Editing The Four Seasons (band) (section)

==History==
===1953–1960: Before The Four Seasons===
{{main|The Four Lovers}}
Frankie Valli's first commercial release was "My Mother's Eyes" (as Frankie Valley) in 1953. The following year, he and guitarist Tommy DeVito formed '''The Variatones''' (with Hank Majewski, rhythm guitar, Frank Cottone, accordion, and Billy Thompson, drums),<ref name=bimbamboom>Walter Gollender. ''Bim Bam Boom No. 8'' (December 1972).</ref> which between 1954 and 1956 performed and recorded under a variety of names before settling on the name '''The Four Lovers''', based upon a [[Latin lover]] gimmick<ref name="Bronson">{{cite book|author=Bronson, Fred|title=The Billboard Book of Number One Hits|edition=3rd|publisher=Billboard Books|year=1992|isbn=0-8230-8298-9}}</ref><ref>Joe Sasfy. Liner notes to ''Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons: 1962-1967'' (Warner Special Products, 1987: Time-Life Music The Rock 'N' Era 2RNR-15)</ref> and playing [[country music]].<ref name=bimbamboom/> The same year, the quartet (DeVito, his twin brother Nick, Majewski and Valli) released their first record, [[Otis Blackwell]]'s "[[You're the Apple of My Eye]]", which appeared on the ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' Top 100 singles chart, peaking at #62.<ref>{{cite book|author=Whitburn, Joel|title=Top Pop Singles 1955–1993|publisher=Billboard Publications|year=1994|isbn=0-89820-105-5}}</ref> Five more Four Lovers singles (on [[RCA Records|RCA Victor]]) were released over the next year, with virtually no sales, airplay, or jukebox play. In 1957, the band's seventh single (this time on [[Epic Records|Epic]]) had a similar lack of success.<ref>{{cite book|author=Umphred, Neil|title=Goldmine's Rock 'n' Roll 45RPM Record Price Guide|edition=3rd|publisher=Krause Publications|year=1994|isbn=0-87341-287-7}}</ref>

From 1956 until 1958, the group stayed together, performing in clubs and lounges as the Four Lovers and recording on music labels under various names: Frankie Tyler, Frankie Valli, Frankie Valli and the Travelers, Frankie Valli and the Romans, the Village Voices, and the Topics are some of the 18 "stage names" used individually or collectively by the members of the band. Majewski left the band due to creative differences,<ref name=bimbamboom/> while Nick DeVito left the group (portrayed in ''Jersey Boys'' as being due to an extended prison sentence, though Tommy DeVito stated in 2008 that he had fired the two because he had booked a gig opening up for [[Tony Bennett]], believing it would be the group's big break, only for Majewski and Nick DeVito to refuse to travel to it, forcing him to cancel).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://lasvegassun.com/news/2008/apr/02/vegas-man-knows-jersey-boys/|title=Vegas man knows 'Jersey Boys'|first=Jerry|last=Fink|date=April 2, 2008|website=Lasvegassun.com|access-date=September 23, 2020}}</ref> To fill the gap, two members of the Hollywood Playboys, another touring group in North Jersey, joined Valli and Tommy DeVito: lead keyboardist Hugh Garrity and guitarist [[Nick Massi|Nickie Massey]].<ref name=bimbamboom/><ref>Florio, Steve (December 28, 2000). [https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/four-seasons-member-succumbs-to-cancer-120790/ Four Seasons member succumbs to cancer], ''Rolling Stone''. Retrieved May 21, 2023.</ref>

In 1959, the band started working with [[Record producer|producer]]/[[songwriter]] [[Bob Crewe]], primarily for [[session musician|session work]] (Crewe wrote "I Go Ape", which Valli recorded with the intention of releasing it as a "solo" single, only to be beaten to the punch by an [[I Go Ape|unrelated song of the same name]] from [[Neil Sedaka]], who became friends with Valli later on). Later that year, the Four Lovers were performing in [[Baltimore]] on the same stage as the [[Royal Teens]], who were riding the wave of success of "[[Short Shorts]]", a song co-written by then-15-year-old [[Bob Gaudio]], who was also the Royal Teens' keyboardist. In late 1959, Gaudio became the group's keyboardist; Garrity returned to the Hollywood Playboys without Massey, who briefly launched a solo career.<ref>"Record Reviews." [https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/50s/1959/CB-1959-10-24.pdf ''Cashbox''. October 24, 1959]. p. 12</ref> During this time, [[Charles Calello]] filled in as the fourth member of the quartet. Early in 1960, a now-renamed Nick Massi returned, now playing [[electric bass]] in addition to vocals and arrangement duties.

In 1960, despite the changes of personnel, the fortunes of the Four Lovers had not changed—they failed an audition for a lounge at a [[Union Township, Union County, New Jersey]] bowling establishment. According to Gaudio, "We figured we'll come out of this with something. So we took the name of the bowling alley. It was called the Four Seasons." Despite the last few years of frustration of the Four Lovers, this proved to be the turning point for the band. Later, on a handshake agreement between keyboardist/composer Bob Gaudio and lead singer Frankie Valli, the Four Seasons Partnership was formed.

