The Critters
Don Ciccone's career as a singer and musician (The Critters, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, Tommy James and the Shondells) has taken him around the world -- but songwriting remains nearest to his heart. After all, his initiation into the music industry came as a direct result of a producer overhearing him rehearse an original song during a break in a recording session.
He started writing songs and putting together bands just a few months after beginning guitar lessons at the age of 12. At 15, he auditioned for a locally popular band in Westfield, New Jersey. The Vibratones, led by Jim Ryan, were looking for a rhythm guitarist who could sing. One of Ciccone's best friends, Bob Podstawski (who would become the sax player and singer with The Critters), had suggested to Ryan that Don would be perfect for the slot.
"I would have rather been a lesser member of The Vibratones than the leader of my own band -- that’s how good this band was. During the audition Bob said, 'Hey, Don's written some songs too -- Don, why don’t you play some songs that you wrote?' I did, and that may have been what clinched the deal."
Don's enthusiasm for the group motivated him to put together first one management team, then another; eventually the group, by then re-named The Critters, landed a recording contract with Kama Sutra. It was during a break in recording their cover of John Sebastian's "Younger Girl" (which would become the band's first hit) that serendipity struck. Producer Artie Ripp walked by the rehearsal studio at exactly the right moment.
"During break time I was rehearsing a song I'd just written called 'Mr. Dieingly Sad'. Artie overheard it, walked into the room and yelled, 'STOP! What is this song?', and Jim said, 'It’s something that Don just wrote.' Artie said, 'Stop right here, we're gonna stop the recording of "Younger Girl", we're going right in the studio to record this.' We went in the studio at that moment and recorded the tune."
Riding on the crest of the popularity of "Younger Girl", Kama Sutra released "Mr. Dieingly Sad" next -- and it surpassed the previous single's success. Unfortunately, there was no time for Don to bask in the glory of rising fame, or capitalize on its rewards....
