Rhino Factoids: The Four Seasons vs. the Fab Four

52 years ago this week, The Four Seasons had the #3 song on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Dawn (Go Away).” They’d also had the #3 song the week before that, and they’d still have the #3 song the following week. Who was keeping them out of the top spot? Why, another famous foursome, of course, and one which was causing a significant amount of mania right about then.

“Dawn (Go Away)” is a song which is already notable for the fact that it’s the only single the group released on the Philips label that didn’t add the phrase “featuring the ‘sound’ of Frankie Valli” to the Four Seasons’ name. In the midst of Beatlemania, however, it also became famous for repeatedly failing to make it to the top of the charts.

Here’s how the chart situation went at the time:

Feb. 22, Feb. 29, and Mar. 7: First came “I Want to Hold Your Hand” and “She Loves You,” then came “Dawn.”

Mar. 14: “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” “She Loves You,” “Please Please Me,” and then “Dawn.”

Mar. 21: “She Loves You” switches places with “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” but it’s still “Please Please Me” again, and then “Dawn.”

Mar. 28: “She Loves You” and “I Want to Hold Your Hand” are still in the same spot, but “Twist and Shout” works its way in front of “Please Please Me,” which is still sitting in front of “Dawn.”

At this point, “Dawn” finally started to go away for real, heading back down the Hot 100. It certainly wouldn’t be the last time the Four Seasons found themselves with a hit, not by any stretch of the imagination, but you can only imagine how frustrating the experience must have been. That said, “Dawn (Go Away)” might not have made it to #1, but it still remains one of the group’s most memorable hits more than half a century later, so it’s fair to say that it managed to make an impact anyway.