Frankie Vallie and The Four Seasons have inspired hundreds of cover versions over the years – over 200 artists have covered I Can't Take My Eyes Off You alone! Versions of their tracks are still hitting the charts today, and reaching out to a new generation of music lovers who were too young to have heard the music of the Four Seasons the first time around. Here are a selection of our favourite cover versions – from The Bay City Rollers' much loved cover of Bye Bye Baby to The Pet Shop Boys' electronic medley of I Can't Take My Eyes Off You.
Madcon – Beggin'
Released: 2008
Madcon's cover of Beggin earned the group several #1 chart positions in Europe , including France, Portugal, Norway and Russia, and an overall #2 position on the European Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Claude Francois –
Cette Annee La
Released: 1976
Although most famous for his cover versions, Claude Francois was responsible for writing Comme d'habitude, the original version of My Way, which was eventually given to Frank Sinatra to sing, but with completely unrelated lyrics.
The Bay City Rollers –
Bye Bye Baby
Released: 1975
This cover version sold a million copies and was number 1 on the UK singles chart for 6 weeks in 1975. It was used in the soundtrack of the hit 2003 film Love Actually.
Kevin Rowland
(Dexys Midnight Runners) –
Rag Doll
Released: 1999
This track was from Kevin Rowland's second solo album My Beauty, released in 1999. The album is infamous for its cover, which features Rowland in drag and heavy makeup.
The Tremeloes –
Silence is Golden
Released: 1967
When Decca Records were looking for a 'beat' group, they auditioned two band – the Tremeloes and The Beatles. In what is often cited as one of the most famous music blunders of all time, they famously opted for the Tremoloes.
The Pet Shop Boys –
Where the Street Have No Name
(Can't Take My Eyes Off You)
Released: 1991
This cover version is a medley of U2's Where the Streets Have No Name and the Four Seaons' Can't Take My Eyes Off You. The Pet Shop Boys were originally going to call themselves West End, but changed their name to The Pet Shop Boys after some friends who worked in a pet shop in West London.
Yannick –
Ces Soirees La
Released: 2000
A cover of a cover version - Yannick adapted Claude Francois' French take on Oh What A Night and created a smash hit! The song was at number 1 in the French chart for 15 consecutive weeks.
Lauryn Hill –
Can't Take My Eyes off You
Released: 1998
This track was used on the soundtrack to the 1997 action film Conspiracy Theory starring Mel Gibson and Julia Roberts.
Edith Massey –
Big Girls Don't Cry
Released: 1982
Edith Massey was a former chorus girl and tap dancer turned actress and punk singer – who also ran a thrift shop called 'Edith's Shopping Bag'. This track can be found on a compilation called The World's Worst Records Vol. 1 - a various artists compilation from Rhino Records.