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From the Vault...
11/06/2016
#1541 |
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info
Frankie Valli
"Romancing The '60s"
© UniversalMotown Records
Year of Release: 2007
Rating:
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track listing
Take Good Care
Of My Baby
My Cherie Amour
Spanish Harlem
Then You Can
Tell Me Goodbye
Any Day Now
Let It Be Me
What A Wonderful World
Call Me
This Guy's In Love
With You
Sunny
My Girl/Groovin'
What Becomes Of
The Broken Hearted
On Broadway
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Frankie Valli
"Romancing The '60s"
"Frankie Valli taught me how to sing" -- Eric Svenningsen, WSVNRadio
I've often said that Frankie Valli of The Four Seasons prepared my singing voice, while I was growing up, singing along with The
Four Seasons' 2-LP greatest hits album, Edizione D'Oro. Hitting those high notes I would say, developed a better singing voice
along the years into my adulthood.
At the time of this album release, The Jersey Boys Broadway play was very popular. In 2014, the Broadway play would be made
into a movie. I just had to see it. Not only that, it was directed by Clint Eastwood. The movie made me sing, made me laugh, made me cry.
It was such a great movie, I, along with my fiance Norma (now my wife) saw it twice in the theatre. (The second time we had to see it, due
to that the actress who portrayed Frankie Valli's wife in the movie, was a look-alike [and attitude] as a friend who was dating my bass
player in the band I was in, in the mid-1980s. Hello, Rita! Rita, her husband Scott, Norma and I saw the movie. And once again, I sang,
I laughed and I cried. Funny moment, when Rita asked Norma, "Is he singing over there?"
Frankie Valli released Romancing The '60s -- an album of 1960s music that Valli enjoyed. He would put his own touches and
uniqueness to each song. Of course, his heyday was in the 1960s, with The Four Seasons. And with the success of The Jersey Boys on
Broadway, Mr. Valli would return to the studio to record his versions of 1960s classics.
The album begins with Bobby Vee's "Take Good Care Of My Baby." It is not as upbeat as Vee's, it's way slower. It has a more
easy listening/adult contemporary jazz style. A great version by Frankie Valli, in his own way. (Listening to his voice here, it is easy
to see how the singer who portrayed him in the Jersey Boys movie [John Lloyd Young] was definitely chosen. I always thought the actor's
singing style was much higher than Valli's. But listening to Valli's version of the Bobby Vee hit, it was much more clear; John Lloyd
Young was the obvious choice.)
"My Cherie Amour," the Stevie Wonder classic has a nice acoustic guitar. Valli's version is just as pleasant as Stevie Wonder's,
yet Valli's voice is not as strong, but pleasant. "Spanish Harlem" (by Ben E. King) is just as pleasent as the original.
Eddy Arnold's "Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye" is another nice easy listening styled track by Valli. "Any Day Now" is another
nice version, as I remembered this song recorded by both Elvis Presley and Ronnie Milsap.
The Easy Listening style continues with The Everly Brothers' "Let It Be Me." These Easy Listening styled songs are sure setting
the romance factor, as Valli's album is getting even better. Louis Armstrong's "What A Wonderful World" is another track that is
well recorded by Valli, but there is no match to Armstrong's original.
"Call Me" (Petula Clark) is another well-done song by Valli. Herb Alpert's "This Guy's In Love With You" is another nice
version. The classic "Sunny" (written by Bobby Hebb, and recorded by many) has a great jazz'ed-tinged feel. The medley of The
Temptations' "My Girl" and The Rascals' "Groovin'" is a close runner-up to the originals. On the topic of another Motown classic,
"What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted" (Jimmy Ruffin) is another great remake.
The last track is obviously the one to listen to: "On Broadway" (the George Benson version is the most remembered) -- The Jersey
Boys joins Frankie Valli, including John Lloyd Young. What a memorable moment it must have been for The Jersey Boys, to record with the man
they made the movie about.
Romancing The '60s is Romance. It is an Easy Listening album. It can even cross the Jazz charts. It's the return of Frankie Valli,
at 80 years young in 2007. He is one of the many great singers from the Rock & Roll Era: Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons. The Jersey Boys
movie is a must-see. If you love music, and you grew up with Frankie Valli/Four Seasons' music, you will simply enjoy this movie. As it did for me,
it made me sing, laugh and cry. This is a great story of how The Jersey Boys developed into one of the greatest singing groups in music history.
After hearing this album, it will make me want to watch the DVD of The Jersey Boys movie -- again.
And yes, the Soundrack to the movie The Jersey Boys will be reviewed here,
when that time comes.
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Review or any portion may not be reproduced
without written permission. Cover art is the
intellectual property of
UniversalMotown Records
and is used for reference purposes only.
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