"Endless Love" | ||||
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Single by Diana Ross and Lionel Richie | ||||
from the album Endless Love: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack | ||||
B-side | "Endless Love" (instrumental) | |||
Released | 26 June 1981 (US) [1] | |||
Recorded | 1981 | |||
Genre | R&B | |||
Length | 4:24 | |||
Label | Motown | |||
Songwriter(s) | Lionel Richie | |||
Producer(s) | Lionel Richie and James Anthony Carmichael | |||
Diana Ross singles chronology | ||||
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Lionel Richie singles chronology | ||||
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"Endless Love" is a song written by Lionel Richie and originally recorded as a duet between Richie and singer/actress Diana Ross. In this ballad, the singers declare their "endless love" for one another. It was covered by Luther Vandross with R&B-pop singer Mariah Carey, and also by country music singer Shania Twain. Billboard has named the original version as the greatest song duet of all time. [2]
Ross and Richie recorded the song for Motown, and it was used as the theme for Franco Zeffirelli's film adaptation of Scott Spencer's novel Endless Love. (Jamie Bernstein, as the character Susan, sings the song during the course of the movie.) Produced by Richie and arranged by Gene Page, it was released as a single from the film's soundtrack in 1981. While the film Endless Love was a modest box-office success, the song became the second-biggest selling single of the year (first was "Bette Davis Eyes" by Kim Carnes) in the United States and reached number one on the Hot 100, where it stayed for nine weeks from August 15 to October 10, 1981. It also topped the Billboard R&B chart and the Adult Contemporary chart, and reached number seven in the United Kingdom. It also became the most successful duet of the rock era, surpassing the Everly Brothers' 1957 hit "Wake Up Little Susie", which spent four weeks at number one. Both songs spent six months on the chart, with "Endless Love" eclipsing the Everlys' hit by one week. [3]
Record World called it a "super ballad" that is "overflowing with drama and tenderness". [4]
The soulful composition became the biggest-selling single of Ross's career, and her 18th and final career number-one single in the USA (including her work with the Supremes). It is also Richie's best-charting single, and the first of several hits for him during the 1980s. The song was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song for Richie, and was the second song with which Ross was involved that was nominated for an Oscar. It also won a 1982 American Music Award for Favorite Pop/Rock Single. Ross recorded a solo version of the song for her first RCA Records album, Why Do Fools Fall in Love , the duet version being her last hit on Motown. Richie's solo version was released as track 10 on the 2003 remastered bonus edition of his 1982 album.
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
All-time charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [33] | Platinum | 100,000^ |
Canada (Music Canada) [34] | Platinum | 150,000^ |
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [35] | Gold | 30,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [36] sales since 2004 | Platinum | 600,000‡ |
United States (RIAA) [37] | Platinum | 2,000,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
"Endless Love" | ||||
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Single by Luther Vandross and Mariah Carey | ||||
from the album Songs | ||||
Released | August 26, 1994 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 4:21 | |||
Label | ||||
Songwriter(s) | Lionel Richie | |||
Producer(s) | Walter Afanasieff | |||
Luther Vandross singles chronology | ||||
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Mariah Carey singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Luther Vandross - Endless Love (Official HD Video)" on YouTube |
Walter Afanasieff produced Luther Vandross and Mariah Carey's cover of the song for Vandross' album Songs (1994),and it is known for being Carey's first "high-profile" duet (an earlier duet,"I'll Be There",was with the then-unknown background singer Trey Lorenz). At the 1995 Grammy Awards,the song was nominated in the new category of Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals,losing to "Funny How Time Slips Away" by Al Green and Lyle Lovett. Columbia Records later included the song on Carey's compilation album Greatest Hits (2001) and then again on her next compilation album, The Ballads (2008). It was released as the second single on August 26,1994,from Songs,and on the 30th Anniversary Edition of Carey’s “Music Box”(2023).
