Editing The Four Seasons (band) (section)

===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]]'').