....and the only thing that would allow for a good STEREO mix is perhaps the 16 track stuff. I was fortunate to be the first mixer to use 16 tracks..the very first session on that machine was "With This Ring" by the Platters, produced by Luther Dixon. 

As for the method used on the Seasons Sessions, we would record the basic session onto 7 of the 8 tracks available. Then the process of clearing room would start. Multiple channels of drums, horns, or strings would be mixed together (each group separately) and "bounced" to a single track. This would free-up several channels for overdubbing. Any further additions of strings (for instance), would be mixed again to a new channel so that, once again, all strings were relegated to a single channel...and so  on! This is why the tapes of this era cannot make satisfactory updates, when the original intention did not allow for STEREO spread of any string or horn group (rhythm included). Since we only had one 8 track machine, this was the only way everything could be mixed for a mono hit record. If we had had two machines, then you could go back to earlier generations and recover material in a straight-forward manner. We didn't have those options back then. I had pretty much imagined what Bob Crewe would want as a final product, and always kept that image in my mind while overdubbing the brains out the music. In many cases, he graciously let me do the compilation at hand and I know he felt comfortable with my work. I still cringe when I hear some of the Season's stuff (which was not my work) that was turned into STEREO and the resultant selection of where they placed some tracks in the mix (when STEREO was never the intention of the original producer).” 

Many aspects of such mixing will in the near future be able to be corrected by the use of DES [Digitally Extracted Stereo] which uses advanced software to extract individual instruments and vocals into 'stems' [another name for music tracks] and then they can be remixed to create a true STEREO soundstage. BUT without the Producer alive how do you know where he would place them?. [We will return to this subject in a future blog asking.....'Is the Future 60s Sound UPMIXING?]  Bob Crewe did go back to the surviving multi-tracks in 1967 and corrected tracks re placement in the mix which was the sound he wanted with the Seasons and Frankie together with a spread of instruments across the sound stage. These mixes saw release on the ALL STEREO 'Edizione D'Oro' Double LP in 1969. George was also achieving this with the 16 track recordings from 1967.

George again commented about the frustration of Bob Crewe adding to mixes before their final pressing to vinyl.......“The fact that Mirasound only kept a Gotham/Grampian/Scully acetate cutting lathe to basically do dubs (not the most sophisticated system), it did prompt Crewe to take his final mixes to Bell Sound  for acetate cutting and that engineer at times would talk Bob into adding echo, etc. which I deplored. Bell had a particular "sound" to their chamber (live), and I certainly didn't like it at all! To this day, I can immediately identify a song mix that came out of Bell Sound.  The funny thing is that at Mirasound, I used a mix of straight and delayed echo feeds to the Emt plate...giving a sort of Columbia sound to the echo. If you listen to some of Frankie Valli's songs, you can clearly hear the two different types of echo on some of the mixes. Bell Sound had their own live chambers, and as such, I can, even today, tell that the session was done at Bell Sound..” 

So did bouncing still really reduce the quality of Frankie's and the Four Seasons recordings as this time was now 1967?...... “To help everyone understand the bouncing of tracks, let's use an example... The original session with musicians was recorded onto a maximum of six channels of an Ampex AG-300-8 recorder. The individual channels were perhaps ,1-drums, 2-bass, 3-guitar/s, 4-horns, 5-strings, 6-vocal (usually for reference, but sometimes final). Now after the musicians left...(a standard session for the union musician was four songs in three hours), the strings let's say returned a half hour later to avoid running into the union rep! They would  lay down another string part (to build-up the sound of the strings - don't forget, in those days we didn't have emulators and computers to multiply the sound of  four strings). So now we have strings overdubbed on track 7. We now must combine channels 5 from the original session strings and the overdub strings on 7. That combination mix will be "bounced" over to channel 8. Once the producer is happy with the "string sound" on channel 8, we canrecord over tracks 5 & 7, add perhaps more horns, or guitars, and so on...further mixing those added channels to an available track (5 or 7). This pattern continues until we have loaded 7 channels (in the case of Bob Crewe and the Season's sessions, this might have included extra overdubs of hand claps, tambourines, foot stomping, background voices, and more.... so you now have an idea of what it took to plan where you were going to place these items (and whatever else they managed to "cook up") on 8 measly tracks to make a "final" finished song. Any thoughts of STEREO were remote at best [until mid 1967]. Getting the MONO sound right was the only priority in all the bouncing. Remember that in my system of "bouncing", I couldn't use the sync position on playback because of the lack of fidelity off the Ampex unit. So each "bounce" placed the new mix, out of sync with everything else on the tape. That's why all tracks eventually had to be "bounced" and brought into syncronization with each other. For the final vocal track, there was no reason to have to "bounce" it...because all tracks (1 thru7 ),were already in sync, and at that point the vocal artist could care less about the fidelity in his headphones of those tracks, so we used the sync position of the sel-sync for playback...and the newly placed vocal would already be in sync. Understand that this way of working meant that all instrumentals portions of the tape were at least one generation away from the original session, if not more, when so much was added later. This called for meticulous levels, and absolute quality control during the many steps used, to ensure the final product was clear andwith a wide-range in fidelity. On the ACE dual album disc to which I compared the quality with the tapes that left my sessions with the CD quality, it clearly shows this was done with care.

I didn't do all the songs on that disc, however, I'm satisfied with my section of the works selected. That disc contains 6 or 7 different studios (at least), and each has a different audio character to their sound...the later material [Late 67] was recorded with higher quality consoles that featured an abundance of pan pots, and features used to record 16 or more channels, giving the engineer a wider array of channels to work with. As you could well imagine, once we got the first 16 track Ampex into the studio, we could offer even better sound by not having to "bounce" the living daylights out of the song/s. As I mentioned, the first session on the 16 track recorder was "With This Ring" by the Platters, which actually was done completely "live" with no overdubbing, a welcome change to the way we could now work. Add to that, we never had auto faders with memory for mixing. At Mira, I also used (at times on Frankie) the Columbia style of chamber, which was a mix of delay and direct echo...which helped the strings in those days, since the strings were usually never more than 4 strings (orig session) and 4 strings (overdubbed). I was pleased to note that at least one other engineer of the later dates used the same delay on Frankie's voice, which I thought gave him a classier sound.

Working the way it did really meant that you had to always be alert and consider what the final mix will sound like because one mistake and your  screwed. Once the 16 track Ampex came into the studio, we could then take into account the idea of STEREO spread on the final mix and the sound improvement was quite obvious.” 

George would move on in late 1967 as would the group to record Genuine Imitation Life Gazette at Mercury Sound Studios, 110 W 57^th Street in NYC but this snapshot of how they recorded all of their hits [and particularly as technology changed between 1966 and 1967] is the only record we have been able to find of their recording methodology and the equipment used with Bob Crewe. The descriptions re alternative echo and instrumentation spread will be audible on Discs 11 to 14 of the new Box Set as these cover Atlantic, Stea-Philips and Mirasound Studios and the [added] overdubs Bob Crewe did at Bell Sound as these vary from the album MONO and STEREO versions but are preserved as Bonus Tracks. This Box Set will enable fans to hear the evolution of the recording approach and how good the MONO mixes really were, and also how even in the late 60s the MONO and STEREO mixes have their own distinctive character. This is one of the most outstanding aspects of this Box Set not captured before in previous issues by the group. By 1971 at MoWest Frankie and the Four Seasons were working with some of the best recording and mixing technology and the most legendary engineers [e.g. Russ Terrana] and the Motown STEREO mixes in this Box Set are 'arguably' the best in their catalogue.

 Ken Charmer 

[All photos are courtesy of George Schowerer and our thanks go to him for his feedback re the recording process and his amazing results]

The Future Of 'STEREO' Sound Is 'Upmixing'?

As our Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons Project [with Snapper Music] to create a catalogue spanning box set enters 'Mastering' we are already looking around as what is needed to improve on it in future projects . As well as tape sources we know with potential unreleased tracks, there are some new approaches to the way we hear the sound of our favourite group. The technology of the first half of the 60s left the STEREO albums 'very' separate in terms of the VOCALS as Frankie became separated from the group on the STEREO versions of their albums.

But today there is a NEW approach which seeks to give us, now and in the future,  a better listening experience, particularly on headphones. They call it 'Upmixing'........Experts are using Artificial Intelligence [AI] to pick apart classic recordings from the 40s, 50s and 60s, isolate the instruments, and stitch them back together in crisp, bold ways.

Well we are not experts but we KNOW the Four Seasons SOUND and the catalogue.

WIRED Magazine covered the approach being taken by STEREO enthusiasts and Engineers with new skills earlier this year....

https://www.wired.com/story/upmixing-audio-recordings-artificial-intelligence/

Specialist work by dedicated DES Engineers on the BSN Forum has shown what can be done with The Beatles and Beach Boys Catalogue and many other classic 45 releases from the 60s. Our resident Studio Researcher Casey Chameleon has got involved and created several classic Four Seasons tracks as DEMOS until a project for a full REVISED set of STEREO versions is available. That will take much studio time and the use of a top DES Engineer and we know a few but as we can't wait for Bob and Frankie to spend the money on hiring one so we have created our own very interesting DEMOS. The aim was to emulate the single version with the Four Seasons centred vocally with Frankie, with drums to the left, and instruments to the right. This can be best  heard on headphones in the results we have created as new mixes. 

We will feature some of these on You Tube and in our FB pages over the next few months as rare and collectible versions for members. We start with a song never produced in STEREO. But here is an example of what the AI software can do to create STEREO from MONO in a way never before possible.

The magnificent single of 'Ronnie'. A nice NEW STEREO mix in the style we believe Bob Crewe would have done it if the multi-tracks had survived.

 

 And in our research we have seen who lost the multi-tracks......Frankie Valli haha.....

[Photo courtesy of George Schowerer - Mirasound Studios 1967]

A Happy Thanksgiving to all our members.

THE SNAPPER BOX SET – PART 7 : EDIZIONE D'ORO[ED]

Back is 2011 we published the research at the time re the 1969 release of the biggest and BEST EVER albums of the Four Seasons 1960s hits all in newly mastered Stereo mixes. That article can be found here

.https://thatfourseasonssound.typepad.com/seasonally/2011/06/edizione-doro-1968-ed-almost-the-ultimate-four-seasons-hits-album.html

In conducting the FSP Archive research we advised Snapper Music that the inclusion of this Double Album was essential to the Box Set, if the original Master Tapes could be found ?. We had of course preserved via vinyl dub the 1972 high quality pressing versions and held these Re-Mastered in our own archive. But we have advocated and told Snapper that we wanted the original Masters.

 

Bill Inglot advised that two sets of tapes existed. A Scotch Tape Safety Copy and the same on Ampex Tape were found and transferred to the UK Sound Engineer for evaluation and Re-Mastering. The best sound quality versions will be selected for inclusion. Why these could not be found and supplied to ACE Records back in the 1990s has never been explained ?

 

Some fans were critical at the time of the past release of this album on CD by ACE Records of London in September 1997 as that was mainly Mono versions of their hits, but that was not really their fault as at the time the FSP could not find or provide these as the ORIGINAL FULL Master Tapes . Some doubted they had survived but we were delighted that 2 safety Copies do and Snapper's Sound Engineer has them.

Chuck Walker wrote the sleeve notes for that unfortunately 'inaccurate' release of the album by ACE on CD for the first time. Chuck has revised the information on the CD release here to create an accurate summary of the original album tracks, there importance and highlights, especially those that were appearing for the first time in Stereo, and the other mixes used to create the vinyl album. The original Double Album reached # 38 on the US Billboard Album Chart. Chuck's notes.......

“The Philips Release of Edizione D’Oro in December 1968 marks the end of what some consider the Golden Era of The 4 Season hit single releases. It spans the years 1962-1968. Like many aspiring artists it took a while for the group to find their niche and unique sound which they became famous for.

'Edizione D’Oro' differs from the previous Greatest Hits Albums in both design and musical content. First pressings of the two record set came in a distinctive gold foil gatefold album cover along with a poster/calendar for the following year. This distinctive higher cost packaging was somewhat unique at the time for pop/rock albums, but became typical in later years. The album cover had their name and album title in gothic lettering which resembled a window in a cathedral. The album was released and first promoted during the 1968 Christmas season causing some consumer confusion as at first glance it appeared to be a Christmas album.

The Inner gatefold contained brief notes by Dick Clark explaining how he helped them promote “Sherry” and the group with an appearance on his nationally televised American Bandstand Show. Later pressings of the album changed the gold foil to a gold printed cover, the big 4 on the front from red to white and eliminated the poster/calendar.

The 4 Seasons, somewhat older than the typical rock record buyer, were finding it difficult to connect and having minimal commercial success in their later Philips years. They were playing concerts as the opening act for Frank Sinatra in Las Vegas. Youthful record buyers connected them more with their parent’s era than the youthful sounds of the late 60’s. This trend would continue to be apparent as radio transitioned from AM to FM Stereo stations. After the Woodstock Music Festival in 1969, it was clear younger people were into different styles of music than being offered by The 4 Seasons.

Record companies also made a dramatic shift in their marketing mid-1968. Historically nearly all singles had been issued in Mono. Albums were typically released in two versions Mono and Stereo. In 1968 production of Mono albums ceased and hence forward only a Stereo album with mono compatability was produced. Existing Mono records were dumped into the cut out bins by record companies and were available at deep discounts for several years.

This transition to all stereo may have been the reason Crewe and Philips decided on a new Greatest Hits Album. There was however, a problem. Bob Crewe, like many independent producers had focused on the Mono singles market. Mixes of singles he produced until 1968 were all done in Mono, and if there was enough success for an album it may have Stereo mixes or simply re-channeled mixes to simulate stereo. Actual true stereo versions were limited [particularly pre 1967 due to 4 and 8 track Studio Tape capability] and in many cases had a tendency to mix vocals primarily on one channel and instruments on the other. [and a separation of Frankie Valli from the 4Seasons]

Ten of the tracks are from the Vee Jay era (62-64). Seven were first issued as singles, “Peanuts” on an EP and later a single rerelease. “Stay” and “Alone” were released to take advantage of the market after the Group parted company and moved to Philips. Most are reworked mixes of various Vee Jay Stereo album versions. The only one with significant differences from the Vee Jay albums is “Ain’t That A Shame” which is missing Nick Massi’s vocals, which were apparently never included in the final [STEREO] mix.

The remaining 18 songs are from the Philips era (64-68). Seven appear for the first time in true stereo.

“Dawn (Go Away)” is based on the version cut at Atlantic when they were trying to negotiate a contract in late 1963. It has a more prominent guitar riff and is missing Frankie’s vocal introduction which was later spliced to the single master by Bob Crewe.

“Big Man In Town” is a modified mix with all vocals centered for a more balanced presentation.

“Save It For Me” is clearly a different take or mix as the vocals are slightly different and the organ different than the single version.

“Girl Come Running” is an alternate edit restoring the [final mix] vocal introduction not present on the single.

Sadly “Ronnie” is only in Re-channeled form as no known Stereo master was ever produced.

“Rag Doll” finally appeared in true Stereo. All previous versions were either mono or re-channeled. Even today this version is rarely heard on CD.

“Let’s Hang On” is an alternate edit without the spoken vocal introduction heard on the hit single version.

“Silence is Golden”, the flip side of the Rag Doll single and originally heard on the “Born To Wonder” Album appears for the first time in a true Stereo mix. It is a powerful early message song and could have been a successful single on its own right. In fact it was in 1967 by the British group The Tremeloes.

Eight of the remaining ten songs are updated Stereo versions from previous album releases.

“Watch The Flowers Grow” and “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow” make their first true Stereo appearances, having not previously appeared on any albums.”

The benefits of the latter [post 1966] versions of the tracks 'Watch The Flowers Grow', and 'Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow' shows in their overall much superior 'soundstage' as Bob Crewe was able to benefit from the 16 track technology at Mirasound Studio [NYC] and the mixing skills of George Schowerer. We will write more re these days in a future blog post with an interview with George.

 

By 1968 Bob Crewe was able to review with the engineer at the time Ray Ciccala, six of the surviving Stereo mixes . A note found in the FSP Tape Boxes shows the Takes found and reviewed and selected as UNIQUE mixes.. Here is a tape of that search through the surviving TAKES. The sound file accompanying it lets you hear that audio review. This was uncovered as part of the FSP Archive research. The tracks found in this review of the multi-tracks and mixed to new Stereo mixes were....

• Dawn

• Silence is Golden

• Girl Come Running

• Save It For Me

• Big Man In Town

The mixes selected are different to any earlier releases and The You Tube video file of this research is below.

The result of our research will, we hope, be by far the Best Ever HITS Collection of the groups 60s successes on CD and a totally essential part of this BOX Set and something fans have been calling for for decades.

Ken Charmer and Chuck Walker – October 2021

 

 

 

 

 

THE SNAPPER MUSIC BOX SET RESEARCH – PART 6 - 1968 to 71

With the failure of the Genuine Imitation Life Gazette[GILG] album, in early 1969, the direction and recording sessions for Frankie Valli and the 4 Seasons of the time were in a state of disarray. But Philips knew they had an ace up their sleeve in the form of the 'Edizione D'Oro' Gold Edition of all the 60s hits in wonderful re-mastered STEREO. I will write separately re this most important release.

But sessions would develop during late 1968 even while GILG was being mastered for January 1969 release which included the song 'Natural Morning' which was found and included on Disc 14. But other Philips session notes revealed three tracks that would gain release on 45. The Master of the superb 'A Face Without A Name' [42858] is not the same as the May 1969 released version [44773] (apparently) but our search of the storage revealed that version [we thought] as listed in the FSP Archive on a 5 inch Reel along with the 'unreleased', 'Alone Again' [42861] and 'I Was A Boy' [42863] and 'You've Got Your Troubles' [42862] and 'To My Father' [re-titled eventually as 'To Make My Father Proud'] both in early versions. All remain unheard. Bill Inglot found the Tape Box and we were so excited, but the tape inside was the damaged MONO tape of 'Timeless' album tracks and not as listed on the Tape Box!!!!!!. With over 200 such reels, many unmarked in the FSP storage facility, there was little chance of finding the tape[in a wrong box!!!]. With the budget spent there was no chance of searching for more potentially 'unreleased' or alternate takes. Time and cost means that someone sometime will have to speculate the Engineers time to review all of these. Could they include lost gems?.......No-one knows till they are played. But other discoveries were made and included both vocal and instrumental. Unheard instrumental versions of 'I'm Gonna Change' and 'C'mon Marianne' being two examples.