===1961–1963: Rise===
The Four Seasons signed as artists to Crewe's production company, and they released their first Crewe-produced single under their new name in 1961 ("[[Bermuda (song)|Bermuda]]"/"Spanish Lace" on [[Gone Records]]); the non-charting record would be their only record for Gone, which was itself gone by July 1962 when [[Morris Levy]] bought and dissolved the label.<ref>"Roulette Unveils Billing Plan; Absorbs Gone and End Records." ''Billboard Music Week''. July 7, 1962. p. 22</ref> The band continued working with producer Bob Crewe as background vocalists and sometimes leads under different names, for productions on Crewe's own Topix label. As a follow-up, Bob Gaudio wrote a song that, after some discussion between Crewe and Gaudio, was titled "Sherry". After the song was recorded, Crewe and the members of the band solicited record labels to release it. It was Frankie Valli who spoke with [[Randy Wood (music executive)|Randy Wood]], West Coast sales manager for [[Vee-Jay Records]] (not [[Randy Wood (record producer)|the founder]] of [[Dot Records]]) who, in turn, suggested the release of "Sherry" to the decision-makers at Vee-Jay. "Sherry" made enough of an impression that Crewe was able to sign a deal between his production company and Vee-Jay for its release. They were the first white artists to sign with Vee-Jay.<ref>''[[Goldmine (magazine)|Goldmine]]''. Issue 60. May 1981.</ref>

In 1962, the band released their first album, featuring the single "[[Sherry (song)|Sherry]]", which drew the attention of [[WPOP]] in [[Hartford, Connecticut]], known for launching new hit songs; WPOP disc jockey [[Joey Reynolds]] heavily promoted the record.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2002-11-10 |title=JOEY ALL NIGHT |url=https://www.courant.com/2002/11/10/joey-all-night/ |access-date=2024-03-08 |website=Hartford Courant |language=en-US}}</ref> "Sherry" gave the Four Seasons their first #1 song. Under the guidance of Bob Crewe, the Four Seasons followed up "Sherry" with several [[music recording sales certification|million-selling]] singles, generally composed by Crewe and Gaudio, including "[[Big Girls Don't Cry (The Four Seasons song)|Big Girls Don't Cry]]" (their second #1 hit), "[[Walk Like a Man (The Four Seasons song)|Walk Like a Man]]" (their third #1), "[[Candy Girl (The Four Seasons song)|Candy Girl]]" (written by [[Larry Santos]]), "[[Ain't That a Shame]]", and several others. Also, they released a Christmas album in December 1962 and charted with a unique rendition of "[[Santa Claus Is Coming to Town]]".

From 1962 to early 1964, [[the Beach Boys]] were the only band to match the Four Seasons in record sales in the United States, and their first three Vee-Jay non-holiday single releases (i.e., ignoring their version of "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town") marked the first time that a rock band hit #1 on the ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' singles charts with three consecutive entries.

In 1962, they were invited to perform their hit "[[Big Girls Don't Cry (The Four Seasons song)|Big Girls Don't Cry]]" on the show ''[[American Bandstand]].''

===1964–1965: From Vee-Jay to Philips===
In January 1964, after several successful albums but a lack of money from Vee-Jay, the Seasons left Vee-Jay and moved to [[Philips Records]], then a division of [[Mercury Records]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=I0UEAAAAMBAJ&q=%22vee-jay%22+%2B+%22four+seasons%22+%2B+crewe+%2B+%22philips+records%22&pg=PA6 |title=Billboard – Google Books |date=1964-01-18 |access-date=2011-07-16}}</ref> In the 1965 settlement of a lawsuit between the two parties, Vee-Jay retained release rights for all material the band recorded for the label. Vee-Jay exercised those rights liberally over the following year. The group was obligated to deliver one final album to Vee-Jay, which they did in the form of a "faux" live LP. At the same time, Vee-Jay was overwhelmed when it found itself as the rightsholder not only to the Four Seasons, but [[The Beatles]], which it had acquired in a sidecar deal with [[Frank Ifield]] in 1962;<ref>[http://www.archer2000.com/chronicles/Labels/VeeJay.html Chris Norby, "Vee-Jay label"], '' Archer2000.com''. Retrieved 19 January 2017</ref> unable to meet demand for both bands, and with the Beatles' rights eventually reverting to [[Capitol Records]] in October 1964 after another protracted legal battle,<ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/howtheybecamebea0000pawl|url-access=registration|quote=gareth how they became the beatles.|title=How they became the Beatles|via=[[Internet Archive]]|publisher=E.P. Dutton|access-date=2012-08-14|isbn=9780525248231|year=1989}}</ref> Vee-Jay was finally declared bankrupt in 1966. With the bankruptcy, The Four Seasons' Vee-Jay catalog reverted to the band, who promptly licensed the rights to Philips.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AhEEAAAAMBAJ&q=%22vee-jay%22+%2B+auction&pg=PA7 |title=Billboard – Google Books |date=1966-08-13 |access-date=2011-07-16}}</ref> 

