The Wonder Who?

Last updated
The Wonder Who?
Origin Newark, New Jersey, United States
Genres Pop rock
Years active1965 –1967
Labels Philips, Vee-Jay
Members Frankie Valli
Tommy DeVito
Bob Gaudio
Nick Massi
Joe Long

The Wonder Who? was a nom de disque of The Four Seasons for four single records released from 1965 to 1967. [1] It was one of a handful of names used by the group at that time, including Frankie Valli (as a "solo" artist even though the Four Seasons were present on the record) and The Valli Boys. Wonder Who? recordings generally feature the falsetto singing by Valli, but with a softer falsetto than on "typical" Four Seasons recordings.

Contents

Background

The Four Lovers

The Four Seasons evolved from The Four Lovers, which recorded under a variety of names between 1956 and 1960. Lead singer Valli had recorded under several pseudonyms as well, including Frankie Tyler and Frankie Valley. Songwriter/guitarist/keyboardist Bob Gaudio did the same (as Turner Disentri, i.e., "Turn of the Century") and bassist/arranger Nick Massi (as Alex Alda) after they joined the Four Lovers in 1959. [2] [3]

Aside from the first Four Lovers single, "You're the Apple of My Eye" in 1956, the group's (and Valli's) records failed to chart. [4] In 1958, The Four Lovers obtained a three-year artist contract with producer Bob Crewe, which gave the group a steady stream of session work (Valli can be heard singing in the background of "Rock and Roll Is Here to Stay" by Danny and the Juniors) in addition to recording for Crewe's Peri Records. [5] [6]

Since the beginning of The Four Lovers, the group performed in clubs and lounges in New Jersey and offered songs in a variety of styles, from country and western to pop to doo wop to rockabilly to Broadway tunes, with a sprinkling of Italian love songs thrown in. [7]

The Four Seasons hit factory

In 1960, The Four Lovers became The 4 Seasons, named after a bowling alley in Union Township, New Jersey. [8] The session work (and recording under various names) continued, but now with Valli, Gaudio, and Crewe trying to sell both Gaudio compositions and Four Seasons recordings, the group finally achieved national distribution under its own name for the first time in four years. [9] [10] While the first single failed to sell, the second one, "Sherry", started a string of successes for The Four Seasons. From 1962 to 1966, it has been estimated that The Four Seasons had sold about 50 million records, more than any recording act except The Beatles. [11]

In the midst of a royalty dispute with Vee-Jay Records in late 1963, the Four Seasons left the label for Philips. While Vee-Jay started recycling Four Seasons product in 1964, Phillips started releasing new Four Seasons records with increasing frequency as the British invasion began. With the blessing of Philips officials, Valli rekindled his solo career in the latter part of 1965, releasing records that were credited to him and having the group as backing musicians. In 1966 and 1967, Four Seasons records and Frankie Valli singles were listed on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, with both names appearing simultaneously in the chart in several issues of the magazine.

The Wonder Who? history and beyond

On the heels of recording a live album of Broadway tunes (to complete the settlement of the group's lawsuit with Vee-Jay), Valli, Crewe, and Gaudio had planned on recording an album consisting entirely of songs written by Bob Dylan, but as recording progressed, the concept was modified to include songs by Burt Bacharach and Hal David. Valli was not happy with his vocals on the various takes of "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" when he recorded the song with a "joke" falsetto vocal (an impression of jazz musician Rose Murphy) to reduce the tension in the studio. [12]

An executive of Philips Records heard the recording with a "joke" vocal and wanted it to be released as a single — two years earlier, Peter, Paul, and Mary had reached the #9 position on the Hot 100 with their version of the song — but the recording by Valli and the band could not be released as either a Valli solo single or a Four Seasons single. Sold in a picture sleeve with a connect the dots puzzle, the record with the truncated name ("Don't Think Twice") was released as by "The Wonder Who?" in November 1965. [13] It reached No. 12 on the Hot 100, and as it was sliding down the chart in January 1966, a Frankie Valli solo single ("(You're Gonna) Hurt Yourself") and a Four Seasons single ("Working My Way Back to You") were also in the upper half of the chart, giving three simultaneous hit records by the group under different guises. [14]

In the wake of "Don't Think Twice", Vee-Jay reissued a Four Seasons recording, "Peanuts" (originally a 1957 hit by Little Joe and the Thrillers), as by The Wonder Who (without the question mark). [15] As was the case with previous Four Seasons releases of the song, the Wonder Who single didn't sell and didn't chart.

Two more Wonder Who? singles were released by Philips. Three of the four sides made it onto the lower reaches of the Hot 100. [16]

"Don't Think Twice" and the other charting Wonder Who? recordings were included on Four Seasons albums, which, in their original releases, made no mention of the name that was created for single release.

