With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, I thought I’d listen to one of the 22 volumes of Time-Life’s The Language of Love. Each volume includes 24 Love Songs.
The mix of songs on this 2-CD set range from “Drive” by The Cars to The Spinners” and Al Jarreau’s “We’re In This Love Together” to Gladys Knight and The Pips’ “Midnight Train to Georgia.”
TRACK LIST:
| 1-1 | Fleetwood Mac– | Hold Me | 3:46 |
| 1-2 | The Cars– | Drive | 3:57 |
| 1-3 | Roger*– | I Want To Be Your Man | 4:05 |
| 1-4 | Smokey Robinson– | Just To See Her | 4:05 |
| 1-5 | Air Supply– | Even The Nights Are Better | 4:00 |
| 1-6 | America (2)– | I Need You | 3:07 |
| 1-7 | The Spinners*– | I’ll Be Around | 3:13 |
| 1-8 | Todd Rundgren– | Hello It’s Me | 3:42 |
| 1-9 | Bad English– | When I See You Smile | 4:21 |
| 1-10 | Al Jarreau– | We’re In This Love Together | 3:48 |
| 1-11 | Aretha Franklin– | Day Dreaming | 4:01 |
| 1-12 | Ben E. King– | Stand By Me | 2:59 |
| 2-1 | Orleans– | Dance With Me | 3:02 |
| 2-2 | Brook Benton– | Rainy Night In Georgia | 3:52 |
| 2-3 | The Persuaders– | Thin Line Between Love And Hate | 3:25 |
| 2-4 | Seals And Crofts*– | Summer Breeze | 3:27 |
| 2-5 | Charlene– | I’ve Never Been To Me | 3:56 |
| 2-6 | Air Supply– | Sweet Dreams | 5:21 |
| 2-7 | Quincy Jones With James Ingram– | Just Once | 4:36 |
| 2-8 | Debbie Gibson– | Lost In Your Eyes | 3:35 |
| 2-9 | LeBlanc And Carr*– | Falling | 3:13 |
| 2-10 | Gladys Knight And The Pips– | Midnight Train To Georgia | 4:40 |
| 2-11 | England Dan And John Ford Coley*– | We’ll Never Have To Say Goodbye Again | 2:52 |
| 2-12 | Carly Simon– | That’s The Way I’ve Always Heard It Should Be | 4:16 |
Well, aside from the rather questionable definition of “love” (for example, “That’s the Way I’ve Always Heard It Should Be” is very sad and cynical about love), most of these songs are serviceable with a few standouts like “Hold Me” and (one of my all-time melancholy faves) “Rainy Night in Georgia”. But what the hell is the execrable “Never Been to Me” (used to great comic effect in “Priscilla, Queen of the Desert”) doing here?
Deb, I knew you would say that as soon as I saw it on the list!
“Rainy Night in Georgia ” is a personal favorite of mine too. I have 5 different versions, including Boz Scaggs and a duet of Sam Moore and Conway Twitty.
Jeff, I agree with you on “Rainy Night in Georgia”–a great song! It’s been several years since I’ve heard it played on the radio.
Deb, I’m guessing TIME-LIFE had to reach for some of the songs you mention because they wanted to fill 22 sets of CDs.
Yes, “Rainy Night in Georgia” (Tony Joe White composition), Carly, the Spinners, Ben E. King . . . Seals ad Croft for nostalgia (“Summer Breeze” was entering the charts the week Donna and I were married) . . . anyway, maybe a B- minus overall.
Fred, “Summer Breeze” received plenty of airplay back in 1972.
I like some of them, but many I don’t recognize by name. I agree about rainy night in Georgia ( surprisingly it didn’t show up at all as an option while I was typing this)
Maggie, I’ve been listening to “Rainy Night in Georgia” since 1970. Great song!
For my Georgia song, I’ll pick Midnight Train to Georgia!