February 28, 2010

Video of ‘Hickory’ by The Four Seasons!

February 28th, 2010

Thanks to the release of The Four Seasons’ “Motown Years” CD, I’ve become reacquainted with some amazing 1970s recordings by the group. “Hickory” is definitely one of my favorites from this collection. The song, written by Bob Crewe and Kenny Nolan, was released as a single in 1974.

24 Comments »

  1. Always loved it. Even has Nick Massi helping out. Should have been a major hit.

    Comment by Richard — March 1, 2010 @ 10:45 am

  2. Once again, there are quite a few interesting bits of information about “Hickory” available in online searches. Again, I would want David, Howard, Charles and others to corroborate these.

    One is that Nick Massi sang on “Hickory”, and that Gerry Polci also sang on it, in addition to Joe Long. Talk about the past, present, and future on the same song! Nick also is reported to have played a bass solo on the flip side, “Charisma”. Maybe Patti can tell us more information on this.

    I haven’t looked it up yet, but there is a link that reports that “Hickory” hit #90 on Cashbox in the spring of 1974. I’ll try to look that up to confirm.

    “Hickory” was played by some Adult Contemporary stations (WTRX 1330 Flint and WCAR 1130 Detroit). I have a cassette somewhere of “Hickory” taped off the air. It seems the tape segued into “Skybird” by Neil Diamond which would support the 1974 timeline. ARSA has no station surveys presently on which the song appeared.

    It was quite common for Motown to break songs on these stations at that time. Motown would overnight numerous copies to these and other similar stations. In some cases, the stations took them right out of the overnight package and put a song on the air!

    Anyway this is a great song in the traditional Four Seasons style. But it is also good that the Four Seasons as a group changed their style just enough to have two huge US hits in the mid 1970s. I think that led to a more lasting legacy.

    Comment by Ted Hammond — March 1, 2010 @ 11:41 am

  3. Here’s the link to the Cashbox chart. “Hickory” was on the Cashbox chart for 5 weeks, debuting May 25, 1974, charting at 100, 97, 96, 90, and 90 before falling off the chart. Source: cashboxmagazine.com.

    http://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/70s_files/19740622.html

    Comment by Ted Hammond — March 1, 2010 @ 11:54 am

  4. Hey Ted,
    I don’t believe my Dad was on this recording, So your probably right about Gerry Polci and Joe Long adding there talent to this one. I’ll have to look into more.

    Ciao

    http://www.nickmassiart.com
    WorkHard/Dream/Bekind

    Comment by Patti-Massi-Candeliere — March 1, 2010 @ 3:37 pm

  5. Thanks, Patti. I don’t hear Nick’s classic trademark basso profundo in the recording, but I suppose he could be singing in a higher vocal register.

    I did run across another song that charted on Cash Box, though. “Boomerang” by Frankie Valli peaked at #90 on Cash Box in November, 1976 for two weeks peak, four weeks total.

    Comment by Ted Hammond — March 1, 2010 @ 5:09 pm

  6. Yes! Dad was GREAT at hitting higher ranges opposed to that “CLASSIC” trademark of his. It would be nice to hear the ORIGINAL track of “HICKORY”….

    Another song on the list that you ran across “BOOMERANG”
    (Victoria Pike-Teddy Randazzo)a part of this: With our two “JERSEY BOYS” working on this one from FRANKIE VALLI’S moving voice with all those “COOL” Instruments cooking as he sings, and Produced by BOB GAUDIO it should have been up there for a lot longer,but it was also on an album with many other “HITS” on it. A good moving song…Thanks,Ted.

    Comment by Patti-Massi-Candeliere — March 1, 2010 @ 8:27 pm

  7. I FOR ONE LOVE “HICKORY” I HAVE THE PROMO 45 AND ITS ON MOTOWN SUPERSTAR SERIES AND RECENTLY ON THE MOTOWN YEARS 2 CD SET WITH CHARISMA .BOTH SONGS ON THIS CD SET HAVE TWO CUTS OF HICKORY AND CHARISMA. I HAVE TONIGHT COME ACROSS A DEMO OF A REHEARSAL TAPE OF HICKORY AND NICK IS HEARD SAYING MORE DOWNS MORE DOWNS………….YES NICK WAS ON THE SONG LISTEN AND YOU WILL HEAR HIM. THIS IS A FACT

