Love Train
Encyclopedia
"Love Train" is a hit single by the O'Jays, written by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff
. Released in 1972, it reached number one on both the R&B Singles
and the Hot 100, in February and March 1973 respectively, and was certified gold by the RIAA
. It was The O'Jays' first and only number-one record on the U.S. pop chart. The song's lyrics of unity mention a number of countries, including England
, Russia
, China
, Egypt
and Israel
, as well as the continent of Africa
.
Besides its release as a single
, "Love Train" was the last song on The O'Jays' album Back Stabbers
and was covered by The Supremes
before the departure of Jean Terrell, their early 70's lead singer.
The song has been used in a series of advertisements for Coors Light
beer. It was on the soundtrack to the film, Hitch
.
Blues
artist Keb' Mo'
covered this song on his 2001 album, Big Wide Grin
.
The Rolling Stones
covered "Love Train" on their 2004 DVD called Four Flicks
, as well as Tommy Lee
for the Final Destination 3
soundtrack.
Rod Stewart
covered "Love Train" on his 2009 soul tribute CD called Soulbook
.
The Wiggles
covered this song on their album, Racing to the Rainbow.
The Supremes
covered this song on their album titled At Their Best
.
The O'Jays performed the song at the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear in Washington, DC on October 30, 2010.
The song was performed live as part of the touring setlist of the 2010 Dukes of September Rhythm Revue
.
The Chipmunks
and The Chipettes
covered this song in the Limited Edition of the Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked: Music from the Motion Picture
album.
Gamble and Huff
Kenneth Gamble and Leon A. Huff are an American songwriting and record production team who have written and produced over 170 gold and platinum records. They were pioneers of Philadelphia soul and the in-house creative team for the Philadelphia International record label...
. Released in 1972, it reached number one on both the R&B Singles
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
and the Hot 100, in February and March 1973 respectively, and was certified gold by the RIAA
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
. It was The O'Jays' first and only number-one record on the U.S. pop chart. The song's lyrics of unity mention a number of countries, including England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
and Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, as well as the continent of Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
.
Besides its release as a single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, "Love Train" was the last song on The O'Jays' album Back Stabbers
Back Stabbers
Back Stabbers is a studio album by Philadelphia soul group The O'Jays, released in August 1972 on Philadelphia International Records. Recording sessions for the album took place at Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1972.-Reception:...
and was covered by The Supremes
The Supremes
The Supremes, an American female singing group, were the premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s.Originally founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, The Supremes' repertoire included doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway show tunes, psychedelic soul, and disco...
before the departure of Jean Terrell, their early 70's lead singer.
The song has been used in a series of advertisements for Coors Light
Coors Light
Coors Light is a light beer produced by the Coors Brewing Company. It was first produced in 1978.The beer has a "Cold Certified" label which turns the mountains on the label from white to blue when the beer's temperature is lowered to 4 degrees Celsius .- Promotions :In 2008, Coors Light became...
beer. It was on the soundtrack to the film, Hitch
Hitch (film)
Hitch is a 2005 romantic comedy film directed by Andy Tennant and starring Will Smith. The film, which was written by Kevin Bisch, co-stars Eva Mendes, Kevin James, and Amber Valletta. Smith plays a professional matchmaker who makes a living teaching men how to woo women...
.
Blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
artist Keb' Mo'
Keb' Mo'
Keb' Mo is an American blues singer, guitarist, and songwriter, currently living in Nashville, Tennessee, United States.-Early life:From early on he had an appreciation for the blues and gospel music...
covered this song on his 2001 album, Big Wide Grin
Big Wide Grin
Big Wide Grin is a blues album by Keb' Mo', it was released in 2001 by the Sony Wonder record label.- Track listing :# "Everybody Be Yoself" Big Wide Grin is a blues album by Keb' Mo', it was released in 2001 by the Sony Wonder record label.- Track listing :# "Everybody Be Yoself" Big Wide Grin is...
.
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
covered "Love Train" on their 2004 DVD called Four Flicks
Four Flicks
Four Flicks is a 4 disc DVD released by The Rolling Stones. The collection documents several of the Stones' shows from their 2002-2003 Licks World Tour. The DVD debuted at # "1 on Billboard's music video chart selling 53,000 copies during the first week...
, as well as Tommy Lee
Tommy Lee
Thomas Lee Bass , best known as Tommy Lee, is an American musician and founding member of glam metal band Mötley Crüe. As well as being the band's long-term drummer, Lee founded rap-metal band Methods of Mayhem, and has pursued solo musical projects...
for the Final Destination 3
Final Destination 3
Final Destination 3 is a 2006 supernatural slasher film, and the third film in the Final Destination series. The film was directed and written by James Wong, who co-wrote and directed the first film, and was produced by Craig Perry. It was released in North America on February 10, 2006...
soundtrack.
Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart
Roderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry....
covered "Love Train" on his 2009 soul tribute CD called Soulbook
Soulbook
Soulbook is the 25th studio album by Rod Stewart. Like his previous five albums, Soulbook continues the tradition of Stewart singing old material; for this album he sings classic material from Motown and the soul genre...