The change of label did not diminish the popularity of the Four Seasons in 1964, nor did the onslaught of the [[British Invasion]] and [[Beatlemania]]. However, "[[Dawn (Go Away)]]" was kept from the #1 spot on the Hot 100 by no fewer than three [[The Beatles|Beatles]] singles in the March 21, 1964, edition (two weeks later, the top five slots were filled by Beatles singles). In a two-record set dubbed ''[[The Beatles vs. the Four Seasons|The Beatles vs the Four Seasons: The International Battle of the Century!]]'', Vee-Jay created an elaborate two-disc package that the purchaser could use to write on and score individual recordings by their favorite artist. The discs were reissues of the albums ''[[Introducing... The Beatles]]'' and ''[[Golden Hits of the Four Seasons]]'', featuring each original album's label, title, and catalog number. Today, this album package is a collector's item.<ref>{{cite web|last1=York|first1=Robert|title=The Beatles vs the Four Seasons|url=http://www.eskimo.com/~bpentium/beatles/seasons.html|website=The Beatles at the Web Spot|publisher=Robert's Web Spot|access-date=9 September 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111009043442/http://www.eskimo.com/~bpentium/beatles/seasons.html|archive-date=9 October 2011}}</ref> Valli credited the band's continued success in the face of the British Invasion to staying true to their original mission of an original sound and not trying to imitate British acts.<ref name=vallis2023interview>{{Cite web |last=Willman |first=Chris |date=2023-08-27 |title=Frankie Valli on the Four Seasons' Legacy and Their Massive New 45-Disc Boxed Set: 'We Didn't Want to Try to Sound Like Anybody Else' |url=https://variety.com/2023/music/news/frankie-valli-four-seasons-boxed-set-ultimate-collection-interview-1235705611/ |access-date=2023-08-27 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref>

===1965–1968: Departure of Nick Massi; One band, several acts===
[[File:Charles Calello Conducting.jpg|thumb|right|[[Charles Calello]] (seen here in 2018), in addition to briefly being a band member in 1965, did extensive arrangement for Valli and the Seasons throughout the 1960s and 1970s.]]
Nick Massi left the Four Seasons in September 1965. The band's arranger, [[Charles Calello]] (a former member of the Four Lovers), stepped in as a temporary replacement. A few months later, [[Joe Long]] was permanently hired and became a mainstay of the band on bass and backing vocals until 1975, with Calello returning to arranging. Massi's departure coincided with the addition of new songwriters such as [[Sandy Linzer]] and [[Denny Randell]], who eased the burden on Gaudio, while Randell absorbed some of Massi's arranging duties.<ref>McIntosh, Danny (November 7, 2011). [https://www.songfacts.com/blog/interviews/denny-randell Songfacts Interview with Denny Randell], Retrieved September 27, 2023.</ref>  In the meantime, the Four Seasons released recordings under a variety of names, including the Valli Boys, [[the Wonder Who?]], and [[Frankie Valli]]. Every Valli "solo" recording from 1965 to "[[My Eyes Adored You]]" in 1974 was recorded by the Four Seasons at the same time and in the same sessions as other Four Seasons material; these were usually distinguished in that material written and marketed as Valli solo numbers did not have Valli's trademark falsetto.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://frankievallifourseasons.com/bio/ |title =Bio – Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons|date =September 14, 2019}}</ref> Valli's first post-1960 single without the Seasons was 1975's "[[Swearin' to God]]".

More top 20 singles followed in 1965, 1966, and 1967, including "[[Let's Hang On!]]", "[[Don't Think Twice, It's All Right]]" (as the Wonder Who?), "[[Working My Way Back to You]]", "[[Opus 17 (Don't You Worry 'bout Me)]]", "[[I've Got You Under My Skin]]", "[[Can't Take My Eyes Off You]]" (released under Valli's name as a "solo" single), "[[Beggin']]" (later covered by Norwegian duo [[Madcon]] and Italian band [[Måneskin]]), "[[Tell It to the Rain]]", "[[C'mon Marianne]]", and "I Make a Fool of Myself" (Frankie Valli "solo"). Also, other Crewe/Gaudio songs that did not become hits for either Valli or the Four Seasons became international hits in cover versions, such as "[[Silence Is Golden (song)|Silence Is Golden]]" ([[the Tremeloes]]) and "[[The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine (Anymore)]]" ([[the Walker Brothers]]). However, 1968's "[[Will You Love Me Tomorrow]]" was the band's last top 40 hit for seven years (reaching #24), just after Valli's last "solo" hit of the 1960s, the #29 charted "To Give (The Reason I Live)".

===1969–1974: ''The Genuine Imitation Life Gazette''; Departure of Tommy DeVito; Declining record sales; Move to Motown===
By 1969, the band's popularity had declined, with public interest moving towards rock with a harder edge and music with more socially conscious lyrics. Aware of that, Bob Gaudio partnered with folk-rock songwriter [[Jake Holmes]] to write a concept album titled ''[[The Genuine Imitation Life Gazette]]'', which discussed contemporary issues from the band's standpoint, including divorce ("Saturday's Father"), and [[Kinks]]-style satirical looks at modern life (e.g., "American Crucifixion and Resurrection" and "Genuine Imitation Life"). The decision to create a concept album was a major departure for the group, which Bob Crewe had purposely marketed as a singles act (so much so that the group's early albums were simply the name of a major hit single appended with [[snowclone|some variation of]] "and Other Songs").<ref name=vallis2023interview/>

