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The Genuine Imitation Life Gazette (Album) by The Four Seasons

Artist Biography For The Four Seasons

The Four Seasons Is An American Belleville New Jersey USA 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 Been Known Off And On As Frankie Valli & The 4 Seasons Frankie Valli And The Four Seasons Or Simply 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 Four Seasons And The Beach Boys Were Virtually The Only American Groups Whose Successful Careers Were Not Derailed When The Beatles And The British Invasion Bands Hit The States In 1964. In Fact 1964 Ranks As The Four Seasons' Biggest Year Of All Despite The Insurgency From Abroad Which Attests To Their Durability And Appeal Among America's Teenagers. That Appeal Stemmed From The Four Seasons' Ability To Complement Spotless Italian-American Doo-Wop Harmonies With The Forceful Falsetto And Three-Octave Range Of Lead Vocalist Frankie Valli - The Other Members Were Bob Gaudio On Keyboards And Tenor Vocals Tommy DeVito On Lead Guitar And Baritone Vocals Gerry Polci On Drums And Nick Massi On Bass Guitar And Bass Vocals. Frankie Valli And Tommy DeVito Previously Performed With Nick DeVito Tommy's Twin Brother And Hank Majewski As The Four Lovers. Later On The Four Season Where Heavley Shaped By The Songwriting Of Band Member Bob Gaudio With Arrangements And Production That Drew Upon Everything From Phil Spector's "Wall Of Sound" To The Danceable Beat Of Motown's Pop/R&B Singles. During A Hitmaking Streak That Spanned The Years 1962-68 The Four Seasons Netted Two Dozen Top Forty Singles Including The Number One Hits "Sherry " "Big Girls Don't Cry " "Walk Like A Man" And "Rag Doll." They've Sold Over 100 Million Records Worldwide Making Them The Most Successful White Doo-Wop Group In Rock And Roll History. At Their Peak The Four Seasons Made Recordings That Expressed The Tough-But-Tender Sensibility Of Their Home Turf In The Northeast Much In The Way The Beach Boys Encapsulated The World Of Southern California In Harmony And Song. In The Words Of Billy Joel A Longtime Fan Who Grew Up Listening To Them On Long Island "The Four Seasons Had Wonderful Chord Progressions Beautiful Writing Terrific Production Fantastic Harmony Records That Really Spoke To Us." The Band Released Their First Hit "Sherry" In 1962. Under The Guidance Of Producer/songwriter Bob Crewe The Four Seasons Followed Up "Sherry" With Several Well-Remembered Hits Including "Big Girls Don't Cry" "Walk Like A Man" And "Candy Girl". In The Mid 1960s The British Invasion Slowed Down Their Career Somewhat But The Four Seasons Released Several More Big Hits In 1964 Such As "Dawn" "Rag Doll" Which Was The First Single On WABC Radio New York To Be "pick Hit Of The Week" One Week And The Number 1 Single The Following Week "Big Man In Town" "Ronnie" And "Save It For Me". Nick Massi Left The Four Seasons In 1965 And Was Replaced By Joe Long Who Became The Mainstay On Bass And Backup Vocals Until 1976. Several More Top 10 Singles Followed Including "Let's Hang On" "Working My Way Back To You" "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" And "C'mon Marianne" But By Late 1967 The Group's Popularity Was Deteriorating As Public Interest Moved Towards Rock With A Harder Edge And More Socially Conscious Lyrics. The Band Would However Enjoy A Brief Revival In Their Popularity In The Mid 1970s With The Hits "Who Loves You" "Swearin' To God" And Their Last Number One Hit "December 1963 Oh What A Night ".

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Frogtoon Music Album Info: The Genuine Imitation Life Gazette

The Four Seasons
The Genuine Imitation Life Gazette
Philips PHS 600-290
released 1969. And What Does It Mean To Be The Most Bizarre Album In The Four Seasons' Catalog? Psychedelic Ambitious And Conceptual The Genuine Imitation Life Gazette Took The Four Seasons In An Entirely Unexpected Direction At The Time As The Group Became Influenced By Other Socially-Conscious Bands And Inspired By The New Sounds Being Created By Groups Like The Beatles And The Beach Boys. But The Problem Was The Fact That No One Expected Anything But A Top 40 Record From The Four Seasons So The Album Was Poorly Received According To Valli One Review Said That "had That Album Been Done By Anyone But Us It Would Have Been A Smash Album" . Despite The Lack Of Commercial Success However The Record Has Become A Bit Of A Cult Classic With Reviews Praising It As A "stunning Example Of The Artistry Of The Four Seasons At Their Most Ambitious." Reportedly Even John Lennon Considered It To Be One Of His Favorites Original Album Tracks 'American Crucifixion Resurrection' / 'Mrs. Stately's Garden' / 'Look Up Look Over' / 'Something's On Her Mind' / 'Saturday's Father' / 'Wall Street Village Day' / 'Genuine Imitation Life' / 'Idaho' / 'Wonder What You'll Be' / 'Soul Of A Woman' Bonus Tracks 1996 CD Release ACE CDCHD 628 'Watch The Flowers Grow' / 'Raven' / 'Will You Love Me Tomorrow' / 'Electric Stories'

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