Music Blog

Oh What A Night

Nancy's Notes 🖊️🎶

This week at Glyn Wilton’s Mixed Music Bag,
he’s asking us to write about a song in which
the title or a line mentions the current month. 
Here’s my December artist and their song.

© Getty Images

Welcome back to the final month of 2025 at Glyn Wilton’s Mixed Music Bag. Here is my group and their song for the second week of December.

The Four Seasons were a hugely successful American rock/pop group, famous for Frankie Valli’s soaring falsetto and hits like “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” and“December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)”. The core original lineup, all Italian-Americans from New Jersey, featured Valli (lead vocals), Tommy DeVito (guitar/vocals), (keyboards/songwriter), and Nick Massi  (bass/vocals). Drummer Gerry Polci joined the Four Seasons in 1973 at the age of 20 while he was a sophomore at Montclair State; until that point, the group only used session drummers. Their signature sound blended doo-wop harmonies with pop, rock, and later disco, featuring complex arrangements and Valli’s powerful vocals. Valli also had major solo hits, including “My Eyes Adored You” and “Grease” and is still performing at the incredible age of 91. The Four Seasons survived through the British Invasion, were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and inspired the hit musical Jersey Boys. If you’d like to know more about The Four Seasons, check out their website.

“December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)” by The Four Seasons, was a massive hit from 1975/76. It tells a nostalgic tale of a first love/sexual experience. The song was originally written by Bob Gaudio and his future wife, Judy Parker, about the repeal of Prohibition in 1933, but Frankie Valli hated that concept and insisted they change it to a romance. Parker’s lyrics are a recollection of her and Gaudio’s first “romantic encounter”. Parker sought to write the lyrics in a way that was family-friendly because of the Four Seasons’ (and Parker’s own) clean reputation. The iconic track features drummer Gerry Polci on lead vocals, not Valli (who sings the bridge), creating a unique sound that became a dance floor staple and a huge global hit, even spawning a popular remix in the 90s. The song became the biggest-selling single record the Four Seasons ever made. The single was released in December 1975 and hit #1 on the UK Singles chart  on February 21, 1976. It repeated the feat on the US Billboard Hot 100 on March 13, 1976, remaining in the top spot for three weeks. The ’94 remix brought the song back to the charts, achieving #14 and setting records for chart longevity.

This is “December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night) by the Four Seasons


LYRICS

Oh, what a night
Late December, back in ’63
What a very special time for me
As I remember, what a night

Oh, what a night
You know, I didn’t even know her name
But I was never gonna be the same
What a lady, what a night

Oh, I
I got a funny feeling when she walked in the room
And my
As I recall, it ended much too soon

Oh, what a night
Hypnotizing, mesmerizing me
She was everything I dreamed she’d be
Sweet surrender, what a night

And I felt a rush like a rolling bolt of thunder
Spinning my head around and takin’ my body under
Oh, what a night

Oh, I
Got a funny feeling when she walked in the room
And my
As I recall, it ended much too soon

Oh, what a night
Why’d it take so long to see the light?
Seemed so wrong, but now it seems so right
What a lady, what a night

Oh, I felt a rush like a rolling bolt of thunder
Spinning my head around and takin’ my body under
Oh, what a night (do do do do do, do do do do)
Oh, what a night (do do do do do, do do do do)
Oh, what a night (do do do do do, do do do do)
Oh, what a night (do do do do do, do do do do)

Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: Robert Gaudio/Judy M. Parker
December, 1963 (Oh, What A Night) lyrics © Seasons Music Company, Seasons Music Co., Jobete Music Co Inc., Pw Arrangements

Mixed Bag 2025 – Weezer time

Big thanks to Glyn Wilton for hosting Mixed Music Bag each week. Please be sure to follow the link and check out Glyn’s site.

Thanks for joining me today for a look and a listen.

See you on the flip side. 😎

NAR©2025

All text, graphics and videos are copyright for Nancy Richy and are not to be used without permission. NAR©2017-present.

19 thoughts on “Oh What A Night”

          1. My parents were retiring and moving to south Florida. But that was way too south for me. I moved to NW Florida–the Panhandle. Years ago. I couldn’t do it now. As you say, at this point in my life, I am where I am. NJ got too cold for me. Temps drop to the 40s here and I am freezing! 😂

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  6. Tis the season for a great group and their fabulous song, Nancy … meanwhile down here in Aussieland, here is my “Australian Reindeer” poem …

    Australian Reindeer

    I’m waiting in the queue

    To buy my concession postage stamps

    Finally, at the counter

    I present my Australian Post Card

    Yet another plastic piece to scan

    “Sorry” said the office clerk

    “But you been archived”

    My mind goes clunk

    “What does that mean”

    I said to the clerk

    “But I’m here, mostly alive”

    “You’ll have to call Australia Post”

    Oh well, away I go, to phone-up

    I’m waiting in the queue

    On hold for twenty minutes

    Finally, “hello sir, can I help you”

    After giving him my personal details

    I explain my situation

    That the computer said

    “I’ve been archived”

    The operator said, “That’s strange. Please wait”

    After a few minutes, he speaks

    “Hello Ivor” (he knows my name!)

    It seems you’ve been deleted from the system”

    Now, my old-timer’s brain

    Is drowning in a cold sweat

    Not only have I been archived

    But now I’m deleted

    Am I digitally dead?

    Has my cyberspace cloud flown south?

    After a few minutes, the operator again speaks

    “Don’t worry Ivor”

    I swipe the robotic dribble from my chin

    “If you use your same card number

    and apply for a renewal,

    you’ll be re-installed into our system.”

    Re-installed, that sounds positive

    So off I trudge

    Back to the Post Office

    To fill in the application form

    Here I am again

    I’m waiting in the queue

    So, this is Christmas!

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