Chameleon

Valli recorded one further solo album for Motown but this 1972 set was the only album he and the Four Seasons recorded for the label. Mostly written by Four Seasons keyboard player Bob Gaudio it’s an intriguing mix of styles, with moments of pastoral soul like the gentle acoustic guitar-led A New Beginning, the pre-disco stomp of Touch The Rainchild and lost blue-eyed soul anthem Sun Country somehow all hanging together as parts of a larger cohesive whole. Also includes the storming The Night which was a big hit on the Northern Soul scene and provided the album’s only hit. With a sub-two-minute intro and only 8 other tracks, it’s a concise yet varied album, part-soul, part-pop, with plenty of adventurousness in the arrangements and some gorgeous musical moments.