A Groovy Kind of Love

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"A Groovy Kind of Love" is a pop song written by Toni Wine and Carole Bayer Sager for the Screen Gems music publishing company. It is heavily based on the Rondo movement of Sonatina in G major, op. 36 no. 5[1] by Muzio Clementi. The song was released first by Diane & Annita in 1965, and several covers have since appeared on worldwide music charts.

The song title was an early use of the then-new slang word "groovy". Wine, who was 17 years old when she wrote the song, said, "Carole came up with "Groovy kinda… groovy kinda… groovy…" and we're all just saying, 'Kinda groovy, kinda groovy, kinda…' and I don't exactly know who came up with "Love", but it was 'Groovy kind of love'. And we did it. We wrote it in 20 minutes. It was amazing. Just flew out of our mouths, and at the piano, it was a real quick and easy song to write."[2]

Contents

[edit] The Mindbenders version

"A Groovy Kind of Love"
Single by The Mindbenders
from the album A Groovy Kind of Love
B-side "Love Is Good"
Released 1965 (1965)
Format 7"
Genre Classic rock, pop
Length 1:59
Label Fontana
Writer(s) Carole Bayer Sager, Toni Wine
The Mindbenders singles chronology
"A Groovy Kind of Love"
(1965)
"Can't Live with You, Can't Live Without You"
(1966)

Jack McGraw, who ran the London Screen Gems offices, thought the Wine/Bayer Sager song was a perfect match for the new group The Mindbenders, who recorded their cover of "A Groovy Kind of Love" in 1965. They liked the result so much that they named their first album A Groovy Kind of Love and released the song to radio as their debut single. It soon reached number two in the UK, and did the same in the United States when it was released there a year later.

[edit] Chart performance

Country Peak
position
Ireland[3] 9
United Kingdom[4] 2
United States 2

[edit] Phil Collins version

"A Groovy Kind of Love"
Single by Phil Collins
from the album Buster: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
B-side "Big Noise"
Released 27 August 1988[5]
Format 7", 12", CD single
Recorded 1988
Genre Rock
Length 3:30
Writer(s) Carole Bayer Sager, Toni Wine
Producer Phil Collins, Anne Dudley
Certification Gold (RIAA)
Phil Collins singles chronology
"In the Air Tonight"
(Remix)
(1988)
"A Groovy Kind of Love"
(1988)
"Two Hearts"
(1988)

Phil Collins recorded a new version of "A Groovy Kind of Love" in 1988. He had originally suggested the song as a good one for collaborator Stephen Bishop to record, with Collins producing, but decided to record it himself when he took a starring role in the film Buster, which had a 1960s setting.[6] The song was originally released on Buster: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, and also appeared on his Serious Hits... Live! album, as well as several Phil Collins compilation albums.

This version went the Mindbenders release one better, hitting #1 in both the US and UK charts, and it remains the only Collins single to top the charts in both countries.[7] It also reached #1 on the U.S. Adult Contemporary chart. The song earned Collins a nomination for Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance in 1989; he lost to Bobby McFerrin's song "Don't Worry, Be Happy".

[edit] Chart performance

Chart (1988) Peak
position
Australian ARIA Singles Chart[8] 2
Austrian Singles Chart[8] 6
Canadian Singles Chart 1
Dutch Top 40[9] 1
French Singles Chart[8] 15
German Singles Chart 3
Irish Singles Chart[10] 1
Italian Singles Chart[11] 1
Norwegian Singles Chart[8] 2
Swedish Singles Chart[8] 5
Swiss Singles Chart[8] 1
UK Singles Chart[4] 1
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 1
U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary Singles 1

[edit] Other covers

Other covers include:

  • the 1965 B-side of "All or Nothing", by Patti Labelle & The Blue Belles
  • a 1966 cover by Petula Clark
  • a 1966 cover with Italian lyrics ("Non c'è più nessuno") by I Camaleonti
  • a 1967 cover by Gene Pitney
  • a 1967 cover by Sonny & Cher
  • a 1970 recording by author Toni Wine
  • a 1970 cover by Elkie & Owen and The Rim Ram Band
  • a 1970 cover with Italian lyrics ("Ora che sei qui") by Remo Germani
  • a 1977 cover by Les Gray formerly of Mud which made #34 in the UK[4]
  • a 1983 cover by Doenja
  • a 1991 cover by Argentinian singer Pablo Ruiz with Spanish lyrics, titled Espejos Azules
  • a 1993 cover by Neil Diamond
  • "Look at Us", a 2000 re-recording by Sarina Paris
  • "Like a Butterfly", a 2000 re-recording by Aba 7
  • a 2000 instrumental by Hank Marvin on the album Marvin at the Movies
  • a 2001 cover by Dan Finnerty, for the film The Wedding Planner
  • Richard Clayderman made a cover of this song for his 2002 compilation album 'The Ultimate Collection'

In 1979 Italian artist Ivan Graziani recorded "Agnese", his own adaptation of Clementi's Rondo, which has the same song structure.[12]

The song is played on violins in the Friends television episode "The One with the Wedding Part 2".[13]

Preceded by
"The Only Way Is Up" by Yazz and the Plastic Population
UK number one single
4 September 1988
Succeeded by
"He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" by The Hollies
Preceded by
"It Would Take a Strong Strong Man" by Rick Astley
Billboard Adult Contemporary (chart) number-one single
8 October 1988 (3 weeks)
Succeeded by
"One Moment in Time" by Whitney Houston
Preceded by
"Red Red Wine" by UB40
Billboard Hot 100 number one single
22 October 1988 – 29 October 1988
Succeeded by
"Kokomo" by The Beach Boys

[edit] References

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