Sessions in 1969 would produce superb recordings [all of which were found in MONO and STEREO] of 'The Girl I'll Never Know' [44815], 'A Dream Of Kings' [46111], along with 'And That Reminds Me' and 'The Singles Game', which Bob Crewe released on his Crewe Label[Crewe 333] before Philips took an interest and agreed to an album release which would go into production in March 1970. 'Half and Half' would be an eclectic set again but this time of half Frankie Valli and half Four Seasons. Finding the MONO album mixes in our FSP tape archive search was a brilliant album version to include with details of the session dates and the different 45 versions of the released tracks.

But this albums poor performance reaching just #190 on the Billboard Album Chart was taking the group into dark times. The debt problem that surfaced from Tommy DeVito's gambling also must have had an impact as well as Bob Crewe's alcohol and drugs problems recently revealed by brother Dan. Sessions and Masters and releases were few.

By the middle of 1970 the sound of the group was becoming more progressive with 'You Can't Take It All From A Man'......a precursor to 'One Man' with a different lyric and arrangement.'One Man' was the version discovered in the Mercury Tape Storage and shared with us in 1997. That version is what started our search for unreleased tapes of this period and are examples of 'unreleased' progressive songs, possibly too far from their former traditional sound and left for that reason.

But the group would have some final sessions for an album rumoured to be titled '1970' and the releases that happened showed their quality as a group. 'Where Are My Dreams' remains an amazing song and performance, and if it was to be part of an album and fans had heard it then maybe things could have been better at Philips.? The final single, 'Lay Me Down b/w Heartaches and Raindrops' is still an superb single and we have now heard part of the idea for the planned album. Our research uncovered 3 tapes [27 tracks] from the time of 16 track recordings from the Philips reels. Only two tracks would surface as MONO mixes for this box set, [as surviving vocals] 'The Goose' [a somewhat strange 'Beatlesque' arrangement and song], and the amazing Crewe-Gaudio song 'I Need To Get To Know You' . Along with a version of 'Just How Loud' a 1966 Northern Soul song penned by Artie Schroeck and Jet Loring this Rare Tracks Collection has a quite Northern sound. All of the above tracks are in a STEREO/MONO mixed set of alternative versions and unreleased tracks and they form a cornerstone of this Box Set and of this period of non-hits and experimentation ..........taking us from 'I'm Gonna Change' in 1967 and the discovery of the original DEMO of 'Beggin'........to the rock based 'Whatever You Say b/w Sleeping Man' on their 1971 UK tour.......this period of changing sounds and styles make these Discs collectors gems.

DISC 18 FOUR SEASONS/FRANKIE VALLI – HALF AND HALF(MONO)[PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED]/STEREO)

Philips PHS600341 No. 190 [4/70]

DISC 19 – RARE AND UNRELEASED 1967 TO 1971

These discs contain 29 Bonus Tracks to the released album of which 18 are previously unreleased tracks

Ken Charmer

THE SNAPPER MUSIC BOX SET RESEARCH – PART 5 1968 and 69

Perhaps the most collectible vinyl album of this decade for Four Seasons fans is 'Genuine Imitation Life Gazette' [GILG] and definitely their 'cult' album being so different in style and sound at the time to anything heard from them before. And it included album artwork that was at that time totally original and unique.

It's concept for the group and Philips was a huge gamble but after the Beatles had turned album making on it's head with Sgt Peppers Lonely Heart Club Band, Bob Gaudio convinced the group and Philips they had to try something new. It has always been an anomaly to me that on 'Saturday's Father' the closing segment features the group in classic harmony as they had always shown since 1962, and yet apart from a Four Freshman style 'Idaho' later on the album the sound of the group is completely new. They could never escape the 'harmony' sound of Frankie's voice blended with the group. And they never truly did, notwithstanding the 1970s revival.[c/f 'Harmony' in 1976 on the 'WHO LOVES YOU album]

We tell the background to the inspiration, recording and release of the GILG album in the Box Set Collectors Notes but when the initial research of the FSP Tape storage revealed a MONO mix of the album, Snapper immediately decided to make this a vinyl insert and reproduce all of the album artwork and inserts.

Then the concept of two CD Discs for this album emerged and it meant that a number of tracks from MONO and STEREO sources from this period that we wanted to include could be accommodated. We have therefore picked up outstanding tracks from the mid to later 60s as BONUS Tracks.

As well as the MONO mix of the album which is previously unreleased we have included the two instrumentals from 1965, 'Sassy' and 'Night Hawk' plus 8 other MONO versions including the Wonder Who 45 versions and the 'non-album' versions of 'I've Got You Under My Skin' and 'Electric Stories' as the BONUS Tracks are focused on an all MONO Disc.

One other BONUS is the long known track recorded as a DEMO. 'Michael and Peter' was prepared for Frank Sinatra's 'Watertown' album sessions by Bob Gaudio. It features writer Jake Holmes on the intro then Frankie Valli's wonderful interpretation.

The second Disc features the STEREO album with 6 BONUS tracks of hard to find STEREO versions of single releases including the long lost 'Tell It To The Rain' which is the same TAKE as the 45 version. It was surprisingly found on the 25^th Anniversary Reel for the 1988 'vinyl' release. 'Raven' is also featured in STEREO and this has only ever appeared on the Rhino 1990 Rarities CD. Four Takes in STEREO were discovered from the session tapes late in April 2021 during our final search. An alternative version will also feature on a later Disc.

Overall these are two exceptional Discs in the Box Set covering an eclectic album and superb BONUS Tracks from the mid to late sixties.

Whilst a critically acclaimed album it was not accepted by fans and was a commercial failure which was a huge blow for Bob Gaudio personally and would almost destroy the group as Philips now had lost faith in them and saw a lost fan base and also the group [particularly Bob Gaudio] saw no return was possible to the old sound. 'Raven' was their last return to that formula. How to go on in 1969 with a new sound was immense as was the debt Tommy DeVito had incurred for them.?

The remaining time at Philips was virtually unknown to many fans back then as the music industry had moved on to 'rock' and 'soul' and these sounds dominated the charts and the Four Seasons would get very little promotion and would become an 'oldies' sound.

These Discs comprise.....

DISC 16 THE GENUINE IMITATION LIFE GAZETTE – PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED MONO[PLUS Album tracks only VINYL INSERT]

DISC 17 THE GENUINE IMITATION LIFE GAZETTE – STEREO

Philips PHS600290 No. 85 [1/69]

The Discs include a total of 17 BONUS Tracks, one of which is 'previously unreleased' [plus the MONO mix of the album on vinyl and CD]

In our next bog we scrape the barrel of the FSP Archive for this 'end of the 60s' period finding SOME of the lost classics that Philips paper records show were completed but never released and a wonderful unheard Crewe-Gaudio song.

Ken Charmer – August 2021

THE SNAPPER MUSIC BOX SET RESEARCH– PART 4 – FRANKIE VALLI'S FIRST SOLO YEARS

From mid 1965 Frankie Valli was recording 'solo' tracks and due to a reluctance on the part of Philips to have the Four Seasons sound 'challenged', the 1965 45s appeared on the Smash Label. And whilst it would be 1966 before Philips took over such releases it would not be till mid 1967 that an album would appear with the release of the 'Solo' album in June 1967 after the huge success of 'Can't Take My Eyes Off You'.

Researching the Four Seasons Partnership[FSP] archive proved to be frustrating as not all the single releases had survived on Master Tape.......and the 'Solo' album had never survived as a MONO mix.

The PolyComp Tapes contained what had survived of the MONO mixes but we had to recover from vinyl dubs....

The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore (MONO 45 YW1-36622)

This Is Goodbye (MONO 45 YW1-36623)

You’re Gonna Hurt Yourself (MONO 45 YW1-37523)

The Proud One (MONO 45 1-38789)

Can’t Take My Eyes Off You (MONO 45 1-40375)

Surprisingly the last song [a #2 hit] was not found on tape but an acetate of an earlier TAKE with an alternate and very relaxed vocal by Frankie did survive and is included with the above as BONUS Tracks.

In our research of alternate versions and MIXES we did find that This Is Goodbye and Cry For Me had survived on tape ONLY as Pseudo Stereo [or Fake Stereo as marked on the tape box] and these versions are the only ones to appear in the CD era. We also found that the GOLD album on Private Stock [PVLP1006] contained UNIQUE STEREO mixes on the vinyl album from 1975 that were worthy versions as BONUS Tracks. We salvaged four very well mixed STEREO versions here.

Can’t Take My Eyes Off You (STEREO Gold 1975 Alternate Mix )

You're Ready Now (STEREO Gold 1975 Alternate Mix)

The Proud One (STEREO Gold 1975 Alternate Mix)

You’re Gonna Hurt Yourself (STEREO Gold 1975 Alternate Mix)

The following album 'Timeless' released in June 1968 attempted to establish Frankie Valli as a singer of 'standards' like his hero Frank Sinatra.

With 16 track recording Philips were moving albums to 'STEREO only' as the mixes were so good and phonographs of the day could play STEREO albums in MONO. Only ever released in STEREO we did not think it had ever been mixed to MONO. But in searching for a tape of 'unreleased' tracks from 1969,[more re these tracks on a later blog] we discovered to our disappointment that the tape was damaged ….and not the songs we had wanted. Further detailed work revealed it as two track and one was distorted and one intact. We salvaged the intact track and found it contained 9 songs in MONO from this album as studio 'out-takes' with intros and outro chat on some songs. A truly amazing and lucky find.

Adding to that we found an unreleased song from the same sessions 'Stranger in Paradise', and an unreleased song from 1968 called 'Natural Morning'. The details are revealed in our Box Set Collectors Notes.

Overall these two Discs give a wonderful snapshot of the the start of Frankie Valli's solo career.

It remains to be seen if the Tape Box scan above actually contains the tracks listed as 'pulled'. Whatever the sound engineer finds on this tape we will have all the STEREO mixes listed from other tape sources.

DISC 13 THE FOUR SEASONS PRESENT FRANKIE VALLI SOLO [STEREO ONLY]

Philips PHM200247[NOT AVAILABLE]/PHS600247 No. 34 [6/67]

DISC 14 FRANKIE VALLI – TIMELESS [STEREO ONLY]

Philips PHS600274 No. 176 [6/68]

These discs also capture an amazing 27 BONUS tracks [12 of which are previously unreleased]

Ken Charmer – August 2021

THE SNAPPER MUSIC BOX SET RESEARCH - PART THREE – PHILIPS 1966 TO 1967

1966 was a great year for music and it appeared to be for the Four Seasons as they toured continually with new member Joe Long. And they still had 45 hits with 6 Top 100 records during the year. But there was no 'original' album and Philips flooded the market with their past hits albums as a result of the return of ownership of the Masters from Vee-Jay's bankruptcy.

The Beach Boys and the Beatles were revolutionising the album market and music with their 'Pet Sounds' and 'Revolver' albums and the lack of an album by The Four Seasons till May 1967 would not help them after the loss of 4 important members of their writing and production team. Nick Massi, Charles Calello, Sandy Linzer and Denny Randell between August 1965 and early 1966 and whilst they kept the hits going this would prove a burden that was too much to maintain or develop a new sound and something would have to change as 1967 developed.

Whilst the very competent Artie Schroeck stepped in in January 1966 with his arranging skills it was still the Frankie Valli's falsetto trademark that Philips were selling and although he and the group wanted to move on they were a 'cash cow' for Philips. Despite the anthem of 'I'm Gonna Change'[which never saw an official 45 release but would become a dance floor classic by 1973 in the UK] it was a case of the more things change the more they remain the same and it would take until 1967 for Bob Gaudio to come up with a new direction which would prove to be pretty disastrous commercially for the group and their career.

The important part of the research of the Tapes for this period was to find the NEW GOLD HITS album in both MONO and STEREO which we did. For decades fans have known that the singles from this period were distinctly different mixes to the albums and the recording studios moved to 16 track from early 1967. They moved in 1966 because of distortion problems at Stea-Philips [Charlie Calello told us] and because the equipment at Mirasound Studios with Sound Engineer George Schowerer facilitated the ability to add dubs without 'bouncing' and sound loss as was necessary in the first half of the 60s and this change also led to much better STEREO mixes.

Some fans regard this album as their favourite of the group during the 60s and it certainly features a diverse set of styles and arrangements.

But the single releases were still MONO and for reasons best known to Bob Crewe and Philips at this time the 45 versions were different mixes and predominantly issued before the album in 1966 and the UNIQUE single mixes of 'Tell It To The Rain/Beggin'/Dody/C'Mon Marrianne' and 'Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow' are featured on this Disc in these versions as BONUS Tracks. The post album 45 versions of 'Watch The Flowers Grow b/w Raven' are also preserved here and did not feature on any original albums at the time. We found all of these preserved on a set of five Mercury Compilation Master Tapes. 'Raven' would not feature ever on a vinyl album and saw it's first release [in STEREO] on the Rhino Rarities Vol 2 in 1990. That mix will feature on a later disc.

This is the MONO tape scan as it has survived.

More versions however from this period were found but space restricted this Disc and we have focused on keeping all the original MONO versions of 45s with the original [but alternate mixed versions on] MONO and STEREO albums. The other versions found will surface on later Discs in the set. The late 60s proved to be a more fertile period for our research as I will document in future blogs.

Whilst these tracks showed the variety of styles and songs the group were capable of, the same formula built around Frankie Valli's falsetto was still the dominant 'hit' sound that the record buyers wanted and moving away from this would bring a classic album but a financial disaster.

Ken Charmer – August 2021

THE SNAPPER MUSIC BOX SET RESEARCH - PART TWO – PHILIPS 1964 TO 1966

By the end of 1963 the Four Seasons were in 'breach of contract'.....but back on the charts.!!

Their dispute with Vee-Jay was in the courts and their earlier material was still being released by that label.

Their decision to record again was made in summer 1964 after over a year of conflict re royalies and ownership of masters. There was a new sound coming from the group and 'Dawn' and 'No Surfin' Today' were recorded at Atlantic Studio with now legendary Sound Engineer Tom Dowd. The story of that is told in the Box Set Collectors Notes and the location of those original 8 track Masters is not known. They may still survive in Bob Crewe's Personal Archive at Crewe Studios in Maine otherwise they are lost apart from the 'underdub' STEREO version mixed on the Edizione D'Oro album.

What our research of the Four Seasons Partnership[FSP] Archive revealed is that MONO versions of these two songs as issued on 45 had made it to the relevant Master Albums and are preserved on the Safety Copy Master Tapes. This faded Tape Box shows just how long ago that was and how time and the typewriters of the times notes have almost faded with the timings and Master Matrix Nrs hand written and some titles and the album Nr. incorrect. However the ANALOGUE MASTERS are intact in both MONO and STEREO of this album and are now re-transferred to Pro-Tools in DIGITAL FORM and will be Re-Mastered for this set. This tape of their first Philips Album is Tape Box titled 'Folk-Album' and PHS200-129 [it should be marked PHM] . It would see release as 'Born To Wander' and in MONO has never before been released on CD. Dated 9^th January 1964 this is clearly a copy from the Production Master as the album came out the following month.

There has never been any evidence of other 'unreleased' songs from these sessions but an acetate of 'Millie' was found as an alternative version and the story of this is in the Collectors Notes and it appears as a Bonus Track. Also appearing as a Bonus is the earliest known LIVE Recording of the Four Seasons. Taped out of the Sound Engineers Board and in Tommy DeVito's Archive comes a set of four songs from an early 1964 show shortly after this albums issue[two songs are from this album]. It captures the amazing range of Frankie Valli's vocal falsetto at that time and remains a key find of their history as a top 60s group.

The albums that followed through 1964 and 65 were all found to exist in both MONO and STEREO Safety Copy Tapes but the singles from this period are in several cases different mixes. Also several tracks were only ever MASTERED in MONO. Such examples are 'Big Man's World', 'Only Yesterday' and 'Ronnie'.

We turned to a set of Mercury Compilation Tapes which contained many of the groups single versions preserved as Safety Copies. The clear and Full Frequency and High Dynamic Range copies included the UNIQUE 45 mixes of 'Save It For Me' and 'Silence Is Golden'. The other notable finds from 1965 included 'A Sunday Kind Of Love' in both MONO and STEREO and the distinctively different MONO version of 'Girl Come Running'[which would not surface in STEREO till 1968]

The Final album of 1965 'Working My Way Back To You' did not include the 'Let's Hang On' 45 version and no albums contain the special Mix for 45 of 'Too Many Memories' and of 'Opus 17' [for Spring 1966 release]. All of these have been preserved in this set.

The FSP Archive tapes however did not contain many of Frankie Valli single releases from this period from his first 'solo' studio sessions in mid 1965 on and finding and preserving these proved to be a more difficult task. The Frankie Valli singles that survive were preserved on Polygram Compilation Tapes, but not comprehensively. As we had believed and was proved correct, 'The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore' and the 'B' side 'This Is Goodbye' did not survive as MONO MASTER's and are preserved in this Box Set from high quality vinyl dubs The latter track from our research only survived on the Tape Copy marked in pen as....'Fake STEREO'..[otherwise known as PSEUDO STEREO].......and a Re-Engineered attempt to replicate TRUE STEREO at the time.

All such tracks are included as dubs where they are missing or as created on the Engineer's Tape copy and are preserved as BONUS TRACKS on the albums for this period. The Frankie Valli SOLO 45 tracks appear on the SOLO Album Disc which I will cover later. Full details will be in the Collectors Notes.

The albums for this period in the Box Set are......

