Not to be confused with Phillips International Records.

Philips Records
Parent company	Universal Music Group
Founded	1950
Distributor(s)	Decca Music Group
Genre	(historic) Various (current) Classical music
Country of origin	Netherlands
Official Website	Decca & Philips Classics

Philips Records is a record label that was founded by Dutch electronics company Philips. It was started by "Philips Phonographische Industrie" (PPI) in 1950. Recordings were made with popular artists of various nationalities and also with classical artists from Germany, France and Holland. Philips also distributed recordings made by the US Columbia Records on the European continent. After the separation of English Columbia and American Columbia by the end of 1954, Philips also started distributing original Columbia recordings on the Philips label in Great Britain.

History[link]

In the late 1950s Philips created a subsidiary label, Fontana Records, and helped American Columbia Records form CBS Records in 1961, after Columbia formed its own international operations, adopting the name of its then parent CBS. In 1962 Philips Records and Deutsche Grammophon were linked into the Gramophon-Philips Group joint venture (GPG), which later became PolyGram.

In 1961, after Philips lost its North American distribution deal with Columbia Records, it entered an exchange agreement with Mercury Records.^[1] A year later, Philips' U.S. affiliate Consolidated Electronics Industries Corp. (a.k.a. Conelco), bought Mercury and its subsidiary labels. Philips classical, jazz and pop records were marketed by Mercury in the U.S. under the Philips label. The Mercury Living Presence team also made classical recordings for Philips, in July 1961. These records, made in Walthamstow Town Hall near London, included: Liszt piano concertos by Sviatoslav Richter and the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Kiril Kondrashin; two albums of symphonic "bon-bons" by the London Symphony Orchestra and Charles Mackerras released as "Kaleidoscope"; "Russian Song Recital" by Galina Vishnevskaya and Mstislav Rostropovich; and Beethoven sonata op. 69 for cello and piano by Richter and Rostropovich. The Richter Liszt album was recorded on 3-track 35mm magnetic film and was reissued on CD from a remaster made from the film by original producer Wilma Cozart Fine as part of the Philips Solo series.^[2]

Classical groups that Philips heavily recorded included the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, the Beaux Arts Trio, and the Quartetto Italiano. Violinist Arthur Grumiaux and the pianist Claudio Arrau were under contract to Philips.

From 1961 until the late 1960s, Philips Records (USA) issued many classical titles in U.S.-specific packaging, initially in the same glossy-laminated covers as Mercury Records. The records were pressed at Mercury's plant in Richmond, Indiana, and mastered in New York by George Piros at Fine Recording, using 2-track and mono master tapes provided by Philips. These releases were the PHS 900 xxx series for stereo and the 500 xxx series for mono. Clair Van Ausdal in Mercury's New York office oversaw the Philips classical U.S. releases through the mid-1960s.

Philips also launched an eponymous jazz label in the U.S., releasing both imported European Philips recordings and making new American recordings of Gerry Mulligan, Dizzy Gillespie and Woody Herman, among others. These records were made through Mercury's existing jazz operations and produced by Jack Tracy and others.

In addition to jazz and classical music, Philips also became a major player in the world of rock and pop music in the late 1950s till late 1970s. In the UK, Philips developed a strong popular music roster, signing acts like Marty Wilde, Roy Castle, Anne Shelton, The Four Pennies, Dusty Springfield, and The Walker Brothers. The American pop label was launched in 1962 starting with the R&B single "Gee Baby" by Ben & Bea. It also played a major part in promoting the garage rock genre and the psyche rock genre in the mid to late 60s, their most successful signing being Blue Cheer.

In the 1970s, Philips decided to turn its attention more to the growing MOR market with artists like Lena Zavaroni, Peters and Lee, and Demis Roussos, as well as issuing novelty records by media personalities like Ed Stewart, Bruce Forsyth, and Chris Hill. In 1972, Philips, Fontana, Mercury Records, and the newly-formed Vertigo Records were amalgamated into a new company called Phonogram Records. In Europe, however, Philips was used on a major basis and it became the outlet for Sire Records in America and distributed a number of punk and new wave bands like Talking Heads, The Ramones, and Radio Birdman, who were signed from Australia. It also released some disco records by Donna Summer and The Village People, as their home label Casablanca Records was not cleared for use in all countries around the world.

By 1980, Phonogram and Polydor Records decided to merge to become PolyGram Records. Under the new company, PolyGram decided to discontinue Philips as a pop and rock label in the UK and throughout much of Europe, though it was still frequently issued records in France and South East Asia by Chinese and Hong Kong pop artists. The majority of PolyGram's rock and pop music signings went to Mercury, and Polydor in the UK and Europe, though the label was used sparingly in America. Philips became part of PolyGram Classics as a classical music label along with Decca Records and Deutsche Grammophon.