.
The Wiggles
The Wiggles
The Wiggles are a children's group formed in Sydney, Australia in 1991. Their original members were Anthony Field, Phillip Wilcher, Murray Cook, Greg Page, and Jeff Fatt. Wilcher left the group after their first album...
covered this song on their album, Racing to the Rainbow.
The Supremes
The Supremes
The Supremes, an American female singing group, were the premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s.Originally founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, The Supremes' repertoire included doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway show tunes, psychedelic soul, and disco...
covered this song on their album titled At Their Best
At Their Best (The Supremes album)
At Their Best is a 1978 album by The Supremes. It spans from 1970 through 1976, just shortly before the girl group disbanded in 1977.-Side one:#"Stoned Love" #"I'm Gonna Let My Heart Do the Walking" #"Floy Joy"...
.
The O'Jays performed the song at the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear in Washington, DC on October 30, 2010.
The song was performed live as part of the touring setlist of the 2010 Dukes of September Rhythm Revue
Dukes of September Rhythm Revue
The Dukes of September Rhythm Revue is a supergroup formed in 2010 featuring Donald Fagen, Michael McDonald and Boz Scaggs. The project is a resurrection of the previous New York Rock and Soul Revue which featured the same three musicians and played a combination of hits from the members respective...
.
The Chipmunks
Alvin and the Chipmunks
Alvin and the Chipmunks is an American animated music group created by Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. in 1958. The group consists of three singing animated anthropomorphic chipmunks: Alvin, the mischievous troublemaker, who quickly became the star of the group; Simon, the tall, bespectacled intellectual;...
and The Chipettes
The Chipettes
The Chipettes are a fictional group of anthropomorphic chipmunk singers first appearing on the cartoon series Alvin and the Chipmunks in 1983. In this and related materials, the Chipettes served as female featured characters in their own right, starring in numerous episodes...
covered this song in the Limited Edition of the Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked: Music from the Motion Picture
Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked: Music from the Motion Picture
Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked: Music from the Motion Picture is the licensed soundtrack based on the 2011 film Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked...
album.
Film
- The song appears on the soundtrack/film Whit StillmanWhit StillmanWhit Stillman is an American writer-director known for his sly depictions of the "urban haute bourgeoisie" Whit Stillman (born John Whitney Stillman on January 25, 1952) is an American writer-director known for his sly depictions of the "urban haute bourgeoisie" Whit Stillman (born John Whitney...
's, The Last Days of DiscoThe Last Days of DiscoThe Last Days of Disco is a 1998 sardonic comedy-drama film written and directed by Whit Stillman and loosely based on his travels and experiences in various nightclubs in Manhattan, including Studio 54. The film concerns a group of Ivy League and Hampshire graduates falling in and out of love in...
. - The song appears on the soundtrack/film The Out-of-TownersThe Out-of-Towners (1999 film)The Out-of-Towners is a 1999 film starring Steve Martin and Goldie Hawn. The movie is a remake of a 1970 film by the same name; the original version, written by Neil Simon, starred Jack Lemmon and Sandy Dennis.-As remake of 1970 film:...
. - The song appears in the film Dead PresidentsDead PresidentsDead Presidents is a 1995 American crime film written by Michael Henry Brown and also written, produced and directed by the Hughes brothers , starring Larenz Tate, Keith David, Chris Tucker, Freddy Rodriguez, N'Bushe Wright and Bokeem Woodbine...
. - Hall & OatesHall & OatesHall & Oates are an American musical duo composed of Daryl Hall and John Oates. They achieved their greatest fame in the late 1970s and early to mid-1980s. Both sing and play instruments. They specialized in a fusion of rock and roll and rhythm and blues styles, which they dubbed "rock and soul."...
recorded a rendition for the film Earth Girls Are EasyEarth Girls Are EasyEarth Girls Are Easy is a 1988 American musical comedy film directed by Julien Temple. It stars Geena Davis, Jeff Goldblum, Michael McKean, Julie Brown, Jim Carrey and Damon Wayans. The film is marketed with the tagline "An out-of-this-world, down-to-earth comedy adventure"...
.
Television
- The song appears on an episode of the American comedy ScrubsScrubs (TV series)Scrubs is an American medical comedy-drama television series created in 2001 by Bill Lawrence and produced by ABC Studios. The show follows the lives of several employees of the fictional Sacred Heart, a teaching hospital. It features fast-paced screenplay, slapstick, and surreal vignettes...
. When Turk suggests a faster way to transport patients, J.D. has a fantasy involving the patients riding a "love train". He has a similar fantasy again later in the episode in which doctors arrive riding a "love train". - The O'Jays appeared on October 30, 2010 in Washington DC for the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear to perform Love Train.
- The song was heard on December 31, 2004 in Times SquareTimes SquareTimes Square is a major commercial intersection in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets...
shortly before the famous New Year's ball drop to welcome 2005 in.