The album cover was designed to resemble the front page of a newspaper, pre-dating [[Jethro Tull (band)|Jethro Tull]]'s ''[[Thick as a Brick]]'' by three years. The record was a commercial failure (by the group's usual standards; according to Stuart Miller, owner of a Four Seasons fansite named after the album, and Joe Long, the album sold about 150,000 copies)<ref name="Joe Long interview with Stuart Miller">{{cite web |last1=Miller |first1=Stuart |last2=Long |first2=Joe |title=Joe Long: His Story |url= http://www.genuine-imitation-life-gazette.com/Bios/Long_Bio.html |date=2004|website=The Genuine Imitation Life Gazette |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20040724113020/http://www.genuine-imitation-life-gazette.com/Bios/Long_Bio.html|archive-date=24 July 2004}}</ref> and led to the band's departure from Philips shortly after that, but it did catch the attention of [[Frank Sinatra]], whose 1969 album, ''[[Watertown (album)|Watertown]]'', involved Gaudio, Holmes, Valli and Calello. The Seasons' last single on Philips, 1970's "Patch of Blue", featured the band's name as "Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons", but the change in billing did not revive the band's fortunes. Reverting to the "Four Seasons" billing without Valli's name upfront, the group issued a single on Crewe's eponymous label, a rendition of "[[And That Reminds Me]]", which peaked at number 45 on the Billboard chart. Frustrated by the group's workload, and facing debts from gambling and a divorce, DeVito accepted a buyout and left the band in 1970.<ref name=lvinterview>{{Cite web|last=Elfman|first=Doug|url=https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/how-a-jersey-boy-worked-his-way-back/|title=How a Jersey boy worked his way back|website=[[Las Vegas Review-Journal]]|date=June 1, 2009|access-date=November 23, 2021}}</ref> In DeVito's place, the Seasons hired their first non-New Jersey member, Maryland native Demitri Callas.<ref name="obit"/>  Callas stayed with the group until 1974.<ref name=Callas2023article>{{Cite web |last=McGuire |first=Colin |date=2020-01-16 |title='He was built like a superhero': Local legend 'Penny' Callas dies |url=https://www.fredericknewspost.com/places/local/frederick_county/frederick/he-was-built-like-a-superhero-local-legend-penny-callas-dies/article_23c08ada-5069-5883-8842-67271269eb67.html |access-date=2023-12-19 |archive-date=2023-12-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231219040302/https://www.fredericknewspost.com/places/local/frederick_county/frederick/he-was-built-like-a-superhero-local-legend-penny-callas-dies/article_23c08ada-5069-5883-8842-67271269eb67.html |website=The Frederick News-Post |language=en}}</ref>

After leaving Philips, the Four Seasons recorded a one-off single for the [[Warner Bros. Records|Warner Bros.]] label in England, "Sleeping Man", backed by "Whatever You Say", which was never released in the USA. John Stefan, the band's lead trumpeter, arranged the horn parts. Around this time, Gaudio stopped touring with the band, focusing on songwriting, production, and recording.  Long later told a Four Seasons fansite that he believed that Gaudio stopped touring because of constant stage fright.<ref name="Joe Long interview with Stuart Miller"></ref>  Following that single, the band signed to [[Motown]]. The first LP, ''[[Chameleon (The Four Seasons album)|Chameleon]]'', released by Motown subsidiary label [[Motown#Secondary R&B labels|MoWest Records]] in 1972, failed to sell. A 1971 Frankie Valli solo single on Motown, "Love Isn't Here", and three Four Seasons singles, "Walk On, Don't Look Back" on MoWest in 1972, "How Come" and "Hickory" on Motown in 1973, sank without a trace. A song from ''Chameleon'', "[[The Night (Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons song)|The Night]]", later became a [[Northern Soul]] hit and reached the top 10 of the [[UK Singles Chart]], but was not commercially released in the United States as a single, although promotional copies were distributed in 1972, showing the artist as Frankie Valli. Valli has consistently spoken of how much of the group's late 1960s and early 1970s material was poorly marketed and only later received the appreciation that he felt it deserved.<ref name=vallis2023interview/>

In late 1973 and early 1974, the Four Seasons recorded eight songs for a second Motown album, which the company refused to release, and later in 1974, the label and the band parted ways. On behalf of the Four Seasons Partnership, Valli tried to purchase the entire collection of master recordings the group had made for Motown. After hearing the amount needed to buy them all, Valli arranged to purchase "[[My Eyes Adored You]]" for $4,000.<ref name=vallis2023interview/> He took the tape to [[Larry Uttal]], the owner and founder of [[Private Stock Records]], who wanted to release it as a Frankie Valli solo single. Although the band remained unsigned in the later part of 1974, Valli had a new label—and a new solo career.

===1975–1977: New lineup; Signing with Warner Bros.; Resurgence of commercial success===
[[File:Lee Shapiro 2022.jpg|thumb|right|[[Lee Shapiro (musician)|Lee Shapiro]] (seen here in 2022) joined as keyboardist and arranger in 1973.]] While new hits for the Four Seasons had dried up in the first half of the 1970s, the band never lost its popularity as a performing act. Longtime member Joe Long stayed in the group until 1975; over the course of the 1970s, Valli and Gaudio would begin assembling a new lineup. 19-year-old keyboardist [[Lee Shapiro (musician)|Lee Shapiro]] was recruited to replace Gaudio (on Valli's explicit recommendation) as the latter moved to a studio role, in addition to taking on arrangement and some songwriting duties.<ref name="JChronicle"/> A member of the group's backing band recruited drummer [[Gerry Polci]], who would eventually take over a large portion of lead vocals to ease the load on an ailing Frankie Valli (who was gradually losing his hearing due to [[otosclerosis]], though eventually surgery restored most of it);<ref name="gjames"/> Polci, in turn, recruited [[The Happenings]]' guitarist John Paiva (who had also worked as a session musician) to replace Callas on guitar.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Limnios |first=Michael |date=January 26, 2012 |title=An Interview with the brilliant guitarist John Paiva: I have learned from everyone including my students. You never stop learning. |url=https://blues.gr/profiles/blogs/an-interview-with-the-brilliant-guitarist-john-paiva-i-have |access-date=2024-01-07 |website=blues.gr |language=en}}</ref> [[Don Ciccone]], whose career with [[The Critters]] had come to an abrupt end due to his entry into the armed forces, succeeded Long as bassist and took on the occasional lead vocal.<ref name=james-ciccone>{{cite web|title=Gary James' Interview With Don Ciccone Of The Four Seasons|url= http://www.classicbands.com/FourSeasonsInterview.html|access-date= July 24, 2020|publisher= classicbands.com|first=Gary|last=James}}</ref> 

