"All You Get from Love Is a Love Song" is a song composed by Steve Eaton. Previously recorded by The Righteous Brothers in 1975,[1] it was popularized by the Carpenters in 1977. It was released to the public on May 21, 1977. Its B-side was "I Have You", a song released on the A Kind of Hush album in 1976. The song was also included on their 1977 album, Passage.
| "All You Get from Love Is a Love Song" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Cover to "All You Get from Love Is a Love Song" | ||||
| Single by Carpenters | ||||
| from the album Passage | ||||
| B-side | "I Have You" | |||
| Released | May 2, 1977 | |||
| Recorded | March 1977 | |||
| Genre | Pop | |||
| Length | 3:46 | |||
| Label | A&M 1940 | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Steve Eaton | |||
| Producer(s) | Richard Carpenter | |||
| Carpenters singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
In the late 1970s, this particular track appeared in a Top 10 of misheard lyrics (and is often on similar forums online).[citation needed] This was compiled by Noel Edmonds and the misheard lyric sounds like: "Because the best love songs are written with a broken arm," as opposed to the correct lyrics "Because the best love songs are written with a broken heart."[2]
Charts
editWeekly charts
edit| Chart (1977) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 35 |
| US Billboard Easy Listening | 4 |
| US Cashbox Radio Active Airplay Singles | 11 |
| Canadian (RPM) Top Singles | 38 |
| Canadian (RPM) Adult Contemporary[3] | 5 |
| Oricon (Japanese) Singles Chart | 68 |
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[4] | 89 |
| US Cash Box Top 100[5] | 43 |
Year-end charts
edit| Chart (1977) | Rank |
|---|---|
| US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[6] | 29 |
Personnel
edit- Karen Carpenter – lead and backing vocals
- Richard Carpenter – Fender Rhodes electric piano, piano, orchestration
- Joe Osborn – bass guitar
- Ed Greene – drums
- Tony Peluso – guitar
- Ray Parker Jr. – guitar
- Tommy Vig - congas
- Jerry Steinholtz - percussion
- Tom Scott – tenor saxophone, baritone sax, flute
- Julia Tillman – backing vocals
- Carlene Williams – backing vocals
- Maxine Willard – backing vocals
Music video
editThe music video to "All You Get from Love Is a Love Song" takes place in the A&M Studios. It starts off with the bongo drum and fades into a camera angle zooming towards Karen Carpenter. At the end of the video, the performance fades into a picture of the Carpenters' Hollywood Walk of Fame Star, which is the beginning to the video "Top of the World", performed on The Carpenters' Very First TV Special in 1976. It can be found on the DVD Gold: Greatest Hits. The tenor saxophone solo was performed by Tom Scott (also the tenor sax soloist on "Jazzman" by Carole King), who was then one of the hottest "session players" of the '70s.
References
edit- ^ "Image of album labels" (JPG). Righteousbrothersdiscography.com\accessdate=2016-10-12.
- ^ The Complete Guide to the Music of the Carpenters by John Tobler, Omnibus Press, 1998. ISBN 0-7119-6312-6
- ^ "Image : RPM Weekly - Library and Archives Canada". Bac-lac.gc.ca. 17 July 2013. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
- ^ David Kent (1993). Australian Charts Book 1970—1992. Australian Chart Book Pty Ltd, Turramurra, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "Cash Box" (PDF). Worldradiohistory.com. 1977-07-23. Retrieved 2023-08-17.
- ^ Billboard, December 24, 1977.
