About The Song
In this song, Four Seasons frontmanĀ Frankie ValliĀ is addressing a girl who is clearly in a funk. Heās asking her to think about who really loves her and who is going to get her through these tough times, hoping sheāll finally realize itās him.
The song was written by original Four Seasons member Bob Gaudio and a songwriter named Judy Parker, who later became his wife. Like many of the song Gaudio wrote for the group, the upbeat melody contrasts with a somber, lovelorn lyric. However, there is a bright spot. In our interview with Gaudio, he said: āāWho Loves Youā is a dark lyric with a positive outcome: Thereās someone here for you, Iāll take care of you. ā
In the ā60s, The Four Seasons were one of the most successful groups in America, with a retro sound featuring Frankie Valliās falsetto. That sound fell out of favor late in the decade, and in 1972 the group signed a deal with Motown Records. Their Motown output had little success, and in 1974 they split from the label.
By 1975, disco was starting its ascent and The Four Seasons were ready to ride that train. The groupās ā50s sound that was retro in the mid-ā60s was now cutting-edge a decade later, as Valliās falsetto suited the disco groove perfectly. Now signed to Curb Records, āWho Loves Youā was the groupās first post-Motown single, and it brought them back in a big way. Their next single was an even bigger hit and just as groovy: āDecember 1963 (Oh What a Night).ā
TheĀ Who Loves YouĀ marked a new lineup for the group, which now had five members and played their own instruments (previous lineups used session musicians to back the vocalists). Original member Bob Gaudio was no longer performing with the group, but was their producer and contributed vocals and keyboards to their studio output.