As "My Eyes Adored You" climbed the Hot 100 singles chart in early 1975, Uttal was persuaded to release ''[[The Four Seasons Story]]'', a two-record compilation of the band's biggest hit singles from 1962 to 1970. It quickly became a [[Music recording sales certification|gold record]], selling over one million copies before the [[Recording Industry Association of America|RIAA]] started awarding [[Music recording sales certification|platinum records]] for million-selling albums.  Uttal was unwilling to sign the group as a whole, but left a loophole in Valli's contract allowing him to stay with the group if they signed with another label. Gaudio then approached [[Mike Curb]] with a new song, "[[Who Loves You (song)|Who Loves You]]," with Ciccone on lead vocal due to Valli being overseas during the recording; Curb, who appreciated the band for their drug-free, clean-cut reputation,<ref name="cleanlooks">{{cite web |author=Beverly Keel |date=October 2, 1997 |title=Can Mike Curb Be as Clean as He Looks? |url=https://www.nashvillescene.com/nashville/can-mike-curb-be-as-clean-as-he-looks/content/?oid=1181622 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120404192940/https://www.nashvillescene.com/nashville/can-mike-curb-be-as-clean-as-he-looks/content/?oid=1181622 |archive-date=April 4, 2012 |access-date=September 22, 2021 |work=[[Nashville Scene]]}}</ref> helped secure an agreement with [[Warner Bros. Records]], who was intrigued by a new Four Seasons lead singer. Valli was unwilling to give up lead vocal duties and managed to halt the release of "Who Loves You" until he could replace Ciccone's vocal with his own.<ref name=james-ciccone/> The album ''[[Who Loves You]]'' became a surprise million-seller for the band, as Valli ultimately agreed partially to cede lead vocals to Polci and Ciccone, making it the first album since Massi's departure to feature a lead or co-lead other than Valli prominently.

In 1975, record sales exploded for both Valli and the Four Seasons as both acts had million-selling singles in the United States ("My Eyes Adored You" hit #1 on the Hot 100 for Valli in March, "Who Loves You" (with Valli on lead) peaked at #3 in November for the band and #6 in the UK chart). In the United Kingdom, [[Motown|Tamla Motown]] released "The Night" as a single on the 'Mowest' label and saw it reach the #7 position on the [[UK Singles Chart]]. "My Eyes Adored You" was also a top 10 hit in the United Kingdom in February of that year. Valli had his first truly solo hit in the summer of 1975 when the Bob Crewe-produced "[[Swearin' to God]]" followed "My Eyes Adored You" into the upper reaches of the Hot 100, peaking at the #6 position and capitalizing on the growing disco craze. The song was released in three forms: the eight-minute album version, the ten-minute extended [[12-inch single]] version, and the four-minute single version. This record featured [[Patti Austin]] on bridge vocals before she became well known. Valli followed this with a discofied #11 hit version of [[Ruby & the Romantics]]' "[[Our Day Will Come]]", also featuring Austin.

The Four Seasons opened 1976 atop the Billboard chart with their fifth #1 single, "[[December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)]]", co-written by Bob Gaudio and his future wife, Judy Parker. The single also hit #1 in the United Kingdom. "December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)" had Polci singing lead on the verses, Ciccone featured on specific sections, and Valli on lead vocals only on the two bridge sections and backup vocals on the chorus.

Although the band also scored minor chart placements with "[[Silver Star (The Four Seasons song)|Silver Star]]" (with Valli on harmony vocals) (#38 in 1976) and "Down the Hall" (#65 in 1977), both sung by Polci, and "Spend the Night in Love" (#91 in 1980), which again featured Polci as main lead vocalist and Valli singing the bridge section and contributing to backup group vocals, "December, 1963" marked the end of the Seasons' hit-making run. Both singles were hits in the United Kingdom, with "Silver Star" making the top 10. (A dance remix of "December, 1963" returned them briefly to the upper reaches of the ''Billboard'' singles charts almost two decades later).

The success of ''Who Loves You'' increased the popularity of the Four Seasons as a touring group and reignited recording unit. In 1977, the band recorded ''Helicon'' as a follow-up to ''Who Loves You''; it proved to be not as successful, with its lone American single "Down the Hall" peaking in the lower half of the Hot 100 and narrowly reaching the top 40 of the American [[Adult Contemporary (chart)|easy listening charts]] and the UK charts. Additional top-40 UK hits would come with "Rhapsody," and a non-album [[cover version]] of [[The Beatles]]' "[[We Can Work It Out]]" (from ''[[All This and World War II]]'').

