Joe Long
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Joe Long (born in Elizabeth, New Jersey on September 5, 1941[1] as Joseph LaBracio) is best known as the bass guitarist and vocal arranger for The Four Seasons, one of the biggest music acts of the 1960s. At their peak, The Four Seasons made recordings that expressed the tough-but-tender sensibility of their home turf in the Northeast much in the way the Beach Boys encapsulated the world of Southern California in harmony and song. In the words of Billy Joel, a longtime fan who grew up listening to them on Long Island, "The Four Seasons had wonderful chord progressions, beautiful writing, terrific production, fantastic harmony, records that really spoke to us."
Joe LaBracio is a classically trained musician and studied with Alfonse Strazza, a primo bassist and the principal bassist for the New York Philharmonic. However, a severe hand injury forced Joe to give up the rigors of playing classical bass and switch to the Fender bass-guitar. He then began listening more to rock and roll and became a rock 'n roll player for several local New Jersey bands before joining with his fellow "Jersey Boys", The Four Seasons in 1965 as a replacement for Nick Massi. Joe Long contributed much to the group’s innovative musical style and famous on stage antics. Joe Long continued to record, perform and tour with The Four Seasons through the late-1970s. After leaving the group Joe Long formed the rock 'n roll group LaBracio and later the jazz band Jersey Bounce.
Despite his extensive contributions to the Four Seasons, Joe Long remains the only member of the group's “definitive line up” not inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, most likely because he was not one of groups "founders" in 1962. Much controversy still exists over this questionable decision, especially in light of the many top-10 hits the group had during his tenure.
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[edit] External links
- Joe Long Tribute Evening, Baldoria's, New York City 5/28/06
- Interview: Joe Long: His Story
- The Jersey Boys 2006 Tony Award Winner for Best Musical
- The Four Seasons Fan Club Blog
- The Ed Sullivan Show 1965
- The Four Seasons Live Show 1966 (Joe Long on Bass)
- Joe Long is the only member of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons not fully inducted in Hall of Fame
- The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame "...Nick Massi (later replaced by Joe Long)"
