i think that jtq borrowed quite a lot from ccs when they recorded their version of this song. i like the flute.
30 Jun 03 ·n-jeff: Could even be 196? Familiar to those of us from theUK of a certain age as the theme to "top of the pops". Great hair and Sideburns on your man Alexis Corner, too.
In fact don't they use it on TOTP 2 now? 30 Jun 03 ·shaka_klaus: i don't know. i'm from sweden. i guess i'm not of a certain age either :). 28 Jan 04 ·tinks: it's from 1970. and it was produced by mickie most, even!
I have never seen this on a Greatest Hits album or heard it on the radio. It never made the US top 100 (although at this time the Seasons were apparently more popular in the UK).
It's surprisingly long for a Four Seasons song (6:11), and takes its time moving from the slower, "Lay Me Down" sections (with the more typical harmonies) to the more rock-oriented "Wake Me Up" sections. The closing refrains feature the types of harmonies you'd expect from early-80s Chicago. Frankie Valli handles the lead vocals, but stays away from the high-pitched stuff.
If you liked GENUINE IMITATION LIFE GAZETTE, this should be right up your alley. For those most familiar with the early-60s stuff ("Sherry") and their disco hits ("Who Loves You," "December 1963"), the 1969-1970 recordings might make a lot of sense as a bridge between the Four Seasons as a group of singers fronted by Valli in 1962 to a vehicle for some great compositions by Bob Crewe and Bob Gaudio in the mid-1970s.
I first heard this one on one of the radio mixes on Stereolab's website, and found a copy for relatively cheap on eBay shorty thereafter.
Anyway, it's great.
The sound reminds me of Gary McFarland's "Latin Lounge" stuff but with a bigger sound and an extra element of subtle funkiness. Gismonti's arrangement here is adventurous, unpredictable and totally engrossing.
The whole album is wonderful -- "Pendulo" and "Parque Laje" are equally as good -- but I'm still most partial to this, the first track that I heard.
This is not so much my favorite B-66' tune as my favorite Gracinha Leporace tune. She sang for Bossa Rio as well as Edu Lobo some rarer solo outings. It's a cover of a great Caetano Veloso tune from an earlier LP. Unfamiliar as I am with the original I can't compare the two, but as far as how out it is for Sergio is without saying. The whole thing sounds really compressed and blissed out, way more soulful than a lot of his earlier stuff, it just drives forward and backward undulating...
Just a beautiful vocal performance, totally solo with chorus overdubs just to fill it out... Gorgeous!
17 Jul 03 ·bobbyspacetroup: I'm in total agreement on this one. Stillness and Crystal Illusions are probably my favorite Mendes records, and this track is definitely a stand-out. Great recommendation.