DISC 5 BORN TO WANDER MONO/STEREO

Philips PHM200129/PHS600129 No. 84 [2/64]

DISC 6 DAWN GO AWAY & 11 OTHERS MONO/STEREO

Philips PHM200124/PHS600124 No.6 [3/64]

DISC 7 RAG DOLL MONO/STEREO

Philips PHM200146/PHS600146 No. 7 [7/64]

DISC 8 THE FOUR SEASONS ENTERTAIN YOU [With 'Toy Soldier]MONO/STEREO

Philips PHM200164/PHS600164 No. 77 [3/65]

DISC 10 SING BIG HITS BY BACHARACH/DAVID AND DYLAN

Philips PHM200193/PHS600193 No. 106 [11/65]

DISC 11 WORKING MY WAY BACK TO YOU AND MORE GREAT NEW HITS MONO/STEREO Philips PHM200201/PHS600201 No.50 [1/66]

 

There are 13 BONUS TRACKS across these 5 albums

 

Ken Charmer

THE SNAPPER MUSIC BOX SET RESEARCH - PART ONE – THE VEE-JAY CONTRACT

When Snapper Music through Bob Gaudio commissioned Bill Inglot to create new DIGITAL MASTERS from the ANALOGUE TAPES back in 2018, it was at at time we had wondered if this would reveal a treasure trove of unheard material?. But label scans of Tape Boxes revealed all sorts of notes, anomalies and background questions re what were the 'original' album and source tapes and if some tracks were even there?. Even the album mix of 'Sherry' is not as the 45 issue.

The story of the groups contract at Vee-Jay as told at the beginning of our Web Site Sessionography page [HERE] showed that the contract dispute led to documentation and storage of Tapes during the 1960s being neither comprehensive or consistent re the highest quality MASTER Tapes. Past recovery of MASTERS for projects for CD issue from 1988 had achieved a SET of STEREO MASTERS......but no focus on the Original MONO Masters had been done. And what about the 'special' mixes done for 45 release which are different to the album? Did they still exist as MASTERS?

ALL the stored Tapes in the Four Seasons Partnership Archive of the early albums appeared as 15 ips Safety Copies in some form supplied by the Studios/Label and no 3 or 4 track tapes from the sessions existed. This would prove to be the case for virtually all of the Analogue Tape 'era'[ie 1962 to 1986]. For the previous issues on CD of the Vee-Jay albums full copies of the albums had been difficult to find and a UK Copy of 'Ain't That A Shame' was sourced from EMI as it remains different to the US being substantially the 'Big Girls Don't Cry and 12 Others' album. [for which no tape was found]. It was also necessary for Bill Inglot for previous STEREO issues for CD to 'Re-Construct' the 'Sherry and 11 Others' album from various Tape Sources.

In evaluating the risks to sound quality for this project, it was decided that, via listening tests, the best sounding source MASTER tapes for all the Vee-Jay albums [both MONO and STEREO] where the Tapes handed back to the Four Seasons Partnership when Vee-Jay went bust in 1966. Many of these tracks were subsequently released by Philips on vinyl albums like 'Looking Back' and '2^nd Gold Vault Of Hits' in November of that year.

For this Box Set the Masters each album track has been identified and are being sourced from these 'Delivery Tapes' as they were transferred by Ver-Jay  They remain the closest generation tapes to the 'original' studio masters and were clearly the best sound sources from listening tests. They will be NEW digital releases for every track recorded at Vee-Jay in both MONO and STEREO album sets, something 'unique' to this Box Set. So each Vee-Jay album is being re-created from the closest source to the studio session versions which [from our research] no longer exist.

Some stunning Bonus Tracks were discovered from this period including previously unreleased acetates of DEMO's, and alternative STEREO and MONO versions as well as the unheard BBC Radio broadcasts from 1963 of 'Big Girls Don't Cry' and 'Ain't That A Shame' whilst on their UK tour. A NEW first time in STEREO mix of 'I've Cried Before' [with the group backing Frankie] as well as the 'special' STEREO Mixes re-engineered for the 'Golden Hits' album of 'Sherry' and 'Peanuts' have been preserved. Perhaps the most surprising find again 'unique' to this Box Set was to discover 3 totally different versions of an 'unreleased' Bob Gaudio penned song 'Like You'. It appears as an original 1961 DEMO and then as versions first a year later with an organ backed arrangement and finally from 1963 with a trumpet backing. Frankie Valli's lead vocal on all 3 is impeccable.

The Box Set Collectors Notes will provide details of all single and album releases and sources for the 'unreleased'.

The Vee-Jay albums in their complete MONO and STEREO Versions included are.....

DISC 1 – SHERRY & 11 OTHERS MONO/STEREO

Vee-Jay VJLP 1053/SR 1053 No. 6 [10/62]

DISC 2 FOUR SEASONS GREETINGS MONO/STEREO

VJ VJLP 1055/SR 1055 No.13 on Xmas Chart in 12/63 [12/62]

DISC 3 BIG GIRLS DON’T CRY & 12 OTHERS MONO/STEREO

Vee-Jay VJLP 1056/SR 1056 No. 8 [2/63]

DISC 4 AIN’T THAT A SHAME & 11 OTHERS MONO/STEREO

Vee-Jay VJLP 1059/SR 1059 No. 47 [5/63]

DISC 9 THE FOUR SEASONS RECORDED LIVE ON-STAGE MONO/STEREO

VJ VJLP 1154/VJS 1154 [11/65]

There are 22 Bonus Tracks across these 5 CD's.

Ken Charmer July 2021

THE FOUR SEASONS 'BEST MIXES' – OUR PAST BLOG RE-VISITED

Back in 2009 Casey Chameleon and Sound Engineer Stefan Wriedt wrote a blog for us re the status of the CD based Four Seasons Catalogue and the sources of some of the Mixes ….what existed still as the original vinyl?.... and what the definition was of a 'Best Mix' on CD?. That blog is still relevant [and can be found here] and as we enter the REMASTERING stage of the Snapper Music Box Set we are revisiting that in terms of what has survived and how it has been gathered from a wide range of sources and what we and Snapper are seeking to achieve in the Box Set. Much investment by Snapper Music goes into the artwork and memorabilia gathering and it's presentation which is their hallmark. But so too is the Mastering by Peter Reynolds and his very wide experience.

Our Mega CD DISCOGRAPHY on our web site[See Here].....attempted to track and assess the quality of the CD's by Frankie Valli and the group released from 1988 to 2010......including most in your collections …...and to take a view of their Collectibility[in terms of originality and sound quality]. Many of the links to purchase sites at the time still apply....some very cheap but others 'super' expensive. But with Stefan passing away and the rise of You Tube and streaming it has not been possible.......or worthwhile....... investing effort in such a difficult revision of the CD catalogue web page on our web site without his sound engineering skills. The CD has also become as rare as vinyl although still a viable music storage medium in 2021.

Our focus is MASTERING TODAY and a NEW reference point in terms of the catalogue. SO in this NEW COLLECTION from Snapper Music we have re-visited the ANALOGUE TAPES checking their 'authenticity' as the production intention of Bob Crewe, Bob Gaudio and the other producers involved over the decades. This will probably be the LAST AND DEFINITIVE SET OF MASTERS on CD by Frankie and the group for future generations and for transfer to other media platforms[ie streaming etc].

The variablity of CD quality issues of FV/4S music in terms of MASTERING is so inconsistent since 1988 and of course the 1960s MONO releases have not been properly addressed as we will considered in forthcoming blogs.

Back in 2009 Casey and Stefan set a standard wanted for the catalogue as 'BEST MIXES'

“Firstly the characteristics that make it sound great……

1. Clarity – that sharp clear shape to each element in the sound

2. Content – the sound stage and it’s constituent parts

3. Separation – the difference or space within the sound between the elements

4. Depth – the position of the sounds in terms of the distance they appear from the listener and each other.

We believe the definitive versions need to be stored in the best digital form for future generations of collectors. As mastering improves and the technology to process the sound, we will be able enjoy the Four Seasons as never before. Their collection is too important to be neglected”

That has happened now thanks to Snapper Music and an 'enlightened' attitude from Bob Gaudio and Frankie Valli. The process of finding and reviewing all potential sources for this project has taken 3 years and has been difficult. Over the next 6 months I will outline the search for rare and authentic tracks as recorded by the group with all of their albums and alternate surviving versions worthy of note. Duplication in the set has been avoided as much as possible with the MONO and STEREO versions recovered as they have survived. Acetates and LIVE show recordings have contributed much to the range and importance of the performances over the period and each 'decade' has it's pop/rock music context. Every track included is in the research team's opinion.....'UNIQUE' [ie being the only one of its kind; unlike anything else] The tracks that never made it to STEREO have also been researched too and the original MONO MASTER versions found, along with Pseudo STEREO versions[as produced at the time following MONO only recordings].

In the 2009 Blog Stefan analyzed how no TRUE STEREO version of 'Goodnight My Love' had ever appeared on CD and he tracked the vinyl sources. It took us, as an example,  till April 2021 for Bill Inglot to find a tape source deep in the Four Seasons Partnership Archive and allocate it for 're-mastering'. With the delay of the pandemic more time has allowed intense searches such as this to uncover more 'original' hidden gems.

I will start from the beginning in our next blog and work through the very distinctive 'decade focused' sources of the MASTERS and how they have and are stored and what has survived and been 'rescued'. My conclusion overall is that this has been a major 'rescue mission' and but for this project much would probably be lost forever. I will document what we couldn't find or include.......and the 'rescue work' still needed . And although a huge achievement the research for this set has shown there is more to be found and released......some sources we know of whilst others remain rumours.

And one mystery source remains largely unknown......the 'BOB CREWE ARCHIVE' which remains in the hands of Dan and Reid Crewe at Crewe Studios in Maine.

Ken Charmer – July 2021

Our Summer 2021 Update – The Four Seasons Catalogue and the Snapper Project

It is all about 'Looking Back'......which was the title of a 1966 album by the group. But that is what we have been doing on your behalf as part of the Snapper Music Project. For the first time it has been a case of fan involvement in asking the Four Seasons Partnership just what still exists of the Four Seasons Master tapes?

It has been a long project for us as researchers in The Four Seasons UK Appreciation Society on behalf of all fans worldwide.....and recently through a long pandemic....and it is deeply sad that we lost some wonderful people due to Covid. But life and music must go on and it is good to announce that through the collaboration we have had with Snapper Music and the research of the sources we were able to make some amazing finds. The research for their planned Box Set release has now been completed. We are advised by Snapper that Bob Gaudio and Frankie Valli have agreed the content they can release for the fans almost entirely as we asked for.

The final search of tapes and acetates during April 2021 added greatly to the rare and unreleased and alternative versions that have been found. Bob Gaudio personally checked out 29 of the bonus track finds for the set.

It is now for Snapper to take the project forward into the Re-Mastering and Production stage, after the research of sources for the Masters from the Partnership Tape storage, the Universal Motown Archive in New York State and Collectors Archives. Each CD features Bonus Tracks as closely related to the career timeline of Frankie and the group as was possible and the selection for inclusion has sought to include every important recording both released and unreleased in a comprehensive collection.

This has always been the aim of the UK fan group.

The identification and selection of both original and stereo versions of tracks from the 1960s in particular was considered the most intense area for research. But the inclusion of 13 Unreleased and stunning productions from their time at MoWest/Motown with alternate versions together with ALL the released tracks from that period provides a core achievement that was what we in THE FOUR SEASONS UK APPRECIATION SOCIETY signed up for with Snapper Music of London back on 20^th August 2018 . And then to our surprise the research team found the LOST DISCO ALBUM and the STREETFIGHTER album studio Tapes plus lots more. All will be revealed and put into context as the release date arrives.

Two objectives for us since 1997 have been finding the UNRELEASED tracks and getting the 1960s albums in MONO, remastered to modern mastering [now 2021] standards. We wanted confirmation of what had survived on tape and for this to be salvaged and restored. We can say that our objectives are 90% achieved [subject to re-mastering] and in our blogs I will up to its release explain what was found. [and what couldn't be found or included].

We and the Snapper Team believe this to be an awesome collection which fans will love. l will post more on our blog through the summer re the individual albums by the group and their background and will advise also as Snapper prepare their press release plans and pre-ordering arrangements. All of you will want to know the final details we know and with Snapper we will provide final details for the Box contents, price and release as soon as possible.

Ken Charmer and Lynn Boleyn

Next Time we will re-visit Casey Chameleon's search for the 'Best Mixes' in 2009 and what has been found in 2021

Essential Christmas Music for 2020

There are so many reasons to play this album in 2020 as we in the Snapper team review the Tape Transfers from the Four Seasons Partnership to Final Mastering. A No.13 hit on the Christmas Chart in December 63 it had been released a year earlier. It resonates and warms the heart and we need that in our socially distanced lives this year more than ever. Held together by friendships and social media we are determined to fight the invisible enemy and get the BEST EVER release of Frankie and the group out next year.

As we send best wishes out from the UK Fan Club to all of you, we are working hard to get you the Snapper Box Set as soon as possible next year.

The set now runs to 44 CDs. Genuine Imitation Life Gazette needed another CD to accommodate the MONO and STEREO versions[whilst the MONO version will still also be in the vinyl insert.] We have checked all the Bonus Tracks and have been able to locate and include alternative MONO 45 versions in both the 1960s and 70s like the DJ PROMO version of 'I've Got You Under My Skin' and a TRUE STEREO version of Frankie and the group on the lost 'B' side to 'Sherry'.......'I've Cried Before'.

We have located ALL the original VJ Masters in MONO and STEREO for all their albums at that label[rather than the album Safety Tapes] and Master Tapes of the Philips albums are mostly in both too. Rare versions and Unreleased gems sprinkle the CD's as Bonus Tracks to the albums and the 13 Motown Unreleased are brilliant songs and performances.

As 2021 begins we will have all tracks located and ready for re-mastering. This is the first time since 1988 that a comprehensive analogue to digital transfer has been done of the FSP vault and the whole catalogue included here will be everything that has survived.

The MONO Tracks from the 1960s are a revelation and on CD in album and single form for the first time. All the UNIQUE Bob Crewe 45 mixes appear as many are different to the album versions and whilst no STUDIO Master Tape multi-tracks have survived it was nice to discover the STEREO of the 45 version of 'Tell It To The Rain' was there all the time.....so now we have 4 versions of the song. And of course we have the specially collected Edizione D'Oro 29 Hits selection with the UNIQUE STEREO versions of 10 of their hits.

We have tried to make the set everything both fans and collectors would want and with the help of Bill Inglot and Bob and Frankie it will be. More in 2021. Happy Christmas and a Happy New Year

Ken Charmer and Lynn Boleyn for The Four Seasons UK Appreciation Society – December 2020

The 'Not So Ultimate' Collection?

There comes a time when you have to ask …...'Is it enough?' A time to reflect on the process of how we got this far and how much we have missed out on.....particularly in such dreadful times when our very existence is at risk from an invisible enemy.

The excitement of the opportunity to review all of the Four Seasons Partnerships[FSP] Archive has been the driving force for the design and preparation of the forthcoming Snapper Box Set. All the released and unreleased by Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons from 1962 to 2010. BUT not quite!!

A project over 3 years old but one that really started back in the 'noughties' when collectors like me and sound engineer Stefan Wriedt questioned what has been given to the fans to date as we dreamed of the ultimate collection based on access to the 'Archives' and modern technology sound engineering. Stefan himself organised the bootleg issue of 'The Night/Inside You' because neither the FSP nor Universal Motown would look back and issue on CD what had been released on vinyl by the label in the early 1970s.

I started to research the Motown vault information and the list started......and grew......

Could there be up to 30 unreleased tracks in the Motown vault? [as that was what was indicated] The evidence built and we found acetates of some of what had been done and left behind when they left the label in 1974. We put them on You Tube as proof. The case for a project of the 'Unreleased' at Motown was made. BUT that was never going to be enough. Ask Paul Nixon about getting 'approvals' for tracks known to be in the Motown Vault and he will tell you how it took 5 years after his highly successful 'Cellarfull Of Motown Series Volumes 1 to 4' and this week sees the release of Volume 5. ….....5 years on!!!!!! He found it was like trying to move mountains.....but persistence and belief prevailed.

Then with the concept of the Snapper Box set and the amazing news that Bob Gaudio would review and approve unreleased tracks from every decade ????......we believed a change of heart was happening to set down a 'library' of the career so many of us have supported since the 1970s fan clubs . Many of you have helped and searched for lost recordings and live shows. That contribution was as much part of the exercise of research that resulted in the LIST. BUT Bob Gaudio only approved 13 tracks from the 29 multi-track tapes supplied by Motown. Even though Motown's Tape Library Manager Andy Skurow admitted that at least another 15 could have been added being complete and of a similar quality. Such news is somewhat disillusioning to fans and makes us doubt the FSP commitment.

And what about Frankie and Bob's personal collection? No contributions were offered or made. And so much remains missing or not researched.

It is from the fans work over the years that I have pushed to Snapper to include unique finds.....and most of them have been accepted.......some could not be licensed but if anyone says 'This is NOT ENOUGH' I will agree. The FSP vault did not reveal the expected 'unreleased' and much of what was 'rumoured' to exist was left behind in Recording Studios. How could the music owners do this you may ask?......a good question. Take for example the superb 'Killing Time' , a superb left-over from the 'Streetfighter ' album sessions.......despite 3 years of searching the original studio tape has not surfaced......only a Larry Lingle cassette copy. And of the LIVE shows......only group members copies on cassette have survived of 3 shows.....plus a few tracks Tommy De Vito had from 1964.

Of around 818 track included around 60 could be classed as 'Unreleased' and around 40% are fan/former Four Season contributions. Why didn't Frankie's Tour Manager record more shows???

The UNIQUE Motown Vaults Mult-track Tapes could have contributed at least 20 more tacks with alternative mixes of tracks like the extended version of 'Hickory'. I have done all I can to get them but will never stop asking[Snapper, FSP, Motown Universal] for more. But as Lynn Boleyn and I have continuously supported this project we have had to be realistic!!!!!

Whilst there have previously been reasons for suppressing such releases by the FSP we had hoped this could be the ultimate collection. I started working with compiler Paul Nixon back in 2005 to try to get some of the then 1990s list of unreleased tracks at Motown released. Frankie Valli's lawyer stopped that saying any work was 'incomplete demos'. Of course at the time the build up of Jersey Boys was the main attraction.......and back in 1975 of course the Warner-Curb album 'Who Loves You' was the main focus. The FSP didn't want 'old material' competing....no matter what the quality!!!

This time with the Box Set research we had limitations to sources and time for contract approvals and Bob Gaudio assessed the Motown Tapes....NOT US!!!!! We are maybe 90% happy that the catalogue will move to its next Stage of NEW and SALVAGED Masters of great 'art' by August next year......that will make it a 4 year project due in large part to the pandemic.

