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The Love I Lost

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"The Love I Lost"
side-A label
A-side label of the US single
Single by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes
from the album Black & Blue
B-side"The Love I Lost" (Part 2)
ReleasedSeptember 1973
StudioSigma Sound, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
GenreDisco
Length
  • 3:35 (single version)
  • 6:24 (full-length version)
LabelPhiladelphia International
Songwriter(s)Kenny Gamble & Leon Huff
Producer(s)Kenny Gamble & Leon Huff
Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes singles chronology
"Yesterday I Had the Blues"
(1973) 		"The Love I Lost"
(1973) 		"Satisfaction Guaranteed (Or Take Your Love Back)"
(1974)
Official audio
"The Love I Lost" on YouTube

"The Love I Lost" is a song by American R&B group Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes. Group member Teddy Pendergrass sang lead vocals. Originally written as a ballad by Philly soul songwriters Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, the song was transformed into a funk song and features drummer Earl Young. It was released from the Black & Blue album in late 1973 and sold more than a million copies. In the 21st century, the track has been the subject of extended re-edits by notable remixers Tom Moulton, Theo Parrish, and Dimitri From Paris.

Background

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"The Love I Lost" is considered an early example of disco.[1] The track was one of the transitional songs marking the emergence of disco from traditional rhythm and blues as a distinctive style of music.[2]

The 2024 PBS series Disco: Soundtrack of a Revolution explores the importance of "The Love I Lost" to the history of disco music.[3]

Charts

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Chart (1973–1974) Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[4] 39
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[5] 31
Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[6] 97
UK Singles (OCC)[7] 21
US Billboard Hot 100[8] 7
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[9] 48
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[10] 1

Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[11] Gold 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

West End featuring Sybil version

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"The Love I Lost"
Single by West End featuring Sybil
from the album Doin' It Now! and Good 'N' Ready
B-side"Sybil-It"
ReleasedJanuary 4, 1993 (1993-01-04)[12]
GenreDisco[13]
Length3:25
LabelPWL International
Songwriter(s)Gamble and Huff
Producer(s)
Sybil singles chronology
"You're the Love of My Life"
(1993) 		"The Love I Lost"
(1993) 		"When I'm Good and Ready"
(1993)
Music video
"The Love I Lost" on YouTube

On January 4, 1993, American R&B and pop singer-songwriter Sybil released a cover of "The Love I Lost" with British DJ and producer West End (a.k.a. Eddie Gordon).[14] It was produced by Mike Stock and Pete Waterman, released by PWL International and received positive reviews from music critics. This version remains one of Sybil's most successful single, reaching number 18 on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart and number three in the United Kingdom. A music video was produced to promote the single.

Critical reception

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AllMusic editor Justin Kantor described the song as a "vibrant, disco-styled cover", noting further that Sybil's "high-energy delivery is soulful, spirited, and commanding".[13] Larry Flick from Billboard wrote, "While urban-ites continue to chew on the sweet "You're the Love of My Life", popsters are served a sparkling pop/NRG rendition of a Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes classic. This timeless tune gains its current top 40 muscle by Sybil's lively and soulful vocal, and the distinct hand of producers Stock & Waterman. A top-five U.K. smash that should have little trouble making the grade here."[15] The Gavin Report complimented the singer's "sweet, strong vocals".[16] In his weekly UK chart commentary, James Masterton said, "A fairly faithful cover [...], the classic song, coupled with the powerful voice of Sybil makes for one of those soul covers which if anything adds to the original. Notice as well the production credits on the back of such a trendy record - Mike Stock and Pete Waterman, showing that there is life after Kylie and Jason."[17]

Alan Jones from Music Week felt that here, the 1974 hit "makes an easy transition from Philly soul to commercial garage", remarking that "its uplifting, hustling. instrumental track is strangely at odds with the downbeat lyrics, but it's tight, commercial, bright and breezy. A monster in the clubs, and likely to become an equally large pop hit."[18] Another Music Week editor, Andy Beevers, declared it as a "very solid garage reworking".[19] James Hamilton from the Record Mirror Dance Update complimented it as "superb".[20] In 2014, Matt Dunn of WhatCulture ranked the song at number 12 in his "15 unforgettable Stock Aitken Waterman singles" list, commenting on the song's music video, "The music video was a veritable celebration of the early-90s: muted primary colours, silhouetted dancers in silly hats spinning and flailing their arms about, flares and big collars everywhere and lots of classic Sybil moves - sideways glances, eyes up to the sky, shrugging shoulders, hands and arms gesticulating wildly and topped with a clap, plus that funky neck thing she always did."[21]

