| What Kind of Love | |
| Cover: | whatkindoflove.jpg |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | Rodney Crowell |
| Album: | Life Is Messy |
| B-Side: | Nobody's Going to Tear My Playhouse Down |
| Released: | June 29, 1992 |
| Genre: | Country |
| Length: | 3:56 |
| Label: | Columbia |
| Producer: | Larry Klein |
| Prev Title: | Lovin' All Night |
| Prev Year: | 1992 |
| Next Title: | Let's Make Trouble |
| Next Year: | 1992 |
"What Kind of Love" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Rodney Crowell. It was released in June 1992 as the second single from the album Life Is Messy. The song reached number 11 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart and peaked at number 2 on the RPM Country Tracks in Canada.[1]
Crowell and co-writer Will Jennings wrote the lyrics to a recording of a melody that Roy Orbison had made before his death.[2] The song features backing vocals from Don Henley and Linda Ronstadt.[3]
Deborah Evans Price, of Billboard magazine reviewed the song favorably, calling it the "first step in a major effort to immerse this rock-influenced country star into the pop and AC realm. She goes on to say that "twangy instrumentation a la Tom Petty and the late Roy Orbison (with whom this song was penned), combined with an appealing vocal, makes a strong argument for play at these and album rock formats."[4]
From Life Is Messy liner notes.[3]
"What Kind of Love" debuted at number 75 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks for the week of June 27, 1992.
| Chart (1992) | Position | |
|---|---|---|
| Canada Adult Contemporary Tracks (RPM)[5] | 42 | |
| Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[6] | 30 |
Mike Walker covered the song on his 2002 album for DreamWorks Records. It was the B-side to the album's first single, "Honey Do".
. The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Joel Whitburn . 2004 . Record Research . 93.