===1977–1999: Brief split and reunion; Final studio recordings as a band; Increased focus on touring===
The band broke up in 1977 as Shapiro got married,<ref name="JChronicle">{{Cite web |last=Bloom |first=Nate |date=27 June 2014 |title=There had to be a Jewish "Jersey Boy" – and there is. And he's local! |url=https://jewishstandard.timesofisrael.com/there-had-to-be-a-jewish-jersey-boy%C2%9D-and-there-is-and-hes-local/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200712235027/https://jewishstandard.timesofisrael.com/there-had-to-be-a-jewish-jersey-boy%C2%9D-and-there-is-and-hes-local/ |archive-date=12 July 2020 |access-date=12 July 2020 |publisher=[[Jewish Standard]]}}</ref>  Polci began working for [[Barry Manilow]],<ref name="gjames">{{Cite web |last=James |first=Gary |date=2015 |title=Gary James' Interview With Gerry Polci Of The Four Seasons |url=http://www.classicbands.com/FourSeasonsGerryPolciInterview.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190516181032/http://www.classicbands.com/FourSeasonsGerryPolciInterview.html |archive-date=16 May 2019 |access-date=4 July 2020 |website=classicbands.com |language=en}}</ref> and Valli—who also had surgery to restore his worsening hearing<ref name="Robins">{{cite magazine |url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/5680100/frankie-valli-qa-looking-back-at-50-years-of-the-four-seasons |title = Frankie Valli Q&A: Looking Back at 50 Years of The Four Seasons |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |date=September 3, 2013 |first=Wayne |last=Robins |access-date=October 12, 2019}}</ref>—accepted an offer to sing [[Grease (song)|the theme song]] for the movie ''[[Grease (film)|Grease]]''. Both the film and song were major hits, the latter reaching #1, and by 1980 the band had reunited, with a lineup consisting mostly of its 1970s lineup (Valli, Polci, Shapiro, and Ciccione, plus Gaudio for studio recordings), joined by [[Jerry Corbetta]], who had been lead singer of [[Sugarloaf (band)|Sugarloaf]],<ref name="corbettaobit">{{cite news |title= Jerry Corbetta, Sugarloaf Singer, Dies at 68 |url= http://bestclassicbands.com/sugarloaf-jerry-corbetta-obituary-9-18-16// |accessdate=4 November 2016 |publisher=Best Classic Bands.com }}</ref> and guitarist Larry Lingle.  Lingle would remain with the group into the 1990s,<ref>{{Cite web |last=By |date=1991-02-06 |title=FRANKI VALLI'S VOICE A CONSTANT AS THE FOUR SEASONS CHANGE |url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/1991/02/06/franki-vallis-voice-a-constant-as-the-four-seasons-change/ |access-date=2024-05-23 |website=Orlando Sentinel |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="scotsman">{{Cite news |date=July 7, 2015 |title=Gig review: Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons, Glasgow |url=https://www.scotsman.com/arts-and-culture/gig-review-frankie-valli-the-four-seasons-glasgow-1500522 |access-date=May 22, 2024 |work=The Scotsman}}</ref> while Polci (who had an extended hiatus from the band in the mid-1980s before returning) left for the final time in 1990 when he married Valli's daughter Toni.<ref name="nytimes">{{Cite web |last=Klausner |first=Howard |date=5 February 1995 |title=A Four Seasons Singer Is Back in the Limelight |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/02/05/nyregion/a-four-seasons-singer-is-back-in-the-limelight.html/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200703170911/https://www.nytimes.com/1995/02/05/nyregion/a-four-seasons-singer-is-back-in-the-limelight.html/ |archive-date=3 July 2020 |access-date=4 July 2020 |work=[[The New York Times]] |language=en}}</ref>  In January 1981, Warners released ''Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons Reunited Live''. Produced by Bob Gaudio, it was a double album of concert recordings which included the two studio recordings "[[Spend the Night in Love]]" and "Heaven Must Have Sent You (Here in the Night)" sung by Valli. The latter became a UK single but failed to chart, while the former was released as a single in America, inching its way into the [[Billboard Hot 100|Hot 100]] and became a top-5 hit, the group's last, in [[South Africa]].<ref>{{cite web|title=SA Charts 1965–March 1989|url=http://www.rock.co.za/files/springbok_top_20_(F).html|access-date=5 December 2018}}</ref> Valli had planned to add his daughter Francine to the act in 1980, but Francine unexpectedly died that year.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=May 26, 2008 |title=Frankie Valli Oh, What a Life! |url=https://people.com/archive/frankie-valli-oh-what-a-life-vol-69-no-20/ |access-date=2023-06-28 |website=[[People (magazine)|People]] |language=en}}</ref>

In 1984, a long-awaited collaboration between the Four Seasons and the Beach Boys, "East Meets West", was released on FBI Records, owned by the Four Seasons Partnership, which included most of the surviving Beach Boys (including Brian Wilson). However, the record did not sell well. Even after the rise and fall of the band's sales in the disco era, the Four Seasons, in one version or another, continued to be a popular touring act, with Valli and keyboardist/music director [[Robby Robinson (musician)|Robby Robinson]] (who joined in the early 1980s)<ref name="Eggers">{{cite web | last=Eggers | first=Kerry | title=Frankie Valli: a man for all seasons | website=Pamplin Media Group | date=20 June 2018 | url=https://pamplinmedia.com/pt/11-features/398839-293392-frankie-valli-a-man-for-all-seasons | access-date=2021-12-01|quote= Valli: Including four singers, we have 15 or 16 in our group. We have a couple of new members. I feel good about what we have now. It's something you put together very slowly to make sure you have the right people. My musical director, Robby Robinson (and longtime keyboardist and honorary "Fifth Season" for the group), has been with me about 40 years.}}</ref> being the only constants in the midst of a fluctuating lineup. 