Some fans have been questioning the value of this Box Set and Snapper tell me their artwork and collectible photos and picture sleeves will be superb......but it is the music that counts for most of us.......Fans will rightly ask.....'Is it all about the money the music can make? Or is there a genuine appreciation at all of the work as 'art' that should be preserved?' I can't ask Frankie or Bob but I can pass on the message that this ISN'T ENOUGH. In reality it is only us fans that care 100% about the art. But we still want this project and it will be good value for money. We will work with Snapper to bring the best sounding set of Four Seasons and Frankie Valli music to the fans.

It can't happen soon enough as we fight this pandemic and get some solace in the music we love.

We will keep pushing for more and will be calling for a Box Set based on a review of ALL the Motown Tapes.......give us the access to assess to review the material and we ask you to look in to your personal archives [Bob and Frankie]. You need to work with us to maximise your catalogue value for future generations. We are best equipped through our 'network' to achieve that....We are already planning fan based release of material not included in this package......this is how we see at present it will have to go.......Digitally Extracted Stereo[DES] is coming too and our aim is to develop NEW TRUE 21^stCentury STEREO Masters.

…........so STAY SAFE and LIVE LONG........the Box Set is coming......but it shouldn't have taken this long. However we are getting nearly as much as we wanted/hoped for in 2005, when Stefan and I said.......'it has to be preserved'. But it remains 'bittersweet'. As such close friends [like Stefan and Frank Rovello] have passed away and wont experience it. It also comes at a price that is known 'true' collectors will pay but which will unfortunately put some fans off.

Other projects will follow. There will be more..........Ken Charmer

"Life On Hold' - A Sad Loss and Box Set Update

It is a difficult time with the UK Press announcing that the Government is effectively putting 'Life On Hold' as winter approaches as we all seek to stay safe and get through these unprecedented times. The sad loss of 92 year old founder 4 Season Tommy DeVito to Covid related problems only reinforces the dangers for older people in life as many Four Seasons fans feel the strain and increasingly turn back on Facebook and You Tube  to the music for support. It is a sad time for his family and the fanbase who love the backstory. We have a separate blog re his contribution to our music and our lives.

As UK Fan Group managers Lynn Boleyn and I have been striving to give all fans the set of music that will completely 're-connect' the music of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons with their history and their fans and it would have been good to have done that at this time. It was just over 3 years ago we met Ian Crocket and Bob Fisher at Snapper Records in London and talked about what the fans wanted in a Mega Box Set.........we both said without hesitation......the MOTOWN UNRELEASED.....and an update from the Partnership vaults of the MONO Catalogue from the 1960s which has NEVER been released on CD. For 3 years now Ian, us and his team have been investing the time and effort to bring this to fruition.....something we see as intensely important during these pandemic times.

I spoke to Ian Crocket yesterday re progress in these challenging times and the inevitable delays to projects he is getting. Whilst we have gathered and are working on the huge artwork parts of the project, the continued closure of Curb Records and Universal Motown [until January] has put back re-mastering and quality checks so we are now looking at the set being complete and available next August. Snapper continue to invest in the project and contracts are in place. So it is a case of hanging in there and seeing the crisis through.

As all lament the sad passing of Tommy DeVito it is thanks to him that we have some awesome Unreleased Songs going into the Box Set as a result of getting hold of his 1960s Archive cassette. This has contributed 6 tracks to the compilation from the earliest days of the Four Seasons. Four are terrific good quality soundboard tracks from a Live 1964 show featuring 'Stay/Since I Don't Have You/Cry Myself To Sleep/Dawn' and two early Demos of 'I Still Care' and 'Like You' with Nick Massi's excellent vocal arrangements. Thanks Tommy!!!!

I will be featuring some other excerpts from Tommy's Archive Tape in our Facebook Group[ The Four Seasons Motown Unreleased Campaign] and some date back to the days of The Four Lovers.

So hang on in and we will keep you posted as the Re-Mastering re-commences as we start to hear the MONO albums reproduced again for the 21^st century and we continue to push this 2500 limited edition through to delivery and ordering dates. More news and rarities as and when we can.

Take Care and Stay Safe.

Ken Charmer

 

Back In Action - THE LOST DISCO ALBUM: Frankie Valli

As we enter the PRODUCTION STAGE of the Snapper box set of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons Catalogue 1962 to 2010, I will be doing Blog posts relating to the highlights and this is the story of one UNIQUE CD which developed out of the Tape research. We were given unique access to the NEW transfer from the Four Seasons Partnership [FSP] Archive.

Some tapes emerged which seemed to be related to the 'Heaven Above Me' album from 1980 and several tracks were clearly Unreleased or Alternate Versions and so we tried to analyse what MAY have happened.

Whilst Frankie was at Warners for the FRANKIE VALLI IS THE WORD album Bob Crewe[ with Bob Gaudio] recorded Back In Action/Can't Be Too Much Music/ Stagger Lee according to Warner paper records of masters completed. During this period Bob Crewe wrote[ with Larry Brown] , recorded for Warner Bros [probably late 1978] and released Fancy Dancer as a 45. [Warner Curb WBS 8734] It reached Nr 77 on the Billboard Chart and Nr 36 on the Adult Contemporary Chart in the USA. In Feb 1979 'Doctor Dance' was mixed for release but would come out over a year later as a B side.

Only 'Back In Action' appears to have been copied to the Partnership Vaults from the Warner sessions . How or why we do not know.....nor does anybody know where the other two tracks are.? [In a studio archive somewhere ….we wish we had access but probably Sigma Sound New York.. If any tapes remain unclaimed they may now be held at Drexel University, Philidelphia as noted on Wikipedia.]

A number of tracks have been found in the FSP Archive as proposed versions. Most of these tracks are known but as other recordings. Those found here are UNRELEASED. A proposed album was prepared for release on 22^nd May 1979. but only one side of the album has survived on Tape.

So as a NEW Record Deal with MCA was signed it meant a Crewe and Gaudio re-recording for MCA 5134 and the result was the Heaven Above Me album in 1980. The dates for these earlier recordings are indicated as mainly in mid 1979 according to tape box dates. A number of original versions with extended mixes and alternate vocals or arrangements were laid down and remained in the Partnership vault until now. We have carefully reviewed these and although at first they just had the potential to be BONUS tracks the idea of a CLUB disco album emerged and we looked at how they might fit together as a DISCO album. HEAVEN ABOVE ME stands iconically as the last CREWE/GAUDIO masterpiece but this set stands on its own as a CLUB SET. 

The result is an album that builds slowly to the break-out in 'Let It Be Whatever It Is' and then rocks TOTAL DISCO before a gentle wind-down of ALL UNRELEASED versions.

BACK IN ACTION – THE LOST DISCO ALBUM

Track 1 – Back In Action – 4mins 53secs....with fade [Unreleased]

Track 2 – Fancy Dancer – 4mins 18 secs.....longer version than 45 with fade [Unreleased]

Track 3 – Let It Be Whatever It Is – 7mins 59 secs....longer version with extra vocals [Unreleased]

Track 4 – Dr Dance – 6mins 7secs – Extended 2^nd Mix with extra vocals [Unreleased]

Track 5 – Eat Your Heart Out - 5mins 24 secs – Extended mix [Unreleased]

Track 6 – Passion For Paris – 9mins 20secs – Extended Mix [Unreleased]

Track 7 – Soul – 11mins 19 secs – Salvaged 'Casey Chameleon'EDIT [Latin Version- Edit of damaged tape]

Track 8 – Back In Action[Reprise] TV Instrumental [Unreleased]

Wind-down Track 9 – Where Did We Go Wrong – Original Long Version Extra vocal - 3mins 58sec [Unreleased]

Wind-down Track 10 – If It Really Wasn't Love – No female backing: Valli Solo [Unreleased]

Wind-down Track 11 – Just Say That You Love Me – Valli Solo [Unreleased]

The Master Tape that contained the proposed single of 'Soul' was mixed on 19^th October 1979 with a longer version for 12”. But we found the tape damaged and so we edited what was remaining and the result was a combination of the two and it runs 11 mins 19 seconds. What is different re this version is it contains a 'Latin' background singer solo in the middle...which appears twice due to this edit......as a result it is a completely different[and unique] version to the 'Heaven Above Me' album song

We think overall this works as a totally UNIQUE album set and runs 54mins 48 secs of Dance floor music plus Wind-down. We have used up the remaining space on the CD with a set of unreleased ballads found on the tapes …....as a Wind-Down set from the DANCE SET [around 10 mins]  …....these are all extra alternative versions of tracks which are entirely 'collectable' and are forerunners to the 'Heaven Above Me' album.

But there is more.......

We also had some really good ALTERNATE VERSIONS worthy of inclusion as BONUS Tracks which will fit comfortably at the end of the Heaven Above Me album but that ORIGINAL and final set of album mixes is the 'creme de la crème'. These tracks are just some 'icing' on the cake for fans as alternate versions

Heaven Above Me - BONUS TRACKS 

Track 9 – Back in Action – 4 mins 53secs: Alternate version with New Ending[no fade]

Track 10 – Soul[Latin Version]_Heaven Above Me[Valli Solo]Joined by Partnership 15mins48secs

Track 11 – Dr Dance - 3^rd Alternate – TV instrumental Mix

We have extracted all the tracks and sent them as sets for Re-Mastering and as part of the BIG LIST they have been approved by Bob Gaudio and will be Mastered for the Box Set.

This was Bob Crewe's last major Partnership work with Bob Gaudio before his retirement from mainstream production that generated the Heaven Above Me album . These tracks show it's development......but mainly the PURE ENERGY and FUN in it's DANCE productions.

Ken Charmer

THE UNCOVERED FSP MOTOWN MASTERS – Part 3

In our final review of the Tape Archive finds in the Four Seasons Partnership vaults is perhaps the most surprising find of all our research over the years and confirmation of something we discovered in the Tape Index Paper records which are now proved.

Assessing the Artists Cards we found references to tracks being copied to two album tapes P5084 and 5085. So when the Tape box showed up with Side 2 of that album were we amazed......but not as much as when we played it.

It contains not only the Alternate Take of 'My Eyes Adored You' but 3 other previously unreleased tracks from the Bob Gaudio session during the summer of 1973.

All of the finds on these tapes prove to be different versions in some ways. Either an alternate vocal or instrumental arrangement. They differ from the tracks Bob Gaudio has provided for the BOX SET and we think they are essential inclusions as they are simply such good mixes.

Below is the detailed analysis of the Tape listening research we have been able to carry out.

BONUS ALTERNATE MASTER VERSIONS IN FSP ARCHIVE [Found in FSP Tapes as Tape Box Scans with Transfer Locations]

MY EYES ADORED YOU – Alternate closing lyric [FS Set 6 Tracks 2 _239]

This is identified on the Tape Box as a NEW MIX, and is clearly not the hit version bought for $4,600 when they left the label. The differences are the extra vocals by Frankie on the closing section. The question that comes to mind is “Does the Partnership OWN this Master as they bought it in 1974/ Did that purchase include all MASTER copies? An interesting but pretty minor matter with such and important and historic song.

WHATEVER YOU WANT - Alternate Harmony version[FS Set 6 Tracks 2 _239]

This is simply a different mix of the harmony vocals and the orchestration. It is the mix prepared for release on the album assembled in May 1974 in preparation for release.

INSIDE YOU – Alternate Version – Frankie Valli Solo – Less Harmony backing [FS Set 6 Tracks 2 _239]

This is alternate version to that included on the 'Inside You' album. It does not have the 'heavy' string overdub and has the instrumentation mixed higher/differently[guitars and drums] in the mix. It also has lower /less backing vocals. The result is a Frankie Valli 'solo' stripped back version which works very well. It runs 3:35 instead of the 4:05 on the album version.

LOVERS - Alternate Version - [FS Set 6 Tracks 2 _239]

This again is a different mix of instrumentation to accompany Frankie Valli. There is much better separation[placement] of guitars/drums and harmony backing. There is also a step in the instrumentation before the closing harmony outro which works perfectly. This is definitely the best mix I have heard, and was the mix prepared for album release in 1974

HYMN TO HER – Alternate Version -[FS Set 6 Tracks 2 _239]

Again this mix differs significantly. The opening choral harmonies 'fade-in' and the church organ section is different. Once again the separation of instruments individually and harmonies is superb with the Seasons 'backing' shining through. The overdub of horns on the closing anthemic vocals with guitar is again superb. This is definitely the best mix I have heard, and was the mix prepared for album release in 1974.

FUTURE YEARS – Alternate Version[FS Set 6 Tracks 1 _278]

This version differs from the one approved version because the lyric can be more clearly heard and once again separation of instruments is better. Also there is a step of orchestration in the closing section which works perfectly. This is IMO a better version than was approved.

WHATEVER YOU WANT - Alternate Version 2 [FS Set 6 Tracks 1_278] Piano Backing

The big difference with this version is that it is without the the 'Harmony' backing track. Whilst those backing vocals work superbly on the main version, this piano led 'stripped down' orchestra and Frankie version works equally well. A worthy Alternate Version.

YOU CAN'T HOLD ON - Alternate Version[FS Set 6 Tracks 1 _278]

This version varies from the approved version as it has no Vocal Backing track and Frankie's Vocal is different on the closing sections. It still works well because the alternate instrumental mix is excellent [particularly the sax] with a superb 'lead' vocal.

YOU CAN'T HOLD ON – TAKE 6 - Alternate 'FINAL MIX' Version[FS Set 6 Tracks 3 _215]

This version described on the Tape Box as 'FINAL MIX' appears as lined up for a 'B' side release with 'The Night' based on the Tape Box. It has different Vocal Backing track and Frankie's Vocal is different on the outro[superb falsetto chanting with the backing singers]. It works really well because of the alternate instrumental mix with a superb 'lead' and backing vocal. Definitely the 'best mix'.

So all these Alternate Mixes could and should be included for fans with the co-operation of Universal. They would elevate the Collectibility of the set, and demonstrate more of the 'goldmine' of these multi-track tapes for perhaps a future issue of more UNRELEASED and ALTERNATE TAKES by the Partnership in conjunction with Universal. The approved 13 tracks and these ALTERNATE MIXES are the find of the project to me after so many years of research. I never would have believed such quality could be 'locked away' for all these years. This CD could and should be the GOLD in the box set. If you want these versions included in the BOX SET let us, Snapper, Bob Gaudio and Universal Music know here.

We will continue campaigning for a future research project on the TAPES recovered from MOTOWN UNIVERSAL........but what a find these are

 

THE UNCOVERED FSP MOTOWN MASTERS – Part 2

Continuing our review of the Tapes found in the Four Seasons Partnership Tape Archive this access got us confirmation of our research re the early 1973 sessions as Bob Gaudio and Bob Crewe started working together again in the studio. This time at Motown.

Mowest was going 'down the tubes' in early 1973 and Frankie and the group were back on Motown. But the two Bob's were busy writing and recording with Frankie Valli. But not it seems with the Four Seasons. The performing group were not considered up to the productions proposed. Work started in January 1973 with the Ellie Greewich composed 'Be My Lover, Be My Friend', but it was the songs 'With My Eyes Wide Open' and 'Listening To Yesterday' that impressed Motown Execs. Initially and probably based on these STEREO Mixes during the sessions. These appear from this FSP Archive Tape Box to have been mixed to MONO/STEREO as test mixes.....final mix demos. They are different to what would eventually surface as final releases

An album was 'slated for release' as Motown 788 titled 'Inside Out' for release in August 1973 but was never developed or finished. 'How Come' from these sessions was released in May 1973 [Motown 1255F] but did not achieve adequate sales and this was perhaps why the album was abandoned.

This Tape Box show a mixing/copying date of 2^nd February 1973 and the mixes of 'Listening To Yesterday' feature a harmony male vocal background, whereas the 45 release on Motown M1251F in May 1973 as a B side to 'You've Got Your Troubles' would feature female backing vocals. This 'harmony' version would eventually feature on the Motown Anthology 2CD set in 2008 but the 45 release has never seen CD issue to date and we have asked for it in the BOX SET. Another track from these sessions 'Star' will get release in the Box Set and is a revelation of these great songs and great sessions. We know of more songs from the sessions that remain completed but remain unreleased. But 'With My Eyes Wide Open' would eventually see release on their post contract Motown album 'Inside You' in 1975. These versions lack the 'finishing' orchestral overdub of that final and released version but feature great instrumental mixes.[and both MONO and 2 alternate STEREO Mixes]. But this song along with the stunning 'Inside You' from these sessions would again be lined up for release on album in a lost 1974 album listing and more on that in Part 3.

These mixes are clearly evaluation mixes but show the quality of production but makes it more surprising that a slow ballad and arrangement re-worked from 1969 at Philips [You've Got Your Troubles] should be preferred for release with these 'original' tracks in the 'can'.

We will also feature in Part 3 the next Motown Tape findings of 3 tracks we had claimed were part of a separate session that saw the release of 'The Scalawag Song' which was also released with little promotion or belief by Motown. Three superb songs shown as copied in January 1974 to producer Bob Gaudio.......were simply forgotten until now and destined for release in the forthcoming Box Set. However these tapes are alternate mixes destined for album transfer......but also for another Motown album that would not see release.

These tape boxes only confirm our data on the Tape Index and make the release of missing gems and alternate mixes a serious endeavour for us to continue. As well as Be My Lover, Be My Friend' we are missing 'Turn It All Around' and Give Us This Day' from the sessions. These remain in the Universal Archive now with Bob Gaudio. We await more news of these.

Next Time.....The LOST MOTOWN ALBUM – Side 2

THE RECOVERED PARTNERSHIP MOTOWN MASTERS – Part 1

The Tape Research work by the Snapper Team is now complete and all tracks selected by fans recommendations and Snapper Team evaluation of the Four Seasons Partnership [FSP] Archive Transfers by Bill Inglot have been incorporated. It is brilliant that Bob Gaudio has approved the LIST. The QUALITY CONTROL phase starts now as the Re-mastering moves on.

The Motown UNRELEASED CD results from Bob Gaudio's review of circa 29 Multi-Track tapes supplied to him by Universal. These are as the Tape Index we have been researching for over 10 years. To date all finds have matched in some way our index and the Artists Cards that have informed the research. Only 13 tracks have been approved for inclusion . The only track previously approved and later deleted was 'I Will Love You Like A Man', and we can only think this is because the title may be interpreted as having 'gender issues'?? Such are these times.! As I have advised in this blog.....all 13 approved are top quality performances and 80% match any previously released Motown issued tracks by Frankie and the group and even album tracks from the Private Stock period that followed their time at Motown and MoWest Records.

