| Love Makes the World Go 'Round | |
| Cover: | Deon Jackson - Love Makes the World Go Round, 1965-66.jpg |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | Deon Jackson |
| B-Side: | You Said You Loved Me |
| Genre: | |
| Label: | Carla / Atco |
| Producer: | Ollie McLaughlin |
| Chronology: | Deon Jackson |
| Year: | 1965 |
| Next Title: | Love Takes a Long Time Growing |
| Next Year: | 1966 |
"Love Makes the World Go Round" is a song written and performed by American singer-songwriter Deon Jackson, arranged and conducted by Dale Warren, and produced by Ollie McLaughlin. It was released on December 31, 1965.
The song premiered on Robin Seymour's CKLW-TV station on its release date and was followed by immediate success on radio stations primarily in Ontario and Michigan (Jackson's native state) before becoming a nationwide success within the next month.
The 2-minute-27-second song is in the key of G sharp major / A flat major, with a tempo of 62 beats per minute. A vibraphone is used in the song.
In the lyrics, Jackson uses metaphors and hyperbole to express how much he feels "everybody needs love." Examples; "love makes the seesaws go up and down, makes trees grow tall, makes flowers grow in spring, makes the birds sing," and "makes people feel so fine ... makes people cry."
On the B-side is a song called "You Said You Loved Me."
The song was described by Billboard as a "happy, easy rhythm number by a good performer of Sam Cooke quality."[1] Kal Rudman of Record World called it a "brilliant, happy arrangement."[2] Cashbox called it a "sweet easygoing R&B tune with pretty romance lyrics, double-barrelled ork and vocal appeal."[3]
The song debuted at number 32 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 on the week of January 15, 1966 before debuting at number 99 on the Hot 100 the next week, peaking at number 11 and spending a total of 14 weeks on the chart, becoming Jackson's first charting song, highest charting song, and only Top 40 hit.[4] He would eventually crack the Billboard charts on a few other occasions in the years following, with his singles "Love Takes a Long Time Growing," "I Can't Do Without You Baby," and "Ooh Baby," charting at numbers 77, 111 and 65 respectively. "Love Makes the World Go Round" also peaked at number 3 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.