Four Lovers
Encyclopedia
The Four Lovers was a 1956 musical group that was the result of vocalist Frankie Valli
joining The Variatones (Tommy DeVito
, lead guitar; Henry Majewski, rhythm guitar; Frank Cattone, accordion; and Billy Thompson, drums) in 1954. The Four Lovers' achieved minor success before a name change to The Four Seasons in 1960. During those five years, group members also included Nicolas DeVito (vocals, electric bass), Hugh Garrity (vocals, guitar), Nick Massi
(bass, vocals), and Bob Gaudio
(keyboards, vocals).
The quartet released seven singles and one album under the Four Lovers name, with only their debut single, Otis Blackwell
's "You're the Apple of My Eye
" achieving significant national
sales to appear on the Billboard
Hot 100
singles chart. The single got them their first national television appearance, on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1956.
RCA gave up on the Four Lovers when the group's fifth straight single failed to chart in 1957 and finally dropped the group from its label. The group promptly signed to Epic Records
but was quickly dropped when its first single for the label also failed to chart. As a consequence, the discouraged group temporarily disbanded.
at a recording session, who signed the Four Lovers to a three-year artist contract. During this period, the reconstituted quartet had some significant personnel changes, as bassist/vocalist Nick DeVito left the group in 1958, to be replaced by Nick Massi
for just a few months, then by bassist/arranger Charles Calello until 1960, and then by Massi again. Meanwhile, guitarist/vocalist Henry Majewski was replaced by Hugh Garrity for a few months in 1958, and then by keyboardist/guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Bob Gaudio
in 1959. The Four Lovers worked steadily as session artists, primarily as background singers and background musicians, in addition to resuming their live performances in various clubs and lounges between New York City
and Philadelphia)
In addition, their contract with Crewe allowed them to record individually or collectively for Crewe's Peri Records — which they did under more than a handful of "stage names"
.
By the end of this contract, the Four Lovers had become a complete outfit with an "in-house" composer and an associated producer and arranger. They were no longer dependent on outside songwriters to provide them with hits. In mid-1960, as the contract was expiring, a failed audition at a New Jersey bowling establishment led to a handshake agreement between Valli and Gaudio that signified a change: the Four Lovers were no more, and The Four Seasons Partnership was founded. By the end of 1962, the quartet of Valli, Gaudio, Massi, and Tommy DeVito would have two singles reach the top spot on the Hot 100.
"You're the Apple of My Eye
"/"The Girl in My Dreams" - RCA Victor
"Honey Love
"/"Please Don't Leave Me
" - RCA Victor
"Jambalaya (On the Bayou)
"/"Be Lovey Dovey" - RCA Victor
1957
"Never Never"/"Happy Am I" - RCA Victor
"Shake a Hand
"/"The Stranger" - RCA Victor
"The Stranger"/"Night Train
" - RCA Victor
"My Life for You"/"Pucker Up" - Epic
"I Go Ape"/"If You Care" (as Frankie Tyler) - Okeh
1959
"Please Take a Chance"/"It May Be Wrong" (as Frankie Vally) - Decca
"Come Si Bella" (as Franke Valle and the Romans)/"Real (This Is Real)" (as Frankie Valley) - Cindy
"Too Young to Start"/"Red Lips" (as The Village Voices) - Topix/Peri
1960
"Spanish Lace"/"1,000,000 Tears" (Bob Gaudio
as Turner Disentri) - Topix/Peri
"I Am All Alone"/"Trance" (as Billy Dixon and The Topics) - Topix/Peri
"An Angel Cried"/"Hope, Faith and Dreams" (as Harold Miller and The Rays) - Topix/Peri
"Lost Lullaby"/"Trance" (as Billy Dixon and The Topics) - Topix/Peri
"Betty Jean"/"More Lovin' Less Talkin'" (as Johnny Halo) - Topix/Peri
("This Is My Story" and "Lawdy Miss Clawdy", the latter a Lloyd Price
chestnut), western
("San Antonio Rose", later a hit for Floyd Cramer
), pop
("For Sentimental Reasons" and "Memories of You"), and early rock'n'roll
(their version of "White Christmas" and "Such a Night", both popularized by The Drifters
).
Frankie Valli
Frankie Valli is an American musician, most famous as frontman of The Four Seasons. He is well-known for his unusually powerful falsetto singing voice...
joining The Variatones (Tommy DeVito
Tommy DeVito (musician)
Tommy DeVito is an American musician and singer, best known as a founding member and the lead guitarist of the rock band The Four Seasons....
