The Four Seasons |
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Sat. June 19.1999 3:04 AM EDT |
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The Four Seasons' Tommy DeVitoby Frank Tortorici |
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Tommy DeVito joined the Four Seasons with his brother, Nick. ( ) |
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Guitarist/singer Tommy DeVito was a key member of the phenomenally successful pop group the Four Seasons throughout their '60s heyday. But by the time the band enjoyed a short comeback in the mid-'70s, DeVito was gone from the lineup. Tommy
The Varietones changed their name to the Four Lovers, who enjoyed a hit in 1956 with Otis Blackwell's "You're the Apple of My Eye," a song given to them by the songwriter with the provision that the group not record his "Don't Be Cruel," which he gave to Elvis Presley. When songwriter/keyboardist Bob Gaudio joined the Four Lovers the group changed its name to the Four Seasons, after a New Jersey cocktail lounge (though they briefly revived the Four Lovers name once more before they found fame). Intricate harmonies were always part of the band's sound, but Gaudio and producer Bob Crewe further developed the doo-wop/soul-pop hybrid that made the group famous. The Four Seasons recorded backing vocals for other artists before hitting it big in 1962 with the Gaudio-written #1 hit "Sherry," which was highlighted by Valli's falsetto. The band, from which Nick DeVito and Majewski exited early on, continued in the same vein with its follow-up, the #1 "Big Girls Don't Cry" (RealAudio excerpt). Fifty hits, many written by Gaudio and Crewe, followed, including the #1 hits "Walk Like a Man," "Let's Hang On," "Working My Way Back to You," "Dawn," "Rag Doll" and "C'mon Marianne." When the Beatles made history in 1964 by holding four of the top five positions on the Billboard Hot 100, "Dawn" was the #3 song. In 1965 the Four Seasons recorded a cover of Bob Dylan's "Don't Think Twice It's Alright" under the alias the Wonder Who. Despite many lineup changes, the core of DeVito, Valli and Gaudio remained until shortly after their first big flop, the psychedelic Genuine Imitation Life Gazette (1969). DeVito then left, and Crewe joined. The Four Seasons without DeVito went hitless for years, despite Valli solo hits such as 1975's "My Eyes Adored You" and "Swearin' to God." The Four Seasons made a brief comeback with their huge smashes "Who Loves You" (1975) and 1976's "December 1963 (Oh What a Night)," without DeVito, who has remained largely out of the music business. The group then broke up. But in 1980 a new lineup (including Gaudio and Valli) formed that has continued to gig occasionally as an oldies act. "December 1963" re-entered the Billboard Hot 100, thanks to its appearance in the 1994 Oscar-winning movie "Forrest Gump." With more than 50 weeks on the chart, it is one of the longest-running singles in pop history. An example of the Four Seasons' influence can be found in Bruce Springsteen's famous cover of "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town," which is an imitation of the Four Seasons' hit 1962 version. The Four Seasons, including DeVito, were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990. Other birthdays: Ann Wilson (Heart), 49; Larry Dunn (Earth, Wind and Fire), 46; Mark DeBarge (DeBarge), 40; Paula Abdul, 37; and Howlin' Wolf, 1910-1976. |
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