One of the biggest surprises of the FSP Tape Archive review was that several of the 13 tracks approved were already in the FSP Archive and are ALTERNATE versions. In our continuing reporting of the facts I will be advising fans of our research as always. I have already advised of our finding of a copy of The Night/You Can't Hold On as a 45 in May 1974[see our previous blog] and this is the evidence of a second but equally well known track.

It is my assessment that consideration should be given to these ALTERNATE versions for 'possible' inclusion in the BOX SET and they should be definitely heard and reviewed by Bob Gaudio.[as he has probably forgotten that he had them]. They were clearly supplied to the FSP for approval as all are FULL STEREO MIXES and most were ready for release. The fans expected more tracks from the Motown vaults in this box set and Universal sources have confirmed at least 15 further quality tracks exist in completed form that could have been included . Perhaps time pressure prevented Bob from fully assessing the tapes.

Inclusion of these ALTERNATE versions would make this UNRELEASED TRACKS CD far more appealing to fans. The difficulty of getting ISRC numbers for the tracks and inclusion in the UNIVERSAL contract remains a difficulty for Snapper to manage but as these are simply alternate versions they can possibly use the same ISRC number. I hope Bob Gaudio will realise how good these versions are and if he does I strongly believe in their inclusion and a call to Harry Weinger at Universal would enable their inclusion in the contract to be quickly done.

These finds were at the time UNRELEASED but clearly late production STEREO Mixes ready for release [in many cases] as stored back in 1973/74, but with the group leaving the label no production commitment was made. These notes have been passed back to Snapper to inform Bob Gaudio of the finds and the tracks can be shared with him[and Universal] for assessment.

BONUS ALTERNATE MASTER VERSIONS IN FSP ARCHIVE [Found in FSP Tapes as attached Tape Box Scans with Transfer Locations] Part 1

MY EYES ADORED YOU – Alternate closing lyric [FS Set 6 Tracks 2 _239]

This is identified [as you can see] on the Tape Box as a NEW MIX, and is clearly not the hit version bought for $4,600 when they left the label. The differences are in the mix of instruments and backing vocals and the guitar is much more pronounced......and the most noticeable change is the extra vocals by Frankie on the closing section. The question that comes to mind is “Does the Partnership OWN this Master as they bought it in 1974? Did that purchase include all MASTER copies?” An interesting but perhaps not so minor matter with such an important and historic song.

But the Artists Card makes it very clear that the MASTER TAPE was 'Sold back to Producer'[ie Bob Crewe]. The first STEREO MIX was done on 11^th December 1973[from the final recording sessions at the label] and it was over 6 months later that 2 other MIXES were done on 6^th June 1974 for the album Tape P5084 and 10^th June 1974[BG – low level?]. Clearly at that stage Motown intended to release an album of Frankie and the group. The Tape Box in the FSP Archive was a copy made on 25^th June 1974 and lists Bob Gaudio[incorrectly] as the producer in a (NEW MIX). It clearly is and runs 3:40 [as opposed to 3:32 of the original Private Stock Issue]…...but will fans get to hear it in this Box Set? Well clearly it is in the ownership of the FSP now, but it's inclusion should definitely be on this CD of the Motown Unreleased. We will keep you informed of developments with this one.

Next time......more Tape Boxes from Motown containing UNRELEASED Tracks.

THE LOST MOTOWN 45?

Whist working as a member of the Snapper Tape Research team I was more than interested in 7.5 inch per second Tape Box in the Four Seasons Partnership [FSP] Tape Archive which shows two tracks which appear on a Motown Tape which appear to be a proposal for a new 45 release. The Tape Box has the date 23^rd May 1974 on it and a hand written Note saying ….”FINAL MIX?”......and the tape contains MIX 39 of 'The Night' .....and Take 6 [STEREO MIX 4] of 'You Can't Hold On'.

In my blog article on The History of MIXES of THE NIGHT I highlighted that MIX 39 Master Nr 60770] was designated for the proposed album release [Tape P5084 and 5] but now it's presence here indicates it was also for a proposed single release that of course did not happen. By October 1974 the group had left the label and taken 'My Eyes Adored You' with them and it was released on Private Stock. The rest is fully known history. But the story of the time at Motown continues to unravel with finds like this.

The version of THE NIGHT sounds very like the subsequent 're-issue' in 1975 in the UK but is not the same mix as the current designated 'Official' 2007 re-master appearing on You Tube.[running time 3:24] which has a heavy tambourine in the right channel. The newly discovered LOST 45 version runs 3:17 with a different balance of instrumentation.

But the superb TAKE 6 of 'You Can't Hold On' is the third Master[Nr 62299] of this song that we have heard . There is the 'approved' MIX Bob Gaudio supplied [3:05] for the BOX SET and another MIX/version we found [2:56]. Maybe this is Mix 5 identified on the Artists Card for the album saved to Tapes P5084 and 5. This 'discovered' version varies from the approved version as it has less Vocal Backing overdub and Frankie's Vocal is different on the closing sections. It still works well because the alternate instrumental mix[particularly the sax] fits with a superb 'lead' vocal. TAKE 6 MIX 4 of this this superb song[running time [3:13]has a different Vocal Backing overdub and Frankie's Vocal 'lead' is different on the outro [falsetto chanting with the backing singers]. It works really well because of the alternate instrumental mix with another superb 'lead' and backing vocal. Definitely the 'best mix' of the three.

The Tape Index Card[Artists Card] shows the Stereo Mixes made and we have 3 to look forward to.

This research shows just how much we don't know of or have not heard from the surviving session tapes. I'd like to see these MIXES appear in the BOX SET but that depends on Snapper, Bob Gaudio, Frankie Valli and Universal agreeing with my research and analysis and doing the admin between them to formalise their inclusion. The tracks are salvaged and available. Time will tell if they do issue them.........but they will definitely be heard one day. They are just too good to not be enjoyed by all.

More soon on the rest of the Motown Tapes, mysteriously turning up in the FSP Tape Archives.

Ken Charmer – MBA – Four Seasons UK Appreciation Society Music Historian.

Snapper Project Update - March 2020

For new members of the Motown Unreleased Campaign Facebook Group and blog fans generally I wanted to let everyone know our progress and status as we head towards Easter. We have just finished our research to identify all the tracks we can to complete the Snapper Box set. Some still need licensing clearance, and then it is up to Bob Gaudio to approve the list for production. We have searched out all we can and of course as I have advised we have 13 superb Unreleased Motown tracks already approved . 

The teamwork has been great. Overall we don't think we could have done much more. Several 45 tracks did not survive on tape from the 1960s but we have good quality original vinyl dubs in place to replace these. ALL the albums will be there and all the 60s albums in MONO and STEREO except for the 'Solo' and 'Timeless' albums.[which have only survived in their STEREO versions].....but the 45 released sides from them do exist in MONO. 'Genuine Imitation Life Gazette' has been found in MONO and was never released in this form, and as well as on CD it will be a 'vinyl' insert with full artwork as the original album 'gatefold'. So all NEW Digital Masters have been extracted from analogue Master Tapes and are being re-mastered to the highest standard by Reynolds Mastering. We have heard lots of the Master transfers to the sound engineer and the quality of Bill Inglot's transfers is top quality. The first sample RE-MASTERS from the Sound Engineer are better than we have ever heard and reviewed since 1988 [see our CD Discography] and [in my personal opinion – based on me digitising all the 45 MONO tracks since 2010] are the best digitally possible.

 

The Four Seasons Partnership Archives have been fully researched and along with our own discoveries from connected sources this is the best that can be done in 2020. Any other unreleased tracks that exist are in 'private' collections or Studio Libraries/Archives where tracks completed have not been sent[forwarded] to the Partnership. There could be some in the Vee-Jay[now Concord], Mercury [Philips] , Warner-Curb, Private Stock, MCA and Frankie's studio storage, but such research is beyond the scope and investment of this project and would require huge research. We do know of a few tracks that are lost there but locating them has been impossible. This is we believe as good as it can get. TV show recordings have been impossible to license within the time frame and budget and so none have been included. 3 Live shows from Sound Board recordings have however been included.

 

We are clear that ALL potential unreleased 'quality' recordings have been found and included except for the Motown Archive. As described above this is an archive owned by a major label [Universal in this case] and not by The Four Seasons Partnership. But this project was started because of the potential of this label's library and our 10 year research to identify completed work. Snapper's project investment has allowed the multi-track tapes to be supplied to Bob Gaudio for appraisal. He has approved and forwarded 13 tracks from a potential 30+ that we identified. Campaigning will continue for as long as we can to persuade Bob and Universal to eventually give us the rest.[but not in this set] But make no mistake about it , this 'album' of 'completed' Motown tracks is the 'jewel in the crown' in this set for all fans. It is fair for me to say I believe that this album of tracks is as good as the last 'Frankie Valli Unreleased ' set from 1975.....the 'Inside You' album which Motown released following the success of The Night' [in the UK] and the 'Who Loves You' album [Internationally].

 

The DANCE ERA single tracks from 1988 to 2007 are fully covered too and the 00's albums up to 2010 are included.

 

But our 'push' since 2009 has been to get a NEW set of Masters from the analogue tapes[including the MONO tracks] originally released in the 1960s on vinyl. This set achieves this and every effort has been made to ensure ALL UNIQUE 45 Mixes are included as bonus tracks to the respective albums. The total track list at the last count was around 780 and over 200 are Unique 45s, unreleased, alternative versions or live. The focus now is on getting as much approved and licensed as possible and no corners will be cut on quality. We are all committed to making this set as comprehensive as possible. This will be the NEW set of MASTERS and is as COMPLETE as possible.

 

We will advise further re the final list and production as and when we can, but patience is needed as the engineer creates 'new Masters' for the 21^st Century, and a final release date will only be known as the 'final approvals' work allows. But we have reached the end of the research stage and all tracks are gathered and with the sound engineer. Bob Gaudio and Frankie Valli will see that the combined efforts of fans and the Partnership have created the BEST EVER set in what is a LEGACY Collection. Now we will support the Sound Engineer through the 'quality control' stage of Re-Mastering. And given the teamwork on this set we had to agree with Snapper's decision on the title for the Box. It will be called “WORKING 'OUR' WAY BACK TO YOU”.

More when we have it.

Ken Charmer – MBA – The Four Seasons UK Appreciation Society [founded in 1971]

THE NIGHT - The History Of The Mixes

It was and remains an iconic hit and stands proud as a Northern Soul dance floor filler. It was the last track played at Mr M's [the Oldies Room] at Wigan Casino on the night it closed and as a result of it's popularity across the clubs of North-West England in 1973 and 4 became a hit upon it's re-release in 1975 reaching No 7 in the UK charts........but not a lot is known about it's origin and history at Mowest and Motown Records and the neglect of Motown Execs in 1972 to release and promote it in the US.

What we have discovered from the Artists Card for the session tape is that between 1972 and 1975 at least 43 STEREO MIXES were made from the 16 track tape [P2110]. An amazing route to find the right mix for a hit!!!!

'THE NIGHT' was a session track recorded by Bob Gaudio [producer] with the Four Season in late 1971 and January 1972. The song was written by Bob Gaudio and Four Season member Al Ruzika and scheduled for release as mixes were prepared for album release. The group's first album at the newly formed West Coast LA Record Company 'MoWest'......a division of Motown records.

The first mixes were copied to a 16 track [safety copy] and 3 STEREO Mixes [all to - 'Temporary' - T tapes] with a further STEREO Mix on 1^st February and a 'dub' cut the next day by Russ Terrana[the renowned Motown Sound Engineer] for evaluation.[Mixes 13-14] The 'Chameleon' album was assembled in the following months and released in May 1971. But on 6^th and 7^th June Russ created Mixes 15 to 21. Again on 8^th July another engineer [B.Mac?] created Mixes 22 to 34 and then on 13^th July Mixes 35 to 39. What was going on? Why did they do so many mixes when the track mix was complete and approved and had been released in May on the 'Chameleon' album?. What we do know is that the track was being considered for 45 release and a White Label acetate pressing was done as an evaluation copy Mowest 5025F[b/w Sun Country] in August but it was never released. It was probably a mix from these sessions but not deemed a 'hit sound' by Mowest executives in the USA. It was eventually released but came out only in the UK[and Europe] in October 1972 and although it never got promotion it would go on to become a much beloved dance track.

We did find that although Frankie and the group were about to leave the label [in frustration at the lack of releases and promotion] by mid 1974 an album was assembled on Tapes P5084 and 5 with final mixes for release. Mix 39 on 'The Night' Artists Card is circled as selected for that album which would never see release. What the Artists Card from Motown's paper records also show is that over a year after this prepared album, on 18^th and 20^th August 1975 Russ once again re-visited the 16 track P tape to produce Mixes 40 to 43. Of these Mixes 42 and 43 are shown as deleted or the tape destroyed. What was Russ Terrana trying to achieve.? We will probably never know.

So where can you currently find the versions available to hear from these 43 mixes today in 2020?

Well the original vinyl album version is preserved on The Night/Inside You CD. And the Anthology Box set of 2008. This features a mix of Organ Left/Tambourine Percussion Right and Frankie/Drums and Bass Centre. I’m calling this the ‘Tambourine’ Version[the original album mix]. This version has been Re-Mastered in 2007 and can be heard on You Tube. Some would say this is the definitive version and it does sound good. It is the Rhino Official version [Re-mastered in 2007] and was also included on the Rhino Rarities Vol 2 in 1992. It runs 3:26.

The OFFICIAL REMASTER 2007 

But You Tube also features an Alternate Mix with the Left and Right Channels reversed and a much stronger drumbeat . And no audible Tambourine and Frankie Valli sings the ‘Beware….etc’ opening[not The Four Seasons]. This runs 3:21 and not the 3:29 indicated but is it the European issue on Rare Earth from 1972 as the scan on the video shows.? We think not!

An ALTERNATE 'VALLI' MIX on You Tube

The 1975 UK Re-issue appears to be a NEW mix running 3:24 and the promo label shows a date of 27^th March 1975 but it maybe just the UK 45 from August 1972 re-issued. We think this may be the 'needle drop' version on You Tube and it is the 'Tambourine' Mix which is the original.

The VINYL ORIGINAL 'Tambourine' Mix on You Tube

So mix 40 or 41 and Russ Terrana’s 18^th August 1975 notes on the Artists Card may well refer to the Alternate Mix featured on the 'Inside You' Album which was released in September 1975 [a month after his session mixes]in the US. This version also has the reversed channels, lacks the overdub of The Four Seasons warning to ‘Beware…etc’ nor does it have the Tambourine Percussion overdub, and it runs only 3:21. This 'Alternate' version appears on You Tube too and on the Anthology Box set CD2.

The 1975 ALTERNATE 'VALLI' MIX on You Tube

But we have ALSO found an Alternate 3:18 version [maybe a shorter fade] with Reverb on Frankie Valli’s lead in The Four Seasons Partnership Archive which is on a STEREO MIX Master Tape. This version is undated and is also missing The Four Seasons on the intro[Frankie Valli singing 'Beware....etc]. It appears to be the same 'Alternate' Mix included on the Motown Superstars Volume 4 CD [surprisingly running at 3:14] from 1991.

What ‘takes’ and STEREO mixes have survived 'unheard' on 16 track Tape P2110 of this 'monster' hit remains to be seen but at least the 29 P tapes from 1971 to 1974 covering all their sessions are now with Bob Gaudio and so they are preserved in the Partnership's control. And Snapper will get versions for Mastering in the forthcoming Box Set for 2020 release. According to the Artist Card the last note indicates the FINAL STEREO mix of 'The Night' sits on the much later than 1972, P Tape 4336, and that remains in the Universal Motown vault.

Any 'alternate' mixes ‘stand up’ as collectible as far as fans are concerned and maybe someday someone will research whether the T tapes that Russ Terrana mixed have survived and do a ‘Beach Boys Type’ collection of ALTERNATIVE STUDIO MASTERS for us collectors. Do the T tapes still exist in the Motown vault?. Only Andy Skurow, the Motown Library Manager could find them and Universal would only allow that if someone pays for the recovery search. The track remains the most mixed of any of the group’s efforts at Mowest/Motown according to Artists Cards and we can see and hear why. We'll probably never know the full story of these MIXES but this has been a fun music detective review of many peoples favourite Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons 45.

Ken Charmer – MBA : The Four Seasons UK Appreciation Society

 

 

Streaming as a Brand - The Night

Working hard at finding all the original Masters of the Four Seasons catalogue has been such fun, and not the least because I see these Masters as eventually replacing ALL the You Tube Official tracks and the future 'Streaming' playlists for the group for future generations.

If you want to understand how HITS are going to be an income stream over and over again just read this blog post about the industry leaders.

https://musicindustryblog.wordpress.com

It is all about preservation for us collectors but for the industry it is about future income streams from streaming. Without doubt Frankie Valli has a few contenders to be 'streaming brands' in their own right. 'Sherry' and 'The Night' will be to us major contenders.

'The Night' remains our main contender as identified by Wikipedia here

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Night_(Frankie_Valli_and_the_Four_Seasons_song)

The Edinburgh Gin advert over Christmas caused a sensation as seen here.......

https://www.edinburghlive.co.uk/news/edinburgh-news/people-love-new-edinburgh-gin-17403770

and here folks.....

https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2019/12/19/edinburgh-gin-2019-advert-song-frankie-valli-four-seaons/

This years Box Set will see a big re-juvenation in the Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons Catalogue, and we are working hard with Snapper Records to ensure the content is the best ever.

We know there were 34 Master mixes of 'The Night' done at Motown over the years since 1972.

We are searching out options and alternatives for the box set.

We will review this history soon.

Casey Chameleon

The Four Seasons Story at Motown Starts To Unravel

Analyzing the full story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons catalogue is still impossible!! With only 2 Track Master Safety Copies in the Partnership vaults of their catalogue, it is apparent very little unreleased material has survived. But what has is more than we could have hoped for!!!!!. There may be multi-tracks lying discarded and forgotten in the Mercury/Warner/MCA and Curb vaults...but such is life and we can only celebrate what we have. So the Partnership Archive is our source for 2 track MONO/STEREO Masters. The only source where any Multi-Tracks appear to exist that we have been able to identify is in fact Universal Music – The Motown Tape Archive. Even though we have paper records that are accurate and comprehensive re the Multi-track Master Tapes in the Motown vault, there are still so many questions unanswered.

