"Sweet Love" is a soul/R&B ballad written by Lionel Richie and recorded by American R&B vocal group Commodores.
| "Sweet Love" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Commodores | ||||
| from the album Movin' On | ||||
| B-side | "Better Never Than Forever" | |||
| Released | 25 November 1975 (US)[1] | |||
| Recorded | 1975 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:20 | |||
| Label | Motown | |||
| Composer(s) | Lionel Richie | |||
| Producer(s) | James Anthony Carmichael, Commodores | |||
| Commodores singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
It became their first Top 10 pop hit in the US, where the single peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot 100[4] and number two on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart in 1976, while in the UK, it reached number 32, becoming their second Top 40 hit.
Background
edit"Sweet Love " was a ballad that heralded a move away from their initial stone cold funk sound. The six-minute album version is noted for Richie's half-sung, half-spoken recitation before the song's refrain repeats to the fade out.
Reception
editCash Box said that it has "close, colorful, harmonious vocal lines and smooth, flowing musical arrangement."[5]
Chart performance
edit| Chart (1976) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles (The Official Charts Company)[6] | 32 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 5 |
| US Hot Soul Singles (Billboard)[7] | 2 |
References
edit- ^ "COMMODORES - SWEET LOVE". Dutchcharts.nl.
- ^ Breihan, Tom (December 23, 2019). "The Number Ones: Commodores' "Three Times A Lady"". Stereogum. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
"Sweet Love," "Just To Be Close To You," and "Easy" are all recognizably soul songs.
- ^ a b Molanphy, Chris (October 15, 2022). "Give Up the Funk Edition". Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia (Podcast). Slate. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
- ^ "Commodores Sweet Love Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 20, 2018. Retrieved 2017-12-10.
- ^ "CashBox Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. December 13, 1975. p. 16. Retrieved 2021-12-11.
- ^ "officialcharts.com". officialcharts.com. Retrieved October 19, 2021.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 130.
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