From the early 1970s, Philips classical records were not being produced in the U.S. any more; rather they were made in Holland and sold as imports in the American market. Philips reissued a group of Mercury Living Presence titles as "Mercury Golden Imports", with manufacture in Holland and masters cut from 2-track production tapes, as opposed to the original-issue method of mixing stereo LPs directly from the edited 3-track master tapes and films.

In the eighties Philips Classics Records was formed to distribute its classical artists, although classical recordings have also been issued on the regular Philips label. In the U.S., Philips eventually handled distribution and sales for Philips, Mercury, British Decca (sold under the London label in the U.S.) and DGG.

Compact Disc Era[link]

In 1983, Philips became the first record label to issue compact discs, using digital recordings that went as far back as 1978. (The first digital recordings, however, were actually remastered versions of vintage recordings by the legendary tenor Enrico Caruso, using the Soundstream process developed in Salt Lake City, Utah in 1975-76. RCA Victor released vinyl versions of these reprocessed, historic recordings. Philips was among the record labels to use the Soundstream process for modern digital recordings.)

Philips and its subsidiaries eventually re-issued many of its pre-digital stereo and mono recordings on compact disc. Philips and DuPont partnered on a CD manufacturing plant in North Carolina called PDO. By the mid-1990s, Polygram Classics handled the classical labels (Philips, Mercury, Decca, DGG) and Verve Music Group handled the jazz back catalogue (from Verve, Mercury, etc.) and new jazz releases. Mercury continues to manage the Philips pop back catalogue to this day.

Philips Records has been part of Universal Music since 1998, the name continuing to be licensed from the label's former parent company. In 1999, Philips Classics was absorbed into the Decca Music Group, and Philips recording and mastering operations in Holland were shut down. Former employees bought the Philips Recording Center in Baarn, Netherlands, and formed Polyhymnia International (a recording and mastering company) and Pentatone Records (which specializes in SACD releases).^[3]

Many of the Philips classical recordings have been reissued on the Eloquence label. Universal also released a "Philips 50" series marking the 50th anniversary of Philips Records in the early 2000s; some of those CD's are still in print. Pentatone has released Philips Quadraphonic sound recordings from the early and mid 1970's in 4-channel SACD format, as their RQR Series.^[4]

Philips' classical catalog is issued on CD under the headings Digital Classics, Legendary Classics and Silver Line Classics.

Releases[link]

Connoisseur Collection[link]

The "Philips Connoisseur Collection" issued world music and other genres.

• PCC-603: Soeur Sourire - The Singing Nun
• PCC-606: Missa Luba (a version of the Latin Mass based on traditional Congolese songs).
• PCC-616: Michel Legrand - The Umbrellas Of Cherbourg (Les Parapluies De Cherbourg)
• PCC-619: Los Fronterizos Chorus And Orchestra - Misa Criolla
• PCC-608: Edith Piaf - Adieu, Little Sparrow
• PCC-620: Jacques Brel: The Poetic World of Jacques Brel
• PCC-621: Sarah Gorby - Songs Of The Ghetto
• PCC-623: Misa Flamenca · Misa Mozarabe
• PCC-633: Yves Montand - Extraordinaire!
• PCC-634: Jacques Brel: If you go away

Popular music artists[link]

