Back Street Luv
Encyclopedia
"Back Street Luv" is a song by British rock band
Curved Air
, written by band members Ian Eyre, Sonja Kristina and Darryl Way
. It was included into the Second Album
and released as a single in July 1971
by Warner Bros. Records
(K16092). On September 18 "Back Street Luv" reached number 4 in the UK Singles Chart
, it's highest position. In 1971 Warners also released it a single in Netherlands
(16092), Germany
(16 092/WB 8029), France
(16092) and Portugal
(N-63-6). In 1975 a considerably more intense live version appeared on Curved Air – Live and was released as a single in the UK by Deram
, but unlike the original recording it failed to make any commercial impact.
Rock critic Dave Thompson
called "Back Street Luv" "one of the band's own finest moments" and "also one of the crucial singles of the early 1970s".
In 1997, Salad
covered the song on the Childline
charity album.
(Darryl Way
, though the chief writer of the song's music, does not play on the original recording.)
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
Curved Air
Curved Air
Curved Air are a pioneering British progressive rock group formed in 1970 by musicians from mixed artistic backgrounds, including classic, folk, and electronic sound. The resulting sound of the band was a mixture of progressive rock, folk rock, and fusion with classical elements...
, written by band members Ian Eyre, Sonja Kristina and Darryl Way
Darryl Way
Darryl Way is a British rock and classical musician who was a founding member of Curved Air and co-writer of their only hit single, "Back Street Luv". He is best known as a violinist although he also played keyboards.He began his musical training at Dartington College of Arts, and later studied at...
. It was included into the Second Album
Second Album (Curved Air album)
Allmusic's review was largely negative, saying that the album lacks the innovation and originality of the band's other releases, replaced by "a crop of relatively straightforward but sonically flat rock songs"...
and released as a single in July 1971
1971 in music
-Events:*February 1 – after months of feuding in the press, Ginger Baker and Elvin Jones hold a "drum battle" at The Lyceum.*February 8 – Bob Dylan's hour-long documentary film, Eat the Document, is premièred at New York's Academy of Music...
by Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
(K16092). On September 18 "Back Street Luv" reached number 4 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, it's highest position. In 1971 Warners also released it a single in Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
(16092), Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
(16 092/WB 8029), France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
(16092) and Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
(N-63-6). In 1975 a considerably more intense live version appeared on Curved Air – Live and was released as a single in the UK by Deram
Deram Records
Deram Records was a subsidiary record label established in 1966 by Decca Records in the United Kingdom. At this time U.K. Decca was a completely different company than the Decca label in the United States, which was then owned by MCA Inc. Deram recordings were also distributed in the U.S. through...
, but unlike the original recording it failed to make any commercial impact.
Rock critic Dave Thompson
Dave Thompson
Dave Thompson is a British stand-up comedian and actor, who hit the headlines in July 1997 after being removed from the role of Tinky Winky in the children's television series Teletubbies from a few episodes. The BBC said in a letter to Thompson that his "interpretation of the role was inappropriate"...
called "Back Street Luv" "one of the band's own finest moments" and "also one of the crucial singles of the early 1970s".
In 1997, Salad
Salad (band)
Salad were a UK-based pop music group formed in London in 1992, that included Dutch vocalist/keyboardist Marijne van der Vlugt, bassist Pete Brown, drummer Rob Wakeman , and guitarist Paul Kennedy...
covered the song on the Childline
ChildLine
ChildLine is a free 24 hour counselling service for children and young people up to 18 in the UK provided by the NSPCC. ChildLine deals with any issue which causes distress or concern, common issues dealt with include child abuse, bullying, parental separation or divorce, pregnancy and substance...
charity album.
Tracklist
Original studio version
- Sonja Kristina — vocals
- Ian Eyre — bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Florian Pilkington-MiksaFlorian Pilkington-MiksaFlorian Pilkington-Miksa was the drummer in the original line-up of the British rock group Curved Air. He subsequently joined Kiki Dee's band. In 2008 he became a founding member of the most recent incarnation of Curved Air.-References:...
— drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person .... - Francis MonkmanFrancis MonkmanFrancis Monkman is an English rock, classical and film score composer, and a founding member of the progressive rock band Curved Air.-Career:...
— electric piano, VCS3EMS VCS 3The VCS 3 is a portable analog synthesiser with a flexible semi-modular voice architecture, by Electronic Music Studios Limited in 1969....
, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
(Darryl Way
Darryl Way
Darryl Way is a British rock and classical musician who was a founding member of Curved Air and co-writer of their only hit single, "Back Street Luv". He is best known as a violinist although he also played keyboards.He began his musical training at Dartington College of Arts, and later studied at...
, though the chief writer of the song's music, does not play on the original recording.)
Live version from Curved Air - Live
- Darryl Way — VCS3, electric piano
- Sonja Kristina — vocal
- Phil Kohn — bass
- Florian Pilkington-Miksa — drums
- Francis Monkman — guitar, organ
Live version from Alive, 1990
- Darryl Way — synthesizerSynthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
s, backing vocal - Sonja Kristina — lead vocal
- Florian Pilkington-Miksa — drums
- Francis Monkman — guitar, bass
Editions
- 1971 — Second AlbumSecond Album (Curved Air album)Allmusic's review was largely negative, saying that the album lacks the innovation and originality of the band's other releases, replaced by "a crop of relatively straightforward but sonically flat rock songs"...
(3:36, WEA International - 1971 — Second Album (5:56, Collectors' Choice Music)
- 1975 — Live (3:47, RepertoireRepertoire RecordsRepertoire Records is a German record label from Hamburg, Germany, specialising in reissues of classic pop and rock albums originally issued in the 60s and 70s. The chairman is Thomas Neelsen....
) - 1976 — Best of Curved Air (Warner Bros.)
- 1994 — Progression (Alex Records)
- 1995 — Journey to the Edge: Progressive Rock Classics (3:35, Music Collection)
- 1995 — The No. 1 70’s Rock Album (3:40 Alex)
- 1995 — Progressive Pop: Inside the 70’s (3:50, See For Miles Records)
- 1999 — Rock Festival (Insight)
- 2000 — Alive, 1990 (4:26, Mystic Records)
- 2006 — Absolute 70’s (Crimson Productions)
- 2006 — Classic Rock Presents Prog Rock (3:37, Gut-Active)
- 2006 — Good Morning Vietnam 2 (3:50, Disky)
- 2006 — My Sounds Rock (Disky)
- 2007 — Head Full of Rock (3:36, EMI)
- 2007 — The Prog Rock Album (3:38, Crimson Productions)
- 2007 — The Sound of the 70s (3:35, Warner Strategic Marketing)
- 2008 — The Best of Curved Air (Repertoire)
- 2008 — Legendary Rock (3:48, MP Records)
- 2010 — The Old Grey Whistle Test (3:33, Rhino)