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| “Love’s Theme” | |
|---|---|
| Side-A label of the U.S. vinyl release | |
| Single by The Love Unlimited Orchestra | |
| from the album Under the Influence of… Love Unlimited and Rhapsody in White | |
| B-side | “Sweet Moments” |
| Released | November 1973 |
| Recorded | 1973 |
| Genre | Philly soulproto-disco |
| Length | (Single) 3:30 (Album) 4:08 |
| Label | 20th Century/Pye International |
| Songwriter(s) | Barry White |
| Producer(s) | Barry White |
| The Love Unlimited Orchestra singles chronology | |
| “Love’s Theme“ (1973)”Rhapsody in White” (1974) |
“Love’s Theme” is an instrumental piece written by Barry White and recorded by White’s The Love Unlimited Orchestra and released in 1973 as a single. It is one of the few instrumental and purely orchestral singles to reach #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States, which it did in early 1974. Billboard ranked it as the #3 song for 1974. The piece was included on two albums: 1973’s Under the Influence of… Love Unlimited (by the vocal group Love Unlimited) and 1974’s Rhapsody in White by the Love Unlimited Orchestra.
The recording, with a large string orchestra, wah-wah guitar, and big rhythm, is considered to be an influence on the disco sound, which would explode in popularity the following year. The song was also popular on the Adult Contemporary chart in the U.S., where it spent two weeks at #1. It also was a number one on Cash Box. It was also used by ABC Sports for many years as the opening theme music for its golf coverage. New York television station WPIX used it as the closing music for its then-Action News franchise during the mid-1970s. In Canada, the single saw similar success, reaching #1 on the RPM 100 National Singles Chart on March 2, 1974.
In addition, “Love’s Theme” was also recorded in a vocal version by Love Unlimited (on their 1974 album In Heat).
Andy Williams released a vocal version in May 1974 that reached #16 on the adult contemporary chart in the United States.
Enoch Light recorded an electro-disco instrumental version on his 1977 album, Disco Disque. The song is also part of Meco‘s instrumental medley “Hooked On Instrumentals Part I” (from the 1985 album Hooked On Instrumentals). In May 1993, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark released the single “Dream of Me (Based on Love’s Theme)” (from their album Liberator, released the same year) which used a sample of this Barry White composition. This single reached #24 on the UK Singles Chart, and Barry White was given a writing credit.
The Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific Airways used the music for their TV advertisements.
It was also featured briefly in Mean Girls, Despicable Me 2, El Cantante, Goodbye Bruce Lee: His Last Game of Death and The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water.
Seven Network‘s music video show: Sounds Unlimited used the song as its opening and closing theme. Also, it was used as the opening theme for the Brazilian telenovela Celebridade.
LOVE’S THEME – HOLLAND SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Love Theme, Orquesta Real de Xalapa, Esencial
Frankie & Canthina Band – The Place Roma – Love’s Theme
Song featured in “Mean Girls”
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