Sony Music Entertainment President Tommy Mottola suggested that Vandross record Songs ,an album of cover versions. Featuring Vandross' versions of songs like Stephen Stills' "Love the One You're With",Heatwave's "Always and Forever",and Roberta Flack's "Killing Me Softly",the album was shaping up to be a major career accomplishment. To give the album a bigger boost,Mottola's then-wife,Mariah Carey,came up with the idea to remake "Endless Love" as a duet with her. Lionel Richie and Diana Ross had originally recorded "Endless Love" in 1981,and the song spent nine weeks at number 1. Although Luther's album was already set to contain one Lionel Richie composition,"Hello",it was obvious that having the most-popular female artist on the Sony label singing on the album would be a benefit. [38]
AllMusic senior editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine highlighted the track. [39] Larry Flick from Billboard noted that it is "framed with beautiful,swelling strings (how 'bout those harps and rolling drums at the song's climax!)." He added,"Carey is at her most colorful and effective here,fluttering around Vandross' distinctive phrasing with ease and agility." [40] Steve Baltin from Cash Box deemed it "a guaranteed smash." He explained further,"The passionate song is the perfect vehicle for their emotive singing styles. In addition,they know not to argue with success,staying true to the original." [41] Entertainment Weekly 's Jeremy Helligar wrote that the album might very will give Vandross a number one hit with "Endless Love" but still called the song "drippy." [42] A reviewer from Music &Media commented,"A compliment should go out to the casting director,who brought together two partners of equal magnitude to render the plush duet Diana Ross &Lionel Richie made famous." [43] Alan Jones from Music Week gave it four out of five,adding that the song "finds Vandross and Carey singing around each other,rather than with each other". He noted further,"They do so against a backing track that is almost identical to the original,and the result will be identical too –a Top 10 hit." [44]
On the US Billboard Hot 100,"Endless Love" debuted on September 10,1994,at number 31 and peaked at number two. The song became Luther Vandross' highest-charting pop hit ever and gave Lionel Richie his first top-10 single as a songwriter in seven years. It became Vandross's fifth top-10 single and Carey's 12th. It remained in the top 40 for 13 weeks and was ranked number 56 on the Hot 100 1994 year-end chart. It was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). [45]
The song was a success outside the United States,reaching the top of the chart in New Zealand (for five weeks) and the top five in the United Kingdom,Australia,Ireland,and the Netherlands. It also reached the top 20 in most of the countries. It was certified Platinum in Australia by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARUA) and in New Zealand by the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ). The song has sold and streamed over 400,000 units in the UK. [46]
Two music videos were released for the single;one features Carey and Vandross recording the song in a studio,and the other shows the two performing the song live at Royal Albert Hall. The latter performance is included on the Luther Vandross:From Luther with Love music video collection in DVD format.
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [106] | Platinum | 70,000^ |
Japan (RIAJ) [107] | Gold | 50,000^ |
New Zealand (RMNZ) [108] | Platinum | 10,000* |
United Kingdom (BPI) [46] | Gold | 400,000‡ |
United States (RIAA) [45] | Platinum | 1,000,000‡ |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
United States | August 26, 1994 |
| Columbia | [45] [109] |
United Kingdom | September 5, 1994 |
| Epic | [110] |
"Endless Love" | ||||
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Single by Lionel Richie featuring Shania Twain | ||||
from the album Tuskegee | ||||
Released | February 7, 2012 | |||
Recorded | 2011 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 4:18 | |||
Label | Universal Music Nashville | |||
Songwriter(s) | Lionel Richie | |||
Producer(s) |
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Lionel Richie singles chronology | ||||
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Shania Twain singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Lionel Richie - Endless Love ft. Shania Twain" on YouTube |
Lionel Richie re-recorded the song in 2011 as a duet with Canadian country pop singer Shania Twain. It was released as the lead single from his album Tuskegee on February 7,2012. The recording process of the song was documented in the final episode of Twain's reality docudrama series, Why Not? with Shania Twain ,which aired on June 12,2011.
