| Love Train | |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | the O'Jays |
| Album: | Back Stabbers |
| B-Side: | Who Am I |
| Released: | December 20, 1972[1] |
| Recorded: | Summer 1971 to 1972 |
| Studio: | Sigma Sound, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Genre: | |
| Length: | 6:15 (extended version); 2:59 (album version) |
| Label: | Philadelphia International |
| Producer: | Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff |
| Prev Title: | 992 Arguments |
| Prev Year: | 1972 |
| Next Title: | Time to Get Down |
| Next Year: | 1973 |
"Love Train" is a hit single by the O'Jays, written by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff. Released in 1972, it reached No. 1 on both the R&B Singles and the Billboard Hot 100 in February and March 1973 respectively,[4] and No. 9 on the UK Singles Chart and was certified gold by the RIAA. It was the O'Jays' first and only number one record on the US pop chart. The song has been considered one of the first songs of disco music.
"Love Train" entered the Hot 100's top 40 on January 27, 1973,[5] the same day that the Paris Peace Accords were signed. The song's lyrics of unity mention a number of countries, including England, Russia, China, Egypt and Israel, as well as the continent of Africa.
Record World said of the single release that the "tune chugs right along with a Gamble and a Huff" and could become the biggest hit from the Back Stabbers album.[6]
Recorded at Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia, the house band MFSB provided the backing. Besides its release as a single, "Love Train" was the last song on the O'Jays' album Back Stabbers. "Love Train" was a 2006 inductee into the Grammy Hall of Fame.[7]
The music video shows a group of people forming a human chain near a railroad station, while at the same time, some railroad cars are shown in motion. Throughout the video, more people join in the chain, which they call the "Love Train".
The video was likely filmed around the Northeast Corridor, since Long Island Rail Road MP75 railcars appear throughout the music video in which the words "LONG ISLAND" are clearly visible, along with Amtrak railcars, Penn Central railcars, and other railcars. It was recorded in 1973.[8]
| Chart (1972–1973) | Peak position | |
|---|---|---|
| Australia KMR[9] | 91 | |
| Canada RPM Top Singles[10] | 15 | |
| UK Singles Chart | 9 | |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 1 | |
| US Billboard R&B | 1 | |
| US Cash Box Top 100[11] | 1 |
| Chart (1973) | Rank | |
|---|---|---|
| Canada[12] | 117 | |
| US Billboard Hot 100[13] | 32 | |
| US Cash Box | 12 |
By early 1974, The Supremes' line up (Wilson, Birdsong and Payne) adopted the song to perform in live appearances. Hall & Oates covered it for the 1989 soundtrack to the film Earth Girls Are Easy, as well as Daryl Hall and his band joining the 2016 version of the O'Jays in a live version on Hall's Live from Daryl's House television show. The Rolling Stones played Love Train on their worldwide Licks Tour during 2002 and 2003.[14]
Roots rock 'n' roll band The Yayhoos' take on the song appeared on their 2006 release, "Put The Hammer Down." Gospel Group Doc McKenzie and the Hi-Lites did a rendition in 2003. In 2006 Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee performed "Love Train" for the ending credits of Final Destination 3.
"Love Train" was sampled in the 1973 break-in record, "Super Fly Meets Shaft" (US #31).
An Australasian cover was recorded in 1973 by Dalvanius Prime.[15]
Australian children's music group The Wiggles covered the song for their 25th studio album, Racing to the Rainbow.
The song was featured in the popular long-running Coors Light series of commercials featuring the Silver Bullet Express train from approximately 2005-11, returning as a Super Bowl and March Madness ad in 2024.[16] [17] [18]
The song was used in the ending credits for the Whit Stillman movie, The Last Days of Disco (1998).[19]
