Daughter Reflects on Her Dad and His Songwriting
March 23rd, 2008In The Observer today, Kathryn Flett, who is the daughter of Doug Flett, co-writer of Frankie Valli’s “Fallen Angel” in 1976, reflects on her father and the song that has found itself on center stage in Jersey Boys.
I don’t really do theatre, but last week I was my father’s date for the first night of Jersey Boys, the new musical about the Four Seasons – Valli, that s, not Vivaldi. By a happy set of circumstances, a song called ‘Fallen Angel’, which my father Doug co-wrote more than 30 years ago with his long-standing musical partner, Guy Fletcher, and which was recorded by Frankie Valli in 1976, has suddenly found itself center stage again, on Broadway, in US touring productions, opening in Vegas in April and Melbourne next year and now in the West End.
At the party afterwards, I watched my father reintroduce himself to Frankie Valli after a gap of 30 years. When Valli leapt to his feet and hugged him, I was ever so slightly moist of eye. Funny how New Jersey suddenly feels like a home from home.
I so loved “Fallen Angel” when I first heard it in 1976, and thought it would become as big as “My Eyes Adored You.” I was amazed that it exited the Billboard charts so quickly after peaking at #36, and wondered whether fans were expecting more disco from Frankie after “Swearin’ to G-d” and “Our Day Will Come”. I wonder how high it would have risen had it been the follow-up to MEAY.
I’d love to see this song re-released in 2008, particularly in light of our military losses overseas. In any case, almost like the Four Seasons themselves, I’m thrilled it’s finally getting the recognition it so deserves.
Comment by Howard Tucker — March 30, 2008 @ 5:05 pm
I looked yesterday afternoon for a survey I once had that showed “Fallen Angel” at #1 on a WSAM Saginaw, MI, survey, but I couldn’t find it.
I had a survey from 1963 that showed “MARLENA/CANDY GIRL” at #1 on WTRX Flint, but my parents, like many parents, cleaned my room and threw that one away! Billboard only had Marlena as a #36 B-side.
I’ll keep looking for the WSAM survey. “Fallen Angel” did reach #9 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary Charts.
As I stated elsewhere here, I suspect that Michigan is second only to New Jersey in FV4S popularity over the years, even though we have many of our “own” recording artists.
Comment by Ted Hammond — March 30, 2008 @ 6:45 pm