My Eyes Adored You

[masterblaster]

Frankie Valli was interviewed on BBC Radio 2 this morning and revealed that 'My Eyes Adored You' was recorded at Motown and held in the can for three years because they didn't know what to do with it. When He left the label in 1975, he bought the track from Motown for $4k and took it to a new label, Private Stock where it was their first release and became a number 5 hit in the UK.
Motown got their hit in the same year with 'The Night' [[number 7) possibly following the success of 'Eyes'.
Was this a hit in the US?

[jack020]

My Eyes Adored You got to no.1 US.
The night was not a hit in the US. I am not sure if it was released there at all.
http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=30456
https://www.discogs.com/Frankie-Vall...release/967241

[masterblaster]

My Eyes Adored You got to no.1 US.
The night was not a hit in the US. I am not sure if it was released there at all.
http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=30456
https://www.discogs.com/Frankie-Vall...release/967241

Thanks for that Jack.
Not a bad return for Frankie Valli on his $4k investment and major shortsightedness on Motowns behalf.

[greg jones]

This is basically correct, but I don't believe that it was held for 3 years. My Eyes Adored You was mixed in aprrox Feb 1974, Motown Master No. 62522 as one of the last Frankie Valli & The 4 Seasons sessions. It was probably recorded sometime in 1973. This was after Motown had shut down MoWest and transferred all artists to other Motown imprints. Motown was never sure whether to issue things as credited to just Frankie Valli or Frankie Valli & The 4 Seasons. The rest of the songs mixed from that time that Motown did release were credited to Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons on Motown from what some of what Motown's paperwork showed.

When it was finally released in Nov 1974 on Private Stock, Motown did get publishing royalties off it as it was published by Motown's Stone Diamond division. Just before Gaudio and Valli left Motown, Gaudio had a found a new song writing partner, Judy Parker, whom he eventually married. They also found a couple of new members for the 4 Seasons. One of those sessions in the 2nd half of 1974 was Who Loves You was turned down by Private Stock as Larry Uttal said he had no interest in the 4 Seasons. They ended up taking that track to Berry Gordy's rival, Mike Curb and that was Curb's 1st release as Warner. Bros./Curb Records in 1975. The co-author of My Eyes Adored You, Kenny Nolan had also moved over to recording and publishing with Mike Curb as well around this time. So Mr. Gordy, in the less than a year, probably was not too amused that he lost out on both My Eyes Adored You and Who Loves You when the 4 Seasons left Motown in the summer of 1974.

[soulster]

What the hell was Motown thinking? "My Eyes Adored You" was an obvious hit. That's why it climbed the charts so quickly. And now it makes sense why "Who Loves You" sounds like a Motown record.

[mysterysinger]

"December 63 [[Oh! What a Night) was also a Jobete song.

[soulster]

"December 63 [[Oh! What a Night) was also a Jobete song.

I'll bet Motown really kicked themselves. Oh well, they still had the publishing.

[mysterysinger]

http://soulfuldetroit.com/showthread...-Frankie-Valli

[marv2]

Both of those songs were great songs.

[greg jones]

Yes, the whole Who Loves You Album was published by Jobete Music with Bob's Seasons Music! I believe that Bob and Judy wrote most of those songs while still at Motown and that they were just Not recorded before they left Motown. Possibly due the changes in personnel with the 4 Seasons or just the souring of the relationship with Motown. It is possible that the Jobete/Stone Diamond song writing contract expired after they left Motown and it was still in force for that 1st Curb album, since they were 2 separate contracts. For Bob and Frankie to be signed by Motown, Gordy usually insisted on publishing rights, if they were songwriters or at least, co publishing credit, which is what that was with Seasons Music.

Lesley Gore, who around the exact same time was signed to Motown and MoWest, somehow, got Gordy to agree to not sign for co-publishing. Mr. Gordy allowed Miss Gore to have her way on that 1st album and got Joe Porter to produce, who was also producing Bobby Darin at the time for Motown. Since Miss Gore's album tanked, I heard that he then wanted Bob Crewe and Bob Gaudio to do her next album, but things in 1973 early 1974 soured with Gaudio and Crewe that idea was out the window. Not sure if Miss Gore's contract just expired or she left like Gaudio and Valli.

Another interesting note at this time in 1973 was that Mr. Gordy allowed Mike Curb the use of Bob Gaudio at this time to start producing an album for Petula Clark, who signed to MGM and Polydor. They got about 6 songs done and released 2 singles, both of which unfortunately didn't even chart. Gaudio was also supposed to produce a duet with Petula & Bobby Darin, that never materialised. I've often wondered if Gordy allowed these things for Curb because of Gordy and Curb's contract for the MC imprint that was co-owned by Gordy and Curb. MC stood for Motown Country, but Curb liked that because it was his initials. Curb had just left PolyGram when they completed the purchase of MGM and brought several acts to Motown/MC like Pat Boone and T.G. Shepherd. As with the souring of the relationship with Gaudio and Valli, the Curb relationship with Gordy soured and split not longer after.