The Night

[paul_nixon]

A question for Russ or Ralph. It appears that a great deal of time and effort was put into Russ mixing almost 40 mixes of the Franki Valli and the 4 Seasons track which eventually became a smash in the UK after the group had left the label.
My question is why the company should put so much effort into this track - mixing - scheduling a release - serving DJ's with white label copies and then cancelling the single and replacing it with Walk On Don't Look Back.
That kind of effort usually signals the powers that be had confidence in a song and were expecting great things of it - so why cancel it?

[ralpht]

Wish I could give you a good answer on this, Paul but the best I can say is this happens. Maybe interest in the song faded. Russ and Harry Balk once did about 40 mixes on a Rare Earth song and the more they mixed the further they got into confusion. Russ suggested they go back to the 7 and a half rough mix to regain some footing. It turned out the rough mix was the winner and "I Just Want To Celebrate" was released.

[ralpht]

When I was producing with Teddie Morrow in California, I once did a count of songs that were in "the can". There was about 60 songs sitting there in various forms of completion. We liked them when we started them but other songs would come up and we would go on to the next song. Maybe with Frankie Valli they just went to the next song.

[paul_nixon]

When I was producing with Teddie Morrow in California, I once did a count of songs that were in "the can". There was about 60 songs sitting there in various forms of completion. We liked them when we started them but other songs would come up and we would go on to the next song. Maybe with Frankie Valli they just went to the next song.

I can sort of get my heard around this reasoning but when the track was as mighty as The Night to pass it over for a much weaker track seems very strange - maybe somebody wasn't listening when this came to QC.

[copley]

QC passed on 'Jimmy Mack' so I never had much respect for them after I found out that little gem!

[nsoule]

serving DJ's with white label copies and then cancelling the single and replacing it with Walk On Don't Look Back.

There are white label promos of this? US pressings?

[paul_nixon]

There are white label promos of this? US pressings?

Yes paperwork suggests that

[psychedelic jacques]

My hunch is that it was plain and simple caution on Motown's part. With 'The Night', you had something that didn't really sound like anything that had come before, either for Motown or FV and the Seasons - musically it's years ahead of its time for 1972. On the other hand, they had a track ready in 'Walk On...' which knowingly harks back to the Seasons' Glory Days of 'walk like a man' etc., even down to the conscious referencing of 'walking' in its title and lyrics. There may also have been an element of Motown having a big name from the 60s as a new signing in 1972 and knowing that the first release may be their best chance of a hit, so I reckon they just decided to play it safe, thinking that 'walk on' just sounded much more recognisable as the 4 Seasons and therefore a better chance of a hit.

In hindsight, you could make a case that 'walk on...' was sort of ahead of its time. It was released at the end of 1972 in the US and early 73 here in the UK. By the end of 1973 there was quite a commercial appeal in harking back to the 1950s and early 60s following on from the release of the movie American Graffiti and records like the Carpenters 'yesterday once more' album. Perhaps if Motown had waited and released 'walk on...' a year later it might have hit on the coat tails of this.

But yes, it pales by comparison to 'The Night'.

[mysterysinger]

Perhaps they couldn't decide whether to issue the Four Seaons "version" or the one by Frankie Valli with fewer voices. Mowest 5025 seems to have had a promo of "The Night" with Frankie Valli on the label [[according to 45Cat). Or maybe the response to the advanced copies was not favourable from the DJs etc.

Prior to issue of "Walk On Don't Look Back" [[Mowest 5026), Mowest had already released Frankie Valli's "Love Isn't Here" [[Mowest 5011 29 February 1972). That's among my favourite Motown records of all time.

In the UK the path seems to have been clearer:

FV&4S TMG819 "You're a Song [[That I Can't Sing"/"Sun Country" 9 June 1972
FV&4S MW3002 "The Night"/"When The Morning comes" 6 October 1972
FV&4S MW3003 "Walk On, Don't Look Back"/"Touch The Rainchild" 29 March 1973
FV&4S MW3024 "The Night"/"When The Morning comes" 27 March 1975 [[re-issue)
FV&4S MW3028 "Touch The Rainchild"/"Poor Fool" 6 June 1975
FVALLI MW3030 "And I Will Love You"/"Sun Country" 29 August 1975
FVALLI MW3034 "Life and Breath"/"Thank You" 11 June 1976

[Boogiedown]

fun stuff !



puts to mind in some ways of:

[Graham Jarvis]

Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, were Northern Soul hero's "The Night" not only huge in the all nighter clubs but also made the UK Charts on a 2nd Mowest issue. One other album track from 1967 [[albeit on Phillips) was way ahead of itself and also became a a massive Soul Anthem, the track "I'm Gonna Change" was then bootlegged on 45. Not a Motown record but links to the "Night"