Track of the Moment: December, 1963 by Frankie Valli and the 4 Seasons

 When I first mentioned Frankie Valli and the 4 Seasons (or whatever name you want to call them, because they couldn’t decide themselves) to Mark while listening to ELO (I was commenting on how they have a few things in common, musically), Mark didn’t know who they were. (He later rescinded this by claiming he didn’t know the name “Frankie Valli” off the top of his head). And for someone who knows music as well as he does, I was so disappointed I stole his dog and fed his childhood to a homeless man (I’m currently still in shock over this incident, so pardon my nonsensical ramblings and cheesehouse connoisseurs). Once I got back to the FoaLiaB offices, I sat him down and played him some of the best goddamn pop rock from the 60’s and 70’s.

Their list of accomplishments is nearly endless. Three consecutive #1 singles in a row from a new band, induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, New Jersey Hall of Fame, and Vocal Group Hall of Fame, and multiple albums and singles that sold in the millions. They rivaled the Beach Boys in popularity. They’re the only band to have a #1 hit before, during, and after The Beatles had their #1 hits. Their songs are a staple of classic rock radio. The Frankie Falsetto is unmistakable to anyone who knows anything about classic music. There were thousands of people conceived to their songs. They have a musical written about them that won four Tony Awards. They are one of the greatest pop-rock acts of all time, hands down, no fooling.

Today’s song is a perennial favorite, “December, 1963”. Written towards the end of the bands recording period, it recalls the heyday of The 4 Seasons in the early 1960’s. While songs like “My Eyes Adored You” was trying to move towards the soul and disco sounds that were popular, “December, 1963” went back, mixing some modern sounds with that classic, late 50’s, early 60’s 4 Seasons sound. Between the nostalgic instrumentation and vocals, along with the song (allegedly, but pretty obviously) being about losing your virginity, it became an instant classic at that time. That holds true even today, giving us a simple, fun, happy tune that makes us all look back to those happy moments when we were younger.