Love Don't Live Here Anymore
| "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Artwork for Dutch release
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| Single by Rose Royce | ||||
| from the album Rose Royce III: Strikes Again! | ||||
| B-side | "Do It, Do It" | |||
| Released | November 11, 1978 | |||
| Format | Vinyl single | |||
| Recorded | 1978 | |||
| Genre | Soul | |||
| Label | Whitfield Records | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Miles Gregory | |||
| Producer(s) | ||||
| Rose Royce singles chronology | ||||
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"Love Don't Live Here Anymore" is a song written by Miles Gregory and originally recorded by Rose Royce. It was produced by former Motown songwriter and producer Norman Whitfield for Whitfield Records. Lead vocals were sung by Gwen Dickey and the song was released as the second single from their third studio album Rose Royce III: Strikes Again! The song was developed as a result of producer Whitfield's interest to work with Paul Buckmaster, the British arranger and composer. Together they asked songwriter Miles Gregory to write a song for them. Gregory was undergoing medications for his deteriorating physical health became the inspiration behind the song. "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" incorporated the use of the Electronic LinnDrum machine, and was one of the first songs to effectively use the sound reverbs of the instrument. The song was mainly recorded at music contractor Gene Bianco's house, where Dickey was present during the recording.
After its release, the song was critically appreciated, but was only moderately successful commercially. It reached a peak of 32 on the Billboard Hot 100 and five on the Hot Black Singles chart. Its highest position was in the United Kingdom, where it reached two. "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" has been covered by a number of artists, including Madonna, Morrissey–Mullen and Faith Evans. Madonna's version was included in her second studio album Like a Virgin (1984), and it was the idea of Michael Ostin, the head of the A&R department of Warner Bros. Records, that Madonna record a cover version of the song to include in the album. A remix of Madonna's cover was included in her 1995 ballad compilation album Something to Remember.
The original and the remixed version of the Madonna song differs in the usage of more classical instruments in the latter. The 1995 version also received a number of club remix treatments. Critics were not impressed with the version present in Like a Virgin, calling it "awful", while they warmed to the version present in Something to Remember. However, it was a commercial disappointment, reaching a peak of only 78 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was promoted by a music video shot by Jean-Baptiste Mondino, which portrayed Madonna in an empty suite of an abandoned hotel, and was shot in a single take.
Contents
[show]Background and music[edit]
Producer Norman Whitfield had always wanted to work with Paul Buckmaster, the British arranger and composer. One day he called Buckmaster and invited him to work on some recordings he had finished.[1] After meeting, they decided to contact songwriter Miles Gregory to use one of his songs for Whitfield's record group Rose Royce. Buckmaster found that Gregory was under medication from overuse of drugs and "was in considerable discomfort, if not in outright pain. He didn't write a song and dance about his pain, but I remember him sitting at the piano and wincing. So before jumping on the thing that Miles was merely indulging himself and writing, one has to remember that the guy was in a lot of pain."[1] Nevertheless, Whitfield and Buckmaster encouraged Gregory to write the song and the result was "Love Don't Live Here Anymore", inspired by Gregory's own situation and his deteriorating physical health.[1][dubious ]
"Love Don't Live Here Anymore" incorporated the use of the Electronic LinnDrum machine, and was one of the first songs to effectively use the sound reverbs of the instrument. LinnDrum had been used sparingly in their previous single "Do Your Dance", but in "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" its use was more spontaneous, which Dave Thompson, author of Funk noted as if "it virtually duetted with Dickey, creating one of the most distinctive records of the year—and one of the most imitated of the age."[2] The song was mainly recorded at music contractor Gene Bianco's house, where Rose Royce lead singer Gwen Dickey was present during the recording. Buckmaster recalled: "I was over at [Gene's] place almost every day with Norman, and some days I stayed away to write, or to mix the music. Gene had given me the keys to his apartment, and also let me use the piano to record the song. I didn't want to work on at Miles' because his piano was falling to bits."[1]
Reception[edit]
Kenny Hill from The San Diego Union-Tribune said that the song "was a lasting impression of Rose Royce's brilliance as a group" and it proved that disco and R&B soul music was not dead."[3] Frederick Douglas from The Baltimore Sun complimented the song saying that "with their soul ballad 'Love Don't Live Here Anymore', Rose Royce is poised to take their place in the musical landscape as the greatest soul group."[4] Bob Kostanczuk from Post-Tribune listed "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" as Rose Royce's greatest song.[5] Jim Mortimer from Deseret News felt that "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" was a perfect example of how gospel and soul music can be clubbed together and complimented producer Buckmaster.[6] Shannon Kingly from Los Angeles Daily News felt that "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" is "a tad bit overrated, and is full of shouting."[7] "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" debuted at 91 on the Billboard Hot 100, and made a slow climb, ultimately reaching a peak of 32.[8] It was more successful on the Hot Black Singles chart, where it reached five, and stayed there for four weeks.[8] In Canada, the song debuted at 100 on the RPM Singles Chart on December 23, 1978.[9] The song began a slow climb, and after nine weeks reached a peak of 41 on the chart.[10] It was present for a total of 12 weeks on the chart.[11] In the United Kingdom, "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" became Rose Royce's biggest hit, reaching two on the UK Singles Chart while in Ireland it reached a peak of number seven.[12][13] Across Europe, the song failed to chart except in Netherlands, where it reached eleven.[14] The song was successful in Australia and New Zealand, where it reached positions four and two on the charts, respectively.[14][15]
Track listing[edit]
- 7" Single Warner
- "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" – 3:56
- "Do It, Do It" – 4:09
Credits and personnel[edit]
- Gwen Dickey – lead vocals
- Norman Whitfield – producer, acoustic guitar
- Paul Buckmaster – producer, piano, bass drum, LinnDrum
- Miles Gregory – writer
- Rose Royce – background vocals
