Hot Love (Twisted Sister song)

"Hot Love" is a song by the American heavy metal band Twisted Sister, released on June 26, 1987 as the lead single from their fifth studio album, Love Is for Suckers. It was written by Dee Snider and produced by Beau Hill. The song reached number 31 in the US Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart.[2]

"Hot Love"
Single by Twisted Sister
from the album Love Is for Suckers
B-side"Tonight"
ReleasedJune 26, 1987[1]
GenreGlam metal
Length3:45
LabelAtlantic
Songwriter(s)Dee Snider
Producer(s)Beau Hill
Twisted Sister singles chronology
"Leader of the Pack"
(1985)
"Hot Love"
(1987)
"Love Is for Suckers"
(1987)

"Hot Love" was released in North America, Europe, Australia and Japan.[3] The B-side, "Tonight", was taken from Love Is for Suckers.[4]

Music video

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The song's music video was directed by Jon Small. It achieved medium rotation on MTV.[5] The video features the band without both their trademark makeup and the slapstick comedy elements of some of their earlier videos. Snider told the Los Angeles Times Syndicate in 1987, "With the image in videos we had, people started saying we were a joke. So we dropped the makeup and deliberately didn't do a funny video. [It's] a basic rock 'n' roll video."[6]

The video was filmed in various places on Long Island, including the old Pathmark Mall shopping center on Deer Park Avenue in North Babylon which has since been demolished and is now an Aldi and Planet Fitness.

Critical reception

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On its release, Cash Box said, "The drums sound like they were recorded in an airplane hangar and there's enough guitar brawn here to strong arm even the toughest ears. All of the sonic boom, though, is in the service of a truly engaging pop song."[7] Billboard commented, "Dee and the boys deliver an incisive rock number that buoys their instinctive delivery with much commercial appeal."[8]

Chicago Tribune said of the song in a review of Love Is for Suckers, "The best song on the album, 'Hot Love,' is deep-fried in committed drumming and fluent guitars that don't overwhelm melody. It's the best Twisted Sister tune since 'We're Not Gonna Take It'."[9][10] The Washington Post said "Twisted Sister's raw image was totally out of sync with the melodic 'Hot Love,' an obvious attempt to break into the mainstream market."[11] Greg Prato of AllMusic retrospectively described "Hot Love" as a stand-out on Love Is for Suckers.[12]

Formats

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7" single
  1. "Hot Love" - 3:45
  2. "Tonight" - 3:51
7" single (US promo)
  1. "Hot Love" - 3:45
  2. "Hot Love" - 3:45
12" single (US promo)
  1. "Hot Love (Vocal/LP Version)" - 3:44
  2. "Hot Love (Vocal/LP Version)" - 3:44

Charts

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Chart (1987) Peak
position
US Billboard Album Rock Tracks[13] 31
US AOR Tracks (Radio & Records)[14] 40

References

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  1. ^ "New This Week". The Hard Report. No. 34. June 26, 1987. p. 7.
  2. ^ "Twisted Sister". AllMusic. Retrieved 2012-01-11.
  3. ^ "Twisted Sister - Hot Love at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2018-03-20.
  4. ^ "Twisted Sister - Hot Love (Vinyl) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2012-06-23.
  5. ^ Billboard magazine - August 22, 1987 - Video Music and MTV Programming - page 50
  6. ^ Dodd, David (September 18, 1987). "Twisted Sister". The Baltimore Sun.
  7. ^ Cash Box newspaper - July 4, 1987 - Single releases - p. 9
  8. ^ Billboard magazine - July 4, 1987 - Single Reviews - p. 73
  9. ^ [1]
  10. ^ "After time to unwind, Twisted Sister returns - Chicago Sun-Times | HighBeam Research". 15 March 2018. Archived from the original on 2018-03-15. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
  11. ^ "The Twisted Twitter". Pqasb.pqarchiver.com. 1987-10-01. Archived from the original on February 8, 2013. Retrieved 2018-03-20.
  12. ^ Prato, Greg. "Love Is for Suckers - Twisted Sister : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2012-06-23.
  13. ^ Twisted Sister. "Twisted Sister - Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2012-07-20.
  14. ^ "National Airplay: AOR Tracks". Radio & Records. No. 697. Radio & Records, Inc. 31 July 1987. p. 82. ISSN 0277-4860.