Recorded during a brief spell at Motown, The Night is an unusual blend of the group's early harmony pop and their Valli-less disco hits. It opens with a touch of menace: a creepy bass-line over a church organ, and the guys breathing: "Beware of his promise..." Suddenly, the voices explode: "Before! I go forever!" and Frankie takes the lead for a pounding, irresistible tune. A regular in Northern Soul clubs before it hit the Top 10 in 1975. Soft Cell covered it.
Availability: The Definitive Frankie Valli And The Four Seasons Warner CD
41. ABBA: SOS/ Man In The Middle (1975)
A Top 10 UK hit in late summer 1975, SOS cemented Abba's reputation as exotic Euro-pop prodigies, paving the way for the string of number 1 smashes we all know and love. Switching between forlorn verses and thumping glam choruses, the glory of this ode to a failing relationship lies in its keening, almost childlike evocation of the sadness and anger behind an unfathomable break-up. Just check out those simplistic, Swedish-into-English lyrics: "All this over baroque, quasi-classical keyboard flourishes and beefy power-chords that invite a rousing, air-guitar-enhanced pub sing-along.
Availability: Abba Gold: The Greatest Hits Polar/Universal CD
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