With only 22 tracks released following nearly 3 years at the label and paper records indicating another 30 unreleased Masters and several alternate takes and other session songs partially completed, it has been a hard task to assess the importance and quality of this period in Frankie Valli's career as well as that of the group sound.

But as another 13 Motown songs emerge as 'approved' by Bob Gaudio for the Snapper Box set it has become apparent that these 29 tapes are the only known 'treasure' of stored Multi-Track tapes that can be located of any of the groups sessions. …....ever!!!!! They represent a huge find in the history of this iconic group and a bounty for fans........if only Universal Motown and The Four Seasons Partnership would share the rest of the finds with us. Maybe if we keep asking someday we will be able too enjoy them.

We did our research this last 10 years accepting that there may only be a few songs of adequate quality to go in any CD release. As Motown themselves had 'trawled' the tapes for the 'Inside You' album in 1975 and at that time given us an exceptional addition to the their only released album whilst at the label in 'Chameleon'....that was it. Apart from the handful of non-album singles that make up the rest of the 22 released songs captured on CD for the first time in 2008 on The Motown Anthology set......what could be left?.....particularly when both Harry Weinger and Bob Gaudio said at the time that they accepted that anything left was 'unfinished demos' and Frankie Valli's lawyer said these were 'harmful to his career and out of key'. This has proved to be a total lie and the forthcoming release of the 'approved tracks' in the box set demonstrates it.

We thought we knew better given the 2 alternative tracks on the 2008 Anthology CD Set......and this has proved to be the case. Never before heard, the extended version of 'Charisma' and the alternative version of 'Listen To Yesterday' shows how 'spoilt for choice' Motown are in Frankie Valli vocal selections. His recordings are not always with the Four Seasons maybe, but many tracks were 'laid down' by him but never heard since.

Tape Research this last year has revealed that the Partnership Archive ALSO contains 'remnants' of those days at Motown in Safety Copies. But what is of most significance from these finds is the story of how the group could have stayed at the label with at least an album of completed quality material ready for release. Motown assembled an album of tracks for release in May 1974. Tapes P 5084 and 5 contain this 'un-named' album of completed songs. And 2 tracks 'The Night'[mix39 – out of 43. The rest are still there!!] and 'You Can't Hold On' were 'pulled' for potential 45 release in June 1974.

Now we have heard and know the full quality of this album we can also see how the re-union of Bob Crewe and Bob Gaudio helped achieve superb material. Sessions together and as sole producers contributed to this set during sessions in 1973. And the hidden gem in this set is an alternative vocal ending version of 'My Eyes Adored You'. It is different to the one bought by Bob Crewe and subsequently released on Private Stock but in no way inferior. It is the Master lined up for release. If it had been Frankie would have been singing different lyrics since then......... But we are not getting that in the 13 approved for release with Universal Motown....... so as it was sold to The Partnership back then they can include it.........We have heard it now so it is in the box set too as a bonus track. And we won't stop asking for access to the rest of the known tapes and tracks.

We know that by 1974, the failure of promotion by Motown to push 'Hickory'[it barely broke the Billboard Top 100] had totally disenchanted Valli, Crewe and perhaps more so Gaudio who was driving towards new sounds and direction as the separate identities of The NEW Four Seasons and Frankie Valli 'solo' were beginning to emerge. Live shows and audience response was demonstrating the quality of the band. Bob Gaudio had a new writer/partner in Judy Parker. What was needed was the right material. New songs being written by Bob Gaudio with Judy and whilst registered at Berry Gordy's Jobete Music they would emerge at a new label and the well known story of them buying 'My Eyes Adored You' took Frankie Valli to a new 'Solo' career at Private Stock.

Motown were too late and had wasted several opportunities to generate hits during their contract and ignoring the output from sessions of great material remains inexcusable. They would get some financial success on the back of this 'walk-out' by Crewe and the Partnership as the re-issued 'The Night' soared into the UK chart on its re-release in 1975 [leading to the re-release of 'Chameleon' and the release of the 'Inside You' album] but as more quality tracks are now emerging the bad management at the label is ever more clear.

But as I said at the beginning we still can't capture the full story with at least 15 completed Masters of unreleased songs mainly from the MoWest period still unheard.We don't believe there is a lack of quality amongst this set.....it is just that we are unable to judge that YET? What will become apparent to fans with the forthcoming release is the superb quality of Crewe, Gaudio and Valli to deliver in the studio. 11 of the 13 approved songs are quite superb and a match for many that would follow at Private Stock with Frankie Valli. The Four Seasons feature[in various line-ups] on several tracks but the intense power of the NEW Four Seasons contribution[along with Nick Massi and Charles Calello] on the immense Crewe-Nolan songs 'Lovers' and 'Hymn to Her' [from December 1973] shows why Crewe and The Partnership wanted to buy more of the back catalogue from Motown at the end of their contract.

What we have achieved and will all get to hear is superb. The shame is that everyone involved has hidden this music from us [or even admitted it exists] for 45 years. As I said.....'it is all starting to unravel'.

Ken Charmer – The Four Seasons UK Appreciation Society

Coming soon......The Story Of 'The Night' and its 43 Mixes

 

 

Seasons Greetings - 2019: Part 1

It's that time again when Lynn Boleyn and I wish our fan group friends Happy Christmas and a Happy New Year. We usually hope there will be something for fans to look forward to but this year looking forward is the most exciting since the hey-day of the fan clubs in the UK and the USA of the 1970s.

The forthcoming Box Set from Snapper Records is well into it's research and development stage as we help the team evaluate the exciting content that could be possible. Bill Inglot is steadily researching the Partnership vaults and sharing the contents with the team and we have been able to identify rare session out-takes and alternative versions. This process will develop through the New Year as we identify and propose every important Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons track that has survived from 1962 to 2010 for inclusion.

The vaults and other collectors archives will we believe ensure this is a 'Completist's Set'.

The 1960s in MONO and STEREO releases are going to be there.....and 'unreleased from every decade'.....is beginning to emerge. But our Campaign and aim was to get the Motown Unreleased from 1971 to 1974 and whilst only 13 of a potential 30 plus showing in paper records have been approved for release......this constitutes a whole album of material......and it is all worthy of release as our news over the holidays will describe.

This is definitely going to be a set for 'die-hard' collectors and we are doing all we can to make it the best set ever. What we can say is that the Re-Mastering of the 60s albums so far is superb and better than any previous CD issue to date[well all of those we've been able to check]. And the tracks WILL BE the authentic released Masters plus bonus tracks wherever we can find them. We'll keep monitoring and reporting as the project develops with the Snapper Team, who are closely liaising with Bob Gaudio, Bill Inglot and Universal Motown.

Follow our Facebook group The Four Seasons Motown Unreleased Campaign for regular updates as we dig deeper into the vaults. Classic LIVE material is also surfacing and we are hoping much of this will also gain approval.

News and articles here and on FB as we continue the research in more depth than ever before into potential content through into 2020, which is why I am saying this is the most exciting time for fans since 1975!!!!........for those who arrived on the planet after that year or who discovered the group more recently.......you are in for a treat. Enjoy the ride......and for us 'oldies'.....'Let's Ride Again'.

Casey Chameleon

 

 

The Search For The Masters – 2019 update - [8 years on]

Back in 2011 I was writing blogs about a project my late friend and sound engineer Stefan Wriedt wanted to tackle as there seemed no prospect of a comprehensive review of the Four Seasons Partnesrhips vaults/archive. And rumours had been rife for years that the tape vaults are incomplete in terms of the Master Sessions Matrix Index which we've developed on our web site. Do the MONO mixes we all know still exist as since 1988 and the advent of CD the output has been largely STEREO, and often wide or poorly mastered tracks of the analogue to digital transfers.?

Our UK Fan group web site index covers all known Matrix Numbers of Masters from 1962 to 1971 and an Excel Spreadsheet of what is stored in the Motown Universal vaults, much of it still Unreleased.

https://www.seasonally.co.uk/newmasterspage.html

Here is our blog post back then and the enthusiastic response from long term fans Colin and Zane at the time. We have in the last two years achieved an amazing break through and collaboration like never before. So revisit this and then see what we are now achieving below.

https://thatfourseasonssound.typepad.com/seasonally/2011/05/the-search-for-the-masters.html

Of course at that time 'Jersey Boys' was still in full flow and the 'Jersey Beat' Box set in 2007 had been the Rhino attempt at a collectors package. It underwhelmed most of us although many of us were able to comment on our fave tracks in the Charles Alexander inspired 'mini-book'. The Motown Anthology set in 2008 was 90% based on released material but on CD for the first time 'officially'. We know the 'unreleased' is there and have proved it since.

So our project work has progressed since and although sadly we lost Stefan[and GILG web master Frank Rovello and ex UK Fan club President Stuart Miller] with the help of Paul Urbans and Ray Nichol I completed a fully re-mastered set of 45 MONO A and B sides from 1962 to 1970. It's not perfect re every 45 side[as some MONO sides are very difficult to find in prime condition.....and it did not cover the 'Valli SOLO' 45s], but it is still a good consistent 'reference set' of the MONO vinyl released versions. That reference set we said in 2015 would have to do until someone found the money and as a result time to research the Tape Archive and re-digitise the Master Tapes with todays technology.

Well today as I write........ that is happening for the first time [thanks to Snapper Records of London] with a full set of specialists at work to create the 'Ultimate' salvage from the surviving tapes. Bob, Frankie, Snapper Records and the UK fan group have committed to aim for the best set of recovered Masters of Frankie and the group ever. Bill Inglot, so much the archive researcher for Bob and Frankie over the decades has reviewed in depth what analogue tapes exist and what we are seeing we will get will be a full review and NEW Analogue/Digital transfers. Coupled with Reynolds Mastering working on new Re-Masters and with record industry renowned compiler Bob Fisher they are a full team targeting the highest quality possible. A circa 40 CD set has been proposed and contracts progressed and research and transfer have been happening through the last few months. New transfers re-mastered as the best 2020 digital Masters ever is the aim. The work will bring some amazing finds.......some we have said should be there and some completely new to us all are surfacing.

Results so far show we can at last say a MONO Master set will be possible of all album and non-album 45 tracks released in the vinyl format [ie 1962 to 1970] and the surviving STEREO mixes are revisited and tapes checked for alternate versions. But perhaps the best news is that the magnificent STEREO hits set produced by Bob Crewe from surviving Master tapes [Edizione D'Oro] has been found and will be fully presented on CD for the first time ever. And a surviving MONO Master of Genuine Imitation Life Gazette will appear as a vinyl insert. Photos/memorabilia and an historic book will complete this de-luxe set.

This is a big achievement and what fans have been asking for for years. Alternate Takes/Live tracks and previously unreleased tracks have been found and these will be reviewed and approved by Frankie and Bob where of adequate quality[re performance and sound quality]. The fan group team are assisting as and when needed. Our reference set of the MONO sides has been provided for comparison purpose. 90% of sources are pulled from the Partnership vaults and transferred and review and re-mastering is well underway.

The one thing that qualifies ANY Frankie Valli/Four Seasons collection is that nowhere in the archives are copies of 'session work or multi-tracks'[unlike the Beach Boys recordings]. The whole library consists of completed Masters.....either from album /45 or left-overs in some rare cases. All previously known tracks follow the listing of Matrix numbers found in our Masters Sessions listings on our web site as far as the Vee-Jay and Philips period goes and MONO and STEREO versions do exist of most tracks. Of course several MONO only tracks like 'Ronnie' were never mixed to STEREO after the session and 45 release.

So apart from what is there we suspect nothing else has survived .......unless fans and former record company employees out there tell us. ? Now is the time to speak up if such gems exist in hidden archives. We have discovered one or two salvaged from cassette and acetate......but whether these make it into the set we can't say at present.

This investment by Snapper is the most in-depth investigation with Bill Inglot of surviving Master analogue tapes ever. As Stefan and I concluded in 2011 it is long overdue! The result will we believe establish the most accurate and comprehensive collection of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons work in 21^st Century sound.

A real 'collectors piece'

The tape search goes on......'Unreleased' have been found at Philips and Motown and review and quality assessment continues with Bob Gaudio, who is fully supporting these research stages and the final product. More feedback when we have it. Target release August 2020. London.

Casey Chameleon

What is the 'Best' Mix? - The Debate and Steve Hoffman

[Qualifying Note: This is an article based on discussions in the Steve Hoffmann Audio Forum and his view on his attempts at 're-mixing' Whilst his quote is obviously as he says......other comments are not accredited to members to protect their privacy. They are simply used to illustrate the alternative views.]

As I continue to sort of 'forensically'study the Four Seasons catalogue[sad music detective that I am!] and criticising how bad some of the past product has been I was struck bySteve Hoffman'spost recently regarding re-mixing. Back in 2009 I probably would have agreed with him.

“In the 1980s I was working on reissuing the third Mamas & Papas album "Deliver" and having a long distance admiration affair with Diana Reid Haig, my counterpart in Nashville. I was playing the music for her and told her in my opinion that it was about the worst stereo mix I had ever heard, ever! She agreed it was terrible. I said "What I wouldn't give to be able to remix this album so it sounded good but the multi-track tapes were destroyed by ABC so they could make room for Pat Boone tapes so it can't be done."

She said a surprising thing to me. She said, "Good, I'm glad you can't do it."

Why, I said? She stated:

"Because the original mix is the original mix, the published version, that's the only version that is legitimate. The only version that counts."

I said it was terrible! She said "That's the breaks! Anything else is just not right."

I scratched my head at this but I never forgot it. She told me that "my remixes, although sounding in better fidelity, were not real. Not authentic, not anything but an exercise in playing God. She said that if something out of the past sounds less than wonderful, then it sounds less than wonderful but the music comes through, and the vibe of the era comes through and the energy of creation and the authentic feel of the era comes through and to change that is basically to laugh in the face of all the people who worked on the music to begin with, and that includes the songwriters, musicians, producers, engineers and everyone else. You can't wipe that all away for the sake of a change in fidelity or to reveal a hidden lute or to make the Celeste louder. It's not legitimate.

Now, I didn't agree with her at the time, but her words totally stuck with me, even all these years later (obviously), and I began to change my tune (pun intended.)

Some engineers can claim "I can match the exact mix but with better fidelity or something."

They can't. I can't. I've tried for 30 years and it's not possible. It comes out as a new creation, enjoyable, but it's no longer the original album anymore and anyone who says it is, has never tried doing it.”

One of the problems with such mixes is that they have been re-issued and even streame in some cases and labelled as 'THE ORIGINAL'

Steve makes a good point here and that is why my late sound engineer friend Stefan Wriedt and I agreed back in 2009 that the Four Seasons 1960s catalogue[particularly 1962 to 1966] is largely in pretty poor to ordinary 'wide panned' STEREO fidelity. 'Authentic'….yes[but only where it matches the MONO].......but only the MONO delivers their great track with the full drive and impact as that is what was intended and what we heard on radio and our record players back then.

That was why we started the MONO Archive of every A and B side from 1962 to 1970. I completed it in 2016. It remains my fave playlist of their songs. I couldn't see anything other than the MONO Mix being 'the business'.Well it still is but there is another way of looking at it........there is a new mix full of detail to complement[not replace!] the old STEREO as I've said before.

Other forum members responded to Steve and an interesting conversation followed which again puts the Four Seasons 60s catalogue into context.

“The concept of stereo was foreign for about the first 10-12 years in pop music, at least until 1968. Even then, they made a lot of sloppy, slap-dash mixes that barely resemble what I'd call "acceptable, balanced stereo." In particular, the 2-track "vocals on one side/instruments on the other" are awful to listen to. There are actually cases where the mono mixes have a lot more power and are more enjoyable to a point.”

With no multi-tracks [which is the feed-back we have re the Four Seasons catalogue] the case for 're-mixing'the STEREO Masters was a limited argument even a couple of years ago. The MONO rules!!!!!........But there is an additional alternative as another response to Steve put it.....

“History respected, sure, but as long as you don't augment an original recording with re-recorded portions of the music, I don't see any issue with repositioning poorly done stereo mixes.  Everybody knows that back then, recording hits was purely a financial thing.  Time was spent recording the stuff and (if done on a multi track machine) the mixing to mono was more carefully paid attention to.  Often, the stereo mix was almost an afterthought.”

“Most remix producers worth their salt attempts to remix poor stereo mixes to match the mono version as closely as possible.  Most of the time, when faced with a 2-track sounding mix (vocals on one channel, etc.), the remix producer center the vocals more in tune with what most of us consider better sounding stereo mixing.”

Some respondents agreed that perhaps the best way forward is to have both....” to the point that I have been buying several Japanese reissues where they offer the mono AND stereo versions of the same album on one CD. Let's face it, back in the 1960s the majority of album (and virtually all singles) were envisioned and mixed to mono. The stereo versions where usually created by a different engineer and primarily to make an extra dollar from fans.”

“If you look at the Billboard summary of record sales in 1960 mono LPs outsold stereo 3 to 1..and remember people were in a stereo frenzy in those days wanting to count how many tweeters and bass speakers were in each enclosure. Even by 1966, Mono albums were still outselling stereo almost by 2 to 1. It was in a year or two later that Columbia eliminated mono product causing an industry wide action. So yes, I applaud anyone who reissues a mono original, especially many of the ones that have not been issued in the digital era.”

  

That is what we asked for from Snapper Records as they approached Bob Gaudio re the contents of the forthcoming BOX SET[see our previous blog posts] , covering all their albums and singles. ALL THE MONO please!

But today things have changed and I no longer fully agree with Steve Hoffman. The reason is simple.......TECHNOLOGY......well more importantly …...SOFTWARE. And I am not the only one. The latest users of Spectral Audio Extraction see it differently.

“Since I really like doing stereo conversions & remixing even more, I totally disagree with Steve Hoffman's new view of mixing. I just try to get the best possible stereo sound out of any song I work on & some may agree with this approach & some not which is fine with me. As I wrote in another post, I much prefer the lead vocals & bass always & drums usually in the center to more clearly hear the rest of the stereo image better on the sides IMO. Many stereo songs even back in the early 60s were mixed this way & I greatly enjoy those songs without any need for any remixing. However, the songs that had the vocals and/or bass on one side just sound so unbalanced to my ears & even more so as I have gotten older. Maybe this is an issue with me but I do know most older people over 60 have trouble hearing things that are not centrally located in real life which I think extends into the stereo world also. I notice a big positive change hearing vocals much clearer in the center instead of the sides just like bass & drums.”

