Friday, November 4, 2022
Thursday, November 3, 2022
Monday, October 31, 2022
Ray Charles [RIP] - Discography
Ray Charles - Discography
Born: September 23, 1930 - Died: June 10, 2004 (aged 73)
R.I.P.
Ray Charles was the musician most responsible for developing soul music. Singers like Sam Cooke and Jackie Wilson also did a great deal to pioneer the form, but Charles did even more to devise a new form of Black pop by merging '50s R&B with gospel-powered vocals, adding plenty of flavor from contemporary jazz, blues, and (in the '60s) country. Then there was his singing; his style was among the most emotional and easily identifiable of any 20th century performer, up there with the likes of Elvis and Billie Holiday. He was also a superb keyboard player, arranger, and bandleader. The brilliance of his 1950s and '60s work, however, can't obscure the fact that he made few classic tracks after the mid-'60s, though he recorded often and performed until the year before his death.
Tuesday, October 25, 2022
Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons - Discography
Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons - Discography
A New Jersey-based vocal quartet that was also nearly a self-contained band (they carried a drummer who was not at first listed as a full-fledged member), the Four Seasons were billed numerically as "the 4 Seasons" when they emerged in 1962 with their first hit, the chart-topping "Sherry." The four members were Valli (born Francis Castelluccio in Newark, NJ, on May 3, 1934) and singer/guitarist Tommy DeVito (born in Montclair, NJ, on June 19, 1928), both of whom had also been in the Four Lovers, the precursor to the Four Seasons, plus singer/bassist Nick Massi (born Nicholas Macioci, September 19, 1926; died December 24, 2000), and singer/keyboardist Bob Gaudio (born Robert Gaudio, in the Bronx, New York, on November 17, 1942). Massi left the group in 1965, and Joe Long (born Joseph LaBracio on September 5, 1941) joined. On the back covers of their albums and the labels of their singles, the Four Seasons emphasized the presence of their distinctive lead singer, known for his piercing falsetto by printing the slogan, "Featuring the 'Sound' of Frankie Valli." And Valli launched a concurrent solo career in 1965. But throughout the '60s, the group was billed as "the 4 Seasons." During the decade, they charted 39 singles and 21 albums on the Billboard pop charts, making them one of the most successful recording acts of the era.