Comments on: JBB EXCLUSIVE: Interview with Tommy DeVito!

By: Guy Merritt

Guy Merritt — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 03:49:29 +0000

Wow….glad to see you’re still involved in the music and entertainment business. I remember you and your wife as wonderful people. When I met you I was playing the piano for Roy Clayborne (at the Dunes, in Vegas) and I think you were managing Tommy Bell (from my home town, Flint, Michigan); as I recall I think you were trying to book Roy or something. Congratulations on the movie and you look great, man..

Guy Merritt - Flint, Michigan

By: RITA LOOKER

RITA LOOKER — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 13:15:46 +0000

Tommy, Must let you know how much my gang luv 4 seasons - particularly yourself - you are being played so magnificently by Glen Carter in the London production - try to see it. Your music is so fab - even now - I grew up with it in the 60’s - and you all gave me so many memories.
Luv Rita (from Durham, England)

By: Ted Hammond

Ted Hammond — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 20:32:42 +0000

I was looking up references to “Bobob” online and I turned this link up, David. “Bobob” was kind of hard to link to Bob Gaudio and Bob Crewe in the search, however.

http://www.detroitradioflashbacks.net/songandsurvey/12-29-62

BGDC had dropped to #4. The information on Billboard mirrored the single information, as it mainly still does today. It is amazing that Goffin/King has four songs they wrote on the chart and a couple for Barry Mann, one with Dave Appell, by the Orlons.

By: Ted Hammond

Ted Hammond — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 19:48:02 +0000

David, it is notable that even as late as the 1975 Private Stock album “The Four Seasons Story” there were few references to the group members, writers and arrangers full names. There was still just the B. Gaudio, B. Crewe, P. Farina, etc. Who would have guessed P. Farina was Peggy Santiglia of The Angels unless they were pretty much insiders? Also, arrangements were noted as just by “Calello” on that LP.

I think I mentioned before that I grew up in a rather ethnically diverse middle class neighborhood, not unlike New Jersey in that respect, but where the kids only bought singles, at least before the Beatles and British Invasion. 45s usually only had the producer, songwriter, publisher, etc. Bobob Productions and Gavadima Music were a puzzle to be solved later. I just knew I loved the music and combed the radio dial for the next release. My favorite local stations were “way ahead of the curve”, possibly because Joey Reynolds left quite a footprint even after leaving WTRX and later WXYZ, so I didn’t have to wait long.

By: David Cace

David Cace — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 18:38:17 +0000

I believe that to basically be the story Ted. In the book upon which the movie “Goodfellas” is based, “Wiseguy…” by Nicholas Pileggi, the Joe Pesci character is a real life person by the name of Tommy DeSimone.

As a point of historical information, the liner notes to the 4 Seasons first album, “Sherry & 11 Others” contains a very brief bio of the group members. If you brought that album you would have known the subsequent references on albums (and later on Philips 45s) to “The 4 Seasons - featuring the ‘Sound’ of Frankie Valli.” You would have also known that the small print reference to the writer of [most] of the hit songs “B. Gaudio” [along with B. Crewe on most of them] was Bob Gaudio.

In addition to the reference to Frankie Valli as the person with the distinctive “sound,” the “Sherry” album also refers to Bob Gaudio as a songwriter, organist and singer; Nick Massi as bass singer, player, and vocal arranger, and Tommy DeVito as lead guitarist. The “Live” on a stage, but not in front of a live audience, VeeJay album has an introduction by Frankie of Bob, Tommy, and Nick, and Tommy then introduces Frankie.

There are a few other references but certainly not as many reference as to John, Paul, George, and Ringo, or the Wilson family.