Friday Flashback: ‘Who Loves You’ by The Four Seasons!
February 24th, 2012Picture this: Frankie Valli hosting “The Midnight Special” in the summer of 1975 and seeing The Four Seasons debuting “Who Loves You”! Later that summer–that great song entered the Top 40 charts and peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the fall, remaining on the chart for 20 weeks!
What was the high point? Buying that 45 at the downtown record store, playing it nonstop when I was supposed to be doing my homework, calling the local radio nightly “hitline,” and watching my fave group back in the Top 5 on the charts after an eight-year absence?! It was all great…What about your “Who Loves You” memories?
I also first heard WLY on the Midnight Special. I heard it first on the radio on WTRX in early September, 1975, the same radio station which broke “Dawn” in December, 1963 when Joey Reynolds was still consulting it.
I was away at school much of the time, and the local Top 40 and AC stations that played WLY went off the air at sundown, except WAAM, which had an R & B format at night which didn’t play it. CKLW, which broke CTMEOY after FV perfomed it at the Roostertail in 1967, didn’t play the song until almost October, and by then Canadian Content Rules limited its ascent up the charts. So at night, I heard WLY at night on WLS and WCFL from Chicago. The DJs in Chicago seemed amazed that The Four Seasons had a hit. John Records Landecker (his true given name) even quipped, “What year is this, 1966?”, after playing it one night.
I made it a point to look at the Billboard Hot 100 each week, and was really bummed when it stalled at #3 at lost its Star!
Comment by Ted Hammond — February 24, 2012 @ 11:23 am
Can anyone identify these session singers? Is this Joe Long and Charlie Calello from the Jersey Boys script? Wikipedia lists Don Ciccone and Gerry Polci as guest artists who sang on the WHO LOVES YOU album. Wikipedia also states that Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons singed to Motown around this time with disastrous results. I wonder why that wasn’t addressed in the show. Anyway, this is a great song…probably my favorite from the catalog.
Comment by Gary — February 24, 2012 @ 12:36 pm
Gary, in this video, it’s Gerry Polici (drums), Don Ciccone(bass), John Paiva (lead guitar), & Lee Shapiro (keyboards) w/Frankie Valli.
Comment by Susie — February 24, 2012 @ 6:21 pm
From left to right the line up at the beginning of the clip is Gerry Polci, Don Ciccone, John Paiva, and Lee Shapiro. While Joe Long sang and played on the recording of “Who Loves You,” he is not pictured in this…re-creation of the recording session.
Polci and Ciccone were more than “guests” – they were actually “Seasons” most notably known for sharing vocal leads on “December ’63…OWAN”…Polci started the song off: “Oh What a Night…” and Ciccone for “I felt the rush like a rolling ball of thunder…” with Frankie taking the lead in the middle “I got a funny feeling when she walked in the room…” Polci and Ciccone also did lead vocals on songs from the “WLY” album and the “Helicon” album.
Re: Motown – you would have to ask Brickman and Elice but my guess is 2 1/2 hours with a 15 minute intermission is not enough time to go into everything. The Motown years were not totally disasterous…it gave us “My Eyes Adored You.”
Charlie Callello and Joe Long were much more than people who are mentioned in the JB script. Charlie Callello was the long time musical arranger for the 4 Seasons and bass fill in performer for Nick Massi when he left the group in late September of 1965. He filled in for approximately two and one half months when Joe Long became Nick Massi’s permanent replacement from the tail end of 65 through the fall of 75 through till the recording of “WLY.”
The most factual inaccuracy in JB is not the exclusion of the Motown years but that Tommy DeVito left the group first and then Nick Massi. Tommy DeVito did not leave the group until the beginning of 1971…so from 66-70 Frankie, Bob, Tommy and Joe Long gave us “Opus 17,” “Beggin’,” and “C’mon Marianne” that are in JB, plus “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” and many others not in the show and the “New Gold Hits” album and the “Genuine Imitation Life Gazette” ablum and the “Half and Half” album.
Comment by David Cace — February 24, 2012 @ 6:42 pm
Frankie,so peaceful when he is in a studio. Singing from the HEART with a song that is so Splendid.
Written by a Wonderful couple, Bob & Judy Gaudio.
It’s good to see Frankie accompanied by Gerry,Polci,
Lee Shapiro,Don Ciccone,and John Paiva,adding there talent to a “LEADING VOICE” and a LOVING SONG…
Thanks! for giving the World this recording.
“WHO LOVES YOU” (I DO)..
CIAO,
http://www.nickmassiart.com
WorkHard/Dream/BeKind
Comment by Patti Massi-Candeliere — February 24, 2012 @ 8:05 pm
Gerry Polci is now Director of Bands in New Providence, NJ. His students are always commenting that he is their director on Four Seasons videos with him singing on youtube.
Comment by Ted Hammond — February 24, 2012 @ 11:53 pm
A few weeks back it was nice to see and hear a few of these guys on WPAT. Gerry Polci, Lee Shapiro, Don Ciccone. They call themselves “The Hitmen”…
The Teddy Smith and Bob O’Brien Show. The shows Producer is Jim Petrecca. Gerry, Lee,Don, and a few others were sharing what projects they are working on and what places they will be playing in the upcoming months. It was good to see and hear them singing a few tunes.
Jim you put together a nice show as always,and all the Best to you on future projects. You deserve it.
And to “The Hitmen Best to you as well.
Ciao,
http://www.nickmassiart.com
WorkHard/Dream/BeKind
Comment by Patti Massi-Candeliere — February 25, 2012 @ 6:55 pm
thanks patti
Comment by JIM PETRECCA — February 26, 2012 @ 12:17 am
Does anyone know when “Who Loves You” was written, first rehearsed and first recording takes were done? I have heard that it was a couple of years or more before the release, and that they kept working on it for a long time. It was published by Jobete, which was formerly Berry Gordy’s company. But then again, so were later works. But a couple of years takes it back to the time The Four Seasons Partnership bought the rights to MEAY from Gordy and Motown, and the release of “Hickory”.
Comment by Ted Hammond — February 29, 2012 @ 9:49 am