A music video for the song was recorded in The Bahamas in February 2012. Directed by Paul Boyd,the video was released to country music channels CMT and GAC on March 23,2012.
Chart (2012) | Peak position |
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Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders) [111] | 77 |
US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles ( Billboard ) [112] | 16 |
US Adult Contemporary ( Billboard ) [113] | 12 |
US Hot Singles Sales ( Billboard ) [114] | 1 |
Chart (2012) | Position |
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US Adult Contemporary (Billboard) [115] | 30 |
Kenny Rogers also recorded the song. [116] [ better source needed ]
In the 1996 Friends episode "The One with the Giant Poking Device",Chandler and Phoebe sing an off-key duet of the song. [117]
The song is used during a scene in a hockey rink in the 1996 comedy Happy Gilmore starring Adam Sandler.
In 2014,Poison frontman Bret Michaels starred in a TV commercial for Nissan vans in which he performed the song,backed by Kiki Wong on lead guitar. [118] [119]
Lionel Brockman Richie Jr. is an American singer,songwriter,record producer,and television personality. He rose to fame in the 1970s as a songwriter and the co-lead singer of the Motown group Commodores;writing and recording the hit singles "Easy","Sail On","Three Times a Lady",and "Still" with the group before his departure. In 1980,he wrote and produced the US Billboard Hot 100 number one single "Lady" for Kenny Rogers.
Luther Ronzoni Vandross Jr. was an American soul and R&B singer,songwriter,and record producer. Throughout his career,he achieved eleven consecutive RIAA-certified platinum albums and sold over 40 million records worldwide. Known as the "Velvet Voice",Vandross has been recognized as one of the 200 greatest singers of all time (2023) by Rolling Stone,as well as one of the greatest R&B artists by Billboard. NPR additionally named him one of the 50 Great Voices. He was the recipient of eight Grammy Awards,including Song of the Year in 2004 for a track recorded shortly before his death,"Dance with My Father". In 2021,he was posthumously inducted into the National Rhythm &Blues Hall of Fame.
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"I'll Be There" is the first single released from Third Album by The Jackson 5. It was written by Berry Gordy,Hal Davis,Bob West,and Willie Hutch.
"Heartbreaker" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey featuring American rapper Jay-Z for her seventh studio album Rainbow (1999). It was released on August 23,1999,by Columbia Records as the lead single from Rainbow. The song was written by the artists and produced by Carey and DJ Clue,with additional writers being credited for the hook being built around a sample from "Attack of the Name Game" by Stacy Lattisaw. "Heartbreaker" pushed Carey even further into the R&B and hip hop market,becoming her second commercial single to feature a rapper. Lyrically,the song describes lovesickness towards an unfaithful partner.
American singer Mariah Carey has released 88 official singles,22 promotional singles,and has made 30 guest appearances. Her self-titled debut album in 1990 yielded four number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100,the first being "Vision of Love",a song credited with revolutionizing the usage of distinguished vocal stylings,predominantly the practice of melisma,and effectively influencing virtually every female R&B performer since the 1990s. Subsequent singles "Emotions" (1991) and Carey's cover of the Jackson 5 track "I'll Be There" (1992) continued the singer's streak of US number-one singles,with the latter becoming her fourth chart-topper in Canada and first in the Netherlands. With the release of Carey's third studio album,Music Box (1993),the singer's international popularity surged upon release of "Hero" and the album's third single,her cover of Harry Nilsson's "Without You",which became the singer's first number-one single in several countries across Europe.
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Greatest Hits is the second greatest hits album by American singer and songwriter Mariah Carey,released on December 4,2001,by Columbia Records. Released after her departure from Columbia,the album includes most of Carey's singles from 1990 to 2000,spanning her tenure at the label. It features her then fifteen US number-one singles,along with the UK number-one hits "Without You" and "Against All Odds".
