| Love | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | March 1966 | |||
| Recorded | January 24–27, 1966 | |||
| Studio | Sunset Sound Recorders, Hollywood, California | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 36:03 | |||
| Label | Elektra | |||
| Producer | ||||
| Love chronology | ||||
| ||||
Love is the debut album by the Los Angeles-based rock band Love; released in March 1966 by Elektra Records.
Arthur Lee, who was originally from Memphis, Tennessee, but had lived in Los Angeles since he was five, had been recording since 1963 with his bands, the LAG's and Lee's American Four. He had written and also produced the single "My Diary" for Rosa Lee Brooks in 1964 which featured Jimi Hendrix on guitar. [1] A garage outfit, The Sons Of Adam, which included future Love drummer Michael Stuart, also recorded a Lee composition, "Feathered Fish". However, after viewing a performance by the Byrds, Lee became determined to form a group that joined the newly minted folk-rock sound of the Byrds to his primarily rhythm and blues style.[ citation needed ]
Singer, songwriter / guitarist Bryan MacLean, whom Lee had met when he was working as a roadie for the Byrds, joined the band just before they changed their name from the Grass Roots to Love, spurred by the release of a single by another group called the Grass Roots. [2] MacLean had also been playing guitar in bands since about 1963 but picked up music early. Neighbor Frederick Loewe, of the composers Lerner & Loewe, recognized him as a "melodic genius" at the age of three as he doodled on the piano. Also joining the band was another Memphis native, lead guitarist Johnny Echols. From L.A. was drummer Don Conka. A short time later, Conka was replaced by Alban "Snoopy" Pfisterer. Love's first bassist, Johnny Fleckenstein, went on to join the Standells in 1967. Fleckenstein was replaced by Ken Forssi (formerly of a post-"Wipe Out" lineup of the Surfaris).
Ten of the album's fourteen tracks were recorded at Sunset Sound Recorders in Hollywood on January 24–27, 1966. The remaining four tracks ("A Message to Pretty", "My Flash on You", "Emotions", and "Mushroom Clouds") come from another, undocumented session during that period. [3]
Love features a mixture of folk rock genre, [4] garage rock, [5] and psychedelic rock. [6] The first rock album issued on then-folk giant Elektra Records, the album begins with the group's radical reworking of the Burt Bacharach-Hal David song "My Little Red Book" and also features "Signed D.C." (allegedly a reference to one-time Love drummer Don Conka), along with the poignant "A Message to Pretty".
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [4] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music |  [7] |
The album sold approximately 150,000 copies. [8]
In a retrospective review of the album, Richie Unterberger for AllMusic called it "their hardest-rocking early album and their most Byrds-influenced." He also stated, "Arthur Lee's songwriting muse hadn't fully developed at this stage, and in comparison with their second and third efforts, this is the least striking of the LPs featuring their classic lineup, with some similar-sounding folk-rock compositions and stock riffs." [4]
The 2001 CD reissue presents both monaural and stereophonic mixes of the album, as well as an alternate take of "Signed D.C." and "No. Fourteen", the B-side to the "7 and 7 Is" single.[ citation needed ]
The stark instrumental "Emotions" is used uncredited in Haskell Wexler's 1969 film Medium Cool as a recurring theme.
"My Little Red Book" was featured over the final credits of the movie High Fidelity in 2000, and the Beverly Hills, 90210 episode "Alone at the Top" in 1995. [9]
All tracks are written by Arthur Lee, except where indicated
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "My Little Red Book" | Burt Bacharach, Hal David | 2:38 |
| 2. | "Can't Explain" | Lee, John Echols, John Fleckenstein | 2:41 |
| 3. | "A Message to Pretty" | 3:13 | |
| 4. | "My Flash on You" | 2:09 | |
| 5. | "Softly to Me" | Bryan MacLean | 2:57 |
| 6. | "No Matter What You Do" | 2:46 | |
| 7. | "Emotions" | Lee, John Echols | 2:01 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8. | "You I'll Be Following" | 2:26 | |
| 9. | "Gazing" | 2:42 | |
| 10. | "Hey Joe" | Billy Roberts | 2:42 |
| 11. | "Signed D.C." | 2:47 | |
| 12. | "Colored Balls Falling" | 1:55 | |
| 13. | "Mushroom Clouds" | Lee, John Echols, Ken Forssi, Bryan MacLean | 2:25 |
| 14. | "And More" | Lee, Bryan MacLean | 2:57 |
| Total length: | 36:03 | ||
 |
Love
Additional personnel
According to the box set Love Story, the tracks "A Message to Pretty" and "My Flash on You" may feature John Fleckenstein on bass and Don Conka on drums in place of Forssi and Pfisterer, respectively.