It really isn't an age thing it is just the appreciation of a 'balanced sound-stage'

Digitally Extracted STEREO from any era MONO[or channel limited STEREO] can be brought to life in an unbelievable way as collectors of ERIC Record releases know.But you have to be careful that the engineer has produced a genuine DES mix with no 'artifacts'[eg wandering vocals between channels/ghost harmonies etc]

I've also featured some samples in earlier blog posts by a top DES engineer and the case for creation of NEW STEREO creations from MONO only releases is such a no-brainer as NO STEREO version exists. Here is one set of great sounding examples.which are perhaps 'what the producer would have done today'.

It is not a case that there is a 'Best Mix'.There is room for all three mixes in our lives[MONO/Authentic STEREO/NEW DES]. I will be tackling getting this done for us Seasons fans as we continue our research. But ultimately fans want every chance to hear the detail of the recorded mixes........in both STEREO and MONO. And with todays software they can have it. But it is simply a case of a skilled engineer spending the time and developing the detail of the recording.

Check out this current Rhino Box Set version of 'Beggar's Parade' from the STEREO Master

 

And then click this sample of the NEW proposed DES mix......

The detail and structure of the arrangement can be fully appreciated in the new version. I know which I prefer.

And Bob Gaudio's earliest efforts have now been re-mixed in DES for maximum enjoyment in this version of 'Short Short's'. A nice complement to the original MONO

 

As is this version of 'Believe Me'

 

It is an interesteing debate and we will continue to develop DES STEREO versions of the Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons Catalogue to complement the ORIGINAL MONO and STEREO versions. All valid 'Best Mix' contenders.

Ken Charmer - September 2019

The Future Of Four Seasons STEREO Mixes

Back in 2009 German Sound Engineer Stefan Wriedt and I started a discography and review of all the CD issues of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons to identify the 'best mixes'. Anecdotal evidence showed that only STEREO mixes of most of the 60s material exists in WIDE STEREO– Instruments[Hard Left] : Harmonies[Hard Right] and Frankie centre.What we have is better than nothing in STEREO....and in some cases we only have the MONO. But thank God we have that......BUT this is the way it would be mixed today.

In 2009 we spent two years completing that discography[here]bemoaning the loss of multi-track Masters since the 60s and blaming bad engineers and poor re-mastering. And so we turned to the MONO mixes as obviously there we found balance in the sound and a structure that made it easy for us to say.......'this is the way producer Bob Crewe meant them to sound'. But NOT available as MONO albums and singles on CD.

It took nearly 5 years to collect and re-master all the MONO 45 mixes in our MONO Archive as we believed many may not exist as they have 'never' as a collection been released on CD. MONO has just not been the 'realm' of CD Re-issues for Frankie and the group. And we weren't alone in this as posts on The Steve Hoffman Forum' discussing all things sound and masters shows.

Yes the MONO mixes are fine with great instrumentation and harmonies gathered around Frankie's vocal......like most of the music we bought and grew up with during the 60s. Lots of great songs in punchy MONO sound.

I recently returned to that theme in a piece I wrote on this blog [post Stefan's passing] re-quoting earlier comments as we look forward to 'new transfers' from the Four Seasons Partnership to Snapper Records of London for their planned 40 album box set.

https://thatfourseasonssound.typepad.com/seasonally/2018/11/the-four-seasons-catalogue-what-will-we-get-in-2020.html

Speaking to Charlie Calello over the last two years I've been haunted by his comment that......'you are not hearing it like we heard it in the studio'. I brushed this off by saying that as Bob Crewe was 'engineering' MONO mixes then that was the way it should be....and those MONO mixes re-mastered in our MONO Archive sound great.

In the early 60s STEREO was a novelty release left to the Engineers....giving us the wide and entirely separated STEREO we've had to date.

But I met a man recently who showed me how all I've been thinking was wrong.

What we have had to date is all down to one thing......'Technology'. 1960s technology.

Bob Crewe used it like a musical instrument.....constructing instrumental and harmony backings using just 3 and 4 track recording equipment [upto 1966] and 'bouncing' tracks down to finish with the best structure for release. One track of instruments/one track of harmony/one lead vocal[sometimes double tracked]. The recording technology of the day and the 45 format and market dictated it for him as much as it did for the Beatles and every other artist of the day. The 'limits' of 'technology'! And that is what is around today and subject to some tweaking and'panning' is what we will get in this 2020 box set when it comes to STEREO. At least the plan to include the MONO mixes will give us the 'balanced' mix, which still sounds great.

But it wont be that way looking into the future. The recent Digitally Extracted STEREO[DES] creations I wrote about previously on this blog have been a revelation. Here's why DES is the future.

I realised how today's DES software with the skills of the engineer can 'uniquely' create completely NEW and aesthetically pleasing alternatives to even the best STEREO mixes from Vee-Jay and Philips STEREO Masters like not possible any other way. I realised that Bob Crewe and the group were forced to 'push'all the great instrumentation in Charlie Calello's arrangements into one channel[Left] leaving just occasional harmony backing [Right] with Frankie's vocal[Centre] so there is a lack of balance in the sound stage. The attraction of the MONO has been that at least everything is 'together'and although some would argue 'it was designed that way'…...that isn't true.......it is really just the result of the technology of the day and the constraints of the MONO 45 and it's market.

This'eureka'moment for me arrived when I realised how, in a working sample of 'Everybody Knows My Name'. the engineer was able to change the STEREO mix by placing the instruments across the sound stage so that you could hear each one. The great 'rolling' [Dylanesque?]rhythm track which was originally compressed to the left...in the DES version became a spread of the instruments across the 2 channels and brought the whole song to life like never before in any 'published' mix.

You can hear this sample here.

DES is getting an ever growing audience as others realise this is the only way to 'salvage' the sound of the 60s from the MONO or [limited]STEREO we have surviving from those days . Digital extraction of instruments individually and vocal elements generates a'multi-track'and allows engineers today to do what Bob Gaudio, Charlie Callelo and the group would do today with their mixes....create a balanced 'sound-stage'..as I said....it is all down to 'Technology'and we have come full circle.

Our next project is to select and persuade DES engineers and an enlightened Record Company to help recreate the TRUE 'studio' sound. But for us this is NOT a commercial venture someone else can use it to make money and build their record company. The engineers we know of do it mainly out of 'love' of the music and a commitment to preservation. Each track takes days of work of extraction. But the body of completed DES work is ever increasing on You Tube and at ERIC Records web-site.

Can a NEW set of Four Seasons Recordings be created like never before heard.......like...”what we heard in the studio” as Bob Gaudio, Frankie Valli and Charlie Callelo would say? More re the arguments for and against soon.

Ken Charmer – August 2019

The Four Seasons MOTOWN Artists Cards

In researching Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons period at Mowest/Motown 1971/74 it might have been helpful to know sound engineers who either worked at the label or know the recording process from those times or are familiar with the tapes like Russ Terranawhose initials appear on some as the mixing engineer. One note shows up to 43 STEREO mix-downs by him of 'The Night' between 1972 and 1975.

So why are these cards so important now in 2019 and what can they tell us?

Well they reveal a raft of information re unreleased but completed tracks that indicates their existence and location.

When Motown moved to LA from Detroit in 1970 they adopted a different system for recording, storing and releasing recordings.

This was the Motown 60000 series of Master Numbers and this can be seen here.

http://www.45cat.com/45_list_view_record.php?li=3900

These Master numbers appear on the released 45 as seen in the Cat45 listing above.

As fans we have tried to analyse the approach to session and recording management and decode some of the data records from the time based on the Analogue Tape Index and the Artists Cards.

What I believe happened was that studio sessions that resulted in a completed 16 track song generated a Master Nr [for example 60516 – Walk On Don't Look Back].

An Artists Card was produced[a simple card index] which showed the Title/Artist/Producer/Master Number/ Tape Number. The Tape Number [1^stLocation] was a 4 digit code preceded by a predominantly P[Production Tape] or T[Temporary/Safety-Evaluation Copy]. Example Tape P2110 – The Night. Notes exist of mixes and dubs made and stored on many T Tapes.

The relationship with P and T Tapes has to some extent been clarified. I have a listing from the Tape Index relating to the P Tapes. These are the main Production Tapes with up to 16 tracks in sync from sessions. The big question is was a vocal lead laid down. Only playing the tapes will reveal this as tape boxes do not always reveal the accurate contents. STEREO mix-downs should also exists as these are the final Production versions for Evaluation through the Quality Assessment process meetings. There are famous stories re these reviews and evidence from Motown TCB Newsletters indicate unreleased completed tracks by the group were being assessed in January 1972 for possible single and album release. Several songs listed there appeared on the 'Chameleon'. Several have never been heard since. T tape copies existed of many tracks indicating they were completed as STEREO mix-downs. Some remain as 16 track and have never been played back since.. Research to find if these still exist but this research exercise hasn't extended to them at this point in time.

The Artists Cards were subsequently used to note transfers and copies as they are made [They are generally to T tapes but sometimes P tapes ] and this shows their locations[Master Mix/Remix] and 'Dub Cuts'.

Codes [in the Comments column] are hand written or typed and these need translation..They include.......

1. 16tRhy – which I assume is a 16 track copy

2. 02tsmx – which I assume is a stereo mix

3. SR6smx – which is a mystery but likely to be a type of stereo mix

The above Example is of an Artists Card which shows a track we found on cassette salvaged from the session, proving it existed. The track has been shared in our Facebook group.The Master Nr [not noted here] is in fact 60752 confirmed by other Motown Spreadsheets.

Sometimes there are references to the alternate 'Take' Numbers which in the case of The Night number 43.[The biggest hit.....by 1975 and the highest number of STEREO mixes made on the catalogue of the group at Motown]. Occasionally dates are shown and engineers initials. RT is probably Russ Terrana but others are a mystery. [The details behind this tracks production and surviving versions we hope to feature in the next year]

Some notes indicate that copies have been made to 'New Album' P Tapes clearly for pre-release.The Transfered/Temporay Tapes [T tapes] should be evaluated with reference to these Cards to identify copies [if necessay – should the completed tracks/mixes not appear on the Production Tapes]. Collating the Artists Cards with a Tape Index has shown over 30 tracks with Master Numbers by Frankie and the group that have never been released.Of course this analysis may be challenged by the people at Motown who know otherwise.?......but the tapes will speak for themselves!!

Will the transfer of these tapes to Bob Gaudio generate their release.? We will see, but at least the exercise has resulted in their'preservation'for posterity. Whether there is enough interest from the Partnership to invest the Sound Engineering time to mix-down to STEREO where necessary remains to be seen at the present time.? And how busy is Bob Gaudio to invest the Production time? It is perhaps also a question of what gets licensed in contract negotiations between Gene Zacharewicz at UMe and Snapper Records.

Whilst we do not expect any confirmation for release [or otherwise] for some months we will have more soon re what has been salvaged/preserved and remains unreleased.

Ken Charmer – Tape Index Researcher 2018[Updated August 2019]

The Fight For The Four Seasons Masters

Most members of this group will be aware of the amazing sets of Beach Boys 'unreleased' and session tapes that have surfaced and been released since circa 2000. Much of this has been because of the need for copyright protection but MOST of it is as a result of the amazing work of this legendary sound engineer Mark Linett. This video interview tells the amazing story of what has been found and what has been salvaged. It is a must watch for the likes of Bob Gaudio/ Frankie Vall/Bill Inglot and the folks at Snapper Records.

Unfortunately I believe we are not going to get anything like this extent of forensic work done on the Four Seasons. Well not in my lifetime or Frankie and Bob's, I would say. This goes to the root of the complaint of Four Seasons since the age of CD. No-one has respected the work as Mark has done for the Beach Boys. OK the multi-track tapes and copies stolen from now defunct studio archives have helped the process for him and them. But the very fact that Jersey Boys was such a success has impaired any attention the Four Seasons archive has had. We've done more in capturing the vinyl dubs and creating a MONO Archive of the 60s 45s than anyone over the last 10 years, and the research of the Motown vaults paper archives have been confirmed by recent tape research and transfers. But whether it is cost pressures or time/resource restrictions we are now not optimistic that the planned box set will achieve anywhere near fans expectations.

The Motown 16 track tapes need research and time to uncover the dozens of tracks and alternate takes there. And the fact that only 2 track STEREO masters exist from the 60s [as we hear about in this interview re the Capitol sessions with the Beach Boys]were thrown together back in the 60s.

But we don't see that delivering on a major scale here and it appears our high hopes and expectations will be dashed. Not something we are not used to as Four Seasons Fans.

Whatever the reasons and excuses re the Four Seasons catalogue.......it will disappoint most even though we can see from Mark's open and frank interview the problems of past digital tape preservation and digital restoration. The key is you have to care for the music....the creative process and the sound and invest in preserving it and putting it out.

This is a stunning interview and a credit to a true archivist engineer of the highest skill.

 

But the real future for the catalogue of the Four Seasons will be Digital Extraction and Mark touches upon it in this interview. The only way to salvage Bob Crewe's final mixes and alternative takes [with Charlie Calello's arrangements]and create NEW Masters for the future generation of collectors is coming.

The push to start this has started and we will be leading that in whatever way we can whether Bob Gaudio or Frankie Valli [or Snapper] choose to invest in the process. Someone will.......and we will be leading the campaign. We go again.....the way to the MASTERS is DES.

More soon

Casey Chameleon

The Scandal Of Music Preservation - Four Seasons Status Summer 2019

News broke this week that Universal Music Group had hidden the devastating losses from a fire 10 years ago. It was something most of us had heard about but the NYT disclosed the full extent and exposed it as a scandal of mismanagement. “ The severity of the fire long went undisclosed”, according to an article published by TheNewYork Times Magazine on Tuesday, despite the fact that a confidential report inIn June 2008, confirmed a fire roared through a building at Universal Studios Hollywood, destroying thousands of audio recordings by music luminaries like Bing Crosby, Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong and Tom Petty. The severity of the fire long went undisclosed, the loss being estimated at about 500,000 song titles.”

The full appalling story of this loss, now revealed in detail, is a must read via this link

“The vault fire was not, as UMG suggested, a minor mishap, a matter of a few tapes stuck in a musty warehouse. It was the biggest disaster in the history of the music business. UMG’s internal assessment of the event stands in contrast to its public statements. In a document prepared for a March 2009 “Vault Loss Meeting,” the company described the damage in apocalyptic terms. “The West Coast Vault perished, in its entirety,” the document read. “Lost in the fire was, undoubtedly, a huge musical heritage.”

The successful effort to play down the scope of the loss was a triumph of crisis management that involved officials working for Universal Music Group on both coasts. Those efforts were undoubtedly aimed at minimising public embarrassment, but some suggest the company was also particularly worried about a backlash from artists and artist estates whose master recordings had been destroyed.

…...”but it was only the most recent disaster to strike the masters holdings of American record labels. These disasters include not only events like fires but also instances of neglect and even wilful destruction by the labels themselves, a hair-raising history that reaches back to the beginnings of the music business.

…....UMG began Project Phoenix in October 2008. The plan was to gather duplicates of recordings whose masters were lost. Those copies would then be digitally transferred to reconstitute the lost archive — albeit in sonically inferior form, with recordings generations removed from the true masters. UMG undertook a global hunt, searching for safety copies and other duplicates at a variety of locations in the United States and abroad. The project lasted two years and, by Aronson’s estimate, recovered perhaps a fifth of what had been lost.

The subsequent largely unknown world-wide search for duplicates and sources continues and as I'll show [or should I say I remain to be convincedabout is....] no-one can trust the 'Major Record Companies' as they continue to show little action as they focus on 'streaming' profit and on the basis that 'any old master' will do and unreleased tracks are of no significance. Asset Management and Preservation the NYT claims is not on the balance sheet or in the strategic direction. The question of whether such Boards at the Majors are 'fit for purpose' needs to be asked and answered.

If nothing else this is a wake up call to UMG and the industry that such assets[ie musical art] has been mismanaged for decades, and raises the question 'Should legislation and regulation be implemented to protect such assets?'

But this blogs concerns has always been for 'long-suffering' 4 Seasons fans as their losses roll back in the 1960s when first Vee-Jay went bust.....and subsequently Philips cleared out tapes to skips. But all this is no worse than the BBC recording over classic music and TV shows during the decade. Examples of lack of foresight and horrendous strategic management are endemic in the music industry. This current expose fits very nicely with the book 'Appetite for SELF-DESTRUCTION – the spectacular crash of the record industry in the digital age – by Steve Knopper

But for readers here the only concern is THE FOUR SEASONS CATALOGUE. When Vee-Jay went bust the Four Seasons got 'access' to their masters.......well a 'copy' of their ALBUM MONO and STEREO Masters. These were the 'mix-downs' from the 3 track Masters. And what of the highly produced 45 MONO Masters?. Never available in CD or streaming format. Do they still exist? And what has survived from the Philips/Mercury vault with so many Bell Studios masters dumped in a skip in the late 60s.? We are asking Snapper and Bob Gaudio the question.?

Music historian's like me have been maintaining that CD and streaming masters are inferior to the original vinyl in many cases. Sound Engineer George Schowerer told us that the CD Masters on the 25th Anniversary 3 CD Box Set in 1988 where [in many cases] 'inferior' to the Masters that left his Mirasound Studio in 1967. So what happened and what has survived?

It is clear we have never had the MONO tracks on CD as a comprehensive set. The STEREO versions are alternative versions in many cases, so it is time we had the catalogue sorted out with what has survived from the 1960s.

We have to be aware of the background as the New York Times goes on to say....”Today industry professionals familiar with archiving practices question the big three labels’ commitment to preservation. [Ed we do to. See below] (A number of these insiders, including individuals with knowledge of the backlot fire, spoke on condition of anonymity, concerned they could face professional consequences with UMG and other labels.) One audio specialist said: “Labels need to see payoff: ‘We have a release next year from this artist.’ But as far as, ‘We have this inventory on the shelves, let’s preserve it’ — that’s not the attitude. An old recording that’s deteriorating on the shelf is not causing alarm.”

The result is a crisis, a slow-motion assault on our musical heritage that is poorly understood by many within the record industry, to say nothing of the public at large. Had a loss of comparable magnitude to the Universal fire occurred at a different cultural institution — say, the Metropolitan Museum of Art — there might have been wider awareness of the event, perhaps some form of accountability. Yet the conservation mission faced by record labels may be no less vital than those of museums and libraries. Recorded music is arguably America’s great artistic patrimony, our supreme gift to world culture. How should it be safeguarded? And by whom?”

