"Love Train" is the first 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...

 from former Frankie Goes to Hollywood

Frankie Goes to Hollywood

Frankie Goes to Hollywood were a British dance-pop band popular in the mid-1980s. The group was fronted by Holly Johnson , with Paul Rutherford , Peter Gill , Mark O'Toole , and Brian Nash .The group's debut single "Relax" was banned by the BBC in 1984 while at number six in the charts and...

 singer Holly Johnson

Holly Johnson

Holly Johnson is an English artist, writer and musician, best known as the lead vocalist of Frankie Goes to Hollywood, and former bassist for Big in Japan.- Big in Japan :...

, from his 1989 debut album Blast

Blast (album)

Blast is an album by the British musician Holly Johnson of Frankie Goes to Hollywood. It was released in 1989 and reached number 1 in the UK charts and sold over 300,000 copies making it platinum. The album stayed on the charts for 17 weeks. The album featured hits "Love Train", "Americanos",...

. The video for the song was directed by Marco Cerere and features a cameo from John Candy

John Candy

John Franklin Candy was a Canadian actor and comedian. He rose to fame as a member of the Toronto branch of The Second City and its related Second City Television series, and through his appearances in comedy films such as Stripes, Splash, Cool Runnings, The Great Outdoors, Spaceballs, and Uncle...

. The track contains a guitar solo from Brian May

Brian May

Brian Harold May, CBE is an English musician and astrophysicist most widely known as the guitarist and a songwriter of the rock band Queen...

 and backing vocals from Don Snow

Don Snow

Don Snow is a vocalist, Hammond organist, pianist, guitarist, bass guitarist, drummer and saxophonist who is primarily known for his work with Squeeze, the Sinceros, Procol Harum and the new wave act The Catch...

 and Lance Ellington. It was recorded at Studio Guillaum Tell in Paris, Townhouse & Advision Studios in London. The single contains a non-LP track "Murder in Paradise" which was recorded in one day at Marcus Studios in London.

The song was written by Holly Johnson

Holly Johnson

Holly Johnson is an English artist, writer and musician, best known as the lead vocalist of Frankie Goes to Hollywood, and former bassist for Big in Japan.- Big in Japan :...

.

The single was certified UK Silver by BPI in February 1989.

Chart Performance

Chart (1989)	Peak position	Total weeks
Australian Singles Chart	35	7
Austrian Singles Chart	17	8
Belgian Singles Chart	19	5
Canadian Singles Chart	56	10
Dutch Singles Chart	12	11
French Singles Chart	9
German Singles Chart	4	16
Italian Singles Chart	21	?
Japan Singles Chart	15	11
New Zealand Singles Chart	20	13
Norwegian Singles Chart	10	1
Polish Singles Chart	12	10
Swedish Singles Chart	14	4
Swiss Singles Chart	8	12
US Billboard Hot 100	65	6
UK Singles Chart	4	11

Remixes and B-sides

• "Love Train (Stoke It Up)" (7" Mix) 04:02
• "Love Train" (Ride the 'A' Train Mix) 06:54
• "Love Train" (Americana Big Beat Version) 06:42
• "Love Train" (Iron Horse Instrumental) 04:53
• "Love Train" (Americana 12" Version) 06:24
• "Love Train" (Bonus Big Beat Radio Version) 04:38
• "Love Train" (Americana Pop Version) 03:58
• "Murder in Paradise" 04:26