The Four Seasons Greetings CD–A Kid Who Sings Like an Angel!
December 19th, 2005In Jersey Boys, Tommy DeVito describes young Frankie Castelluccio as a “kid who sings like an angel”. If you get a chance during this holiday season, check out “The 4 Seasons Greetings” Christmas CD. DeVito wasn’t kidding about this voice of an angel!
Back in December 1962, the 4 Seasons had a Top 20 hit with their version of “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.” I have to admit–that song never sounded so good!
Valli’s angelic voice, and his choir, made up of DeVito, Gaudio, & Massi do an amazing job on this CD. Two of my personal favorites are “The Carol of the Bells” and “Excelsis Deo.” No Midnight Mass choir I ever heard as a kid sounded this heavenly!
This CD is available from the Direct Audio Video Express (D.A.V.E.) online store.
I keep thinking…maybe the Jersey Boys cast could do a holiday version of the show this week!!!
Happy Holidays!!
Yes I agree. The “4 Seasons’ Greetings” Christmas album, originally issued on Vee-Jay in 1962, and later reissued on Philips in 1966 as the Four Seasons’ “Christmas Album” (with a new cover and pictures, which includes Joe Long instead of Nick Massi)is certainly a relatively unknown diamond in the rough, especially when one considers they recorded this album so early in their careers (just after “Sherry” and “Big Girls Don’t Cry”). Just another indication of the breadth of their many talents. Wonderful musical arrangements by Sid Bass (who also did “Sherry”). On the orignal vinyl album, one side is devoted entirely to Christmas carols and the other side is devoted to traditional Christmas songs like “Santa Claus is Coming To Town” (a Christmas hit in 1962) and “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” (a Christmas hit in 1963), and a cute kid’s Christmas song called “Jungle Bells” (mistakenly titled “Jingle Bells” on the Philips reissue)- and where does Santa carry all the gifts for the animals? -as Nick Massi tells us in his great bass voice “In The Elephant’s Trunk” of course. My favorite Christmas carol is “The Little Drummer Boy” which has Nick Massi imitating a drum with his wonderful bass voice. Listening to Side 1 and all the Christmas carols is like being at a Christmas concert. Playing this album has been a tradition in my family for 42 years now. I played it as a kid for my parents and older brother and sisters and they loved it and now my kids love it. It wouldn’t be Christmas without it playing as we have Christmas dimmer and open presents. It’s about time to get it out for Christmas 2005.
Comment by David Cace — December 20, 2005 @ 12:00 pm
Wow, David! I’m with you–it also wouldn’t be Christmas in my house without playing this album! Been doing it ever since I was a kid, too! Merry Christmas!
Comment by Administrator — December 20, 2005 @ 11:40 pm
I believe that Bob Gaudio ststed that this album was recorded in one 28-hour marathon session. Amazing!
Comment by George O'Brien — January 4, 2006 @ 10:00 am
Amazing ,I used to think I was the only one way back that bought the Christmas Album.
Christmas Tears for some reason was my favorite tune. I have a lot of the vinyl from years gone by and now picking up the CD’s to expand my collection but still to this day the pops and crackles on the albums brings a chill to me remembering all those years past. I couldn’t even count the number of times I went to see the 4 Seasons but still remember the first time at the Camden County Music Fair ,a huge tent with a revolving stage.(that was in 1970) Same as Jersey Boys, the crowd could not stay seated. Anyone remember the Latin Casino?
Comment by Bob Nelson — February 11, 2006 @ 9:22 am
Bob Nelson
Had a few moments on a late Friday afternoon after a long hard week and went to the Blog and saw your comment for the first time. I’m a “North” Jersey Boy so I can’t say that I ever made it down to the Camden Music Fair although I saw the original 4 Seasons of the ’60s perform many, many times (with Nick Massi and Joe Long, and even Charlie Callello once). Actually I thought the shows got even better with Joe Long. Yes, I completely agree the audience at Jersey Boys and at a 1960′s or 1970 (last year with Tommy DeVito) 4 Seasons’ concert could not sit down. You had everthing in a 4 Seasons concert from those years, 4 Seasons’ hits and album cuts, Frankie Valli solo hits and album cuts, and plenty of comedy, especially Tommy and Joe. They played off each other so well. While “I’m in the Mood For Love/Moody’s Moody for Love” is in the play, it can never replace Frankie doing the comedy version with Joe and Tommy fooling around behind him. Funniest skit I ever saw, and that would include anything ever done by the Sinatra Rat Pack. I laughed every time I saw it, and that had to be 20 or 30 times. People have no idea what they missed if they never saw the original 4 Seasons (of the ’60s)perform in concert. An hour and a half plus of pure non-stop entertainment. Well I could go on and on, but even on a late Friday afternoon there is some work still left to do. Great chatting with you.
Regards,
David Cace
Comment by David Cace — March 24, 2006 @ 4:42 pm