How ‘Bout The Real Four Seasons?
June 3rd, 2007The Los Angeles Daily News provides some brief biographical information on the real Four Seasons!
Frankie Valli: Falsetto singer born Francis Stephen Castelluccio in Newark, N.J. Cut his first single in 1952.Sang with the Varietones, which later became the Four Lovers and then the Four Seasons. Solo hits include theme song to “Grease” and “Swearin’ to God.” Also an actor; he appeared in several episodes of “The Sopranos.”
Played in “Jersey Boys” by Christopher Kale Jones.
Bob Gaudio: Born in the Bronx, N.Y. Wrote his first hit, “Who Wears Short Shorts,” at age 15. Former member of the Royal Teens, joined the Four Lovers and served as the composer for most of the group’s hits. Stopped touring with the group in 1971.
Produced songs for Neil Diamond, Barbra Streisand and albums for Frank Sinatra, Diana Ross and Michael Jackson. Member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Played in “Jersey Boys” by Erich Bergen.
Tommy DeVito: Born in Belleville, N.J. Sang in the Variety Trio with twin brother Nick, and Hank Majewski. Later became lead guitarist for the Four Seasons. Left the band in 1970. Friend of actor Joe Pesci, who has the name Tommy DeVito in his Oscar-winning role in “GoodFellas.”
Played in “Jersey Boys” by Deven May.
Nick Massi: Born Nicholas Macioci in Newark, N.J. Played with several bands during his teen years. Bass player and primary vocal arranger for the Four Seasons during the group’s glory years. Quit the band in 1965 and worked as an arranger, vocal coach and engineer with various New Jersey bands. Died of cancer in 2000.
Played in “Jersey Boys” by Michael Ingersoll.
Tommy’s brother, Nick, is his twin?! I never knew that.
Comment by Audrey — June 3, 2007 @ 1:30 pm
Audrey,
Besides being Tommy’s twin brother, Nick was also the bassist for the Four Lovers, and not rhythm guitarist.
Real Life:
Nick DeVito – Bassist
Hank Majewski – Rhythm guitarist
“Jersey Boys”:
Nick DeVito – Rhythm guitarist
Hank Majewski – Bassist
I’d like to hear one really good reason why they switched the instruments around.
Comment by Mark Brown — June 3, 2007 @ 5:01 pm
I have seen it written several times in different places that Nick DeVito was Tommy DeVito’s twin brother. This is not true. Nick was Tommy’s older brother by 4 years.
I can’t explain why in Jersey Boys Nick DeVito plays rhythm guitar and Hank Majewski plays bass. Maybe it is because that’s the instruments the people who play the characters in JB play best. But again, for the historical record, Nick DeVito was originally a rhythm guitar player. He left an early version of the band and was replaced by Hank Majewski, also a rhythm guitar player. Nick Massi came and went into the band in the early days. When Nick Massi left, Nick DeVito came back in and had to learn how to play bass because Hank Majewski was still in the band playing rhythm guitar for the group. Nick DeVito had no trouble learning the bass as Nick DeVito was very talented. The entire DeVito family in fact was very musically talented. Tommy DeVito, Nick DeVito, Hank Majewski, and Frankie Valli were the original Four Lovers. See the cover of the Four Lovers’ Joyride album and/or the two 1956 Four Lovers’ Ed Sullivan TV show appearances for confirmation of this. Nick Massi was not an original “Lover” as depicted in JB.
I believe I have suggested this at least once before in previous Blog comments – Rex Woodard’s 1982 piece on the pre 4 Seasons of the 1950s is painstakingly precise in its description of the Four Lovers and predecessor and successor bands prior to the 4 Seasons hitting it big in 1962. It talks about the comings and goings of Nick Massi and Nick DeVito in to and out of the various groups. I think Jersey Boys has clarified some of this with mention in the play of their sabatticals for studies at the “Rahway Academy For The Arts.” The article also talks about the origination of the Valley name.
There is but one historical inaccuracy in the Woodard piece and that is that the “Chee Chee” girl was Rose Murphy not Nellie Lutcher as Woodard says. As a big jazz fan even in his early teenage years Frankie Valli was influenced by Rose Murphy for “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love” and Nellie Lutcher for “My Mother’s Eyes.”
