Love Don't Love You

Last updated
"Love Don't Love You"
Love Don't Love You.jpg
Single by En Vogue
from the album Funky Divas
ReleasedFebruary 11, 1993
RecordedLate 1991—January 1992 [1]
Genre New jack swing [2] [3]
Length3:54
Label EastWest
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Thomas McElroy
  • Denzil Foster
En Vogue singles chronology
"Give It Up, Turn It Loose"
(1992)
"Love Don't Love You"
(1993)
"Runaway Love"
(1993)

"Love Don't Love You" is a song by American R&B/pop vocal group En Vogue, released in February 1993 by Eastwest Records as the final single from their second album, Funky Divas (1992). The song was both written and produced by Thomas McElroy and Denzil Foster, and became the group's fifth consecutive top-40 single from the album in the United States. It peaked at numbers 36 and 31 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box Top 100. The song is led by group members Terry Ellis and Cindy Herron.

Contents

Critical reception

AllMusic editor Jose F. Promis described "Love Don't Love You" as "jazzy". [4] Larry Flick from Billboard commented, "There just ain't no stoppin' these funky divas", adding that the new single "is a bit more aggressive and catchy than the previous "Give It Up, Turn It Loose". Syncopated funk beats clip at an easy pace, supporting an intricate and expectedly harmonious vocal arrangement." [5] Randy Clark from Cash Box viewed it as a "particular scantily-arranged cut". [6] Dave Sholin from the Gavin Report complimented its "dynamic production, incredible harmonies and great material [that] make an unbeatable formula." [7] A reviewer from Music & Media said, "Funk, rock, pop, jazz, well ladies, what's it gonna be this time? The "funky divas of all trades" go swing beat, with lovely results of course." [2]

Alan Jones from Music Week wrote that they "return with a nagging jack swing track that will remind Jade what they're up against in the battle of the funky divas." He added, "The singing is as good as it gets, but some of the mixes are a bit on the flabby side, and probably diminish rather than broaden its appeal." [3] Pop Rescue stated that the vocals "are beautiful, and sit perfectly alongside the beats and bassline." They concluded, "It’s brilliant." [8] Pete Stanton from Smash Hits gave the song three out of five, declaring it as a "funky number that oozes something extremely naughty and tasty. Not as powerful as the last few singles but still as groove-filled as you'd expect from the Divas." [9] Cheo H. Coker from Stanford Daily felt that it "isn't bad, but just doesn't pack as much punch as other cuts on the effort." [10]

Track list and formats

Personnel

Charts

Chart (1993)Peak
position
UK Singles (OCC) [14] 64
UK Dance ( Music Week ) [15] 24
US Billboard Hot 100 [16] 36
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs ( Billboard ) [17] 31
US Mainstream Top 40 ( Billboard ) [18] 28
US Rhythmic ( Billboard ) [19] 20
US Cash Box Top 100 [20] 31

Release history

RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)Ref.
United StatesFebruary 11, 1993
  • 12-inch vinyl
  • cassette
EastWest [ citation needed ]
United KingdomMarch 29, 1993
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • CD
  • cassette
[21]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">En Vogue</span> American vocal girl group

En Vogue is an American vocal girl group whose original lineup consisted of singers Terry Ellis, Dawn Robinson, Cindy Herron, and Maxine Jones. Formed in Oakland, California, in 1989, En Vogue reached No. 2 on the US Hot 100 with the single "Hold On", taken from their 1990 debut album Born to Sing. The group's 1992 follow-up album Funky Divas reached the top 10 in both the US and UK, and included their second US number two hit "My Lovin' " as well as the US top 10 hits "Giving Him Something He Can Feel" and "Free Your Mind".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foster & McElroy</span> American production team

Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy are an American R&B record production and songwriting duo, releasing recordings under the names Foster & McElroy and Fmob. They have written and produced songs for musicians such as Club Nouveau, Tony! Toni! Toné!, Alexander O'Neal, Regina Belle, and Swing Out Sister. Their music has been sampled in hit songs by the Luniz, Puff Daddy, Ashanti, Jay-Z, Jennifer Lopez, LL Cool J, Jessica Simpson, and others. Foster & McElroy are best known as the founders of the group En Vogue, listed by Billboard as one of the Top 10 Girl Groups of All Time. In addition to producing music for various television shows, they are also credited for songs in numerous movie soundtracks including The Great White Hype, Lean on Me, and Who's That Girl.

