This week on the Sounds of The 70s, music from: Frankie Valli, Wet Willie, John Miles, Elton John, Led Zeppelin, David Dundas, Wayne Newton, Electric Light Orchestra, Jethro Tull, KC & The Sunshine Band, Jackson 5 and many more . . .
Tag: Frankie Valli
Frankie Valli (born Francesco Stephen Castelluccio; May 3, 1934) is an American singer and actor, known as the frontman of The Four Seasons beginning in 1960. He is known for his unusually powerful head voice. Valli scored 29 Top 40 hits with The Four Seasons, one Top 40 hit under The Four Seasons alias The Wonder Who?, and nine Top 40 hits as a solo artist. As a member of The Four Seasons, Valli’s number-one hits included “Sherry” (1962), “Big Girls Don’t Cry” (1962), “Walk Like a Man” (1963), “Rag Doll” (1964) and “December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)” (1975). Valli’s recording of the song “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” reached number two in 1967. “You’re Ready Now”, a Valli solo recording from 1966, became a surprise hit in the UK as part of the Northern soul scene and hit number eleven on the British pop charts in December 1970. As a solo artist, Valli scored number-one hits with the songs “My Eyes Adored You” (1974) and “Grease” (1978).
Valli, Tommy DeVito, Nick Massi and Bob Gaudio – the original members of The Four Seasons – were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990 and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1999.
This installment of the History of Rock and Roll features:
- Hits of 1964
- Girl Groups of The Sixties
- Phil Spector Listening Test
- The Start of Motown
- Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons
- The Beach Boys
This evening, “Great Soul Performances” is dedicated to my friend from the United Kingdom, Kev Roberts. Kev is the man who turned me on to “Northern Soul.” He is also an author, who wrote the definitive book; “The Northern Soul Top 500,” as well as releasing several volumes of Northern Soul CDs. (Check them out on Amazon.Com) After the demise of the original WCBS-FM oldies format in New York City on June 3, 2005, Kev approached Bob Shannon and myself, as well as one of our former air personalities, Dick Heatherton about joining a new satellite radio station he was starting up in London to be called “VIP Radio.”
We jumped at the opportunity. “Great Soul Performances” got its start on VIP Radio. So, to salute all my friends and fans from the UK and especially Kev Roberts, it will be all “Northern Soul” tonight. Music will be coming from artists like: Jackie Wilson, Gloria Jones, Major Lance, the Supremes, Little Anthony & the Imperials, Tommy Hunt, the Spinners, Dee Dee Sharp, the Platters, Timothy Wilson, the Contours, Frankie Valli, Edwin Starr, Ike & Tina Turner and so many others.
Once again, we need music in our lives, in our ears, and in our hearts, to help blunt the tragedy of yesterday, June 12th, the day of the worst mass shooting in American history. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of those who lost their lives and to those who are fighting for their lives in the hospital, and all the citizens of the City of Orlando and the State of Florida. Their pain and their suffering, is our pain and suffering.
We’ll try and have some fun beginning at 7PM ET, 6PM CT, 5PM MT & 4PM PT. I hope you’ll be listening Kev Roberts. I’ll try and get it right. “Northern Soul” this evening at the home of the “Greatest Hits of the 60s, 70s, & 80s,” RadioMaxMusic.Com.
It’s the “Seventies Summer Kick-Off” with Dan Varroney tonight at 7:00 pm ET. We’ll feature popular summer tunes from the Bee Gees, Eddie Money, The Jackson 5, Grass Roots, Gordon Lightfoot, Joe Cocker, Derek and the Dominos, Heatwave, Lobo, Elton John, Steve Miller Band, Maynard Ferguson, Orleans, Skylark, Wings, Frankie Valli, Gallery, Pilot, Deep Purple, The Eagles, Dobie Gray, Styx, The Partridge Family, Billy Joel, Elvis Presley and so much more.
This week on the History of Rock and Roll: Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons and The Beach Boys
The Four Seasons are an American rock and pop band who became internationally successful in the mid-1960s. The Vocal Group Hall of Fame has stated that the group was the most popular rock band before the Beatles. Since 1970, they have also been known at times as Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. In 1960, the group known as the Four Lovers evolved into the Four Seasons, with Frankie Valli as the lead singer, Bob Gaudio (formerly of the Royal Teens) on keyboards and tenor vocals, Tommy DeVito on lead guitar and baritone vocals, and Nick Massi on bass guitar and bass vocals.
