Ain't That a Lot of Love explained

"(Ain't That) a Lot of Love" is a 1966 song written by Homer Banks and Willia Dean Parker,^[1] and first released by Banks on Minit Records, titled "A Lot of Love".

Simply Red version

Ain't That a Lot of Love
Cover:	Simply_Red-Ain't_That_a_Lot_of_Love.jpg
Type:	single
Artist:	Simply Red
Album:	Love and the Russian Winter^[2]
B-Side:	Come On in My Kitchen
Released:	18 October 1999 ^[3]
Genre:	House
Length:	3:56 (album version) 3:17 (single version)^[4]
Label:	East West Records
Producer:	Andy Wright, Gota Yashiki & Mick Hucknall
Prev Title:	To Be Free
Prev Year:	1998
Next Title:	Your Eyes
Next Year:	2000

In 1999, British soul and pop band Simply Red made a cover of the song as "Ain't That a Lot of Love". It was released as the first single from their seventh studio album, Love and the Russian Winter (1999), and was a top 20 hit in Iceland, Scotland and the UK. On the Eurochart Hot 100, it peaked at number 28. Remixes by Club 69 and Phats & Small were released as bonus tracks on a 2008 Special Edition of the album. A black-and-white music video was filmed for the song, directed by Mike Lipscombe. The same year, Welsh singer Tom Jones covered the song with Simply Red on his 1999 duet album Reload.

Critical reception

James Poletti from Dotmusic viewed the song as "a similarly house-influenced production", like "Fairground". He added that it "is indebted to the popular late 90s prototype laid down by Stardust's 'Music Sounds Better with You'. The connection isn't as directly obvious this time but the song is built around that kind of groove."^[5] A reviewer from Florida Today said it "conjures up a flash of magic".^[6] John Terlesky from The Morning Call stated that "its rhythmic hooks and catchy chorus, tarted up with techno trappings, stand out" of the other songs of the album.^[7]

Charts

Chart (1999)	Peak position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)^[8]	29
Belgium (Ultratop Flanders)^[9]	48
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)^[10]	28
Germany (GfK Entertainment)^[11]	55
Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)^[12]	20
Italy (Musica e dischi)^[13]	29
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)^[14]	36
Netherlands (Single Top 100)^[15]	68
New Zealand (RIANZ)^[16]	41
Scotland (OCC)^[17]	16
Switzerland (Swiss Hitparade)^[18]	45
UK Singles (OCC)^[19]	14

Other cover versions

• The Spencer Davis Group utilized the basic riff for their 1966 song "Gimme Some Lovin'"^[20]
• Sam & Dave recorded the song for their 1968 Stax Records/Atlantic Records LP, I Thank You.
• Taj Mahal covered the song on his 1968 album The Natch'l Blues. He performed the song on the Rolling Stones' TV show Rock 'n Roll Circus in 1968 with Jesse Ed Davis on guitar.
• Three Dog Night covered the song on their 1969 album Suitable for Framing.
• The Flying Burrito Brothers covered it on their 1972 album Last of the Red Hot Burritos.
• The Band covered it on their 1977 album Islands.
• Webb Wilder covered it on his 1989 album Hybrid Vigor.
• The Fabulous Thunderbirds covered it on their 1991 album Walk That Walk, Talk That Talk.
• Tom Jones covered it with Simply Red on his 1999 duet album Reload.
• Beverley Knight covered it on her 2007 album Music City Soul.

Notes and References

1. Web site: A Lot of Love - Homer Banks. 1966 . Discogs.
2. Web site: Love and the Russian Winter. 1999 . Discogs.
3. Web site: Simply Red singles.
4. Web site: Ain't That a Lot of Love. 1999 . Discogs.
5. Web site: Poletti, James. SIMPLY RED - 'AIN'T THAT A LOT OF LOVE' (EASTWEST). Dotmusic. 8 October 1999. 8 April 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20000901225537/http://www.dotmusic.com/artists/SimplyRed/reviews/October1999/reviews11748.asp. 2000-09-01.
6. (12 November 1999). "Simply Red brings new variety to CD". p. 6. Florida Today.
7. Terlesky, John (1 January 2000). "Disc Reviews". p. B53. The Morning Call.
8. Web site: Das österreichische Hitparaden- und Musik-Portal. austriancharts.at.
9. Web site: ultratop.be - ULTRATOP BELGIAN CHARTS. ultratop.be.
10. Eurochart Hot 100 Singles. Music & Media. 6 November 1999. 26 June 2018.
11. Web site: Simply Red Ain't That a Lot of Love - Offizielle Deutsche Charts. offiziellecharts.de.
12. Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (Vikuna 14.10. - 21.10. 1999 40. Vika). Dagblaðið Vísir. 13 July 2018. is.
13. Web site: Classifiche. Musica e Dischi. it. 29 May 2022. Set "Tipo" on "Singoli". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Simply Red".
14. Web site: Simply Red - Ain't That A Lot Of Love . top40.nl . 22 March 2021.
15. Web site: Dutch Charts - dutchcharts.nl. dutchcharts.nl.
16. Web site: charts.org.nz - New Zealand charts portal. charts.nz.
17. Web site: Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100 24 October 1999 - 30 October 1999 . . 21 March 2021.
18. Web site: Die Offizielle Schweizer Hitparade und Music Community. hitparade.ch.
19. Web site: Ain't That a Lot of Love | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company. Official Charts Company.
20. Web site: Respect 2003 page. Soulwalking.co.uk.