I Don't Know What It Is But I Love It

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"I Don't Know What It Is But I Love It"
Chris Rea I Don't Know What It Is But I Love It 1984 single cover.jpg
Single by Chris Rea
from the album Wired to the Moon
B-side "Mystery Man"
Released24 February 1984 [1]
Length3:40
Label Magnet
Songwriter(s) Chris Rea
Producer(s) Chris Rea, Dave Richards
Chris Rea singles chronology
"Love's Strange Ways"
(1983)		"I Don't Know What It Is But I Love It"
(1984)		"Bombollini"
(1984)
Music video
"I Don't Know What It Is But I Love It (1984)" on YouTube

"I Don't Know What It Is But I Love It" is a song by British singer-songwriter Chris Rea, released in 1984 as the lead single from his sixth studio album Wired to the Moon . It was written by Rea, and produced by Rea and Dave Richards. [2] The song reached No. 65 in the UK Singles Chart and remained in the Top 100 for four weeks. [3] It also peaked at No. 23 on the Irish Singles Chart. [4]

Contents

The track was popular with the squad of Liverpool F.C. in their campaign for the 1983-4 European Cup, and they sang it in the tunnel before walking out before the final against A.S. Roma, which some players attributed as one reason for their eventual victory. [5] [6]

Critical reception

On its release, the Mansfield & Sutton Recorder felt the song "showcases a new immediacy in Rea's music". [1] Paul Benbow of the Reading Evening Post commented: "Gruff-voiced middle of the road stuff, ideal for Radio 2." [7] Graham K of Record Mirror criticised the single as being one of a number that week that "epitomise[s] the current trend for band and companies to unerringly strive for the lowest common denominator at all costs". [8]

In a review of Wired to the Moon, Paul Speelman of The Age wrote: "Probably the outstanding song on this album is the title track, but there is also the delightfully-named "I Don't Know What It Is But I Love It", a lovely contrast". [9] In a retrospective review, Sharon Mawer of AllMusic described the song as being an "uptempo Elton John-style track". [2]

Track listing

7" single
  1. "I Don't Know What It Is But I Love It" – 3:40
  2. "Mystery Man" – 3:22
7" single (Brazilian release)
  1. "I Don't Know What It Is But I Love It" – 3:40
  2. "Touché d'Amour" – 3:30
12" single
  1. "I Don't Know What It Is But I Love It" (Extended Version) – 5:25
  2. "I Don't Know What It Is But I Love It" – 3:40
  3. "Mystery Man" – 3:22

Personnel

Other

Charts

Chart (1984)Peak
position
Irish Singles Chart [4] 23
UK Singles Chart [3] 65

References

  1. 1 2 "Chris Rea - star without a hit". The Mansfield & Sutton Recorder. 29 March 1984.
  2. 1 2 Sharon Mawer. "Wired to the Moon - Chris Rea | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2020-05-09.
  3. 1 2 "CHRIS REA | full Official Chart History". Official Charts. Retrieved 2020-05-09.
  4. 1 2 "The Irish Charts - All there is to know". The Irish Charts. Retrieved 2020-05-09.
  5. ↑ "Ian Rush: 'Our team spirit in 1984 was massive and I see it in Liverpool now'". The Guardian . 23 April 2018. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
  6. ↑ "Tunnel tune set the tone for Reds to conquer Rome". Irish Independent . 22 April 2018. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
  7. ↑ Benbow, Paul (17 March 1984). "Singles". Reading Evening Post.
  8. ↑ K, Graham (10 March 1984). "Singles". Record Mirror.
  9. ↑ Speelman, Paul (6 September 1984). "Talent deserves more recognition". The Age.
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