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Name: Shattered
E-Mail:
Subject: Opinions on Frankie Valli & the 4 Seasons (nsc)
Date: Sunday, May 20, 2018
Time: 10:54:34 PM
Remote Address: 97.107.69.29
Message ID: 315851
Parent ID: 0
Thread ID: 315851
Guess what other legend started a tour this month?
Frankie Valli turned 84 this month, and is still performing!
I have so many fond memories of the 4 Seasons during my growing years. So many of their songs had an impact on my heart. One of them is connected to the Beatles, and later on, in 1983, connected to Billy Joel.
'How'? you ask??
We all know BJ's "Uptown Girl" was inspired by the 4 Seasons. BUT, I've always asserted that UG was inspired by a SPECIFIC 4 Seasons song --- a deep cut, believe it or not, titled Big Man's World, an original song from their 5th album "Dawn...." released in March of '64.
Why do I think that?
Because BJ grew up on Long Island, which had the same exact television stations as all 5 NYC boroughs. I lived in Queens at the time (Astoria). One thing about the NYC area during the early-mid 1960s ~~ we had terrific after-school TV programming on weekdays. (The 4 Seasons once appeared on the Soupy Sales Show.)
One of those shows was Hall of Fun, hosted by a guy named Fred Hall. He did comedy skits and played cartoons, but he was known for being quite the artist. Mail him a postcard with five lines and curves and stuff, and saying what you want him to draw from those. So he'll select a postcard, copy those five lines and curves on his canvas (or paper) that's propped up on an easel, and he'll draw what you asked for.
So anyway, Beatlemania struck North America BIG-TIME in January of '64. Shortly after, Fred Hall introduced a new segment in his show --- The Fred Hall Beatles. BOY was I excited.
The segment, with camera magic, was three Fred Halls with Beatles wigs, playing air guitars and drums to a Beatles song. ("Slow Down" had four 'Beatles')
This was so great. I was getting my Beatles fix! There would be two or three of those per show. (So many different songs. What a rotation!!! New songs added with subsequent albums)
Now I was too young (7 years old) and too new to music to understand that not quite every song was actually a Beatles song. Most were, but a few weren't, like "If I Had a Hammer" by both PP&M, and Trini Lopez, "Hippie Hippie Shake" by the Swinging BlueJeans, and --- "Big Man's World". (I was crazy about that song.)
One time while that song was playing on the show, the older sibling walked by, and informed me that that song is not the Beatles. It's the 4 Seasons.
Hmm. Now that I thought about it, it does sound like the 4 Seasons.
Well, my point is, Billy Joel must have watched that show, because his "Uptown Girl" does sound like "Big Man's World" arrangement-wise.
I'd sure like to ask BJ about that.
What do you all think of the 4 Seasons, and Frankie Valli still touring?
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