The Four Seasons were one of the best-selling musical groups of the 1960s, known for songs such as "Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry” and “Rag Doll,” all featuring the falsetto vocals of lead singer Frankie Valli.
But in 1975, the legendary group almost had a lead singer switch for one of their biggest songs. As the Four Seasons struggled for a hit, Valli was considering a solo career. That’s when a promising new song came their way—and Valli wanted in.
The song was “Who Loves You.” Penned by Bob Gaudio and Judy Parker, the track featured soaring harmonies and a radio-friendly blend of soft rock, disco, and soul. But the original cut didn’t feature Valli’s vocals. Instead, Four Seasons member Don Ciccone recorded the song.
In an interview with Classic Bands, Ciccone recalled that the plan was to give Valli a solo career and record the Four Seasons as its own entity, à la Diana Ross and the Supremes.
“So Bob Gaudio writes the song ‘Who Loves You,’ and he wants to shoot for a record deal with Warner Bros.,” Ciccone shared. “The Four Seasons hadn't had a hit in six years. After he wrote the song, we recorded it as The Four Seasons.”
Ciccone revealed that the group initially recorded the background vocals but not the lead vocals because Valli wasn’t available.
“There was some procrastination on Frankie's part,” he recalled. “He went to England. Bob Gaudio couldn't get him to put his lead voice down on the song.”
Valli reportedly told Gaudio he wouldn’t “have the time” to learn the song until he came back to the United States, but Warner Bros, pushed for the recording.
“So Bob asked me if I would put down the lead vocal on the song, which I did,” Ciccone explained. “I did it as a reference vocal for Frankie to learn the song. Bob wound up showing it to Warner Bros. with my vocal on it. Warner Bros. not only liked the song, giving the Four Seasons a record deal at that very moment, but they told Bob that whoever this guy is, and Bob said ‘It's one of The Four Seasons,’ and they said ‘Great, 'cause he's the new lead singer for The Four Seasons and we're going to give Frankie's own solo career."
Once Valli got wind of the situation, he was not happy.
“Frankie got so annoyed with that decision by Warner Bros. that he insisted on taking my voice off of that song and putting his own on and discarding his own offer of a solo career,” Ciccone added. “So, I was on cloud 9 for about an hour and a half and then found out he had taken my voice off. … He didn't want to pass the torch, pass the baton.”
Gaudio had Valli’s voice in mind when he wrote “Who Loves You.”
In an interview with Popdose, the songwriter shared, “Frankie had a band that were the Four Seasons he traveled with, and he was always raving about how good they were. So when I had to start writing, I wrote with that band in mind, knowing that Frankie’s love would still be going the singles route and doing the solo stuff.“
“Who Loves You” ultimately became a massive hit and marked a chart comeback for the Four Seasons, paving the way for their biggest hit, "December 1963 (Oh What a Night)."
On November 15, 1975, "Who Loves You" went to No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and remains a beloved fan favorite more than 50 years later.
Related: 1976 No. 1 Hit Was ‘Almost Dumped’ From Classic Rock Band’s Album
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