Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons – The Night (1972)
There can be few finer things in life than “cruising” the 2 miles to the local railway station at 6:50am in my X Reg Renault Clio and stumbling upon a lost pop classic on the dodgy CD player.
Apart, that is, from perhaps cruising the same journey in a brand spanking new, open top sports car or, alternatively, stumbling upon the same track while lying on a beach in Barbados.
No matter; no caveats needed here.
I had a double take when I spotted who recorded this song. I’ve always liked Frankie Valli’s stuff but this is an absolute Northern Soul classic. Originally released on Chameleon, the only LP that the Four Seasons ever recorded for Motown and released in 1972. The LP seems to have sunk without trace in the USA and this track with it. However, “The Night” was released in the UK three years later and made number 7 in the “hit parade” (as I believe the young folk of today now call the charts).
Fantastic driving bass and minor key chorus – in a different world this would be a stone cold classic. Really turn this up!
