In the 1960s, Frankie Valli was already a hit singer with classics like “Sherry” and “Rag Doll,” but his 1968 classic marked a shift for him vocally that almost didn’t become the hit it is today.
“Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” is known for its sultry, smooth vocals with an undeniable sex appeal. It’s one of Valli’s biggest career hits that earned him a gold record and a No.2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
In an interview with Parade, Valli recalls how the song helped him grow as a singer beyond his popular falsetto.
“I didn’t want to sing like that my whole life. Once we established the sound, the plan was that eventually I would do solo [records] and some things I really wanted to do. I was very lucky to make the transition to ‘My Eyes Adored You’ and ‘Swearin’ to God’, which had none of that,” he explained.
The hit track was written by the staple Four Seasons songwriting team of Bob Crewe and Bob Gaudio, of which Valli was also a member. Valli even recalls the record company having kept “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” from being released for over a year, in fear that he was leaving the group.
Gaudio even told SongFacts that “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” was one of the hardest songs he ever had to write. It was thanks to Valli’s impressive vocal range that the track came to life, with Valli even once commenting its a “very, very tough song to do badly.”
“‘Can’t Take My Eyes Off You’ was challenging. It dared to do something that was legit as a third rock, a third pop, a third MOR [Middle Of the Road]. It was a challenge: Does this work and how does this all come together and gel?” explained Gaudio.
“But it’s good challenge, because you have a talent like Frankie. Unique. One of the most unusual voices in the record business.”
The song almost wasn’t played on the radio, and it was the one that almost got away. It wasn’t until the record’s producers urged Paul Drew, the program director of CKLW, to listen to it for rotation. He wasn’t enthused about the track when listening to it, but changed his tune when hearing Valli play it live.
Gaudio explains that while the track alluded to eyeing a beautiful woman, it wasn’t inspired by one. It’s more about an “amalgam of people and circumstances” and situations that “people I’ve known have found themselves in.”
Valli’s original version ended up becoming a cover hit for multiple artists. Lauryn Hill covered the track in 1997 while heavily pregnant with her first child and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 41st Grammy Awards despite not having been released as a single.
“Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” would also become a pop culture staple when Heath Ledger covered the song in the 1999 film 10 Things I Hate About You. He serenades Julia Stiles‘ character on the football field with the help of the marching band. It even led to be nominated for an MTV Movie Award for Best Musical Performance.
Related: 1968 Pop Song, Written in Three Days by a 19-Year-Old, Became an International Hit Ballad