    Comment by JIM PETRECCA — March 2, 2010 @ 12:10 am

  8. Jim, Looking forward to LISTENING to this Demo of “HICKORY” & “CHARISMA”.

    Ciao

    Comment by Patti-Massi-Candeliere — March 2, 2010 @ 5:41 am

  9. in reference to to the song hickory wcau-fm played the
    song breifly in 1973 , also on the same station during
    an extended interview with bob crewe , crewe does
    mention that nick massi was part of that recording,also i was fornunate to see the song performed live at ryder college , outside of trenton in may of 1973 , the late pam maher long and maryann maloney were also present at that show , hope this will add to the discussion , hickory was a good song and could have been a big hit if it was not part of the motown years

    Comment by john rish — March 2, 2010 @ 7:28 am

  10. the above comment about hickory by me is wrong on the
    year , all of those events took place in spring of 1974 not 1973 sorry

    Comment by john rish — March 2, 2010 @ 8:04 am

  11. nick massi in my eyes was the best vocal arrangeer in music, for you fans that dont know music lingo, in the rehearsals for hickory that i have on cd you can hear nick saying more downs which means more lows, nick the bassman of the seasons had that ear for sound and the downs were the lows, as a vocal engineer you can see his imprint on the song “hickory” i always loved the song and loved it more because my favorite season was back again on record with the seasons, patti i will send you the song and the rehearsal of hickory. seasonaly yours jim petrecca

    Comment by JIM PETRECCA — March 2, 2010 @ 3:59 pm

  12. Jim,

    THANKS!

    http://www.nickmassiart.com
    WorkHard/Dream/Bekind

    Comment by Patti-Massi-Candeliere — March 2, 2010 @ 8:16 pm

  13. Frankie Valli And The Four Seasons
    Hickory lyrics

    Someday baby, we’ll leave this town
    For a little house and counrty scene
    But right now my love
    It’s gonna take some time
    Saving our nickels
    Counting all our dimes
    Then hickory glows, ’cause hickory knows
    With each song she sings him
    A new day she brings him
    He says hickory when your singing the blues
    This downtown guy feels like uptown new
    Something in your voice sounded soothing and clear
    Like magic, this old ghetto seems to disappear
    There across town, in a brown stone cellar
    There’s a bit of heaven singin’
    Every night a song keeps bringin’
    Crowds of people by the score
    Hickory’s heart must be made of sunshine
    Singing songs of sweet salvation
    Brings back inspiration
    Keeps them coming back for more
    They sing hickory, when your singing the blues
    This downtown street feels like uptown new
    Something in your voice sounded soothing and clear
    Like magic this old ghetto seems to disappear
    Hickory got a guy she lives for
    He drives taxi downtown city
    That job of his is dirt and gritty
    ‘Nough to make a big man cry
    Countin’ his coin till makes a dollar
    To pay the rent for where they’re sleepin’
    She’s always at the door to greet him
    Sayin’ they’ll make it by and by
    Hickory when your singin’ the blues
    This downtown guy feels like uptown new
    Something in your voice sounded soothing and clear
    Like magic this old ghetto seems to disappear
    Hickory, hickory, hickorrryyyyy
    Hickory, hickory…

    “Hickory,” which got to number 90 in Cash Box in the spring of 1974.

    Comment by JIM PETRECCA — March 2, 2010 @ 11:27 pm

  14. Does anybody know of any other FV4S songs that hit on Cashbox, Record World, or Radio and Records but not the Billboard Hot 100? I looked up a couple Bubbling Under but can’t find if they charted elsewhere. But there are a few that charted higher on Cashbox.

    “Don’t Think Twice” by the Wonder Who hit the Top 10 on Cashbox at #10, but just missed The Hot 100 at #12.

    “And That Reminds Me” hit #33 for an additional Top 40 on Cashbox, but just missed at #45 Hot 100.

    “Electric Stories” just missed Top 40 Cashbox at #41, versus #61 Hot 100.

    We discussed before that CTMEOY and LHO were #1 on Cashbox, vs. #2 and #3 Hot 100 respectively.