"Hero" is a song by American singer-songwriter and record producer Mariah Carey released on October 18,1993,via Columbia Records as the second single from her third studio album,Music Box (1993). The song was written and produced by Carey and Walter Afanasieff. While writing the song,Carey did not connect to its style or sound,therefore forfeiting it to Gloria Estefan,who was intended to sing it for the soundtrack of the film of the same name (1992). However,after being convinced by Sony executive Tommy Mottola to keep it for herself,she changed some of the lyrics to more precisely fit her personality. Lyrically,the song is regarded as one of Carey's most inspirational and personal ballads,with its protagonist declaring that even though people may feel discouraged or down at times,in reality,they are "heroes" if they look inside themselves and see their own inner strength;in time,it will help them "find the way".
Music Box is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey. It was released by Columbia Records on August 31,1993. The album comprises ballads primarily written by Carey and Walter Afanasieff,with whom she had previously worked on Emotions (1991),and a few urban dance tracks. During the course of the album's development,Carey wanted to broaden her audience,choosing a more pop/R&B oriented sound. During this time frame,she experimented with different musical instruments,leading the album's sound away from her more contemporary previous two efforts.
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Lionel Richie is an American R&B and pop singer,who has released 11 studio albums,three live albums,and seven compilation albums. Formerly the lead vocalist of The Commodores,Richie began a solo career in the early 1980s and has released over 40 singles,five of which became number-one hits on the US Billboard Hot 100.
One Night with You:The Best of Love,Volume 2 is the third compilation album released by American singer Luther Vandross,released on September 15,1997,by Epic Records. It is his second compilation album to be released stateside,and is a continuation of his triple-platinum selling first compilation The Best of Luther Vandross... The Best of Love (1989). One Night with You contains four newly recorded songs including the R. Kelly-penned and Grammy-nominated "When You Call on Me/Baby That's When I Come Runnin'" and selections compiled from his later studio albums such as Songs (1994),This Is Christmas (1995),Never Let Me Go (1993),Power of Love (1991) and Your Secret Love (1996).
The Essential Luther Vandross is a greatest hits album by American singer Luther Vandross,released on March 5,2002 in the UK and June 10,2003 in the US,by Sony Music and Legacy Recordings as part of The Essential Series. The two-disc compilation features thirty-five tracks from Vandross's recording catalog. The collection contains R&B and pop hit songs spanning from Vandross earlier albums to the later—Dance with My Father,a Grammy win for Best R&B Album.
The Ultimate Luther Vandross is a greatest hits album by American R&B/soul singer Luther Vandross,released in 2001. The compilation was re-released in 2006 with a different track listing,along with two previously unreleased songs. The unreleased cut "Got You Home" which appears on the 2006 edition of the compilation,earned Vandross a posthumous nomination for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance at the 49th Grammy Awards in 2007.
Endless Love:Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the soundtrack album to the film of the same name. The album was released worldwide by Mercury Records and PolyGram in 1981.
"Always and Forever" is an R&B song written by Rod Temperton and produced by Barry Blue. It was first recorded by the British-based multinational funk-disco band Heatwave in 1976. Released as a single on 3 December 1977,the song is included on Heatwave's debut album Too Hot to Handle (1976) and has been covered by numerous artists,becoming something of a standard.
"Ballerina Girl" is a song written and recorded by Lionel Richie,from his 1986 album Dancing on the Ceiling. The song was written for Lionel's daughter,Nicole. In the US and Canada,the song was released as a double A-side,with "Deep River Woman" entering the charts in January 1987.
#1 to Infinity is the third greatest hits album by American singer and songwriter Mariah Carey. It was released on May 18,2015 in the United States,by Sony Music. The North American edition of the album compiles Carey's then eighteen US Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles,the highest for a solo artist,while the international edition excludes some US number-ones in favor of international number-one hits. Also included in the album is one new recording,"Infinity",which was released as the album's only single on April 27,2015.