Oh, what a story. Frankie Valli, who came to fame in 1962 as the lead singer of the Four Seasons, is hotter than ever in the 21st century. Thanks to the volcanic success of the Tony-winning musical Jersey Boys, which chronicles the life and times of Frankie and his legendary group, such classic songs as “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Walk Like a Man,” “Rag Doll,” and “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” are all the rage all over again.
To mark the 50th anniversary of the Seasons’ first hit “Sherry,” Frankie is saluting the decade that made him a star with his first new studio album in 15 years. In Romancing The ’60s, he put his own stamp on some of his favorite ’60s songs, the ones he always wanted to record but somehow got away. Produced by Bob Gaudio, an original member of the Four Seasons and Frankie’s long-time partner, the set includes unforgettable new versions of such gems as “Spanish Harlem,” “Call Me” and “Take Good Care of My Baby.”
The majority of the 71 chart hits of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons (including 40 in the Top 40, 19 in the Top 10 and eight No. 1’s) came during the 1960s, but the music didn’t just disappear. His songs have been omnipresent in movies like Dirty Dancing, Mrs. Doubtfire, and Conspiracy Theory, and on TV shows like The Sopranos. As many as 200 artists have done cover versions of Frankie’s “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,” from Nancy Wilson’s jazz treatment to Lauryn Hill’s hip-hop makeover. There’s something about Frankie’s music that makes young people of every generation want to get up and dance. Amid the disco era, the Seasons hit it big with “Who Loves You,” which reached No 3 in 1975, and “December 1963 (Oh, What a Night), a No. 1 record in 1976. On the other side of the Atlantic, “You’re Ready Now” and “The Night,” emerged from dance clubs in England to become huge hits in Europe. Two decades later, in 1994, a dance club remix of “December 1963” climbed to No. 14 in the U.S. on the Billboard Hot 100. In 2000, a French-language rap version of “December 1963” went to No. 1 in Paris. In July of 2007, a remix of the Four Seasons’ 1967 hit “Beggin’ ” became the No. 1 dance record in Britain.
Ticket prices range from $30-$115. For more information and to buy tickets, contact the Van Wezel Box office at (941)953-3368 or log onto www.vanwezel.org.