• Kamahl - Australia
• Galapagous Duck - Australia
• Radio Birdman - Australia - European release only
• Mr. George^{[disambiguation needed ]} - Australia
• Hush - Australia (debut single release only)
• Silver Studs - Australia
• Demis Roussos - Greece
• Nana Mouskouri - Greece
• Guys 'n' Dolls - England
• The Missing Links - Australia
• Janice Slater - Australia
• Elton John (US singles from 1968–1970)
• Mud - England (1969, but also on Philips in Europe from 1975–1977)
• Thunderthighs - England
• 5,000 Volts - England
• Lena Zavaroni - Scotland
• Blue Cheer - San Francisco, California, United States
• Teresa Brewer - Toledo, Ohio, United States
• Cluster - Berlin, Germany
• Ray Conniff (licensed from US Columbia Records)
• Teresa De Sio - Cava de' Tirreni, Italy
• Val Doonican - Ireland^[5]
• Ekseption - Netherlands
• The Four Pennies - various, England
• The Four Seasons - Newark, New Jersey
• Gong – France
• Johnny Hallyday - Paris, France
• Wes Harrison -
• Bobby Hebb - Nashville, Tennessee, United States
• Johnny Horton - (licensed from US Columbia Records)
• Brian Hyland - Queens, New York
• Jim and Jean - New York City, United States (1965)
• Billy Joel -
• Yoshie Kasiwabara - Japan
• The Kaye Sisters - England
• Kraftwerk - Düsseldorf, Germany
• Frankie Laine (licensed from US Columbia Records)
• Vicky Leandros - Greece/Germany
• Los Paraguayos - Paraguay
• Luv' - Netherlands
• Harvey Mandel - Detroit, Michigan
• Manfred Mann's Earth Band - European release only
• Susan Maughan - Consett, County Durham
• Paul Mauriat - Marseille, France
• Roger Miller - Nashville, Tennessee^[6]
• Guy Mitchell (licensed from US Columbia)
• Mouth & MacNeal - Netherlands
• Osamu Minagawa - Japan
• New Vaudeville Band - England
• Peters and Lee - England
• Ajda Pekkan - Turkey
• Johnnie Ray (licensed from US Columbia)
• Richard and the Young Lions - Newark, New Jersey, United States
• Serendipity Singers - Boulder, Colorado, United States
• Nina Simone - Tryon, North Carolina, United States
• The Singing Nun - Fichermont, Belgium
• Dusty Springfield - West Hampstead, London
• The Springfields - London
• The Swingle Singers - Paris, France
• Wally Tax - Amsterdam, Netherlands
• The Tempters - Japan
• Frankie Vaughan - Liverpool, England^[7]
• The Walker Brothers - Los Angeles, California, United States; based in London from Feb. 1965
• John Walker - New York, United States
• Scott Walker - Hamilton, Ohio, United States
• David Whitfield - England
• Marty Wilde - Greenwich, South London
• Terry Wogan - Limerick, Éire

References[link]

External links[link]

• A discography of American Philips pop albums in the 1960s and early 1970s
• A discography of American Philips singles in the 1960s and early 1970s
• Yahoo! Group dedicated to Philips Records
• Philips Records on Facebook

v t e Philips Divisions and subsidiaries Current Philips Consumer Lifestyle Gaggia Saeco Philips Healthcare Philips AVENT Respironics Shenzhen Goldway Industrial Philips Lighting Philips Lumileds Lighting Company Corporate Technologies Former and defunct Liquavista Magnavox NXP Semiconductors Philips Analytical Philips Natuurkundig Laboratorium PolyGram (Fontana Records Mercury Records Philips Classics Records Philips Records PolyGram Filmed Entertainment Vertigo Records) Joint ventures and shareholdings Current NXP Semiconductors (19.9%) Philips-Neusoft Medical Systems (51%) TCL Corporation (6.3%) Former and defunct ASML Holding Broadcast Television Systems Inc. LG Philips Display NEC Philips Unified Systems Philips Consumer Communications Brands, products and standards Current Ambilight Norelco Philips Cinema 21:9 TV Philips Entertaible Philips GoGear Philips Intimate Massagers Senseo ShoqBox Sonicare Streamium Trimension Video Content Protection System Defunct Philips Nino Philips Velo Philips :YES Philishave SpeechMagic Video 2000 People Cor Boonstra President and Chief Executive Officer Gerard Kleisterlee Co-founders Anton Philips and Gerard Philips Frits Philips Places High Tech Campus Eindhoven Philips Arena Philips Stadion Other Carousel HDMI Licensing Philips Sports Manager of the Year Phoebus cartel Category Commons

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Bobby Hebb (July 26, 1938 – August 3, 2010)^[1] was an American singer and songwriter, best known for his writing and recording of "Sunny".

Biography[link]

He was born Robert Von Hebb in Nashville, Tennessee. Hebb's parents, William and Ovalla Hebb, were both blind musicians.^[2] Hebb and his older brother Harold performed as a song-and-dance team in Nashville, beginning when Bobby was three and Harold was nine. Hebb performed on a TV show hosted by country music record producer Owen Bradley, which earned him a place with Grand Ole Opry star Roy Acuff.^[2] Hebb played spoons and other instruments in Acuff's band. Harold later became a member of Johnny Bragg and the Marigolds. Bobby Hebb sang backup on Bo Diddley's "Diddley Daddy". Hebb played "West-coast-style" trumpet in a United States Navy jazz band, and replaced Mickey Baker in Mickey and Sylvia.^[2]

On November 23, 1963, the day after John F. Kennedy's assassination, Harold Hebb was killed in a knife fight outside a Nashville nightclub. Hebb was devastated by both events and sought comfort in songwriting. Though many claim that the song he wrote after both tragedies was the optimistic "Sunny", Hebb himself stated otherwise. He immersed himself in the Gerald Wilson album, You Better Believe It!, for comfort.