Although Gaudio is still officially part of the band (he and Valli are still equal partners in the Four Seasons Partnership), he now restricts his activities to writing, producing, brand management and the occasional studio work. In August 1985, MCA Records released the band album ''Streetfighter'', which yielded two singles in the title track and "Book of Love", a [[post-disco]]-style revamp of the Monotones' 1957 recording.  In September 1992, the band released an album entitled ''Hope + Glory'' on the MCA/Curb label; this is the most recent band studio album to date, but Valli has released three solo albums since then. (On at least one or two occasions, starting in the late 1980s or early 1990s, Long would make guest appearances with Valli and the band at select shows, but it is unclear if this included full performances or parts of concerts.)<ref name="Joe Long interview with Stuart Miller"></ref> Nick Massi also had occasional brief reunions with the group.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Waldo |first=Anetta |date=2023-10-29 |title=14 Surprising Facts About Nick Massi |url=https://facts.net/celebrity/14-surprising-facts-about-nick-massi/ |access-date=2024-06-03 |website=Facts.net |language=en-US}}</ref> In 1994, "December 1963 (Oh What A Night)" re-entered the Hot 100 by way of a remix.

===2000–present: Valli-led tours and ''Jersey Boys''===
[[File:Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons.jpg|thumb|right|Valli with The Modern Gentlemen, who served as The Four Seasons from 2003 to 2018]]
By the early 2000s, the Four Seasons tours were falling in attendance and revenue, prompting Valli to seriously consider retirement.<ref name=vegasmanknows>{{Cite web|url=https://lasvegassun.com/news/2008/apr/02/vegas-man-knows-jersey-boys/|title=Vegas man knows 'Jersey Boys'|first=Jerry|last=Fink|date=April 2, 2008|website=Lasvegassun.com|access-date=September 23, 2020}}</ref> He instead assembled a new backing quartet consisting of Landon Beard, Todd Fournier, and brothers Brian Brigham and Brandon Brigham. The success of the musical ''[[Jersey Boys]]'' largely saved the Four Seasons.<ref name=vegasmanknows/>

A 3CD + 1DVD box set ''...Jersey Beat... The Music of Frankie Valli & the 4 Seasons'' was released in mid-2007, marketed as the most comprehensive collection of Four Seasons music yet. The album title ''Jersey Beat'' is a play on ''[[Jersey Boys]],'' a successful Broadway musical about the Four Seasons, as well as on ''[[Mersey Beat]]'', a term first coined as the title of a music magazine published in Liverpool, England, from 1961, but subsequently also used to describe Liverpool's "beat music" culture of the early 1960s.

In 2008, the Four Seasons' "Beggin'" was revived by two acts. Pilooski made an electro remix of that song, while rap act [[Madcon]] used it as the basis of their song "Beggin'". The latter reached number 5 in the UK charts and was a hit across Europe. The song was featured in a TV commercial for [[adidas]] shoes entitled "Celebrate Originality". The Adidas commercial is a popular hit on [[YouTube]] and features a house party with famous celebrities such as [[David Beckham]], [[Russel Simmons]], [[Kevin Garnett]], [[Missy Elliott]], [[Katy Perry]], and [[Mark Gonzales]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TT3Jj9OGMA0|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150704231449/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TT3Jj9OGMA0|url-status=dead|title=YouTube|archive-date=July 4, 2015|website=Youtube.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.cleveland.com/popmusic/index.ssf/2011/12/frankie_valli_the_original_jer.html | title=Frankie Valli, the original Jersey Boy, can't wait to get to Cleveland for two shows Dec. 10–11 at Palace Theatre | website=Cleveland.com | date=December 9, 2011 | access-date=June 29, 2012}}</ref> Also in 2008, Gaudio and Robinson recorded ''Jersey Babys: The Instrumental Music of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons for Kids'', an instrumental [[children's music|children's album]], under the Four Seasons brand but without Valli's direct involvement. ''Jersey Babys'' {{sic}} was originally envisioned by Danielle Lahlezar, Gaudio's daughter from his first marriage to Brit Olsen (to whom the album was dedicated). ''Jersey Babys'' was re-released in 2024 with an additional bonus track.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-05-31 |title=Green Hill Music Re-releases "Jersey Babys: The Instrumental Music of Frankie Valli & The 4 Seasons For Kids" |url=https://www.newjerseystage.com/asburymusic.com/getarticle2.php?titlelink=green-hill-music-re-releases-jersey-babys-the-instrumental-music-of-frankie-valli-and-the-4-seasons-for-kids052024 |access-date=2024-12-06 |website=ThePenguinRocks.com |language=en}}</ref>

Members of the 1970s lineup of the group (Polci, Ciccone, and Shapiro) reunited without Valli in 2011 as '''The Hit Men'''; it toured with several other [[session musician]]s of good repute. Shapiro has continued The Hit Men as a standalone project after Ciccone died in 2016 and Polci withdrew from the group in 2017.<ref name="NashvilleHoF">{{Cite magazine |date=17 October 2019 |title=Musicians Hall of Fame to Honor Session Legends The Hit Men |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/rock/8533302/musicians-hall-of-fame-to-honor-session-legends-hit-men |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191019012729/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/rock/8533302/musicians-hall-of-fame-to-honor-session-legends-hit-men |archive-date=19 October 2019 |access-date=12 July 2020 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |publisher=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref>