    Source: cashboxmagazine.com

    Comment by Ted Hammond — March 3, 2010 @ 10:25 am

  15. Seems to me that “Hickory” was Motown and the Four Seasons’ best product to date. Might have been the last! Unlike all the previous offerings, this single brought back the “magic” of the original sound without
    borrowing from all the Motown influences.

    I know they worked the song..have a copy of a live version from the Mike Douglas Show.

    Just doesn’t seem like the public was ready, yet only months later “My Eyes Adored You” on a new label would kick off the comeback.

    Go figure

    Comment by Ray — March 3, 2010 @ 12:06 pm

  16. MEAY was recorded while they were with Motown, and I wonder when it was compared to “Hickory”, also having been written by Bob Crewe and Kenny Nolan. There is something about the piano part on “Hickory” that also brings Crewe and Nolan’s “Lady Marmalade” to mind.

    Some have said that “Who Loves You” was worked on for years before it was released, but other than the publisher (Jobete), I have never heard that it was ever rehearsed or recorded or had any connection to Motown.

    Comment by Ted Hammond — March 3, 2010 @ 12:40 pm

  17. Further research shows that Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons released four singles on the Motown label in 1973 and 1974. One was a remake of the Fortunes’ “You’ve Got Your Troubles”.

    http://www.seabear.se/Motown03.html

    Comment by Ted Hammond — March 4, 2010 @ 11:34 pm

  18. Following up on Ted’s comment above, visit http://www.seabear.se/MoWest.html and scroll down to MoWest 5025 to see Motown’s biggest blunder with regard to the Seasons. Instead of releasing “The Night” as was scheduled, they instead released “Walk On, Don’t Look Back,” more or less a throw back to the 1964 Seasons’ sound.

    Comment by Frank Rovello — March 5, 2010 @ 10:18 am

  19. Did “Patch Of Blue” crack the Hot 100? It was a great tune. I still listen to it today. PS: A little trivia: It was the first single credited to Frankie Valli and the 4 Seasons.

    Comment by Richard — March 7, 2010 @ 8:08 pm

  20. Richard, “Patch of Blue” was on the Hot 100 for two weeks in 1970 & peaked at #94.

    Comment by Susie — March 7, 2010 @ 8:14 pm

  21. “Patch Of Blue” was written by Mike Petrillo and “Chubby” Cifelli. It’s easy to remember if you think of the blue skies following “Tell It To The Rain”, which was also written by Petrillo and Cifelli.

    It charted as high as #15 on WIBM Jackson, MI.

    http://las-solanas.com/arsa/charts_item.php?hsid=8248

    Mike Petrillo was that great saxophonist on “Opus 17″ and I suspect also the saxophonist on the first charted album track of “Can’t Get Enough Of You Baby” on the Four Seasons’ WMYBTY LP.

    Comment by Ted Hammond — March 7, 2010 @ 8:36 pm

  22. Here’s another FV4S cover song I never knew about, but would really like to hear. It’s “Hickory” by King Harvest, the group that captured the essence of a slightly earlier era Hot 100 sound in 1973 with “Dancing In The Moonlight”.

    Comment by Ted Hammond — January 22, 2012 @ 1:56 pm

  23. “This downtown guy feels like uptown new.”

    Do you think maybe Billy Joel heard this song?

    Comment by stubbleyou — January 22, 2012 @ 11:20 pm

  24. Stubbleyou, the UK FV4S fan site has some discussions about their Motown Years. As we are only now discovering, the Four Seasons were a great influence on Berry Gordy, Jr., who was apparently a huge secret fan. He wanted to recreate the Four Seasons’ 1960s success into a hit making machine for the 1970s. But apparently, others at Motown weren’t that committed to the project.

    Bob Crewe and Kenny Nolan captured some of the early FV4S musical hooks and lyrical themes in “Hickory” and other songs. The struggle for success is a big lyrical theme in “Hickory”, like it was in “Big Man In Town”, and many of the tracks on the “Working My Way Back To You” Album. Billy Joel also captures the that socioeconomic difference in “Uptown Girl”, in which Billy Joel decides to pursue the higher class girl rather than to discourage her like in “Dawn (Go Away)”. So that eplains the similarity between the two songs.

    Comment by Ted Hammond — January 23, 2012 @ 9:40 am

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