"All my intentions were just to think of happier times – basically looking for a brighter day – because times were at a low tide. After I wrote it, I thought "Sunny" just might be a different approach to what Johnny Bragg was talking about in "Just Walkin' in the Rain".^{[citation needed]}

"Sunny" was recorded in New York City, after demos were made with the record producer Jerry Ross. Released as a single, it reached #3 on the R&B charts, # 2 on the Billboard Hot 100,^[3] # 12 in the UK,^[4] sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc.^[2] When Hebb toured with The Beatles in 1966 his "Sunny" was as well received as any Beatles tune, as evidenced by tapes of the concerts. BMI rated "Sunny" number 25 in its "Top 100 songs of the century".

"Sunny" has been recorded by, among others Jamiroquai, Cher, Boney M, Georgie Fame, Johnny Rivers, Stevie Wonder, Frank Sinatra with Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Electric Flag, The Four Seasons, Leonard Nimoy, two different versions from Frankie Valli, the Four Tops, James Brown, Wilson Pickett, Les McCann, Wes Montgomery, Dusty Springfield, and Classics IV.^[2] One re-recording, a disco version called "Sunny '76" was a minor hit for Hebb in that year hitting #94 on the R&B chart. In 2000, Musiq did an updated dance version retitled "Just Friends (Sunny)," which went to #31 on the U.S. Billboard charts.

Hebb also had lesser hits with his "A Satisfied Mind" in 1966 (#39 on the Billboard chart and #40 on the R&B chart) and "Love Me" in 1967 (# 84),^[3] and wrote many other songs, including Lou Rawls' 1971 hit "A Natural Man" (co-written with comedian Sandy Baron). Six years prior to "Sunny", Hebb reached the New York Top 50 with a remake of Roy Acuff's "Night Train to Memphis". In 1972, his single "Love Love Love" reached #32 in the UK charts.^[4]

After a recording gap of thirty five years, Hebb recorded That's All I Wanna Know, his first commercial release since Love Games for Epic Records in 1970. It was released in Europe in late 2005 by Tuition, a pop indie label. New versions of "Sunny" were also issued (two duets: one with Astrid North, and one with Pat Appleton). In October 2008 he toured and played in Osaka and Tokyo in Japan.

Ipanema Films of Germany was involved in a biographical film which included Hebb, his biographer Joseph Tortelli and Billy Cox.

Hebb continued to live in his hometown of Nashville until his death from lung cancer, at the Centennial Medical Center on August 3, 2010.^[5]

References[link]

• Cooper, Daniel (1998). "Bobby Hebb". In The Encyclopedia of Country Music. Paul Kingsbury, Editor. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 235.

External links[link]

• Official website
• Bobby Hebb at Allmusic
• Bobby Hebb discography at Discogs
• Bobby Hebb interview on Nashville Scene
• That's All I Wanna Know on Tuition Records, Germany

Jeanine Deckers (17 October 1933 – 29 March 1985), known in English as The Singing Nun, was a Belgian nun, and a member (as Sister Luc Gabriel) of the Dominican Fichermont Convent in Belgium. She became internationally famous in 1963 as Sœur Sourire (Sister Smile) when she scored a hit with the song "Dominique". In the English-language world, she is credited on her records as "The Singing Nun".

Biography[link]

Early years[link]

Born Jeanne-Paule Marie Deckers, she was a nun in the Dominican Fichermont Convent in Waterloo, Belgium. While in the convent, she wrote, sang and performed her own songs, which were so well received by the order and at retreats that the monastery decided to let her record an album, which visitors and retreatists to the monastery would be able to purchase.

In 1963, the album was recorded in Brussels at Philips. The single "Dominique" became an international hit. Many radio stations in the U.S. played it and other softer hits more often in the wake of the John F. Kennedy assassination. Overnight, the Dominican nun was an international celebrity with the stage name of Sœur Sourire (Sister Smile). She gave concerts and appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show on 5 January 1964.^[1] "Dominique" was the first Belgian song that has been a number one hit single in the United States.

Effects of fame and further musical career[link]

In 1966, a movie called The Singing Nun was made about her, starring Debbie Reynolds in the title role. Deckers rejected the film as "fiction".^[2]

Deckers did not gain much from this international fame, and her second LP, Her Joys, Her Songs, did not get much attention and disappeared almost as soon as it was released. Most of her earnings were in fact taken away by Philips, her producer, while the rest would go to the convent. In 1967, Deckers left her monastery to continue her musical career under the name Luc Dominique. She could not keep her initial name "Sœur Sourire", as Philips owned the rights. She released an album called I Am Not a Star in Heaven. Her repertoire consisted of religious songs and songs for children. Despite her renewed musical emphasis, Deckers gradually faded into obscurity, possibly because of her own disdain for fame: she was never able to duplicate the success of her one hit.

