September 22, 2007

Frankie Valli Is Now Hip!

September 22nd, 2007

Anthony DeCurtis of The New York Times has written a terrific in-depth feature article on Frankie Valli, who first became a star in 1962, when his group, the Four Seasons, soared to No. 1 on the strength of a perfect pop song called “Sherry” and the wings of Mr. Valli’s stratospheric falsetto. And now, 45 years later, his star is rising again.

Jersey Boys, the Broadway musical based on the Four Seasons’ rise and fall, is a major success. Bruce Springsteen, the quintessential Jersey Boy, went to see it last month, and a photograph of him backstage with the cast ran in Rolling Stone. In England, where Jersey Boys will open next year, a blistering remix of the Four Seasons’ 1967 single “Beggin’ ” became a Top 40 hit. A career-spanning boxed set, “Jersey Beat: The Music of Frankie Valli & the 4 Seasons,” came out this year. Beginning in 2004 Mr. Valli had a recurring role as the stone-faced mob captain Rusty Millio in “The Sopranos.” And in a recent issue of Blender, Mr. Valli was described as “owning the 2000s.” According to DeCurtis, against all conceivable odds this 73-year-old singer is now something he has never been before: hip.

To capitalize on Mr. Valli’s current stature, on Oct. 2 Universal Motown is releasing “Romancing the ’60s,” on which he sings love songs from the period when he attained his first great prominence.

Read the full story, which includes an interview with Bob Gaudio and song excerpts from Valli’s upcoming recording on The New York Times website.

5 Comments »

  1. This is a really nice, well-written article about the original Jersey Boy, Frankie Valli. It’s really good to see all the good press he’s been receiving since the premiere of “Jersey Boys.” It’s funny that the author of the article, Anthony DeCurtis, states that Frankie Valli is now considered to be “hip.” He later goes on to say that if you wanted to seem “cool,” you couldn’t do much worse than “proclaim devotion” to the Four Seasons. Well, all I can say is I’ve been a devoted fan of the music of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons for the last 35 years (yes, I discovered their sound sometime around the early ’70′s), and I’ve always remained very vocal about it through the years. For many years now, my philosophy has been to make individual choices (and not “follow like sheep,” a phrase from the classic track, “Silence Is Golden”) and proclaim my devotion to things I truly appreciate and enjoy; not to blindly follow along with what is currently in vogue with the crowd. Frankie and the Seasons have always seemed both hip and cool to me! Here’s hoping this latest release, “Romancing the ’60′s,” is well-received and gets some well-deserved chart bullets!

    Comment by Len Gersten — September 23, 2007 @ 12:48 am

  2. So glad that Frankie is again getting due recognition and respect. For some of us, Frankie has always been in style. I recently had the pleasure of seeing Frankie again in concert, and can assure that he still has ‘it’; the voice, charisma, and amazing audience appeal. Hearing him sing ‘Can’t Take My Eyes Off You’ still elicits chills. Like that energizer bunny, he just keeps on going. Congrats, Frankie. You’ve always been cool to me!

    Pamela

    Comment by Pamela — September 23, 2007 @ 7:06 am

  3. Good article but there was nothing more hip than driving around Hoboken and surrounding towns with the top down and blasting an 8 track tape of the 4 Seasons. And I wasn’t the only one.

    Comment by David Cace — September 23, 2007 @ 8:08 am

  4. Greetings ! Frankie Valli has always been hip !
    This is a great revival of one of the classic timeless performers of our lifespan. No other performer has recorded more songs that strike a personal chord in all our lives. No other ever will. Frankie Valli is the definitive defintion of hip.

    Comment by richard chichakian — September 24, 2007 @ 9:48 am

  5. I think people have tired of the last 43+ years, since January, 1964, of marketers trying to constantly define and redefine “hip” in order to sell whatever products they have to offer. Even words and phrases went in and out of fashion within a few months. I remember even Frankie Valli riding the trend with the Wonder Who with the line “Come on, come on, and sock it to me” in their updated cover of the Gene Austin/Nat Shilkret Flapper Era classic “Lonesome Road”. Nowadays, people decide for themselves what’s hip, and don’t let others make up their minds.

    Comment by Ted Hammond — September 24, 2007 @ 1:00 pm

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