Four Seasons–The Other Fab Four
October 7th, 2007The Chicago Sun-Times Entertainment section has an amazing array of features today on Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons and Jersey Boys–the Tony Award-winning musical that will have its official opening at the LaSalle Bank Theatre next Sunday.
Chicago Sun-Times Sunday Show Editor Miriam Di Nunzio’s interviews with Frankie Valli, Bob Gaudio, Rick Elice, and Des McAnuff give some insight behind the appeal of the Four Seasons’ music and the previously untold story of four blue-collar guys who went from street corner crooners to chart-topping sensations.
“You’re talking about four blue-collar guys who came from not very much at all.” — Frankie Valli
In 2000, there was talk of a musical based on the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.
“I had composed the music for a theater version of the film ‘Peggy Sue Got Married,’ and it was playing in London,” says Bob Gaudio, the Seasons’ keyboardist/vocalist who wrote/co-wrote most of the band’s biggest hits, and who, sitting alongside Valli, his best friend of more than 40 years, is eager to talk about “Jersey Boys.”
“That’s how I got my feet wet in the theater world,” he continues with a laugh. “And that’s when I started hearing that people were interested in the story of the Four Seasons. Rick Elice and Marshall Brickman were seriously interested. Other people would become attached to the project and then leave. But then [director] Des McAnuff came on board and told me that the first record album he ever bought was ‘Sherry and 11 Others.’ It’s corny, but maybe it was meant to be.”
Visit Chicago-Sun Times to read the entire article.
Fabulous article! Interesting story on Vee-Jay records’ marketing program. Also liked the part about how Bob Gaudio felt it was meant to be when Des McAnuff said Sherry was the first record album he ever bought.
Comment by Angel — October 7, 2007 @ 8:57 pm
My first visit to the Windy City coincided with the #1 run of “Big Girls Don’t Cry”. I would flip the radio dial between WLS 890, the Top 40 station, and WYNR 1390, the Rhythm and Blues station, and hear it sometimes twice an hour. It was a huge R & B hit, and Hit #1 Billboard R & B for three weeks.
At that time, I was too young to buy records, but in 1963 and 1964 I tuned my radio back and forth between the Top 40 and R & B stations that played The Four Seasons waiting for new releases. There were a lot of other Frankie Valli and Four Seasons songs that were also played on R & B stations, but for some reason didn’t chart of the Billboard R & B Charts. These included “You’re Ready Now” and “Let’s Hang On”.
Comment by Ted Hammond — October 7, 2007 @ 9:59 pm