While "Lonesome Road" became the last Wonder Who? single, the group continued to release both Four Seasons and Frankie Valli solo singles until 1975, when Valli had recorded "Swearin' to God" without any participation from the group (his previous hit, "My Eyes Adored You", was recorded as a Four Seasons recording, but was released as a solo record).

Members

Singles by The Wonder Who?

All Wonder Who? singles were produced by Bob Crewe. [17] [18]

"Don't Think Twice"/"Sassy"

Philips 40324, released October 1965. "Don't Think Twice" was originally recorded by composer Bob Dylan (as "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right") on his 1963 album, The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan . Peter, Paul, and Mary released the most commercially successful version of the song in September 1963. It reached No. 9 on the Hot 100 singles chart. The Wonder Who? version peaked at No. 12 in December 1965.

"Sassy" was an original instrumental by the Four Seasons. Composing credit was given to Bob Gaudio and Bob Crewe.

"On the Good Ship Lollipop"/"You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You"

Philips 40380, released June 1966. Composed by Richard A. Whiting and Sidney Clare, "On the Good Ship Lollipop" debuted in the 1934 Shirley Temple motion picture Bright Eyes and is most identified with Temple singing it, but the most successful commercial release of the song was by Rudy Vallee, reaching No. 4 on the Billboard chart in 1935. The Four Seasons/Wonder Who version barely made a dent on the Hot 100, reaching the #87 position.

"You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You" was another chestnut, having been a hit for Russ Morgan in 1946 and recorded by numerous artists since then. It was composed by Morgan, Larry Stock, and Harry Cavanaugh. When the version credited to The Wonder Who? appeared on the Hot 100 at the #96 position, it marked the only time that two positions were simultaneously occupied by the fictitious group, and the only Wonder Who? single that had both sides chart.

"The Lonesome Road"/"Around and Around (andaroundandaroundandaroundandaround)"

Philips 40471, released July 1967. Composed by Gene Austin and Nathaniel Shilkret, "Lonesome Road" was first recorded by Austin, accompanied by Shilkret directing the Victor Orchestra, in 1927 and has since been recorded by over two hundred famous artists. It was used in five motion pictures, including the motion picture Show Boat. The version by The Wonder Who? reached No. 89 in its brief appearance on the Hot 100.

"Around and Around" was a Four Seasons original composed by Gaudio and Crewe. While it appeared on this single as a song by The Wonder Who?, the same take later appeared on the B-side of the 1968 Four Seasons single "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" and was credited to the group.

"Peanuts"/"My Sugar" (as The Wonder Who)

Vee-Jay 717, released March 1966. Composed by "Little Joe" Cook, "Peanuts" was originally a #22 hit for Little Joe and the Thrillers in 1957 (their only chart recording). In January 1963, Vee-Jay Records released a Four Seasons single with "Peanuts" as the A-side and "Stay" as the B-side. After various disk jockeys started playing "Stay" on the radio, Vee-Jay superseded the release, issuing new singles with "Stay" on the A-side and "Goodnight My Love" as the B-side. Several subsequent reissues with "Peanuts" as the A-side failed to sell or chart, including the one credited to The Wonder Who (without the question mark).

"My Sugar" is a Gaudio-Crewe composition that made its first appearance on the 1963 Four Seasons album Big Girls Don't Cry and Twelve Others . This marks the first release of this recording on a Four Seasons (or Wonder Who) single.

See also

Related Research Articles

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Francesco Stephen Castelluccio, better known by his stage name Frankie Valli, is an American singer, best known as the frontman of the Four Seasons. He is known for his unusually powerful lead falsetto voice.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Can't Take My Eyes Off You</span> 1967 song recorded by Frankie Valli

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sherry (song)</span> 1962 single by The Four Seasons

"Sherry" is a song written by Bob Gaudio and recorded by The Four Seasons.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rag Doll (The Four Seasons song)</span> 1964 single by The Four Seasons

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"My Eyes Adored You" is a 1974 song written by Bob Crewe and Kenny Nolan. It was originally recorded by The Four Seasons in early 1974. After the Motown label balked at the idea of releasing it, the recording was sold to lead singer Frankie Valli for $4000. After rejections by Capitol and Atlantic Records, Valli succeeded in getting the recording released on Private Stock Records, but the owner/founder of the label, Larry Uttal, wanted only Valli's name on the label. It is from the album Closeup. The single was released in the US in November 1974 and topped the Billboard Hot 100 in March 1975. "My Eyes Adored You" also went to number 2 on the Easy Listening chart. Billboard ranked it as the No. 5 song for 1975.

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"Dawn (Go Away)" is a song written by Bob Gaudio and Sandy Linzer and recorded by the Four Seasons in November 1963. The song hit No. 3 in the early part of 1964. According to Billboard, it was the 25th biggest hit single of the year, placing behind "Rag Doll", another Four Seasons hit, which was No. 24.