, lead guitar; Henry Majewski, rhythm guitar; Frank Cattone, accordion; and Billy Thompson, drums) in 1954. The Four Lovers' achieved minor success before a name change to The Four Seasons in 1960. During those five years, group members also included Nicolas DeVito (vocals, electric bass), Hugh Garrity (vocals, guitar), Nick Massi
Nick Massi
Nick Massi was the bass singer and bass guitarist for the Four Seasons. He was born in Newark, New Jersey...
(bass, vocals), and Bob Gaudio
Bob Gaudio
Robert John "Bob" Gaudio is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer, and the keyboardist/backing vocalist for The Four Seasons.-Early career:...
(keyboards, vocals).
RCA, 1956-58
The Four Lovers big break came in early 1956 when backing up a female singer's audition for two New York record men. One of the two record men, Peter Paul, was suitably impressed enough to become their manager. A week later, they were themselves auditioning for RCA. RCA signed them up that day and the group selected a new name, The Four Lovers. The group that ended up recording as The Four Lovers was Frankie Valli (lead vocal, drums), Thomas DeVito (vocal, guitar), Henry Majewski (vocal, guitar) and Nicolas DeVito (vocal, bass).The quartet released seven singles and one album under the Four Lovers name, with only their debut single, Otis Blackwell
Otis Blackwell
Otis Blackwell was an American songwriter, singer, and pianist, whose work significantly influenced rock 'n' roll...
's "You're the Apple of My Eye
You're the Apple of My Eye
"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...
" achieving significant national
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
sales to appear on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
singles chart. The single got them their first national television appearance, on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1956.
RCA gave up on the Four Lovers when the group's fifth straight single failed to chart in 1957 and finally dropped the group from its label. The group promptly signed to Epic Records
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
but was quickly dropped when its first single for the label also failed to chart. As a consequence, the discouraged group temporarily disbanded.
Bob Crewe, 1958-60
In 1958, Valli met record producer Bob CreweBob Crewe
Bob Crewe is an American songwriter, dancer, singer, manager, record producer and fine artist. He is known for producing, and co-writing with Bob Gaudio, a string of Top 10 singles for The Four Seasons...
at a recording session, who signed the Four Lovers to a three-year artist contract. During this period, the reconstituted quartet had some significant personnel changes, as bassist/vocalist Nick DeVito left the group in 1958, to be replaced by Nick Massi
Nick Massi
Nick Massi was the bass singer and bass guitarist for the Four Seasons. He was born in Newark, New Jersey...
for just a few months, then by bassist/arranger Charles Calello until 1960, and then by Massi again. Meanwhile, guitarist/vocalist Henry Majewski was replaced by Hugh Garrity for a few months in 1958, and then by keyboardist/guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Bob Gaudio
Bob Gaudio
Robert John "Bob" Gaudio is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer, and the keyboardist/backing vocalist for The Four Seasons.-Early career:...
in 1959. The Four Lovers worked steadily as session artists, primarily as background singers and background musicians, in addition to resuming their live performances in various clubs and lounges between New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and Philadelphia)
In addition, their contract with Crewe allowed them to record individually or collectively for Crewe's Peri Records — which they did under more than a handful of "stage names"
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
.
By the end of this contract, the Four Lovers had become a complete outfit with an "in-house" composer and an associated producer and arranger. They were no longer dependent on outside songwriters to provide them with hits. In mid-1960, as the contract was expiring, a failed audition at a New Jersey bowling establishment led to a handshake agreement between Valli and Gaudio that signified a change: the Four Lovers were no more, and The Four Seasons Partnership was founded. By the end of 1962, the quartet of Valli, Gaudio, Massi, and Tommy DeVito would have two singles reach the top spot on the Hot 100.
Singles credited to The Four Lovers (1956-57)
1956"You're the Apple of My Eye
You're the Apple of My Eye
"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...
"/"The Girl in My Dreams" - RCA Victor
"Honey Love
Honey Love (The Drifters song)
"Honey Love" is a 1954 song by The Drifters featuring Clyde McPhatter. "Honey Love" was the group's third single release, fourth release on the charts and second number one single on the R&B chart.-See also:...
"/"Please Don't Leave Me
Please Don't Leave Me
"Please Don't Leave Me" is a song from American pop rock singer Pink and the third single taken from her fifth studio album Funhouse. It was released on January 31, 2009. The song received strong airplay in Australia and New Zealand, as well as being added to the BBC Radio 1 A-List playlist in the UK...