<i>Funky Divas</i> 1992 studio album by En Vogue

Funky Divas is the second studio album by American recording group En Vogue, released by Atlantic Records division East West on March 24, 1992, in the United States. Conceived after the success of their Grammy Award–nominated debut album Born to Sing (1990), En Vogue reteamed with their founders Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy to work on the entire album. As with Born to Sing, the pair borrowed from contemporary R&B, new jack swing, and hip hop, while also incorporating classic soul, blues and doo-wop elements, particularly on its on two Sparkle cover versions, as well as, in the case of "Free Your Mind," heavy metal sounds. The album became the quartet's second album to earn a Grammy Award nomination in the Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals category, while winning the American Music Award for Favorite Soul/R&B Album and the Sammy Davis Jr. Award for Entertainer of the Year at the 1993 Soul Train Music Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terry Ellis</span> American R&B singer

Terry Lynn Ellis is an American singer. She is best known as a founding member of the R&B/pop vocal group En Vogue which formed in 1989.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maxine Jones</span> American singer

Maxine Jones, is an American singer, songwriter, actress and businesswoman, best known as a founding member of the R&B/pop group En Vogue, one of the world's best-selling girl groups of all time. She sang lead vocals on the group's signature singles "My Lovin' " and "Don't Let Go (Love)", both of which garnered international success and sold over a million copies. Throughout her career, Jones has sold over 20 million records with En Vogue. Her work has earned her several awards and nominations, including two American Music Awards, a Billboard Music Award, four MTV Video Music Awards, and four Soul Train Music Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cindy Herron</span> American singer and actress

Cynthia Ann Herron, professionally known as Cindy Herron and sometimes credited as Cindy Herron–Braggs is an American singer and actress. Herron is best known as a founding member of the R&B/pop group En Vogue, one of the world's best-selling girl groups of all time. She sang lead vocals on the group's first single "Hold On", which garnered mainstream success and sold over a million copies. Despite being absent from the group during certain periods, Herron and fellow group member Terry Ellis are the only original members to appear on all of the group's album releases to date. In the 1980s, Herron began her career as an actress, making her debut appearance in Up and Coming as "Valerie".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)</span> 1992 single by En Vogue

"My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)" is a song by American pop/R&B group En Vogue, released in March 1992 as the lead single from their multi-platinum second album, Funky Divas (1992).

<i>Soul Flower</i> 2004 studio album by En Vogue

Soul Flower is the sixth studio album by the American recording group En Vogue. Released through 33rd Street and Funkigirl Records and distributed by Bayside Entertainment on February 24, 2004 in the United States, the album marked the band's debut with the label as well as their first full-length release to feature vocals by new band member Rhona Bennett who had joined remaining founding members Terry Ellis and Cindy Herron the year before following the departure of Amanda Cole, resulting into the partial re-recording of several songs on Soul Flower that Cole had originally lent her voice to.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Free Your Mind (song)</span> 1992 single by En Vogue

"Free Your Mind" is a song by American female group En Vogue from their second album, Funky Divas (1992). The track was composed and produced by Foster and McElroy. They were inspired by the Funkadelic song "Free Your Mind and Your Ass Will Follow." The guitar and bass tracks for the song were written and recorded by San Francisco-based guitarist Jinx Jones. The opening line: "Prejudice, wrote a song about it. Like to hear it? Here it go!", is adapted from a line originally used by David Alan Grier's character Calhoun Tubbs from Fox's In Living Color.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hold On (En Vogue song)</span> 1990 single by En Vogue

"Hold On" is a song by American girl group En Vogue, released in early 1990 as the first single from their debut album, Born to Sing (1990). It was produced by Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy, and written by the former two and all members of the group. It peaked at number five in the United Kingdom and number two on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States. In the latter country, the song reached number one on the Billboard Dance Club Play, 12-inch Singles Sales, and Hot Black Singles charts. En Vogue performed "Hold On" at the 2008 BET Awards with Alicia Keys. In 2017, it was ranked number four on Spin magazine's ranking of "The 30 Best '90s R&B Songs".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You Don't Have to Worry (En Vogue song)</span> 1990 single by En Vogue

"You Don't Have to Worry" is a song by American girl group En Vogue from their debut album, Born to Sing (1990). The song was released as the third single from the album on October 31, 1990, and was the group's third consecutive number-one single on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Something He Can Feel</span> 1976 single by Aretha Franklin

"Something He Can Feel" is a song composed by Curtis Mayfield for the 1976 motion picture Sparkle. The song, a love ballad in a Chicago-/Philly-soul style, became a number-one hit on the Billboard's R&B singles chart in the United States twice with two separate recordings: a 1976 version by Aretha Franklin from the film's soundtrack, and a 1992 cover by girl group En Vogue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Give It Up, Turn It Loose</span> 1992 single by En Vogue

"Give It Up, Turn It Loose" is a song by American R&B/pop vocal group En Vogue, released as the fourth single from their second album, Funky Divas (1992). The song's title is a reference to the 1969 James Brown song "Give It Up or Turnit a Loose". Released on November 12, 1992, the single reached number 15 on the US Billboard Hot 100, number 16 on the Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart, and number 22 on the UK Singles Chart. In 1994, it was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. This song features Maxine Jones on lead entirely.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">What Is Love (En Vogue song)</span> 1993 single by En Vogue

"What Is Love" was the final single from En Vogue's second album, Funky Divas. The song was not released commercially, but was instead shipped to dance clubs across the United States. "What Is Love" reached the Top 10 of the US dance charts. The song appeared again in 1993 as part of the group's Runaway Love EP. This was the only song En Vogue produced for market featuring Maxine Jones and Cindy Herron sharing lead vocals. It was initially to be included on Remix to Sing as a new song, but missed the production deadline and was added to Funky Divas.

