Bob Gaudio and Bob Crewe, the writer-producer duo that thrust The Four Seasons into the national spotlight with chart-toppers like "Sherry" and "Big Girls Don’t Cry," once again brought the group into the upper reaches of the US Billboard charts with "Girl Come Running" in 1965. The single, put out by Philips Records, peaked at #30 - but for a pop group with four #1 hits by the time “Girl Come Running” was released, perhaps the song felt like a bit of a disappointment.

Just before releasing "Girl Come Running," The Four Seasons had dropped “Toy Soldier,” a strangely syncopated, somewhat dark track that came in at #64 on the Billboard Hot 100. For the first time in the group’s career, two consecutive songs failed to reach the top 20. It seemed as if the Gaudio-Crewe tag-team had lost its touch, to some degree, and Gaudio didn’t write a single one of The Four Season’s next five songs.

“Girl Come Running,” complete with nearly every trademark that guaranteed The Four Season’s success - Frankie Valli’s careening falsetto, three-part backing harmonies, and a storyline about a pretty girl - showcases Valli’s ability to add an edge to his voice when he wants to. Around the two-minute mark, Valli strays from the melody he’s stuck with throughout the song and brings some soul to what he’s singing. Listen for it: "And don’t you forget that I’m feelin' it too."

It’s that moment - where Valli’s voice gets grizzly, and for the first time in “Girl Come Running,” you really feel something - that, to me, makes it worth another listen.