Deb mentioned The Best of Sade when commenting on last week’s FIRST LOVE and Ultimate Love Songs Collection: The Power Of Love post (you can read it here). There’s no doubt Sade sang lovely love songs: “Your Love Is King,” “Hang On to Your Love,” “Please Send Me Someone to Love,” and “Love Is Stronger Than Pride.” The Best of Sade is the perfect Valentine’s Day album! GRADE: A
The Best Love Songs Album In The World…Ever! Here’s 62 of the “best” love songs from across 5 decades–allegedly. Included on this 3-CD compilation are songs that you will love–or hate. There’s something here for just about every musical taste. The assemblers of this Love album cast a wide net in terms of the variety of songs, the range of artists and groups, and the many musical eras they’ve pulled songs from.
From Elvis, Andy Williams, Julie London, and Johnny Mathis to Tina Turner, Anita Baker, and Foreigner these CDs offer a mixed bag of love songs. Two of my favorites–Joan Armatrading’s “Love & Affection” and Jackie DeShannon’s “What the World Needs Now Is Love”–show up to celebrate the occasion.
Do you remember these love songs? Any favorites here? GRADE: B
TRACK LIST:
| A1 | Your Love Is King Written-By – Adu*, Matthewman* | 3:41 | |
| A2 | Hang On To Your Love Written-By – Adu*, Matthewman* | 4:29 | |
| A3 | Smooth Operator Written-By – St John*, Adu* | 4:16 | |
| A4 | Jezebel Written-By – Adu*, Matthewman* | 5:23 | |
| B5 | The Sweetest Taboo Written-By – Ditcham*, Adu* | 4:25 | |
| B6 | Is It A Crime Written-By – Hale*, Adu*, Matthewman* | 6:16 | |
| B7 | Never As Good As The First Time Producer – Rogan*, Pela*, Millar*Vocals – Jake Jacas Written-By – Adu*, Matthewman* | 3:58 | |
| B8 | Love Is Stronger Than Pride Written-By – Hale*, Adu*, Matthewman* | 4:17 | |
| C9 | ParadiseGuitar – Gordon Hunte Written-By – Hale*, Denman*, Adu*, Matthewman* | 3:36 | |
| C10 | Nothing Can Come Between Us Written-By – Hale*, Adu*, Matthewman* | 3:52 | |
| C11 | No Ordinary Love Written-By – Adu*, Matthewman* | 7:19 | |
| C12 | Like A TattooWritten-By – Hale*, Adu*, Matthewman* | 3:36 | |
| D13 | Kiss Of Life Arranged By [String Arrangements] – Nick Ingman Written-By – Hale*, Denman*, Adu*, Matthewman* | 4:10 | |
| D14 | Please Send Me Someone To Love Drums – Trevor Murrell Guitar – Gordon Hunte Percussion – Karl Vanden Bossche* Producer, Mixed By – Hein Hoven Written-By – Percy Mayfield | 3:40 | |
| D15 | Cherish The Day Written-By – Hale*, Adu*, Matthewman* | 6:17 | |
| D16 | Pearls Arranged By [String Arrangements] – Nick IngmanCello, Soloist – Tony Pleeth *Written-By – Hale*, Adu* | 4:35 |
TRACK LIST:
Track Listing:
Disc 1
1: Angels – Robbie Williams
2: What’s Love Got to Do With It – Tina Turner
3: Without You – Harry Nilsson
4: You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me – Dusty Springfield
5: I’ll Never Fall in Love Again – Deacon Blue
6: I Go to Sleep – The Pretenders
7: Save a Prayer – Duran Duran
8: All of My Heart – ABC
9: Head Over Heels – Tears for Fears
10: Waiting for a Girl Like You – Foreigner
11: She’s Like the Wind (Feat. Wendy Fraser) – Patrick Swayze
12: Right Here Waiting – Richard Marx
13: Slave to Love – Bryan Ferry
14: Sweet Love – Anita Baker
15: My Cherie Amour – Stevie Wonder
16: Suddenly – Billy Ocean
17: Endless Love – Lionel Richie & Diana Ross
18: Up Where We Belong – Joe Cocker & Jennifer Warnes
19: Every Time You Go Away – Paul Young
20: The Power of Love – Frankie Goes to Hollywood
Disc 2
1: Still – Commodores
2: One Day I’ll Fly Away – Randy Crawford
3: Wishing On a Star – Rose Royce
4: Thinking of You – Sister Sledge
5: I Want Your Love – Chic
6: Reunited – Peaches & Herb
7: Lovin’ You – Minnie Riperton
8: With You I’m Born Again – Billy Preston & Syreeta
9: Let’s Get It On – Marvin Gaye
10: If You Don’t Know Me By Now (Feat. Teddy Pendergrass) – Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes
11: Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me – Gladys Knight and The Pips
12: Woman in Love – The Three Degrees
13: Never Let Her Slip Away – Andrew Gold
14: Laughter in the Rain – Neil Sedaka
15: The Things We Do for Love – 10cc
16: Make It With You – Bread
17: Love and Affection – Joan Armatrading
18: My Eyes Adored You – Frankie Valli
19: Always On My Mind – Elvis Presley
20: A Little Bit More – Dr. Hook
21: Annie’s Song – John Denver
Disc 3
1: I Say a Little Prayer – Aretha Franklin
2: The Tracks of My Tears – Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
3: Unchained Melody – The Righteous Brothers
4: Dedicated to the One I Love – The Mamas and The Papas
5: Eternal Flame – The Bangles & Susanna Hoffs
6: Love Is All Around – Wet Wet Wet
7: Kiss from a Rose – Seal
8: Un-break My Heart – Toni Braxton
9: In All the Right Places – Lisa Stansfield
10: Anything for You – Gloria Estefan & The Miami Sound Machine
11: Lost in Your Eyes – Debbie Gibson
12: Give Me Back My Heart – Dollar
13: Can’t Take My Eyes Off You – Andy Williams
14: What the World Needs Now Is Love – Jackie DeShannon
15: This Girl’s in Love With You – Dionne Warwick
16: Cry Me a River – Julie London
17: The Twelfth of Never – Johnny Mathis
18: When a Man Loves a Woman – Percy Sledge
19: When You Say Nothing at All – Ronan Keating
20: Save the Best for Last – Vanessa Williams
21: A Million Love Songs – Take That
Some good, some excellent, some garbage! Oddly enough, I heard the Jackie Deshannon song on the way to my club last night (or earlier tonight if you want to get technical)! It’s one of the Excellent ones!
