Real Love (Doobie Brothers song)

"Real Love"
"Real Love"
Single by Doobie Brothers
from the album One Step Closer
B-side	"Thank You Love"
Released	August 21, 1980
Recorded	1980
Studio	Sunset Sound Recorders, Hollywood, California
Genre	Pop, soft rock
Length	4:16
Label	Warner Bros.
Songwriter(s)	Michael McDonald, Patrick Henderson
Producer(s)	Ted Templeman
Doobie Brothers singles chronology

"Real Love" is a hit song by The Doobie Brothers, the first of three singles from their 1980 LP, One Step Closer.

"Real Love" became the greatest hit from the album, reaching No. 5 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 during the fall of the year. It is the group's third highest-charting U.S. single after their two number-one hits, "Black Water" and "What a Fool Believes". The song reached No. 12 in Canada. It was also a Top 20 Adult Contemporary hit in both nations.

Record World said that its "blue-eyed soul and melodic keyboard finesse translate into another multi-format charttopper."^[2]

The song became the second of nine songs entitled "Real Love" charting on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 between 1980 and 1996, with the final being the Beatles hit. It is also the second biggest hit with this title, behind Jody Watley's.

Personnel

Michael McDonald — keyboards, organ, synthesizers, vocals
Patrick Simmons — guitar, background vocals
John McFee — guitar, background vocals
Cornelius Bumpus — tenor saxophone, background vocals
Tiran Porter — bass guitar, background vocals
Keith Knudsen — drums, background vocals
Chet McCracken – drums

Additional personnel

Bobby LaKind — congas, bongos, background vocals
Nicolette Larson – background vocals
Patrick Henderson – keyboards
Jimmie Haskell – string arrangements

Chart history

Weekly charts

Chart (1980–81)	Peak position
Australian (Kent Music Report)^[3]	53
Canada RPM Top Singles^[4]	12
Canada RPM Adult Contemporary^[5]	15
US Billboard Hot 100^[6]	5
US Billboard Adult Contemporary	10
US Cash Box Top 100	7

Year-end charts

Chart (1980)	Rank
Canada^[7]	84
US (Joel Whitburn's Pop Annual)^[8]	49
US Cash Box^[9]	54

References

^ "The Doobie Brothers – Real Love".
^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. September 6, 1980. p. 1. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 92. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
^ "Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. November 29, 1980. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
^ "Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. November 25, 1980. Retrieved October 27, 2018.
^ Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990 – ISBN 0-89820-089-X
^ "Top 100 Singles (1980)". RPM. Retrieved July 21, 2017.
^ Whitburn, Joel (1999). Pop Annual. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. ISBN 0-89820-142-X.
^ http://tropicalglen.com/Archives/80s_files/1980YESP.html Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles, December 27, 1980

External links

Listen to "Real Love" on YouTube

This 1980s song–related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

[1] "The Doobie Brothers – Real Love".

[2] "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. September 6, 1980. p. 1. Retrieved February 7, 2023.

[aus-3] Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 92. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.

[4] "Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. November 29, 1980. Retrieved July 19, 2018.

[5] "Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. November 25, 1980. Retrieved October 27, 2018.

[6] Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990 – ISBN 0-89820-089-X

[7] "Top 100 Singles (1980)". RPM. Retrieved July 21, 2017.

[8] Whitburn, Joel (1999). Pop Annual. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. ISBN 0-89820-142-X.

[9] ttp://tropicalglen.com/Archives/80s_files/1980YESP.html Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles, December 27, 1980

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