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"Who Loves You" is the title song of a 1975 album by The Four Seasons. It was composed by Bob Gaudio and Judy Parker and produced by Gaudio. It reached number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in November 1975.

"Ronnie" is a song by Bob Gaudio and Bob Crewe. The Four Seasons recorded and released the original version in 1964. The recording reached the #6 position on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silver Star (The Four Seasons song)</span> 1976 single by The Four Seasons

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"Big Man in Town" is a song popularized by The Four Seasons and written by Four Seasons member Bob Gaudio. The single was released by Philips Records in October 1964 and reached the #20 position on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

"You're the Apple of My Eye" is a song written by Otis Blackwell and initially recorded and released as a single in 1956 by The Four Lovers, the precursor to The Four Seasons. Recorded after they were denied the opportunity to record another Blackwell song, "Don't Be Cruel", "You're the Apple of My Eye" was The Four Lovers' first exposure to U.S. national publicity, reaching the #62 position on the Billboard Hot 100 and earning the quartet an appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. One of two Four Lovers singles that RCA Victor Records released simultaneously, it was the quartet's only foray onto the Hot 100 before the formation of The Four Seasons five years later.

"New Mexican Rose" is a song by the American rock band The Four Seasons. The song was composed by producer Bob Crewe and arranger Charles Calello. While sales did not match that of the singles' predecessors, "New Mexican Rose" did make it into the Top 40 of Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart, reaching a peak position of #36 in November 1963.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spend the Night in Love</span> 1980 single by The Four Seasons

"Spend the Night in Love" is a 1980 song by The Four Seasons. It was composed by Lenny Goldsmith, Bob Gaudio and Judy Parker and produced by Gaudio and longtime Seasons collaborator Charles Calello. The song was the lone single from their album Reunited. The single version is a studio cut; the version on the album, like the remainder of the album, was recorded live on tour.

References

  1. ↑ Tom Neely, Goldmine Price Guide to 45 RPM Records, fifth edition (KP Books 2005) ISBN   0-87349-840-2
  2. ↑ Fred Bronson, The Billboard Book of Number One Hits, third edition (Billboard Books 1992) ISBN   0-8230-8298-9
  3. ↑ Hal Leonard, American Singing Groups: A History from 1940 to Today (2005) ISBN   0-634-09978-7
  4. ↑ Joel Whitburn, Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1993 (Billboard Books 1994) ISBN   0-89820-105-5
  5. ↑ Fred Bronson, The Billboard Book of Number One Hits, 3rd edition (Billboard Books, 1992) ISBN   0-8230-8298-9
  6. ↑ Joe Sasfy, Liner notes to Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons: 1962-1967 (Warner Special Products, 1987: Time-Life Music The Rock 'N' Era 2RNR-15)
  7. ↑ Hal Leonard, American Singing Groups: A History from 1940 to Today (2005) ISBN   0-634-09978-7
  8. ↑ Sue (2014-06-20). "Jersey Boys just off Route 22? The Four Seasons in Union". hiddennj.com. Retrieved 2024-10-14. Valli's own website... states that in 1960 the band, then called the Four Lovers, "flunked an audition to play at the cocktail lounge of a bowling alley in Union, NJ, but they decided the lounge's name would make a classy moniker for a singing group..."
  9. ↑ Fred Bronson, The Billboard Book of Number One Hits, 3rd edition (Billboard Books, 1992) ISBN   0-8230-8298-9
  10. ↑ Joe Sasfy, Liner notes to Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons: 1962-1967 (Warner Special Products, 1987: Time-Life Music The Rock 'N' Era 2RNR-15)
  11. ↑ Wayne Jancik, The Billboard Book of One-Hit Wonders, expanded first edition (Billboard Books, 1998) ISBN   0-8230-7622-9
  12. ↑ Wayne Jancik, The Billboard Book of One-Hit Wonders, expanded first edition (Billboard Books, 1998) ISBN   0-8230-7622-9
  13. ↑ Joel Whitburn, Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1993 (Billboard Books 1994) ISBN   0-89820-105-5
  14. ↑ Fred Bronson, The Billboard Book of Number One Hits, third edition (Billboard Books 1992) ISBN   0-8230-8298-9
  15. ↑ Tom Neely, Goldmine Price Guide to 45 RPM Records, fifth edition (KP Books 2005) ISBN   0-87349-840-2
  16. ↑ Joel Whitburn, Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1993 (Billboard Books 1994) ISBN   0-89820-105-5
  17. ↑ Tom Neely, Goldmine Price Guide to 45 RPM Records, fifth edition (KP Books 2005) ISBN   0-87349-840-2
  18. ↑ Joel Whitburn, Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1993 (Billboard Books 1994) ISBN   0-89820-105-5


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