Love Train (Holly Johnson song) explained

Love Train
Cover:Hollylovetrain.jpg
Type:single
Artist:Holly Johnson
Album:Blast
B-Side:Murder in Paradise
Released:9 January 1989
Genre:Pop
Length:4:02
Label:MCA
Producer:Andy Richards, Steve Lovell
Prev Title:Hobo Joe
Prev Year:1980
Next Title:Americanos
Next Year:1989

"Love Train" is a song by English singer Holly Johnson, released on 9 January 1989[1] as the lead single from his debut solo album, Blast (1989). It was written by Johnson and produced by Andy Richards and Steve Lovell with additional production by Stephen Hague. The song reached 4 in the United Kingdom, spending 11 weeks on the chart, and was certified silver by British Phonographic Industry (BPI) in February 1989. In the United States, the song reached No. 65 on the Billboard Hot 100.

"Love Train" features a guitar solo from Queen guitarist Brian May and backing vocals from Don Snow and Lance Ellington. The single's B-side, "Murder in Paradise", is a non-album track exclusive to the single. A music video was filmed to promote the single, directed by Marco Cerere, and Johnson performed the song on the UK music show Top of the Pops.[2]

Critical reception

On its release, Terry Staunton of New Musical Express picked "Love Train" as "single of the week" in the issue of 7 January 1989. He described it as "the most out-and-out pop song Holly's ever sung" and predicted it would reach the UK top 5. He wrote, "'Love Train' is four minutes of bouncy bliss which finds him in fine voice. Pretty corny lyrics about stoking it up and getting on board roll off the tongue and into our hearts as a nation goes apeshit on the dancefloor."[3] Jerry Smith of Music Week praised it as "a strikingly elegant dance track" and noted Johnson's "soaring vocals" are "encased in a shimmering designer sound that should ensure success".[4]

In a review of Blast, Steve Sutherland of Melody Maker commented, "Blast is essentially a dance LP. There are exceptions but mostly it's smart, ankle-shuffling stuff like the cute mini-masterpiece of pneumatic innuendo, 'Love Train'."[5] Johnny Dee of Record Mirror described the song as "the perfect commercial pop song".[6] American newspaper Record-Journal wrote, "Best songs are cuts such as 'Love Train,' where Holly shows that soul and dance music are not necessarily exclusive of each other. If Simply Red had any energy these days, this is how Mick Hucknall would sound."[7] In May 1989, Billboard picked the song as "new and noteworthy". They pointed out the song's "lyrical hook and percolating rhythm charm".[8]

Track listings

  1. "Love Train"
  2. "Murder in Paradise"
  1. "Love Train" (Ride the "A" Train) – 6:53
  2. "Love Train (Stoke It Up)" (7-inch mix) – 4:02
  3. "Murder in Paradise" – 4:27
  1. "Love Train" (12-inch mix) – 6:53
  2. "Love Train" (7-inch mix) – 4:02
  3. "Murder in Paradise" – 4:27
  1. "Love Train" (Americana Big Beat version) – 6:35
  2. "Love Train" (Iron-Horse instrumental) – 5:00
  3. "Love Train" (Americana 12-inch version) – 6:20
  4. "Love Train" (Bonus Big Beat radio version) – 4:30
  5. "Love Train" (Americana Pop version) – 4:00

Personnel

"Love Train"

"Murder in Paradise"

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1989)Peak
position
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[16] 10
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[17] 7

Year-end charts

Chart (1989)Position
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[18] 60
UK Singles (OCC)[19] 42
West Germany (Official German Charts)[20] 31

Notes and References

  1. New Singles . . 7 January 1989 . 23 . 0265-1548.
  2. Web site: HQ - Holly Johnson - Love Train - Top of the Pops 1989 . https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/fMWDrw1tspQ . 21 December 2021 . live. YouTube . 4 June 2008 . 8 October 2012.
  3. Staunton. Terry. 7 January 1989. 45. New Musical Express. 6.
  4. Smith . Jerry . 14 January 1989 . A&R: Singles . . 21 . World Radio History . 2 June 2022.
  5. Web site: Zang Tuum Tumb and all that | Articles | Rocket man . Zttaat.com . 22 April 1989 . 8 October 2012.
  6. Web site: Zang Tuum Tumb and all that | Articles | Holly-er than thou . Zttaat.com . 23 September 1989 . 8 October 2012.
  7. Web site: Record-Journal - Google News Archive Search. 9 November 2016.
  8. Billboard magazine - Single reviews - 27 May 1989 - page 73
  9. Love Train. Holly Johnson. 1989. UK 7-inch single sleeve. MCA Records. MCA 1306.
  10. Love Train. Holly Johnson. 1989. US cassette single sleeve. Uni Records. UNIC-50023.
  11. Love Train. Holly Johnson. 1989. UK 12-inch single sleeve. MCA Records. MCAT 1306.
  12. Love Train. Holly Johnson. 1989. UK CD single disc notes. MCA Records. DMCAT 1306.
  13. Love Train. Holly Johnson. 1989. UK cassette single sleeve. MCA Records. MCAC 1306.
  14. Love Train. Holly Johnson. 1989. European mini-CD single disc notes. MCA Records. 257 693-2.
  15. Love Train. Holly Johnson. 1989. US remix 12-inch single vinyl disc. Uni Records. UNI-8018.
  16. Eurochart Hot 100 Singles. Music & Media. 6. 10. 24. 11 March 1989.
  17. Book: Nyman, Jake. 2005. Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja. 1st. Tammi. Helsinki. 951-31-2503-3. fi.
  18. Eurochart Hot 100 1989. Music & Media. 6. 51. 6. 23 December 1989.
  19. Year-End Charts '89 – Top 100 Singles. Music Week. London, England. 16. 3 March 1990.
  20. Web site: Top 100 Singles–Jahrescharts 1989. GfK Entertainment. de. 20 March 2022.

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