Bob, I was a big fan of Jackie DeShannon in the 1960s. Another underrated singer/songwriter!
The Sade song list did not come through. “Smooth Operator ” and “The Sweetest Taboo” remain favorites.
On the Love Songs CD, Disc One I’d take the Dusty Springfield and Anita Baker songs. Disc Two, Marvin Gaye and Teddy Pendergrass. Disc Three, #s 2, 3 and 14.
Jeff, we’re getting a pretty snowfall right now. The weather-guessers predict about an inch this morning. We may hit 40 degrees tomorrow! Big Orange still hasn’t shown up so Diane may send me out to shovel this latest coating of snow.
Even the weaker Adu songs on her retrospective are far better than the annoying ones on the anthology. The good songs on the latter are not lessened, but not helped, by the propinquity.
Also, Julie London’s version of “Cry Me a River” is more than fine, but is another odd choice among “love” songs, as opposed to rage over being spurned, then chased, songs.
Todd, I’m a Julie London fan so her inclusion will get no pushback from me. But the choice of “Cry Me a River” is a head-scratcher…
Todd, Sade’s songs sound as fresh and soulful today as they did back in the 1980s. Timeless! THE BEST LOVE SONGS ALBUM IN THE WORLD EVER! over-promises and under-delivers…
Not into Sade. Some pretty good stuff on the other set–Aretha, Tears for Fears. Paul Young, Anita Baker, Mamas & Papas, Dionne, Dusty, Jackie, Toni . . . In a particular circle of hell, lost souls are condemned to hear “Endless Love” and “Annie’s Song” in perpetual play and replay.
Fred, I share your aversion to “Endless Love” and “Annie’s Song.”
Lots of great ones. Also lots I don’t recognize at least by name. I found 2 glaring omissions, at least to me: . miracles by the Jefferson starship (or airplane) and Peaceful easy feeling by the Eagles. Good timing for Valentine’s Day.
Maggie, “Miracles” is my favorite Jefferson Starship song. Diane loves The Eagles and “Peaceful Easy Feeling.”
For some reason, I’m getting only the Sade, then just blank space. I love Sade: that smooth jazzy sound. Love it!
Deb, WORDPRESS is acting up again! I’ll try to fix it.
I only recognize Smooth Operator in the Sade CD.
Lots of good stuff in the Best Love Songs CD.
Favorites are:
Without You by Harry Nilsson
Slave to Love by Bryan Ferry
What the World Needs Now Is Love by Jackie DeShannon
Dedicated to the One I Love by the Mamas and the Papas
Beth, you have excellent taste in Love Songs!
That love songs collection is way better than average. I’m sure nobody knows Dollar’s “Give Me Back My Heart,” but that’s real nice. “The Power of Love” by Frankie Goes to Hollywood is very popular in England (and in my house, too). “I’ll protect you from the hooded claw,
Keep the vampires from your door”
On a completely different type of music, an anti-love song, we heard today for the first time a hit from last year, “Bitin’ Love” by Tyler Childers. We were driving in the car, laughing, and wishing we could share it with Bill Crider.
To put it plain, I just don’t like you
Not a thing about the way you is
And if there ever come a time I got rabies
You’re high on my bitin’ list
Yeah, you’re high on the list of people gettin’ bit
If they gave me a week or two
Before my brain was so inflamed
My sprit left my shoes
I’d wanna kiss my wife, I’d wanna hug my baby
But when my goodbyes are through
Foamin’ at the mouth, high in the hackles
Motherfucker, I’ma come for you
Jeff, Bill Crider would have loved any song about rabies! Yes, THE BEST LOVE SONGS ALBUM IN THE WORLD…EVER is a weird mix of tunes!