Chart performance

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"The Love I Lost" was a hit on both the European and North American continent, becoming a top-10 hit in Ireland (9)[22] and the UK, as well as on the Eurochart Hot 100 and European Dance Radio Chart.[23] In the UK, the single peaked at number three in its third week on the UK Singles Chart on 24 January 1993.[24] It was kept off number one and number two by Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You" and Snap!'s "Exterminate!", and stayed as number three for two weeks. But on both the UK Dance Singles chart and the UK Club Chart, the song did reach number one.[25][26] Additionally, it was a top-20 hit in Finland (14)[27] and a top-70 hit in Germany.[28] It debuted on the Eurochart Hot 100 at number 83 on 23 January,[29] after charting in the UK, and peaking at number nine three weeks later.[30] It ended up as numbers 84 and 30 on the Eurochart and UK Singles Chart year-end charts. In the US, "The Love I Lost" peaked at number 90 on the Billboard Hot 100,[31] and number 18 on both the Billboard Dance Club Play chart and Maxi-Singles Sales chart.[32][33] In Australia, the song only reached number 145 on the ARIA singles chart.

Track listing

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  • CD single, UK (1993)
  1. "The Love I Lost" (7-inch version) – 3:27
  2. "The Love I Lost" (12-inch club mix) – 5:23
  3. "The Love I Lost" (Unrequited Mix) – 6:37
  4. "Sybil-It" – 3:42

Charts

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References

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  1. ^ "discosavvy.com". discosavvy.com. Retrieved April 21, 2021.
  2. ^ Androite, John-Manuel (2001). Hot Stuff: A Brief History of Disco. Harper Entertainment. p. 182.
  3. ^ https://www.pbs.org/video/rock-the-boat-nxxaev/
  4. ^ "Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes – The Love I Lost" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved October 27, 2019.
  5. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 4943." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved October 27, 2019.
  6. ^ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 4967." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved October 27, 2019.
  7. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 27, 2019.
  8. ^ "Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved October 27, 2019.
  9. ^ "Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved October 27, 2019.
  10. ^ "Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved October 27, 2019.
  11. ^ "American single certifications – Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes – The Love I Lost". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved October 27, 2019.
  12. ^ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. December 26, 1992. p. 23. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
  13. ^ a b Kantor, Justin. "Sybil - Doin' It Now!". AllMusic. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  14. ^ "Eddiegordon.info Polydor-Urban and Sanctuary-PWL".
  15. ^ Flick, Larry (March 13, 1993). "Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
  16. ^ "Urban: New Releases" (PDF). Gavin Report. June 11, 1993. p. 15. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  17. ^ Masterton, James (January 10, 1993). "Week Ending January 16th 1993". Chart Watch UK. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  18. ^ Jones, Alan (December 26, 1992). "Market Preview: Next Week's Essential Singles" (PDF). Music Week. p. 7. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
  19. ^ Beevers, Andy (January 9, 1993). "Market Preview: Dance" (PDF). Music Week. p. 17. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  20. ^ Hamilton, James (January 9, 1993). "Djdirectory" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). p. 7. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  21. ^ Dunn, Matt (16 January 2014). "15 unforgettable Stock Aitken Waterman singles". WhatCulture. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
  22. ^ a b "The Irish Charts – Search Results – The Love I Lost". Irish Singles Chart.
  23. ^ a b "European Dance Radio" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10, no. 8. February 20, 1993. p. 20. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
  24. ^ a b "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 27, 2019.
  25. ^ a b "Top 60 Dance Singles" (PDF). Music Week. January 16, 1993. p. 22. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
  26. ^ a b "The RM Club Chart" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). January 9, 1993. p. 4. Retrieved May 17, 2021.
  27. ^ a b Nyman, Jake (2005). Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN 951-31-2503-3.
  28. ^ a b "West End feat. Sybil – The Love I Lost" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved October 27, 2019.
  29. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10, no. 4. January 23, 1993. p. 23. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  30. ^ a b "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10, no. 6. February 6, 1993. p. 13. Retrieved March 23, 2018.
  31. ^ a b "Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. April 17, 1993. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
  32. ^ a b "Dance Club Songs". Billboard. May 29, 1993. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
  33. ^ a b "Dance Singles Sales". Billboard. June 5, 1993. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
  34. ^ "EHR Top 40" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10, no. 10. March 6, 1993. p. 22. Retrieved April 7, 2024.
  35. ^ "West End featuring Sybil – The Love I Lost" (in Dutch). top40.nl. Retrieved January 14, 2020.
  36. ^ "West End feat. Sybil – The Love I Lost" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved January 14, 2020.
  37. ^ "Top 50 Airplay Chart" (PDF). Music Week. February 20, 1993. p. 14. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  38. ^ "1993 Year-End Sales Charts: Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10, no. 51/52. December 18, 1993. p. 15. Retrieved November 27, 2019.
  39. ^ "Top 100 Singles 1993". Music Week. January 15, 1994. p. 24.
  40. ^ "Airplay Top 50 1993" (PDF). Music Week. January 15, 1994. p. 41. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
  41. ^ "The RM Club Chart 93" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental insert). December 25, 1993. p. 4. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
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