In 2015, former longtime guitarist Larry Lingle rejoined the band, and he left for the second time after a concert on May 1, 2016.<ref name="Larry Lingle briefly rejoins 2015-2016">{{cite web |last1=Boleyn |first1=Lynn |last2=Lingle |first2=Larry |title=Thanks for the Music: Larry Lingle's Last Show with Frankie Valli |url=https://thatfourseasonssound.typepad.com/seasonally/2016/04/thanks-for-the-music.html |website=That "Four Seasons" Sound |publisher=Four Seasons UK Appreciation Society |access-date=May 27, 2024 |date=April 24, 2016}}</ref>  On September 10, 2016, the band performed with the BBC Concert Orchestra in [[Hyde Park, London|Hyde Park]], as part of the ''BBC Proms in the Park''.<ref>{{cite web |title=BBC Proms in the Park Hyde Park |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/events/e2bxj5 |website=BBC.co.uk |publisher=BBC |access-date=3 June 2022}}</ref>

In 2018, the Beard/Fournier/Brigham quartet spun off and began performing as '''The Modern Gentlemen''', with Valli's blessing, and Valli recruited a new quartet of singers to back him. Beard, Fournier, and the Brigham brothers performed as The Four Seasons for 15 years,<ref name="The Modern Gentlemen">{{cite web |title=The Modern Gentlemen: Bio |url=https://www.themoderngentlemen.net/bio |website=The Modern Gentlemen |access-date=May 27, 2024}}</ref> longer than any other lineup and longer than any of the band's other members except Valli, Gaudio and Robinson. 

In 2020, the group launched a [[YouTube]] channel.  During that same year, and continuing into 2021, during earlier phases of the [[COVID-19 pandemic in the United States|coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic]], the group virtually re-recorded three of their songs ("Harmony, Perfect Harmony", "Let's Hang On" and "Silence Is Golden"), as well as Valli's hit, "Grease", for their YouTube channel. The channel has since added archival videos from the group's television appearances and records by Four Seasons [[tribute act]]s, such as former ''Jersey Boys'' cast members.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0alO7vH9B-o7Yi8RpsaFzw/videos|title=Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons|publisher=[[YouTube]]|accessdate=March 24, 2021}}</ref>

A limited-edition 44-disc career box set called "Working Our Way Back to You: The Ultimate Collection" was initially going to be released in the summer of 2021 by The Four Seasons Partnership and Snapper Records,<ref>{{cite web | url=http://allyourscreens.com/en/component/k2/item/688-2021-brings-long-awaited-44-cd-career-set-for-four-seasons-fans | title=2021 Brings Long-Awaited 44-Disc Career Set For Four Seasons Fans | website=AllYourScreens.com | date=January 9, 2021 | access-date=March 9, 2021}}</ref> but it missed the release due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the box set was later rescheduled for release on December 9, 2022, before the release date was pushed back to April 14, 2023. The box set was eventually released on June 2, 2023, by The Four Seasons Partnership and Madfish/Snapper Music. It includes every album released by the band (including both mono and stereo mixes, where available), a CD of unreleased tracks from the band's Mowest years, three live shows taken from soundboard recordings as well as numerous other rare tracks and alternative versions.

The Four Seasons announced their farewell tour, "The Last Encores Tour", to run through 2024, including several extended stays at the [[Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino]].<ref name=farewelltour>{{Cite web |date=2023-10-04 |title=Frankie Valli Announces "The Last Encores" 2023-2024 Tour Dates |url=https://consequence.net/2023/10/frankie-valli-four-seasons-last-encores-2023-2024-tour-dates/ |access-date=2023-10-05 |language=en-US}}</ref> In an interview with the ''Los Angeles Times'', Valli did not rule out future appearances after the tour, stating that "I'm not sure whether I'm gonna keep going out."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wood |first=Mikael |date=2023-10-25 |title=At 89, Frankie Valli is ready for one last encore |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2023-10-25/frankie-valli-four-seasons-beggin |access-date=2023-10-26 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref> The tour was eventually extended into 2025, with representatives for Valli responding to criticism of him touring at such an advanced age and fears of [[elder abuse]] by assuring that Valli was "doing just fine and super happy to be still performing."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jordan |first=Chris |date=2024-08-14 |title=Frankie Valli, 90, pushes back at critics who say he's too old to perform |url=https://www.aol.com/frankie-valli-90-pushes-back-192535680.html |access-date=2024-08-29 |website=Asbury Park Press via AOL |language=en-US}}</ref> In a statement to ''[[People (magazine)|People]]'', Valli indicated a willingness to continue performing as long as audiences continued to buy tickets, responding to accusations of [[lip sync]]ing by noting that his touring production was using a strategy it had long relied on for studio recordings "layering vocals and instruments" to allow the Seasons to maintain a sound similar to that heard in the 1960s despite Valli's age.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Frankie Valli Breaks Silence After Performance Videos Spark Concern: Nobody Is 'Forcing Me to Go on Stage' (Exclusive) |url=https://people.com/frankie-valli-speaks-out-after-performance-videos-spark-concern-exclusive-8720930 |access-date=2024-10-04 |website=People.com |language=en}}</ref>

Throughout the Four Seasons' {{years ago|1960}}-year existence, no incarnation of the group has ever won a competitive [[Grammy Award]]. In 2025, Valli was awarded the [[Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award]], the only Grammy the group has yet received.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.grammy.com/news/2025-grammys-special-merit-awards-recipients|title=The Recording Academy Announces 2025 Special Merit Award Honorees: Prince, The Clash, Taj Mahal, Roxanne Shante & Many More |publisher=GRAMMY.com |date=2024-12-20}}</ref>