Today several of the company’s nearly 1,500 facilities are devoted to entertainment assets. Warner Music Group stores hundreds of thousands of master recordings in Iron Mountain’s Southern California facilities, and nearly all of Sony Music Entertainment’s United States masters holdings — more than a million recordings — are reportedly kept in Iron Mountain warehouses in Rosendale, N.Y. The Boyers, Pa., facility where UMG keeps most of its United States masters is a 1.7-million-square-foot former limestone mine. The facility offers optimal archive conditions, climate control and armed guards. For labels, Iron Mountain is a one-stop shop. In addition to providing storage, it runs on-site studios, so staff members can pull tapes and send digital transfers to labels online, avoiding any need for recordings to leave the premises. Yet some music-business insiders regard this arrangement as a mixed bargain. When masters arrive at Iron Mountain, they say, institutional memory — archivists’ first hand knowledge of poorly inventoried stacks — evaporates, as does the possibility of finding lost material, either by dogged digging or chance discovery. (Many treasures in tape vaults have been stumbled upon by accident.) Tapes can be retrieved only when requested by bar-code number, and labels pay fees for each request. For years, rumors have circulated among insiders about legendary albums whose masters have gone missing in Iron Mountain because labels recorded incorrect bar-code numbers. The kind of mass tape-pull that would be necessary to unearth lost recordings is both financially and logistically impractical.

“I’ve always thought of Iron Mountain as that warehouse in the last scene of ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark,’ ” says Thane Tierney, who co-founded Universal’s now-defunct reissue label Hip-O Select. “Just endless rows of stuff. It’s perfectly safe, but there’s no access, no possibility of serendipity. Nearly all the tapes that go in will never come off the shelf. They’re lost to history.”

So this summer is a 'landmark' moment in deciding the future catalogue of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. Snapper Records [with a reputation for 'ground-breaking catalogue wide sets] have challenged the Four Seasons Partnership to [GO TO THE MASTERS -BOTH RELEASED AND UNRELEASED]. A mega catalogue wide Box Set is in prospect.

The Four Seasons UK Appreciation Society has been calling vociferously for catalogue preservation on it's web site blogs since 2008, when the paucity of the physical CD catalogue and the missing masters stories gained strength. Then it became apparent that between 30 to 40 unreleased recordings by the group existed on 16 track 'multi's' in Universal Motown's NYC vault. As we gathered evidence of what might exist uncovering several acetate copies we got resistance from UMe and the Partnership that these existed. [Just the same refusal to admit to the assets and the need to preserve them that has existed for decades]. It took 2 years of publishing evidence of the archive tracks on Facebook in the Four Seasons Motown Unreleased Campaign for a forward thinking Record Company to ask the experts[THE FANS]....'What do you want?'

PRESERVATION.....RE-MASTERING.......RELEASE.

Audiophiles and audio professionals view such recordings with special regard. “A master is the truest capture of a piece of recorded music,” Adam Block, the former president of Legacy Recordings, Sony Music Entertainment’s catalogue arm, says. “Sonically, masters can be stunning in their capturing of an event in time. Every copy thereafter is a sonic step away.”

This week after months of negotiation the known archive tape masters are being transferred to Four Seasons 'Brand' owner Bob Gaudio for evaluation.

And he has said he has 'unreleased tracks from every decade' since the 60s and is committed to the project.

We've told him of the rumours of tracks and given him the salvaged acetate digitised copies we have preserved. The hope is that this first true 'collaboration' between fan/collectors[who know the whole catalogue as released and much unreleased] and the 'artists' and an innovative Independent Record Company will show the 'majors' the way to a proper catalogue management strategy.

It is time for us THE COLLECTORS to address THE OWNERS.....in Andy Zax words from the NYT article.....”The most powerful argument for preservation is simply: ‘We don’t know.’ The sounds from the past that seem vital to us in the present keep changing. Since we don’t know what’s going to be important, we have to err on the side of inclusivity and insist that the entities that own our cultural history do the same.”

But as for the Universal fire 'what's lost is lost' ….but what remains is that Universal Motown has a HUGE catalogue of tapes in NYC that needs to be SALVAGED and heard. We are on the verge of chasing down the masters of their released and unreleased this summer...for their contract with Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons....on 29 Production Tapes [P Tape]and numerous Temporary Tapes [T Tapes].......and we'll keep chasing them notwithstanding we had a 'gagging order' whilst the tapes were pulled for transfer.!!!!!!! We accepted this whilst the transfers were paid for and completed.......but all bets are off......we want to know what is there and what are the best surviving MASTERS for both the released and unreleased and I for one want to hear all 34 mixes of 'The Night' by legendary sound engineer Russ Terrana and others.......what were they looking for......and have we got it?????. The wait goes on this summer for how we will be told what has survived and in what format?

Catch the UNRELEASED 'One Man' at our Facebook group.....here

And our latest list of the Four Seasons Masters Data compiled over 20 years

Ken Charmer – Four Seaons UK Appreciations Society – Main Music Historian

MBA [Project Management] – Henley Management College, Greenlands, UK 1993

The Best Four Seasons Masters on CD – Looking Back in 2019 – Part 1.

Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons have had many CD releases since the advent of the CD in the mid 1980s. So many licensing deals have been done that 'nobody' has a comprehensive assessment of the 'Best Masters'. Between 2007 and 2010 we started a mammoth review of what is available for 'Collectors' of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons on CD, publishing our findings at the time in our CD Buyers Guide

Stefan Wriedt, a professional Sound Engineer based in German and our own Music Historian Casey Chameleon began the daunting task of compiling and reviewing as many as possible and published this listing[see link above]. In it we stated....”With so many commercial releases on CD since 1986 it is a problem finding the best quality copies and those rare versions of tracks. This listing is fairly comprehensive with over 160 CD’s listed but it is not a complete list. It is also a work in progress as we review and assess each release. With so many of these CD’s now only available on E-Bay or as ‘out of print/deleted’ copies which sometimes appear on CD supplier sites, fans need a guide.  CD’s are rated as :-

EC= Essential Collectors Item

CU = Collectible for it's unique/alternativetracks

NV=No value to collectors”

The intention at that time was to support 'collectors'in finding the best Masters until a fully comprehensive set of NEW Masters was available through a catalogue review by the Four Seasons Partnership. [That has never happened]. We did highlight a few Essential Collectors titles and these can be found coded 'green' on our CD Discography pages.

But we never got to collect and review everything as the list was ever growing and at the time had over 160 CD's listed. Obtaining all copies of albums releases is of course cost prohibitive and the assessment tools[and ears not easily available] It is impossible to estimate if this is as much as 90% of releases given the world popularity of the group. Whatever we were able to gather was to be assessed.

BUT then we got side tracked into 'preserving the MONO 45 Masters'when news filtered through that the Partnership 'may not have the 45 Masters' in every case.' And MONO on CD was not the CD concept of the re-issue of past albums at that time, even though during the groups hey-day all mixing was targetted to create the BEST MONO Master for vinyl. But by 2012 we decided that this MONO sound must 'rule'for this 'career' period as the production and engineering standards at the time focused on that output for Radio and records. STEREO remained a novelty and today we can see the weaknesses in the STEREO engineering.[As with many 'pop' artists of the day eg Beatles, Beach Boys etc]

Even with the sad loss and passing of our key engineer Stefan in 2014 we completed [with great help from US collectors] that MONO project by 2016 for ALL the MONO Vee-Jay and Philips 45s now preserved as reference copies for future access in the UK Fan club Archive.

With news in early 2019 that Snapper Records are in contract talks for a NEW catalogue spanning LUXURY Box Set in 2020 we have been asked what the fans would want? That was easy. ALL the 60s albums in original MONO and STEREO versions with alternative versions and all 45 non-album tracks plus the 70s through to the 00's STEREO albums plus as much unreleased as can be found. And all re-mastered tracks to recommended standards as established by our 'Sound Tests Page'and current engineering standards.

Lots of people have committed to this project already [including the Four Seasons UK Appreciation Society] and Bob Gaudio and Frankie Valli have been confirmed as fully supportive. The Majors in the form of Warners and Universal [as the Motown arm of UMe] and Curb Records are also expected to collaborate. The Music Industry has finally realised that comprehensive 'catalogue' is the product for future customers to find their 'niche' artists.

So MAYBE next year fans will get the chance should they are able to......to invest in this set.

We will be asking for the best quality RE-MASTERS and are advising Snapper Records re this. We are encouraged that our request for the best 2020 Engineered Quality Masters to be delivered is currently accepted.

With this in mind and to set a minimal standard reference we are reviewing past issues on CD to advise here what CD's stand up as 'Quality' Re-masters.......focusing on 'Essential Collectors' physical Masters. Whilst much of the catalogue is available on You Tube or as 'downloads' or on 'streaming' services we are going to the CD source as only a quality wav file [ie CD] can create a good compressed[mp3 or AIFF]. No research is available re the availability of 'lossless' versions [FLAC]. We've judged the STEREO image on a clock face basis with 9 and 3 being the extremes of left and right channels with 12 centre vocal. Instrumental detail and vocal harmony background sounds best when spread between 9 and 11 left and 3 and 1 right. Beware that many CD's are far left/far right mixes [9-Left and 3-Right] and sound dreadful on headphones. We have reviewed Peak Volume, Loudness[RMS] and Dynamic Range[DR] as well as STEREO image. But for both MONO and Stereo it is the clarity and ambience that can only be assessed by the subjective 'ear'

It is fair to say that there are significant imperfections in ALL the album sets on CD for the 1962 to 1970 period. Inconsistencies in masters occur,[imbalance] with mistakes[dropouts – audible Tape hiss] and STEREO mixing issues [Channel crossover] in many tracks so any re-issue may not be able to address these as multi-tracks ARE NOT AVAILABLE. For that reason alone the issue of MONO Masters in 'pristine' sound is essential[More re this below]

Many collectors may dispute some of our review results but this is an honest assessment intended to be a guide to a better quality catalogue..IZOTOPE.COM says of best STEREO mixes......”The instrumental separation, definition of instruments within the stereo field, and sense of depth” should be sought. Re-mastered analogue transfers should be....”an engaging, lively sound that you can practically close your eyes and visualize where each instrumentalist is on the soundstage. The use of dynamic range is also exceedingly important in the sense of depth and clarity” so that it “ensures that the energy and vibrance of the performance shines.”

Fans should expect “a masterclass of effective panning and EQ for instrumental separation. Additionally, the availability of dynamic range (not over-compression) ensures that separation is maintained through the mastering stages. The dynamic range and smart EQ choices (along with effective use of reverb) can also result in an exceptional sense of depth within the mix.”

We do not believe these exacting standards have been fully achieved in past releases particularly of the groups 'classic' hits period as we'll comment below. But with the the restriction of STEREO only masters this limits STEREO as instruments and vocals cannot be spread across the sound stage – they are either left or right. So what can be done in Re-Mastering.? For today's market we would expect the STEREO catalogue of the Four Seasons to be Mastered with this definition in mind whilst accepting the restrictions of the discrepancies and flaws in the surviving STEREO Masters. “Think of mastering as the glue, varnish and polish that optimizes playback quality on all devices — from tiny iPhone speakers to massive dance club sound systems. Mastering bridges the gap between artist and consumer. The term itself comes from the idea of a master copy. All copies or duplications of the audio come from the master. These copies can be distributed on multiple formats like vinyl, CD’s or Tape, and streaming services like Spotify, iTunes and SoundCloud. Additionally, mastering allows for restoration of hisses, clicks or small mistakes missed in the final mix. Mastering also ensures uniformity and consistency of sound between multiple tracks on an album. Ultimately, what mastering does is create a clean and cohesive feeling across all your audio......A good mastering job makes an album consistent and balanced across all tracks....An ideal master is well-balanced and proportional. This means no specific frequency range is left sticking out. A balanced piece of audio will sound good on any playback system. ”

The CD's reviewed below, it can be argued, DO NOT fully achieve these exacting standards which is why we are doing this exercise and telling Snapper of our 'expectations/hopes'. We'll provide feedback to Snapper on what they propose.....if asked but will ultimately sit in judgement of a final product which we expect to be as good as is possible.....and certainly exceeding what we have had before on CD whilst enhancing what we have on 'vinyl'.

Part 1 – The Vee-Jay albums

The Masters used for all CD releases of the Vee-Jay recordings are based on the outcome of the Group's dispute with Genius Inc[who contracted their work to Vee-Jay]. A fuller explanation of the story and data re these is contained in our Masters sessionography[here].

So the CD re-issues are from the recovered tracks from the bakruptcy of Vee-Jay. The Partnership received MONO/STEREO album Masters supplied to Philips in 1964. No review of surviving Multi-tracks in the Vee-Jay Archive [now owned by Concord Music Group[should they still exist] has been attempted or appears likely given the Four Seasons Partnership Ownership rights.

All CD issues to date are, we believe, based on Analogue/Digital transfers done in 1986/87.[No evidence exists of any A/D transfers since as far as we know.] It is believed that for the Snapper project NEW A/D transfers have been done.

Early CD re-issues in the late 1980's where on compilations and although Rhino , Br music(Netherlands)[and Curb – in Japan]issued album re-masters on CD these are very rare and have been unobtainable except for Curb BVCP-2050 [Sherry & 11 Others].

This was a very wide[9-3] STEREO mix with little to commend it based on the above. As a result we did not obtain/review the rest of the Japanese releases from this early CD period.

We moved on and focused on the Curb releases Volumes 1,2 and 3 of 1995 [Curb D2-77695 to 7] and compared them with the ACE 2fer releases of the same period.

Without doubt the ACE CD's [507,615 and 596] offer the best collections and sound [in the main – for these catalogue albums].This is primarily because of the benefit of their 2fer format and the bonus non-LP sides. Sherry/Big Girls Don't Cry[plus bonus sides]507although not stated we assume was mastered by Bill Inglot....as the subsequent CD's were. It has a good STEREO image[Left 9/11: Right 3/1] and good Loudness [Range -11db to -16] as does the Christmas Album/Born To Wander CD 615, but something slips on Ain't That A Shame/ Live On Stage [plus bonus sides]596.

The clarity and ambience is somehow lost, and comparison with Curb CD D2 – 77967[Ain't That A Shame +11 Others]shows this. This Curb CD offers an impressive STEREO image [Left 9/11 : Right 3/1] but with great clarity and ambience [Loudness -12 to -16] making it by far the best set of Vee-Jay album Masters on CD we have found.The backing vocals and instruments are still split left and right but these mixes have clear separation, depth and warmth. They hang together around the centre vocal. They are not the TRUE STEREO we can get with multi-track tapes or with DES [Digitally Extracted STEREO] but they are the best you are going to find until another source is created. For more reading re creating a good mix try this link.

The MONO and MONO only at Vee-Jay

Three years of studio work in dubbing vinyl MONO and re-mastering for our reference set of 45s/MONO album Masters gave us a good reference set and generally all the MONO sides included on the CD's reviewed fall short of the standards defined above regarding clarity and ambience in Mastering. We can only put this down to poor transfer quality or poor re-mastering of MONO at that time. 24 bit 96 khz dubs from vinyl enabled us to get sparkling clarity and ambience capturing the original 'sound' much better than the 'dull' MONO re-masters found on many CD issues and we expect equivalent 'good' results in the Snapper Box Set. Whilst the 2 Real Gone releases from 2016 of Sherry and Big Girls Don't Cry albums appear to be re-mastered from the MONO album Masters [they say] we still believe these lack 'punch' and ambience on the vocals compared to the vinyl dubbed re-masters in our own MONO archive.This is an EQ problem.

The release and re-mastering of the MONO Master Tapes is a crucial part of this Box Sets market potential, With the inconsistencies of the STEREO Masters these will become the groups reference tracks and possibly a preferred play for future fans via all formats.

So to summarise there are currently many STEREO tracks from the Vee-Jay period in good/fair sound quality if you carefully search them out on 'out of print' CD's. But there are few MONO versions in adequate sound quality

In Part 2 we will look at the early Philips Masters in STEREO on CD and the inconsistencies and flaws that [surprisingly] became much worse at Philips when sound recording equipment and engineering was improving in most studios.

Footnote

Fans may consider a luxury BOX SET unnecessary as currently available are two Box Sets on Amazon covering 'most' of the 'Group'and 'Solo'albums but these are far from comprehensive.

These box sets have been criticised for content and quality with comments that show the lack of the Majors respect for the fans perspective...as these example quotes from reviews show...”What a lot of people fail to realize is that Rhino stopped being Rhino when it was sold to Warner Brothers in 1998, and the original Rhino guys left in 2003. The label became "Warner Strategic Marketing" and reverted back to their "special products" mentality of the 70s and early 80s - that is, that any "masters" will do, and the public will eat it up no matter what we do with it. This attitude is especially prevalent on stuff that's been placed with WEA rather than with their homegrown artists.”.....and“the Press release from Rhino/Warner stated"Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons - The Classic Albums Box is an 18-disc set that includes the vast majority of the group's albums in mini jackets with original artwork”. So they acknowledged the missing ones up front. But using old Curb 1990s CD sets that are not the original albums was a big and careless mistake....also...”there are still 7 CD's missing from this package”.....”Rhino should have just reissued them like the ACE series, where you would have have had every track from the Vee-Jay, Phillips & Warner labels....maybe even had the MoWest stuff thrown in and make it a true set. It's overall shoddy work from a Label that I used to admire, it's like no one cares anymore.”… One reviewer commented “ The sound quality (on my copy) is identical to the ACE label releases which were issued in the UK and Germany between 1994 and 1996...and copies were produced in the EU. “

The 'Solo' Work set was described as....”This is NOT an anthology, best of, greatest hits, or even, as titled "Selected Solo Works". What this is, plain and simple, are eight (8) complete LPs recorded by Frankie Valli between 1967 and 1980. Each album is presented in its entirety exactly as originally released - no remastering of the original recordings.[or non-LP sides]”

 We haven't obtained or 'forensically' reviewed these 2 sets for sound quality but have tracked back through album 'styled' releases [Rhino/Warner/Curb] during the 90s and some appear to be identical to CD albums released at that time and 'casually' reproduced and included in these sets. More re this in our next part. Ken Charmer June 2019