by the end of 1957, the four lovers had no recording contract and returned to performing in clubs and lounges before being put "on hiatus", albeit briefly before a new artists contract with bob crewe's peri records gave the group a new purpose for its existence, that of supporting musicians with the occasional opportunity to record songs on their own (which they did — and release under a variety of names between 1958 and 1961). this began a sequence of events which, in four years, resulted in the group becoming the four seasons.