<i>Remix to Sing</i> 1991 EP by En Vogue

Remix to Sing is a 1991 EP by American female vocal group En Vogue. It is their first remix album which was released on November 26, 1991, by East West Records. The EP features remixes of songs from their platinum debut album Born to Sing. Also included are the three hit singles; "Hold On", "You Don't Have to Worry" and "Lies" which all peaked at No. 1 on Billboard's Hot R&B Songs chart.

<i>EV3</i> 1997 studio album by En Vogue

EV3 is the third studio album by American female vocal group En Vogue. It was released by East West Records on June 17, 1997, in the United States. Recorded after a lengthy break during which the group members became mothers or put out solo records, the album was En Vogue's first project to include a diverse roster of collaborators including credits from Babyface, David Foster, Diane Warren, Andrea Martin, Ivan Matias, and Organized Noize along with regular contributors Foster & McElroy. It marked their first album without Dawn Robinson, who decided to leave the group late into the recording of EV3 to focus on her solo career. Her absence meant much of the album had to be rerecorded to account for En Vogue's altered sound.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Runaway Love (En Vogue song)</span> 1993 single by En Vogue

"Runaway Love" is a song by American R&B/pop group En Vogue, released in September 1993 by EastWest as the first single from the group's extended play (EP) Runaway Love. After the huge success of their second album, Funky Divas (1992), the single was released. It was written and produced by Thomas McElroy and Denzil Foster. Group members Cindy Herron and Terry Ellis share lead vocals, Dawn Robinson leads on the bridge, and spoken intro is by Maxine Jones. Elroy and Foster contributed vocals and spoken rap, their known as the alias FMob group.

<i>Masterpiece Theatre</i> (En Vogue album) 2000 studio album by En Vogue

Masterpiece Theatre is the fourth studio album by American recording group En Vogue, released worldwide by Elektra Records on May 23, 2000. It marked the band's debut with Elektra, as well as their only release following their departure from longtime label Eastwest Records. Terry Ellis, Cindy Herron, and Maxine Jones worked exclusively with regular collaborators Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy on the album who made heavy use of samples from classical music and traditional pop music to construct songs for Masterpiece Theatre, with its title alluding to the same-titled American drama anthology television series, best known for presenting adaptations of a mix of contemporary and classic novels and biographies.

<i>Runaway Love</i> (EP) 1993 EP by En Vogue

Runaway Love is an EP by American recording group En Vogue. It was released by East West Records on September 21, 1993, in the United States. The EP followed their multi-platinum hit album Funky Divas in 1992. The EP contains the title track, "Runaway Love" featuring FMob, known as Thomas McElroy and Denzil Foster.

<i>The Gift of Christmas</i> (En Vogue album) 2002 studio album by En Vogue

The Gift of Christmas is fifth studio album and the Christmas album by American female recording group En Vogue, released on October 8, 2002 by Discretion Enterprises following their departure from Elektra Records. Produced and arranged by long time collaborators Thomas McElroy and Denzil Foster, featuring additional production by Timothy Eaton, it is the group's first Christmas album and their only record to feature vocals from Amanda Cole who remained two years with the group. The Gift of Christmas features original Christmas tunes as well as cover versions of classic holiday songs.

References

  1. "Don't think I can make it. By Denzil Foster, Thomas McElroy, Will Townsend, Pharoah Davis, Warren Robinson & Andre Zachary".
  2. 1 2 "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 10, no. 15. April 10, 1993. p. 13. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
  3. 1 2 Jones, Alan (April 3, 1993). "Market Preview: Mainstream Singles" (PDF). Music Week . p. 19. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
  4. Promis, Jose F. "En Vogue - Funky Divas". AllMusic . Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  5. Flick, Larry (March 6, 1993). "Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard . p. 74. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  6. Clark, Randy (March 6, 1993). "Music Reviews: Singles" (PDF). Cash Box . p. 5. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
  7. Sholin, Dave (February 26, 1993). "Singles" (PDF). Gavin Report . p. 58. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  8. "Review: "Funky Divas" by En Vogue (CD, 1992)". Pop Rescue. May 1, 2020. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
  9. Stanton, Pete (March 31, 1993). "New Singles". Smash Hits . p. 51. Retrieved December 9, 2022.
  10. Coker, Cheo H. (April 16, 1992). "Hip-Hop's Four Funky Divas". Stanford Daily . Retrieved April 23, 2020.
  11. "En Vogue - Love Don't Love You (1993, US Cassette)".
  12. "En Vogue - Love Don't Love You (Remixes) (1993, CD)".
  13. "En Vogue - Love Don't Love You (1993, UK Vinyl)".
  14. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 12, 2018.
  15. "Top 60 Dance Singles" (PDF). Music Week . April 10, 1993. p. 22. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
  16. "En Vogue Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved February 12, 2018.
  17. "En Vogue Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved February 12, 2018.
  18. "En Vogue Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  19. "En Vogue Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  20. "Top 100 Pop Singles" (PDF). Cash Box . Vol. LVI, no. 38. May 29, 1993. p. 12. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
  21. "New Releases: Singles". Music Week . March 27, 1993. p. 27.