Political views[link]

Deckers became increasingly critical of Catholic doctrines and eventually became a public advocate for contraception. She also agreed with John Lennon's statements about Jesus in 1966.^{[citation needed]} In 1967, she recorded a song entitled "Glory Be to God for the Golden Pill" — a paean to artificial birth control under the name Luc Dominique. It was a commercial failure.^[2]

Last years[link]

Her musical career over, Deckers opened a school for autistic children in Belgium. In the late 1970s, the Belgian government claimed that she owed approximately $63,000 USD in back taxes.^[2] Deckers countered that the royalties from her recording were given to the convent and therefore she was not liable for payment of any personal income taxes. Lacking any receipts to prove her donations to the convent and her religious order, Deckers ran into heavy financial problems. In 1982, she tried, once again as Sœur Sourire, to score a hit with a disco synthesizer version of "Dominique", but this last attempt to resume her singing career failed.

Citing their financial difficulties in a note, she and her companion of ten years, Annie Pécher, both committed suicide by an overdose of barbiturates and alcohol on 29 March 1985.^[3][4][5] She was 51.

Tomb of Jeanne Deckers and Annie Pécher, Wavre.

Theatrical portrayals[link]

In 1996, The Tragic and Horrible Life of the Singing Nun premiered Off-Broadway at The Grove Street Playhouse. The play, which was written and directed by Blair Fell, was loosely based on the events in Deckers' life. The production, which featured several musical numbers, followed the renamed character Jeanine Fou's life from her entry into the convent until her death with Pécher. The New York Times review stated the play "milks much of its comic mileage from the incongruous, and willfully tasteless, pairing of its holy setting and its trashy, Jacqueline Susann-style dialogue...In dressing up despair in barbed frivolity, Mr. Fell provides his own skewed equivalent of tragic catharsis."^[6] The Catholic League spoke out publicly against the production.^[7]

In 2006, a musical version of Fell's play was staged during the New York Musical Theater Festival, produced by George DeMarco and David Gerard, both of whom produced the 1996 production. The musical featured music and lyrics by Andy Monroe and a book by Fell (who also contributed additional lyrics); it was directed by Michael Schiralli.^[8]

In 2009, Sœur Sourire, a Franco-Belgian biopic starring Cécile de France as Deckers, was released in cinemas.^{[citation needed]}

Further reading[link]

• Luc Maddelein & Leen van den Berg, Sœur Sourire. Zie me graag, Leuven, Davidsfonds, 2005, ISBN 90-5826-330-4
• Chadwick, D.A.: "The Singing Nun Story: The Life and Death of Soeur Sourire" 2010, ISBN 1-4537-1096-5

References[link]

External links[link]

• The Singing Nun at the Internet Movie Database
• The Singing Nun at Allmusic
• The Singing Nun at Discogs

• fr:Sœur Sourire French Wikipedia article with lyrics of first verse of "Dominique"

Frankie Valli
Frankie Valli in 2010, with Linda November and Artie Schroeck
Background information
Birth name	Francis Stephen Castelluccio
Born	(1934-05-03) May 3, 1934 (age 78)
Origin	Newark, New Jersey, U.S.
Genres	Rock, Pop
Occupations	Vocalist
Years active	1953–present
Associated acts	The Four Seasons also known as The 4 Seasons The 4 Seasons featuring the "sound" of Frankie Valli The Wonder Who?

Frankie Valli (born May 3, 1934) is an American popular singer, most famous as frontman of The Four Seasons beginning in 1960. He is well known for his unusually powerful falsetto 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 Great Britain 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^[1] and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1999.^[2]

Early life[link]

Valli was born Francis Stephen Castelluccio in the First Ward of Newark, New Jersey. His father, Anthony Castelluccio, was a barber; His mother, Mary Rinaldi, was a homemaker.^[3][4] He was inspired to take up a singing career at the age of seven after his mother took him to see the young Frank Sinatra at the Paramount Theater in New York City.^[5] His early mentor was Texas singer Jean Valley, from whom he obtained his last name, although it took him some time to settle on the spelling "Valli".^[4] Until he could support himself with music, he worked as a barber.^[5]

As with many other celebrities, Valli's birth year has been called into question. Valli never addressed the issue himself, until the 2007 posting at the Official Frankie Valli Site, sponsored by his current record label, Universal Records. Much of the previous official publicity surrounding his career had used 1937 as the birth year. It is hard to tell when and why this occurred, but inference can be made that by chopping a few years off his age, he would seem more commercially viable to a younger audience. Other sources, such as the Bear Family Records release, entitled 'The Four Lovers' (BCD 15424), as well as a 1965 "mug shot", available through The Smoking Gun, all identify his year of birth as 1934.