Woodard’s 1950′s article on the Four Lovers etc., as well as his 1970′s article, written in 1981, on the post DeVito/Gaudio, and eventually Long, Seasons are both posted on Frank Rovello’s Genuine Imitation Life Gazette web site. If anyone wants to read about what they see in the “Spring” version of Jersey Boys, you need to read Rex Woodard’s 1982 article. Some shortcuts had to be taken in JB to make it work efficiently, thus you have Nick Massi as an original Lover instead of Nick DeVito. Both Woodard articles are really must reads for any 4 Seasons and now Jersey Boys’ fan.
Comment by David Cace — June 4, 2007 @ 6:57 am
Nick Massi is introduced very early in the book as the Variety Trio bassist, that left no room for Nick DeVito to be portrayed as a bassist.
Comment by Frank — June 4, 2007 @ 8:29 am
David,
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame should offer courses on their various inductees, and they would need to get you to facilitate the course on Frankie Valli and The 4 Seasons. If that ever came to pass, I would certainly be among the first to sign up!! Thanks once again for enlightening readers, like myself, on this blog!
Regards,
Len Gersten
Comment by Len Gersten — June 4, 2007 @ 12:57 pm
Dave: Thanks for the info. The article is very informative and adds further depth to the understanding of the group’s beginnings.
Comment by LindaL — June 5, 2007 @ 12:55 am
Tommy is the younger brother of the late Nick DeVito, not his twin.
Comment by Barry Disbrow — March 29, 2008 @ 10:29 pm
When I saw JB 10 years ago I already knew Nick Massi was not an original member but I figured it was too complicated for them to document the comings and goings of various members. I believe Nick had the reputation of coming and going. That’s probably why he ended up leaving at the height of the 4S success. He was in a group with Hugh Garrity called the Hollywood Playboys. I believe in 1958 when Tommy secured a date in Las Vegas his brother Nick and Hank Majewski did not want to go so Tommy fired them and that was when Nick and Hugh came into the group. In fact, I have a picture of that configuration of the group with Frankie at the extreme left (when looking at them) with his stand-up drum, then Nick on rhythm guitar, Hugh on bass and then Tommy on lead guitar. Obviously, Hugh left the group and was replaced by the keyboard player Bob Gaudi and Nick switched to bass. BTW, there are not too many videos of the original 4S playing live but I have seen one where they do a medley of 5 of their early hits and it must have been remastered and you can hear the excellent bass playing of Nick Massi. Nick, RIP, too bad you didn’t stick around longer. I heard an interview of him by Don K. Reed and he knew the play was in the works. He was very proud of his work in the group and it was unfortunate he passed away before it opened.
Comment by Alan N — June 17, 2016 @ 4:23 am
When I saw JB 10 years ago I already knew Nick Massi was not an original member of the 4L but I figured it was too complicated for them to document the comings and goings of various members. I believe Nick had the reputation of coming and going. That’s probably why he ended up leaving at the height of the 4S success. He was in a group with Hugh Garrity called the Hollywood Playboys. I believe in 1958 when Tommy secured a date in Las Vegas his brother Nick and Hank Majewski did not want to go so Tommy fired them and that was when Nick and Hugh came into the group. In fact, I have a picture of that configuration of the group with Frankie at the extreme left (when looking at them) with his stand-up drum, then Nick on rhythm guitar, Hugh on bass and then Tommy on lead guitar. Obviously, Hugh left the group and was replaced by the keyboard player Bob Gaudi and Nick switched to bass. BTW, there are not too many videos of the original 4S playing live but I have seen one where they do a medley of 5 of their early hits and it must have been remastered and you can hear the excellent bass playing of Nick Massi. Nick, RIP, too bad you didn’t stick around longer. I heard an interview of him by Don K. Reed and he knew the play was in the works. He was very proud of his work in the group and it was unfortunate he passed away before it opened.
Comment by Alan N — June 17, 2016 @ 8:07 am