| |
| Date | Label | Format | Country | Catalog | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 1966 | Elektra | LP | US | EKL-4001 | Original mono release. |
| EKS-74001 | Original stereo release. | ||||
| UK | EKL-4001 | Original mono release. | |||
| EKS-74001 | Original stereo release. | ||||
| 1969 | Elektra | LP | US | EKS-74001 | |
| 1973 | Elektra | LP | UK | K32002 | |
| 1987 | Edsel | LP | UK | ED 218 | |
| 1988 | Elektra | CD | US | 74001-2 | Original CD release. |
| June 25, 1991 | Elektra | CD | Japan | WMC5-380 | Reissue of the original mono release. |
| 2001 | Elektra/Warner Strategic Marketing | CD | UK & Europe | 8122 73567-2 | Reissue containing both mono and stereo mixes including an alternate take of "Signed D.C." and "No. Fourteen", the B-side to the "7 and 7 Is" single. |
| 2001 | Elektra | CD | US | 81227 99187 6 | Reissue of the original stereo release. |
| December 11, 2001 | Sundazed | LP | US | LP 5100 | Reissue of the original stereo release. |
| October 14, 2015 | Elektra | CD | Japan | WPCR-16836 | Reissue of the original stereo release including a mono mix of "My Little Red Book" as a bonus track. |
Forever Changes is the third studio album by the American rock band Love, released on November 1, 1967, by Elektra Records. The album saw the group embrace a subtler folk-influenced sound based around acoustic guitars and orchestral arrangements, while primary songwriter Arthur Lee explored darker themes alluding to mortality and his growing disillusionment with the era's counterculture. It was the final album recorded by the original band lineup; after its completion, guitarist Bryan MacLean left the group acrimoniously, and Lee subsequently dismissed the other members.
Love is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1965. Led by Arthur Lee, the band's primary songwriter, they were one of the first racially diverse American rock bands. Their sound incorporated an eclectic range of styles including garage, folk rock, and psychedelia. While finding only modest success on the music charts, peaking in 1966 with their US No. 33 hit "7 and 7 Is," Love would come to be praised by critics as their third album, Forever Changes (1967), became generally regarded as one of the best albums of the 1960s.
Folk rock is a fusion genre of rock music with heavy influences from pop, English and American folk music. It typically combines elements of folk and rock music together, it arose in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom in the mid-1960s. In the U.S., folk rock emerged from the folk music revival. Performers such as Bob Dylan and the Byrds—several of whose members had earlier played in folk ensembles—attempted to blend the sounds of rock with their pre-existing folk repertoire, adopting the use of electric instrumentation and drums in a way previously discouraged in the U.S. folk community. The term "folk rock" was initially used in the U.S. music press in June 1965 to describe the Byrds' music.
Kenneth Raymond Forssi was an American musician, best known as the original bass player in the band Love.
Arthur Taylor Lee was an American musician, singer and songwriter who rose to fame as the leader of the Los Angeles rock band Love. Love's 1967 album Forever Changes was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, and it is part of the National Recording Registry.
Da Capo is the second studio album by American rock band Love, released in November 1966 by Elektra Records. The album was recorded during September and October 1966 at RCA Studios in Hollywood, California, with the exception of lead single "7 and 7 Is", recorded the previous June. The single was a departure for the band and became their highest charting, reaching No. 33 on the Billboard Hot 100. Despite the success of "7 and 7 Is", a string of well received live performances at the time and contemporary critical acclaim for the album upon its release, it peaked at No. 80 on the Billboard 200.