Music career[link]

1950s – 1960s[link]

Valli began his professional singing career in 1951 with the Variety Trio (Nickie DeVito, Tommy DeVito and Nick Macioci). Valli's desire to sing in public was initially granted when, having heard Valli sing, the group offered him a guest spot when the group performed. In late 1952, the Variety Trio disbanded and Valli, along with Tommy DeVito, became part of the house band at The Strand in New Brunswick, New Jersey. For his part, Valli played bass and sang. He cut his first single, "My Mother's Eyes," in 1953 as "Frankie Valley," a name he adopted from "Texas" Jean Valley, a favorite female singer. Around this time, Valli and Tommy DeVito left the house band at The Strand and formed The Variatones with Hank Majewski, Frank Cattone and Billy Thompson. In 1956, as part of an audition backing a female singer, the group impressed New York record man Peter Paul, who had them auditioning at RCA Victor a week later. Renamed The Four Lovers, the group recorded several singles and one album's worth of tracks. They had a minor hit with "You're the Apple of My Eye" in 1956. Nickie DeVito and Hank Majewski left in 1958 to be replaced by Nick Macioci (now Nick Massi) and Hugh Garrity. Massi was in and out of the group, and, occasionally Charles Calello joined on accordion. The group continued to perform until 1959, when Bob Gaudio became a member. After a few more changes, the group was renamed "The 4 Seasons" in 1960.^[6][7][8][9]

As the lead singer of The Four Seasons, he had a string of hits beginning with the number one hit "Sherry" in 1962. As a footnote to this period of Frankie's career with The Four Seasons, the group's bassist and vocal arranger Nick Massi was replaced in 1965 by Charlie Calello, the group's instrumental arranger, and, then shortly thereafter, Charlie was replaced by Joseph LaBracio, who went by the pseudonym Joe Long.

During the 1960s, Gaudio and his then songwriting partner, producer Bob Crewe (born Stanley Robert Crewe on November 12, 1931), worked with Valli to craft solo recordings with varying degrees of success. This concept of a major recording artist performing solo in opposition to his or her own group performances was new to the rock/pop world and may have given tacit approval to other groups and members of other groups to pursue such a path. The potential to dominate the charts with group and solo recordings was great, and Valli, Gaudio and Crewe occasionally rose to the occasion with both great performances and commercial hits. Valli was the original artist to record the Gaudio-Crewe composition "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine (Anymore)", a performance that was copied nearly note for note when recorded by The Walker Brothers, an American group based in England. The Walker Brothers version was a huge success. Valli continued to record solo performances and finally reached major success with the release of "Can't Take My Eyes Off You". Though it only reached number two in the charts, the song itself was widely recorded by many other artists.

Valli's debut solo album was a gathering together of various single releases and a few new recordings. Prior to the release of Valli's second solo album, a single was released in July 1967 with the A-side "I Make A Fool Of Myself," a record that reached number 18. 'Timeless,' Valli's second solo album release was more coherent and Valli took more time in recording it. 'Timeless' contains one Top 40 hit, "To Give (The Reason I Live)."

Finally, Valli ended the '60s with a string of recordings that were included in the Valli/Four Seasons album 'Half & Half' or released as various singles. The only hit to emerge at this time was the recording of "The Girl I'll Never Know (Angels Never Fly This Low)," reaching number 52.

1970s to the present[link]

"You're Ready Now", a Valli solo recording from 1966, became a surprise hit in Great Britain as part of the Northern soul scene and hit number eleven on the British pop charts in December 1970.

In 1975, Valli's single "My Eyes Adored You" hit number 1 on Billboard's Hot 100. In the same year, he also had a number 6 Billboard hit with the disco-laden "Swearin' To God", while a further UK Chart success came with "Fallen Angel" written by Guy Fletcher & Doug Flett and produced by Bob Gaudio; Valli was in the UK charts with this at the same time as The Four Seasons enjoyed a UK hit with "Silver Star" on which Valli did not appear.

In 1976, Valli covered the Beatles song "A Day in the Life" for the ephemeral musical documentary All This and World War II.

In 1978, Valli sang the theme song for the film version of the stage play, Grease, a song written by Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees, which became a number 1 hit. He had two further chart successes the following year, "Save Me, Save Me" in November 1978, which entered the Billboard Easy Listening chart, and "Fancy Dancer" in January 1979, which entered the pop charts.^[4]

Valli suffered from otosclerosis in the 1970s, forcing him to "sing from memory" in the latter part of the decade. Surgery restored most of his hearing by 1980.^[10]

In 1992, a new Four Seasons album was released entitled Hope and Glory.