The legal name of the organization is the Four Seasons Partnership, formed by Gaudio and Valli after a failed audition in 1960. While singers, producers, and musicians have come and gone, Gaudio and Valli remain the group’s constant (with each owning fifty percent of the act and its assets, including virtually all of its recording catalog). Gaudio no longer plays live, leaving Valli the only member of the group from its inception that is currently touring.
The Four Seasons (group members 1960–1966) were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990, and joined the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1999. They are one of the best-selling musical groups of all time, having sold an estimated 100 million records worldwide. (Source: Wikipedia)
| 1 | Sherry |
| 2 | Big Girls Don’t Cry |
| 3 | Walk Like A Man |
| 4 | Rag Doll |
| 5 | My Eyes Adored You (Frankie Valli) |
| 6 | December, 1963 (Oh What a Night) |
| 7 | Grease Frankie Valli |
| 8 | Can’t Take My Eyes off You Frankie Valli |
| 9 | Candy Girl |
| 10 | Dawn (Go Away) |
| 11 | Let’s Hang On! |
| 12 | Who Loves You |
| 13 | Ronnie |
| 14 | Swearin’ to God Frankie Valli |
| 15 | The Night |
| 16 | Working My Way Back To You |
| 17 | I’ve Got You Under My Skin |
| 18 | C’mon Marianne |
| 19 | Save It For Me |
| 20 | Tell It to the Rain |
| 21 | Our Day Will Come |
| 22 | Don’t Think Twice |
| 23 | Opus 17 (Don’t You Worry ‘Bout Me) |
| 24 | December, 1963 (Oh What a Night)(Remix Version) |
| 25 | Stay |
| 26 | Beggin’ |
| 27 | Alone |
| 28 | New Mexican Rose |
| 29 | Fallen Angel |
| 30 | We Can Work It Out |
This week on the RadioMax Classic Countdown, we feature the Top 40 Hits from this week in 1978, specifically July 1, 1978.
| 1 | SHADOW DANCING Andy Gibb |
| 2 | BAKER STREET Gerry Rafferty |
| 3 | IT’S A HEARTACHE Bonnie Tyler |
| 4 | YOU’RE THE ONE THAT I WANT John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John |
| 5 | TAKE A CHANCE ON ME Abba |
| 6 | MISS YOU Rolling Stones |
| 7 | USE TA BE MY GIRL O’Jays |
| 8 | DANCE WITH ME Peter Brown with Betty Wright |
| 9 | TWO OUT OF THREE AIN’T BAD Meat Loaf |
| 10 | YOU BELONG TO ME Carly Simon |
| 11 | STILL THE SAME Bob Seger & Silver Bullet Band |
| 12 | THE GROOVE LINE Heatwave |
| 13 | EVERY KINDA PEOPLE Robert Palmer |
| 14 | LOVE IS LIKE OXYGEN Sweet |
| 15 | BLUER THAN BLUE Michael Johnson |
| 16 | TOO MUCH, TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE Johnny Mathis & Deniece Williams |
| 17 | EVEN NOW Barry Manilow |
| 18 | LAST DANCE Donna Summer |
| 19 | I WAS ONLY JOKING Rod Stewart |
| 20 | FEELS SO GOOD Chuck Mangione |
| 21 | YOU’RE THE LOVE Seals & Crofts |
| 22 | I CAN’T STAND THE RAIN Eruption |
| 23 | BECAUSE THE NIGHT Patti Smith Group |
| 24 | GREASE Frankie Valli |
| 25 | FOLLOW YOU FOLLOW ME Genesis |
| 26 | WONDERFUL TONIGHT Eric Clapton |
| 27 | ONLY THE GOOD DIE YOUNG Billy Joel |
| 28 | RUNAWAY Jefferson Starship |
| 29 | HEARTLESS Heart |
| 30 | ON BROADWAY George Benson |
| 31 | COPACABANA (At The Copa) Barry Manilow |
| 32 | MY ANGEL BABY Toby Beau |
| 33 | LOVE WILL FIND A WAY Pablo Cruise |
| 34 | THREE TIMES A LADY Commodores |
| 35 | FM (No Static At All) Steely Dan |
| 36 | KING TUT Steve Martin & Toot Uncommons |
| 37 | BABY HOLD ON Eddie Money |
| 38 | MAGNET AND STEEL Walter Egan |
| 39 | LIFE’S BEEN GOOD Joe Walsh |
| 40 | I’M NOT GONNA LET IT BOTHER ME TONIGHT Atlanta Rhythm Section |
