Who Loves You (song)
| "Who Loves You" | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| File:Who Loves You - The Four Seasons.jpg | ||||||||
| Single by The Four Seasons | ||||||||
| from the album Who Loves You | ||||||||
| B-side | Who Loves You (Disco version) | |||||||
| Released | August 1975 | |||||||
| Format | 7" | |||||||
| Recorded | 1975 | |||||||
| Genre | Rock, disco | |||||||
| Length | 4:04 | |||||||
| Label | Warner/Curb | |||||||
| Writer(s) | Bob Gaudio-Judy Parker | |||||||
| Producer(s) | Bob Gaudio | |||||||
| The Four Seasons singles chronology | ||||||||
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"Who Loves You" is the title song of a 1975 album by The Four Seasons. It was composed by Bob Gaudio and Judy Parker and produced by Gaudio. Reaching #3 on the Billboard Top 100 in November 1975,[1][2][3] it re-established The Four Seasons as a viable recording group (even though their popularity as a performing group had never flagged) after a five-year absence from the Hot 100, and five years after their last single on Philips Records ("Patch of Blue").
Song information
After their release from Philips, the group signed with Motown and released one album and three singles for the organization in 1972 and 1973. All Motown recordings failed to chart in the U.S. and the company dropped the band.[2] In August, "Who Loves You" entered the Hot 100 as Valli's "Swearin' to God" was sliding off the chart. Don Ciccone was intended to be the lead singer rather than Frankie Valli. To capitalize on Valli's recent successes with "My Eyes Adored You" and "Swearin' to God", it was later decided that he would instead sing lead.
Different versions
There were three versions of "Who Loves You" released in the United States: the one on the Who Loves You album is four minutes, 20 seconds long and begins with a short percussion section before the start of the vocals.[4] The A-side of the single has a 4 minute 4 second version which starts with an unusual "fade-in" beginning, starting with the first word of the lyrics; the B-side (labeled "Who Loves You (disco version)") is the same as the A-side, with the instrumental break done twice and the song ending sooner.[5]
Although the Four Seasons' trademark falsetto is present on "Who Loves You," Valli's vocal performance on the recording is limited to singing lead on the verses.[2]
For a record from a group so long without any hit records, "Who Loves You" was a tremendous success. Released in August 1975, the single spent 20 weeks on the Hot 100 (longer than any Four Seasons single before) and managed to stay on the chart until the beginning of 1976.[6]
This song is edited heavily and included as the closing number for the musical Jersey Boys. The second verse and instrumental break is completely omitted, and instead of the fade out, a loud, high-pitched ending chord is sung by the full company. However, the Original Broadway Cast Recording includes the instrumental break.
Pop-culture references
Often used as bumper music by late night radio talk show host Art Bell when he hosted Coast to Coast AM in the 1990s.
References
- ↑ Joel Whitburn, The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits (5th edition), Billboard Books 1992 ISBN 0-8230-8280-6
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Fred Bronson, The Billboard Book of Number One Hits (3rd edition), Billboard Books 1992 ISBN 0-8230-8298-9
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Four Seasons, Who Loves You LP (Warner Bros. Records 1975)
- ↑ Four Seasons, "Who Loves You" single, Warner Bros. 8122, 1975
- ↑ Joel Whitburn, Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1993, Billboard Books 1994 ISBN 0-89820-105-5