In 2005, the Broadway musical Jersey Boys opened on the "Great White Way". Besides performances of many of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons hit recordings, the musical features a biographical narrative, told as four separate points of view by each of the members of The Four Seasons (Tommy DeVito, Frankie Valli, Nick Massi, and Bob Gaudio). The musical dramatizes several real-life incidents from Valli's life, including his estrangement from his daughter Francine, who died in 1980. The show was widely acclaimed, financially successful, and won six Tony awards. The musical has touring companies around the world, as well as a version at The Palazzo Hotel in Las Vegas.

In October 2007, Valli released Romancing the 60s, an album containing covers of his favorite songs from the 1960s, two of which he had previously recorded. Those songs were "Sunny" and "Any Day Now".^[5]

In October 2010, a duet version of "The Biggest Part of Me" by Frankie Valli and Juice Newton was released on Newton's album Duets: Friends & Memories.

Acting career[link]

Valli made several appearances in Seasons 5 and 6 of the HBO series The Sopranos as mobster Rusty Millio.

Philanthropic activities[link]

Valli has been a supporter of heritage-related causes, particularly the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF). In 2006, he received the NIAF Lifetime Achievement Award at the Foundation's Anniversary Gala. In 2008, NIAF presented a scholarship in his name to an Italian American music student during the Foundation's East Coast Gala.

Discography[link]

Singles:

Studio Albums[link]

For albums recorded as part of The Four Seasons, see Discography of The Four Seasons

Many of Valli's solo recordings, recorded before 1975 were recorded with the participation of one or more of The Four Seasons.

Compilations and Misc. Four Seasons Albums with Frankie Valli "Solo" Songs[link]

• 04/1970: Half & Half - Philips PHS 600-341 (five tracks by Frankie Valli; five tracks by The 4 Seasons)
• 05/1972: Chameleon - MoWest MW108L (two tracks by Frankie Valli; seven tracks by The Four Seasons)
• 12/1975: Valli Gold - Private Stock PS 2001
• 04/1978: Frankie Valli Hits - Private Stock PS 7012
• 12/1979: Very Best Of Frankie Valli - MCA 3198
• 08/1980: Superstar Series Volume 4 - Motown M5-104V1 (five tracks by Frankie Valli; four tracks by The Four Seasons)
• xx/1988: Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons 25th Anniversary Collection - Rhino Records Inc RNRD 72998-2 (twelve tracks by Frankie Valli; forty-two tracks by either The Four Seasons or The Wonder Who?)
• xx/1990: Frankie Valli & The 4 Seasons volume 2 rarities - Rhino Records Inc R2 70924 (two tracks by Frankie Valli; sixteen tracks by The Four Seasons)
• xx/1994: FRANKIE VALLI SOLO TIMELESS 2LPs ON 1 CD + BONUS TRACKS - ACE Records Ltd CDCHD 538
• xx/1996: THE 4 SEASONS FRANKIE VALLI HALF & HALF PLUS 6 BONUS TRACKS - ACE Records Ltd CDCHD 635 (eight tracks by Frankie Valli; eight tracks by The Four Seasons)
• 07/1996: FRANKIE VALLI GREATEST HITS - Curb Records D2-77714
• 05/2001: IN SEASON THE FRANKIE VALLI & THE 4 SEASONS ANTHOLOGY - Rhino/Warner Special Products R2 74266 OPCD-5508 (fourteen tracks by Frankie Valli; thirty-seven tracks by either The Four Seasons or The Wonder Who?)
• 06/2007: ...Jersey Beat... The Music Of FRANKIE VALLI & THE 4 SEASONS - Rhino R2 74852 3 CDs + 1 DVD (thirteen tracks by Frankie Valli; sixty-three tracks by either The Four Seasons or The Wonder Who?) (DVD contains two solo performances by Frankie Valli and ten group performances by The Four Seasons)
• 04/2008: The Four Seasons Present Frankie Valli Solo - Timeless - collector's choice Music CCM-927
• 04/2008: Closeup - Valli - collector's choice Music CCM-928 (this CD contains a longer version of "Swearin' To God" than the original album release of 02/1975. This version clocks in at 10:35. Also, the tracks "Can't Get You Off My Mind" and "Easily" have been edited down from their original album lengths.)
• 04/2008: Our Day Will Come - Lady Put the Light Out - collector's choice Music CCM-929
• 04/2008: Frankie Valli Is the Word - Heaven Above Me - collector's choice Music CCM-930
• 05/2008: Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons: The Motown Years - Hip-O Select.com Motown A Universal Music Company B0010777-02 2 CDs (fourteen tracks by Frankie Valli; thirteen tracks by The Four Seasons)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Biography at Starpulse.com
• Frankie Valli interviewed on the Pop Chronicles (1969).[1]

