How did four blue-collar kids become one of the greatest successes in pop music history? You ask four guys, you get four different answers. Have we got a story for you!
Everyone knows their songs. Few know their story. Named for a bowling alley that refused to book them, The Four Seasons—Frankie, Tommy, Bob, and Nick—were four high school dropouts who emerged from New Jersey to become true American Idols: one of the biggest American pop music sensations of all time. With a shiny doo-wop sound highlighted by lead singer Frankie Valli’s stratospheric falsetto, they wrote their own songs, invented their own sounds, and sold 175 million records worldwide—all before they were thirty.
Jersey Boys, Broadway’s 2006 Tony Award® Winner for Best Musical, is the electrifying tale of the Seasons’ rise, the moment they established their signature sound with their breakout hit “Sherry”; becoming a sensation on American Bandstand, of being young and full of hope and dreams and promise; of riding the rocket of success against the irresistible pull of the Jersey mob and the old neighborhood. Like the show itself, this gorgeous, full-color companion book captures the magic and the original excitement of the band’s life and times through all-new interviews with the band members. It also features the show’s libretto; interviews with the show’s writers, director, and cast; and over 200 photos from the band members’ personal collections of rarely seen memorabilia. For anyone who's ever sung along or danced to "Oh, What a Night!", “Walk Like a Man” or “Big Girls Don’t Cry”, and for those just discovering the timeless sound of The Four Seasons, Jersey Boys is the ultimate keepsake.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
About the Author
DAVID COTE is the theater editor and chief drama critic for Time Out New York. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, Opera News, and Maxim. In 2005, he wrote Wicked: The Grimmerie, the lavish companion book to the hit Broadway musical Wicked.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Loved This Book!,
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Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Jersey Boys: The Story of Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons (Hardcover)
Ever since I saw Jersey Boys I have been obsessed with the Four Seasons! I pre-ordered this book when it was announced and I was not disappointed. Since I am in my mid 30's, I didn't get to see them in their prime. I never really paid much attention to them and didn't realize I knew so many of their songs until I saw the play. This book gave a lot of insights not only to the Four Seasons themselves, but also to the development and production of Jersey Boys. It is put together in a fun and easy to read format and is filled with tons of information and trivia. I thoroughly enjoyed it!
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A fitting tribute to the musical and the band that inspired it,
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This review is from: Jersey Boys: The Story of Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons (Hardcover)
There is no definitive biography of pop icons Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, but until one comes along this glossy coffee table book will do. Make no mistake - this book is primarily about the musical Jersey Boys rather than the musical group that inspired it - but there is plenty of material about both to make the casual fan happy. Billed as "the official companion to the Broadway musical," the book features the show's libretto, tons of photos, and interviews with the cast, director, writers, and the Four Seasons themselves. There is also a nice Valli/Seasons discography at the end of the book that spans five decades of musical output.
16 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Not as amazing as expected, but a good coffee table book,
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Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Jersey Boys: The Story of Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons (Hardcover)
This is not as amazing as expected -- the written material about the show itself and its development is more limited than one would expect in a book of this type. There is next to nothing written about the set design, or the lighting, or the other more interesting technical aspects of the show. There is very little written about the actors themselves - one page per actor and next to no biographical information about any of them -- their Playbill bios have more information. Example, Danny Reichart's doesn't even mention he is a University of Michigan grad -- which any of us Michigan folks know is next to impossible to imagine for anyone who has gone to UM.
There is some limited information on the Four Seasons themselves -- but most of it is highly edited and highly proofed to assure there is no controversy in this book. The section on Guardio is the most developed. Not a big surprise there given the constant editing the show itself has had to assure no "dirt" is exposed. I love the musical -- it is exciting to read through the libretto again. There is so much missing on the cast album that it is a thrill to have the whole thing there to read through again. Similar to Hairspray's coffee table book with less emphasis on the technical aspects of the show; and blissfully less self-absorbed than The Producers coffee table book; but nowhere near the completeness and creativity of the Wicked Grimmery coffee table book.
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