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"Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City" is a 1974 R&B song written by Michael Price and Dan Walsh, and first recorded by Bobby "Blue" Bland for his Dreamer album on the ABC Dunhill label.
While it is ostensibly a love song, some critics and fans have also heard it as a lament on urban poverty and hopelessness, as well as a lament upon the struggle to achieve one's goals in life in the absence of external support. "Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City" remains a cult favorite, and is considered a classic. [1]
In the US, Bland scored a top ten hit on the Hot Soul Singles chart, where it peaked at number 9, as well as peaking at number 91 on the Hot 100. [2]
| "Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Whitesnake | ||||
| from the album Snakebite and Live...in the Heart of the City | ||||
| B-side | "Bloody Mary" "Take Me With You" (live) | |||
| Released | June 1978 7 November 1980 (live) [3] | |||
| Recorded | April 1978 23 November 1978 (live) | |||
| Genre | Hard rock, blues rock | |||
| Length | 5:07 8:18 (live) | |||
| Label | United Artists, Geffen, EMI (studio) Liberty, Sunburst (live) | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Michael Price Dan Walsh | |||
| Producer(s) | Martin Birch(both versions) | |||
| Whitesnake singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City" on YouTube | ||||
It is known through several cover versions and samples:
Other notable cover versions have been recorded by:
| Chart (1980) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles (OCC) [7] | 51 |
| Chart (1981) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 [8] | 9 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 [8] | 109 |
Robert Calvin Bland, known professionally as Bobby "Blue" Bland, was an American blues singer. Bland developed a sound that mixed gospel with the blues and R&B. He was described as "among the great storytellers of blues and soul music... [who] created tempestuous arias of love, betrayal and resignation, set against roiling, dramatic orchestrations, and left the listener drained but awed." The inspiration behind his unique style was a Detroit Preacher, CL Franklin, because Bland studied his sermons. He was sometimes referred to as the "Lion of the Blues" and as the "Sinatra of the Blues". His music was influenced by Nat King Cole.
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