Chameleon is a 1972 album by the Four Seasons, notable for being their only album with Motown and the only one featuring Demetri Callas on guitar; Callas had replaced band co-founder Tommy DeVito in 1970 but left in 1974, replaced by Don Ciccone and John Paiva during the band's mid-1970s renaissance.[2] The album met with limited success in the US; no single was issued in America. "The Night", however, met with success in the UK and peaked at No. 7 in 1975, becoming a Northern soul mainstay.[3]
The following singles were recorded during the band's tenure at Motown in a 1973 recording session after Chameleon was released. Some of the tracks from these sessions later turned up on Frankie Valli's 1975 "solo" album Inside You, which was a collection of unreleased songs and outtakes from Chameleon.[4] These sessions were distinguished by the return of original bass Nick Massi as an arranger and occasional singer.[5]
"Walk On, Don't Look Back/Sun Country" – MoWest 5026
"The Scalawag Song (And I Will Love You)/Hickory" – Motown 1279
"My Eyes Adored You" was also recorded during the band's tenure at Motown but would instead be released by Private Stock Records under Valli's name, after Valli bought back the rights to the song in 1974.[6]
Legacy
Although reception at the time of release was lukewarm, opinions today from both fans and critics are very positive.[7] Noted for the distinctive Motown sound combined with the sounds of the Four Seasons, the album's "slick pop production values" made for a unique album in their catalog.[8]Chameleon was unavailable on compact disc until 2008, when Universal Music Group, the parent owner of Motown Records, released a 2-disc compilation titled Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons: The Motown Years. It included this album, Frankie Valli's Inside You (1975), and all the non-album singles. With this release, all of the Four Seasons' material recorded for Motown is now accessible to a new audience, as well as for longtime fans.
The Motown Years Track listing
Disc one
"A New Beginning (Prelude)" – 1:21
"Sun Country" – 4:07
"You're a Song (That I Can't Sing)" – 3:13
"The Night" – 3:25
"A New Beginning" – 4:47
"When the Morning Comes" – 4:39
"Poor Fool" – 4:10
"Touch the Rainchild" – 4:23
"Love Isn't Here (Like It Used to Be)" – 3:45
"Walk On, Don't Look Back" – 2:58
"How Come?" – 3:45
"Life and Breath" – 3:08
"Hickory" – 2:52
"Charisma" (Unedited Version) – 4:30
"Charisma" (Single Version) – 3:20
Disc two
"Just Look What You've Done" – 4:49
"Love Isn't Here (Like It Used to Be)" (1975 remix) – 3:50
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
[1]