The Book of Love is the fourteenth studio album by British/Australian soft rock duo Air Supply, released in 1997. The album was a serious attempt for the band to penetrate the charts, mainly focusing on mature adult contemporary songs.
| The Book of Love | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 9 December 1997 | |||
| Recorded | Runs with the Wild, Utah; Westlake Studios, Los Angeles, 1997 | |||
| Genre | Soft rock, adult contemporary | |||
| Label | Giant Records | |||
| Producer | Sageman for A Nice Pear Inc. | |||
| Air Supply chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    Link |
Background
editThe writing of songs on the album began during their Asian tour on 1995, with the song "Mother Said" being demonstrated by Graham Russell at their room in a hotel on Taipei, Taiwan. It was shown on their interactive CD-ROM titled As Close As This.[1]
Though the album didn't have any chart entries, the singles "So Much Love" and "When I Say" have gained critical acclaim in USA, although in Asia the single "Strong Strong Wind" was a big hit. The latter song was also recorded by the American band Heart for their 1998 compilation Greatest Hits.
Track listing
editAll tracks are written by Graham Russell, except where noted
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Book of Love" | 4:50 | |
| 2. | "Strong, Strong Wind" | Diane Warren | 4:21 |
| 3. | "So Much Love" | Russell, Tom Evans | 4:14 |
| 4. | "When I Say" | 5:27 | |
| 5. | "We the People" | Russell, Mark Williams | 3:41 |
| 6. | "Once" | Jed Moss, Russell | 4:59 |
| 7. | "Let's Stay Together Tonight" | Clifford Rehrig, Russell, Noble Williams | 7:56 |
| 8. | "Daybreak" | 4:28 | |
| 9. | "Mother Said" | 3:15 | |
| 10. | "Would You Ever Walk Away" | 3:58 | |
| 11. | "All That You Want" | Guy Allison, Russell | 3:51 |
| Total length: | 51:00 | ||
Personnel
editAir Supply
- Russell Hitchcock – lead vocals (2, 3, 6–9), backing vocals (2, 8, 9)
- Graham Russell – keyboards (1), programming (1), acoustic guitar (1), lead vocals (2, 4, 6, 8, 9), backing vocals (2, 8, 9), guitar (3, 6, 9, 10), harp (8), drum programming (10)
Additional musicians
- Jed Moss – acoustic piano (1–3, 5, 7, 8)
- Randy Kerber – keyboards (2, 4, 5, 8), strings (7)
- John Philip Shenale – strings (3), keyboards (6)
- Guy Allison – keyboards (6, 9, 10), drum programming (10)
- Rex Goh – electric guitar (1), guitar (2, 4, 6, 10)
- Larry Antonio – bass (1)
- Abraham Laboriel – bass (1, 2, 4)
- Clifford Rehrig – bass (3, 6, 8, 9)
- Mark T. Williams – drums (2–4, 6, 9), keyboards (4), percussion (4)
- Rafael Padilla – percussion (2, 3, 9, 10)
- Paulinho da Costa – percussion (4)
- The Beejeagles (Russell Hitchcock, Graham Russell and Michael Sherwood) – lead vocals (1), backing vocals (1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 10)
- The Waters Family (Julia Waters, Luther Waters, Maxine Waters Willard and Oren Waters) – backing vocals (4)
Production
edit- Producer – Graham Russell
- Engineer and Mixing – Alejandro Rodriguez
- Assistant Engineer – Tony Meador
- Mix Assistants – Tony Meador and Jeff Robinette
- Mastered by Bob Ludwig at Gateway Mastering (Portland, ME)
- Art Direction and Design – Lyn Bradley
- Stylist – Xavier Cabrera
- Photography – Michael Wilson
References
edit- ^ "Air Supply - "Mother Said" (1995 demo version)". Retrieved 14 April 2022 – via YouTube.