" - RCA Victor
"Jambalaya (On the Bayou)
Jambalaya (On the Bayou)
"Jambalaya " is the title of a song written and recorded by American country music singer Hank Williams that was first released in July 1952...
"/"Be Lovey Dovey" - RCA Victor
1957
"Never Never"/"Happy Am I" - RCA Victor
"Shake a Hand
Shake a Hand
"Shake a Hand" is a 1953 single written by trumpeter and bandleader Joe Morris and originally performed by Faye Adams, whose version hit number one on the R&B chart for nine weeks.-Cover versions:*Red Foley...
"/"The Stranger" - RCA Victor
"The Stranger"/"Night Train
Night Train (song)
"Night Train" is a twelve bar blues instrumental standard first recorded by Jimmy Forrest in 1951.-Origins and development:"Night Train" has a long and complicated history. The piece's opening riff was first recorded in 1940 by a small group led by Duke Ellington sideman Johnny Hodges under the...
" - RCA Victor
"My Life for You"/"Pucker Up" - Epic
Singles released under other names (1953-60)
1958"I Go Ape"/"If You Care" (as Frankie Tyler) - Okeh
1959
"Please Take a Chance"/"It May Be Wrong" (as Frankie Vally) - Decca
"Come Si Bella" (as Franke Valle and the Romans)/"Real (This Is Real)" (as Frankie Valley) - Cindy
"Too Young to Start"/"Red Lips" (as The Village Voices) - Topix/Peri
1960
"Spanish Lace"/"1,000,000 Tears" (Bob Gaudio
Bob Gaudio
Robert John "Bob" Gaudio is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer, and the keyboardist/backing vocalist for The Four Seasons.-Early career:...
as Turner Disentri) - Topix/Peri
"I Am All Alone"/"Trance" (as Billy Dixon and The Topics) - Topix/Peri
"An Angel Cried"/"Hope, Faith and Dreams" (as Harold Miller and The Rays) - Topix/Peri
"Lost Lullaby"/"Trance" (as Billy Dixon and The Topics) - Topix/Peri
"Betty Jean"/"More Lovin' Less Talkin'" (as Johnny Halo) - Topix/Peri
Joyride
RCA Victor LPM 1317, released September 1956 (reissued 1978 as RCA LP 7131). It is a collection of cover versions with a few originals tossed in. A variety of musical styles are represented here, rhythm and bluesRhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
("This Is My Story" and "Lawdy Miss Clawdy", the latter a Lloyd Price
Lloyd Price
Lloyd Price is an American R&B vocalist. Known as "Mr. Personality", after the name of one of his biggest million-selling hits...
chestnut), western
Western music (North America)
Western music originated as a form of American folk music. Originally composed by and about the people who settled and worked throughout the Western United States and Western Canada. Directly related musically to old English, Scottish, and Irish folk ballads, Western music celebrates the life of...
("San Antonio Rose", later a hit for Floyd Cramer
Floyd Cramer
Floyd Cramer was an American Hall of Fame pianist who was one of the architects of the "Nashville sound." He popularized the "slip note" piano style where an out-of-tune note slides effortlessly into the correct note...
), pop
Traditional pop music
Traditional pop or classic pop or standards music denotes, in general, Western popular music that either wholly predates the advent of rock and roll in the mid-1950s, or to any popular music which exists concurrently to rock and roll but originated in a time before the appearance of rock and roll,...
("For Sentimental Reasons" and "Memories of You"), and early rock'n'roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
(their version of "White Christmas" and "Such a Night", both popularized by The Drifters
The Drifters
The Drifters are a long-lived American doo-wop and R&B/soul vocal group with a peak in popularity from 1953 to 1963, though several splinter Drifters continue to perform today. They were originally formed to serve as Clyde McPhatter's backing group in 1953...
).
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The Four Lovers
Rhino R2 90142 (CD), released July 1993. This is essentially a reissue of a 1989 German compilation album (The Four Lovers 1956) with a few alternate takes thrown in. In addition to the complete contents of the Joyride album and a few songs that were recorded in the Joyride sessions, the CD contains all songs that The Four Lovers released as singles on RCA Victor. Thus it contains the entire Four Lovers output except the two sides on their 1957 Epic single ("My Life for Your Love" and "Pucker Up").
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