Four Sail is the fourth studio album by the American rock band Love, released in 1969 by Elektra Records.
"Alone Again Or" is a song originally recorded in 1967 by the rock group Love and written by band member Bryan MacLean. It appears on the album Forever Changes, and was released as a single in the USA, UK, Australia, France and the Netherlands.
Bryan Andrew MacLean was an American singer, guitarist and songwriter, best known for his work with the influential rock band Love. His famous compositions for Love include "Alone Again Or", "Old Man" and "Orange Skies".
Bobbie Clarke was an English rock drummer. He was regarded by critics as an important figure in the configuration of early British rock and roll, although he is often chiefly remembered for his long term association as the drummer with Vince Taylor and the Playboys.
John Marshall Echols is an American songwriter and guitarist, who was a co-founder and the lead guitar player of the psychedelic rock band Love.
"7 and 7 Is" is a song written by Arthur Lee and recorded by his band Love on June 17 and 20, 1966, at Sunset Sound Recorders in Hollywood. It was produced by Jac Holzman and engineered by Bruce Botnick.
What's Shakin' is a compilation album released by Elektra Records in May 1966. It features the earliest studio recordings by the Lovin' Spoonful and the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, as well as the only released recordings by the ad hoc studio group Eric Clapton and the Powerhouse, until they were reissued years later.
Love Story is a documentary film about the music band Love. It covers the band's journey from their creation to present day and details the band's albums. The film premiered at the 50th London Film Festival in October 2006. It features interviews from Arthur Lee shortly before he died as well as other band members Johnny Echols and Alban "Snoopy" Pfisterer. It also has archive interview footage of Bryan MacLean. The film was released on DVD in June 2008.
"The Bells of Rhymney" is a song by the folk singer Pete Seeger, which consists of Seeger's own music accompanying words written by the Welsh poet Idris Davies. Seeger first released a recording of the song on a live album in 1958, but it is the American folk rock band the Byrds' 1965 recording that is the best known version of the song.
Wheatstraw Suite is the fourth album by American band the Dillards. Released in 1968, the album showcased an "unpredictable" mix of bluegrass, country, folk, rock and pop. For the album's sessions, the band recorded with a full orchestra, electric instrumentation and occasional drums.
"Orange Skies" is a song written by Bryan MacLean and originally recorded in 1966 by the band Love for their second album Da Capo. It was first released the same month as the B-side to the band's single "Stephanie Knows Who". The original recording features band leader Arthur Lee on lead vocals instead of MacLean.
"She Comes in Colors" is a song written by Arthur Lee and released by the band Love as a single in 1966 and on their 1966 album Da Capo. It was also included on a number of Love compilation albums, including Love Revisited and Best of Love and on the multi-artist compilation album Forever Changing: The Golden Age of Elektra 1963–1973.
"My Little Red Book" (occasionally subtitled "(All I Do Is Talk About You)") is a song composed by American songwriter Burt Bacharach with lyrics by Hal David. The duo was enlisted by Charles K. Feldman to compose the music to Woody Allen's film What's New Pussycat? following a chance meeting between Feldman and Bacharach's fiancée Angie Dickinson in London. "My Little Red Book" was composed in three weeks together with several other songs intended for the movie. Musically, the song was initially composed in the key of C major, largely based on a reiterating piano riff performed. David's lyrics tells the tale of a distraught lover, who after getting dumped by his girlfriend browses through his "little red book" and taking out several girls to dance in a vain effort to get over her.
"Stephanie Knows Who" is a song written by Arthur Lee and first released by Love on their 1966 album Da Capo. It has also been released on several Love compilation albums. It was to have been released as a single, backed with "Orange Skies", but the single was withdrawn, with "She Comes in Colors" replacing it under the same catalog number. The song was also covered by the Move.
