Ah, the power of love! Or lust. Either way, you are invited to sit back, pop a bon-bon in your mouth, and read some little known stories behind these ten emotional recordings.
~
"Cherish"
(Terry Kirkman, 1966)
While he was the keyboard player in Los Angeles-based band The Association, Kirkman wrote this lovely song. Apparently, the recording was nearly three and a half minutes long, which was a bit much for radio play in those days, so the song was sped up to 3:13 and listed on the label as 3:00. It was later the first hit for David Cassidy, star of TV's "The Partridge Family," but that shouldn't dissuade you from checking out the original. Featuring wonderful vocal harmonies, the song is often played at weddings, which is odd because it is about unrequited love.
~
"First Time Ever I Saw Your Face"
(Ewan MacColl, 1957)
Experimental playwright and folk singer MacColl composed this in 1957 for his partner, Peggy Seeger, who needed a romantic song for a play. Written in less than an hour, the song virtually defines the term "love song." It created a sensation when a version by Roberta Flack appeared in the film Play Misty for Me. The song has been recorded by dozens of performers in many genres, from Flack to Johnny Cash to Celine Dion to George Michael.
~
"God Only Knows"
(Brian Wilson, 1966)
Although it begins with the doubtful line, "I may not always love you," the rest of the song is as assertive about undying love as anything ever written. In the recording by the Beach Boys, Carl Wilson's lead vocal achieves a rarefied combination of strength and tenderness. This track is ethereal in its beauty. Cover versions of the song appear in Boogie Nights and Saved, while the original is at the end of the wonderful Richard Curtis film, Love, Actually.
~
"Heaven"
(Jim Vallance and Bryan Adams, 1983)
Written for the thankfully forgotten 1983 film A Night in Heaven, the song also appeared on Adams' "Reckless" album the following year and it reached number one. DJ Sammy's 2002 dance version, recorded with Yanou and Dominique van Hulst, has dance floor grooves while still conveying the passion of love.
~
"In Your Eyes"
(Peter Gabriel, 1986)
This track, from Gabriel's "So" album, has often been called the most beautiful love song ever recorded. There's no denying its passion and power, with unusual chords and lyrics that touch on spiritual and metaphysical themes. Film director Cameron Crowe worked very hard (and reportedly paid two hundred thousand dollars) to get the song into his film, Say Anything. Another popular story about the song is that it was written for Gabriel's then girlfriend, Rosanna Arquette. If true, it would mean she has had two massive hit songs written for her, as she is the subject of Toto's "Rosanna" from 1982.
~
"I Will Always Love You"
(Dolly Parton, 1974)
When Dolly Parton ended her professional songwriting partnership with Porter Wagoner, she wrote this heartfelt breakup song even though they were not romantically involved. The result was a number one country hit for Parton. She recorded another version for the 1978 film, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, and it once again hit number one on the country charts. Whitney Houston's version of the song appeared in the 1992 film, The Bodyguard, and dominated the pop, soul, and adult contemporary charts for weeks. Not a day goes by without someone playing it to demonstrate the depth of their love, which is ironic since it is a song about saying goodbye.
~
"Night and Day"
(Cole Porter, 1932)
Written for the play, "Gay Divorce," and also appearing in the film, The Gay Divorcee, this may be the most famous of Porter's 800+ songs, and contains his seemingly effortless flow of words, culminating in the bold statement that all of the torments of life won't be through "Till you let me spend my life making love to you, day and night, night and day." Such is the economy of Porter's writing that this one phrase combines the singer's desire with a promise of eternal love while managing to invert and restate the title, all in 17 words. It's why many songwriters would say of Porter, "You're the Top," which is another of his famous songs, and could have easily made this list.
~
"Unchained Melody"
(Alex North and Hy Zaret, 1936)
Sixteen year old William Stirrat was too shy to approach the girl of his dreams. Using Hy Zaret as his pen name, he wrote this saga of love and longing. The breathtaking melody was by Alex North (who went on to compose scores for Spartacus, Cleopatra, and many others). It took 19 years before their song appeared, first in the prison picture, Unchained, where it was nominated for a Best Song Oscar. Al Hibbler sang the version in the film, but that same year saw the song hit the charts in versions by Hibbler, Les Baxter, Roy Hamilton, and June Valli. Other recordings of the song are by Harry Belafonte, Liberace, Jimmy Young, U2, Leann Rimes, Neil Diamond, Willie Nelson, Elvis Presley, and, of course, the Righteous Brothers. Their 1965 recording was a huge hit, and reached the top twenty again when it appeared on the Ghost soundtrack in 1990. The duo re-recorded the song that same year and THAT version also hit the top twenty. North asked Stirrat to team with him to write songs. Saying that was no way to make a living, Stirrat became an electrical engineer.
~
"Your Song"
(Elton John and Bernie Taupin, 1967)
It is said that the original lyric sheet has coffee stains on it because Taupin wrote the song at breakfast one morning at the home of John's parents, where he and the soon-to-be-superstar artist were living. One of their earliest collaborations, the work perfectly captures the profound sense of wonder experienced by anyone who has fallen in love.
[NOTE: Please let us know your favorite love song and perhaps we can do another article.]