v t e The Four Seasons Frankie Valli Tommy DeVito Bob Gaudio Nick Massi Charles Calello Joe Long Albums Sherry & 11 Others (1962) The 4 Seasons Greetings (1962) Big Girls Don't Cry and Twelve others (1963) The 4 Seasons Sing Ain't That a Shame and 11 Others (1963) Golden Hits of the 4 Seasons (1963) Chameleon (1972) Who Loves You (1975) The Very Best of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons (2002) Singles "Sherry" "Big Girls Don't Cry" "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" "Walk Like A Man" "Ain't That a Shame" "Candy Girl" "New Mexican Rose" "Dawn (Go Away)" "Stay" "Ronnie" "Rag Doll" "Alone (Why Must I Be Alone)" "Save It for Me" "Sincerely" "Happy, Happy Birthday Baby" "Big Man in Town" "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" "Bye, Bye, Baby (Baby Goodbye)" "Since I Don't Have You" "Girl Come Running" "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine (Anymore)" "Let's Hang On!" "Don't Think Twice" "Working My Way Back to You" "Opus 17 (Don't You Worry 'bout Me)" "On the Good Ship Lollipop" "I've Got You Under My Skin" "The Proud One" "Tell It to the Rain" "Beggin'" "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" "C'mon Marianne" "Lonesome Road" "Watch the Flowers Grow" "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" "You've Got Your Troubles (I've Got Mine)" "My Eyes Adored You" "Our Day Will Come" "Who Loves You" "December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)" "Silver Star" "Grease" Related topics Discography Members Albums Songs The Four Lovers The Wonder Who? Bob Crewe Jersey Boys Ces soirées-là Book:The Four Seasons

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Paul & Paula (Ray Hildebrand, born December 21, 1940; Jill Jackson, born May 20, 1942), were a pop singing duo, best known for their 1963 million selling #1 hit record, "Hey Paula."

Biography[link]

Hildebrand was born in Joshua, Texas, and Jackson in McCamey, Texas. Both were attending Howard Payne College in Brownwood, Texas in 1962 when a local disc jockey, Riney Jordan, asked listeners to come to the studio and sing their songs to help the American Cancer Society. The duo sang a song called "Hey Paula," which Hildebrand wrote, and were encouraged to make a record of it.

Shelby Singleton of Mercury Records eventually signed them, but not before changing their professional name (Singleton reasoned that a pair named Ray and Jill singing about "Hey, hey Paula" and "Hey, hey Paul" did not make sense). "Hey Paula" sold over two million copies globally, and was awarded a gold disc by the Recording Industry Association of America (R.I.A.A.) in 1963.^[1] The pairing of Paul & Paula was credited with inspiring other famous male/female pairings down the line, mostly from record companies that had originally turned the duo down in 1962. In November 1963 Nino Tempo & April Stevens and Dale and Grace had back-to-back Hot 100 #1s. Jerry Butler was quickly paired with Betty Everett, and Marvin Gaye was paired with a number of female partners before Motown finally settled on Tammi Terrell.

The duo released two regular albums and a Christmas-themed album after the success of "Hey Paula", which charted at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the entire month of February 1963. Their follow-up, "Young Lovers," reached #6 on the Billboard chart later in the same year.

In 1965, Hildebrand left the act to complete his college education, having decided that a future in show business was not for him. He made this decision in the middle of a Dick Clark Caravan of Stars road trip, and Clark had to fill in at the last minute. Hildebrand recorded a Christian music album in 1967 called He's Everything to Me.

Jackson went on with a solo career and Hildebrand returned to singing in the 1980s in the Christian duo Land & Hildebrand. Today, the twosome get together from time-to-time to sing as Paul & Paula for special events.

In 2002, Hildebrand and Jackson returned to Howard Payne College to be the homecoming guests of honor and Grand Marshalls.

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

• (1963) We Go Together
• (1963) Holiday for Teens
• (1964) Paul & Paula Sing for Young Lovers
• (1978) National Lampoon's Animal House
• (1995) The Best of Paul & Paula
• (2000) Greatest Hits

Singles[link]

• "Hey Paula" (1963)
• "Young Lovers" (1963)
• "Flipped Over You" (1963)
• "Something Old, Something New" (1963)
• "A Perfect Pair" (1963)
• "First Day Back At School" (1963)
• "First Quarrel" (1963)
• "We'll Never Break Up For Good" (1964)

See also[link]

• Hot 100 No. 1 Hits of 1963 (USA)

References[link]