Love Is (Alannah Myles song) explained

Love Is
Cover:Alannah_Myles_Love_Is.jpg
Type:single
Artist:Alannah Myles
Album:Alannah Myles
B-Side:Rock This Joint
Released:April 3, 1989 (Canada)
June 5, 1989 (Australia)[1]
April 10, 1990 (U.S.)
June 4, 1990 (UK)
Recorded:October 18, 1988
Genre:Rock
Length:3:36
Label:Atlantic
Producer:David Tyson
Next Title:Black Velvet
Next Year:1989

"Love Is" is the debut single by Canadian singer/songwriter Alannah Myles, released in Canada in 1989. In the rest of the world (except Australia), it was released as the follow-up to her worldwide hit "Black Velvet" in 1990.

In 1990, the song was nominated for the Juno Award for Single of the Year, losing to Myles' own "Black Velvet".

Music video

Myles filmed two music videos, both directed by Canadian photographer and film director Deborah Samuel, one for the Canadian release and the other in 1990 for the international release.

The original 1989 video opens with a shot of Myles' legs while walking onstage and she then performs the song at a concert with her band.

The 1990 videoclip sees Myles and her band performing the song in a studio. That footage is intercut with black & white scenes of men and women flirting in a bar, and scenes of Myles horseback riding in a desert, followed by an ostrich and a kangaroo. The desert scenes were filmed in Joshua Tree National Park, California.

Release and reception

Released as a single in April 1989 in Canada, the song peaked at #16, in June of that year, establishing Myles as a chart force in that country. In June 1989, it was released in Australia,[1] but did not enter the top 100 chart until November 1989,[2] and did not reach its peak of #12 until April 1990,[3] after "Black Velvet" was released there and had become a top 10 hit.[4] In the rest of the world, the song was released as the next single after "Black Velvet" in mid-1990, and charted moderately well worldwide, but did not achieve the same level of success "Black Velvet" had. In the U.S., it peaked at #36 on the Billboard Hot 100, her second top 40 hit on the chart, therefore disqualifying her as the one-hit wonder she's usually perceived there, and entered the top 40 in Ireland, the Netherlands and Belgium.

Track listing

CD maxi, 12" maxi
  1. "Love Is" – 3:36
  2. "Rock This Joint" – 4:00
  3. "Hurry Make Love" – 2:15
7" single
  1. "Love Is" – 3:36
  2. "Rock This Joint" – 4:00

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1989–1990)Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)12
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[5] 16
Germany (GfK Entertainment Charts)[6] 45
Ireland (Irish Singles Chart)[7] 23
US Album Rock Tracks (Billboard)[8] 19

Year-end charts

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Australian Music Report No 775 – 5 June 1989 > Singles – New Releases. Imgur.com (original document published by Australian Music Report). September 1, 2017.
  2. Book: Ryan, Gavin. Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. 2011. Moonlight Publishing. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia. pdf. 198.
  3. Web site: australian-charts.com > Alannah Myles – Love Is (song). Hung Medien. March 5, 2019.
  4. Web site: australian-charts.com > Alannah Myles in Australian Charts. Hung Medien. September 1, 2017.
  5. 1989 Canadian Singles Chart http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.6359&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.6359.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.6359 (Retrieved February 6, 2016)
  6. Web site: Alannah Myles – Love Is (single). de. GfK Entertainment. September 1, 2017.
  7. Web site: The Irish Charts – All there is to know > Search results for Alannah Myles (from irishcharts.ie). Imgur.com (original source published by Fireball Media). September 1, 2017.
  8. Mainstream Rock: May 26, 1990 . Billboard . December 16, 2013.