December 16, 2007

Ladies and Gentlemen–The Four Lovers!

December 16th, 2007

Wow! Check out the Four Lovers’ 1956 appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show on Youtube!

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16 Comments »

  1. This is the super rare SECOND appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show by the Four Lovers. How about that drummer? Notice on the very end of the tape where Nick DeVito hits Frankie in the head with the end of his guitar.

    Comment by David Cace — December 16, 2007 @ 12:26 pm

  2. Whoa!! Who knew?

    Comment by JK1960 — December 16, 2007 @ 1:18 pm

  3. I never knew Frankie played the drums! Or that Hank was such a big, burly guy. I don’t think any of the actors who play him on Broadway and other casts are that large. Or maybe he just looks really huge standing next to Frankie.

    Comment by Catherine — December 16, 2007 @ 1:48 pm

  4. Well, now I know who owns that great voice…Hank Majewski! I have “The Four Lovers 1956,” and he has some solos on there, I just never knew who it was. Hell, I thought it was a black guy.

    Comment by James Writes Things — December 16, 2007 @ 2:44 pm

  5. That is just an amazing piece of Four Seasons history. I loved it!! Thanks.

    Comment by LindaL — December 16, 2007 @ 5:20 pm

  6. Creepy.

    Comment by Leanna — December 16, 2007 @ 8:10 pm

  7. WOW!!!! Look at the moves on Frankie :-) Your right, Hank is a big guy. I would have loved to see the monkey mask LOL Jody

    Comment by Jody Cardillo — December 16, 2007 @ 8:40 pm

  8. This is just an amazing piece of video. I didn’t realize The Four Lovers made two appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show (or was it called the Toast of the Town at that point in time?). Does anyone know if their first appearance, I presume performing “Apple of My Eye,” is available for viewing on You Tube? It is really neat seeing this configuration of the group as compared to the more successful (and polished) later line-up of musicians.

    Thanks for making this available on the JBB!

    Comment by Len Gersten — December 17, 2007 @ 12:44 pm

  9. I had read years ago, in a Joel Whitburn publication I believe, that the Four Lovers, as named, appeared in 1956 on Ed Sullivan. The Ed Sullivan show lineup index I recently found listed them only as the “Lovers”. I didn’t see two appearances listed, but I’ll look again.

    Most of us “younger” Seasons fans remember the December 9, 1962 performance on Ed Sullivan, the first as by the Four Seasons, and more fondly than the Beatles appearances in 1964.

    Comment by Ted Hammond — December 17, 2007 @ 5:38 pm

  10. So much to respond to – very busy at work – my apologies. Frankie’s “musicianship” as a drummer and a stand-up bass player was very limited. Frankie’s drumming was limited to the “cocktail” drums. He was never a drummer per se. Frankie also dabbled as a stand-up bass player for a month or two back in the early 50s in a solely instrumental band.

    Hank Majewski was a fine musician and singer and not the “monkey” as portrayed for comic relief in JB. He added a rock-a-billie influence to the group for his 2 or so year tenure as a “Lover.” There were many bands playing the clubs in the greater Newark NJ area in the 1950s and when one would break up the members would join other bands. That’s how Frankie and Tommy met Hank Majewski who was playing in another band. Even Charlie Callello played in a band before becoming the acclaimed arranger that he is. I believe he was an official “Roman” for a short time.

    My computer skills are very limited so I have never done a search on You Tube but to my knowledge the Four Lovers first appearance on the Ed Sullivan show where they did in fact sing “You’re The Apple of My Eye” has not been posted. In my opinion, it is a much better performance of a much better song.

    Although I have both of these performances in my collection, I was way too young to remember these appearances on the Ed Sullivan Show. I can confirm, however, that there were in fact two appearances, May and June 1956. Nick DeVito talked about the two appearances in the often mentioned Rex Woodard 1982 article in Goldmine and this has been confirmed in conversations with Tommy DeVito.

    Comment by David Cace — December 18, 2007 @ 2:25 pm

  11. Hi David. This Ed Sullivan index http://crazyabouttv.com/edsullivanshow.html
    shows one date as 5/6/56.

    Four Seasons listings:

    12/9/62
    1/2/66
    10/2/66

    I know the 1962 appearance was rerun in early 1963, but reruns are appraently not shown. It may not be complete, either.

    Comment by Ted Hammond — December 18, 2007 @ 6:39 pm

  12. I posted this video to Youtube. I’ve had the video in my possession for a year but didn’t understand it’s significance until I saw JB a few weeks ago. I searched Youtube and found no Four Lovers video. I’m glad it seems to have made some folks happy. I have the video for “Apple of my Eye” and will post as time permits.

    Comment by MikeTheK — December 18, 2007 @ 9:59 pm

  13. Thanks Mike (The K) for posting the super rare second Ed Sullivan appearance. I look forward to the comments when everyone sees your posting of the Four Lovers first appearance singing “You’re The Apple of My Eye.” For those who have heard the original Four Lovers recording of “Apple” on RCA Vitor Records you will be familiar with Tommy DeVito’s guitar bridge. On the Ed Sulivan Show, Tommy takes center stage and performs it in its entirety. A rare treat of a great guitar solo performance.

    Ted, that Ed Sullivan web site is a great site. My recollection of seeing many an Ed Sullivan Show is that not all of the artists performing in any particular week’s show are listed on the web site. Only 3 or 4 appear to be listed with each show when in fact Sullivan used to have 10 or more acts in every show. That would be my guess as to why there is no listing for this performance on the Ed Sullivan web site.

    The January 2, 1966 listing on the Ed Sullivan web site is interesting in that if memory serves me that was the first time I saw Joe Long. After having gone through the schock of Nick Massi leaving and seeing Charlie Callello fill in for about 3 months in his place, I then see yet another guy. Who is this guy? Boy were 4 Seasons fans in for a 10 year treat with Joe Long now in the group on a permanent basis. If I recall this show correctly, the 4 Seasons, with Joe Long, performed “Let’s Hang On!” (without the bridge) and “Don’t Think Twice” (with “Bruup Bruups” in the bridge). Any chance Mike or anyone else might have posted this January 2, 1966 performance on You Tube?

    Comment by David Cace — December 19, 2007 @ 10:38 am

  14. David, having perused several encyclopedias of popular music, I can say that the revolving door of personnel changes in vocal groups is the rule and not the exception. For the Valli/Gaudio/DeVito/Long lineup to have lasted more than a few years is truly exceptional in the music/recording business.

    Glad I could find the link for you. If I find any more interesting websites like this, I will send or post here according to their relevance to the JBB.

    Comment by Ted Hammond — December 19, 2007 @ 3:40 pm

  15. Here’s another one! They sing “Apple of My Eye.” Heh.

    http://youtube.com/watch?v=GHv-hGVaWms

    Comment by Leanna — December 24, 2007 @ 2:56 am

  16. In the Jersey Boys, there is a scene showing the group performing on the “Ed Sullivan Show”. At the same time, you are shown a film of Ed Sullivan introducing the group and then it moves to the group singing on the show. Is the picture that is shown a picture of the real group, or the actors on the stage?

    Comment by Carole Warshaw — May 3, 2009 @ 7:49 pm

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