Vitamin L
Encyclopedia
"Vitamin L" is a song by the American pop rock
band B.E. Taylor Group. It is the fifth track on the band's second studio album, Love Won the Fight
, and also the third single pulled from that album. In a departure of the norm of B. E. Taylor singing lead vocals, Joey d'Amico sings lead on this track. It also heavily uses synthesizer
s and a brass sections as the main instruments. The guitar
's role is minimized to a steady strumming pattern with sustained power chord
s in the chorus. The lyrics tell the story of a man whose medical condition can only be treated with an unstable drug, called Vitamin L, that reacts "when boy meets girl". In the last verse it is revealed the drug was, in fact, love, and the man is cured of his ailment when he falls in love with a woman.
This song is the B. E. Taylor Group's most popular song, as it peaked at #66 on the Billboard Hot 100
in 1984 and stayed on the chart for 8 weeks. The song also spawned a popular music video that scored heavy airplay on MTV. B. E. and Rick Witkowsi are featured as the doctor
and pharmacist
in the video, respectively. The song also is a near constant at live performances.
B. E. Taylor later re-recorded this song on his first solo album, Try Love, as more of a rock song, getting rid of the synthesizers and making the bass
, lead guitar, and drums much more involved. The lyrics in the verses have entire lines changed as well, mildly changing the story in the process, e.g. "A chemical reaction occurs/Every time that boys meets girl" to "It could keep us all in touch/But we can never take too much", erasing the idea that the vitamin is an unstable drug. Three whole lines in the third verse are changed, but these do not change the story in any way.
Pop rock
Pop rock is a music genre which mixes a catchy pop style and light lyrics in its guitar-based rock songs. There are varying definitions of the term, ranging from a slower and mellower form of rock music to a subgenre of pop music...
band B.E. Taylor Group. It is the fifth track on the band's second studio album, Love Won the Fight
Love Won the Fight
Love Won the Fight was the second album by pop rock band B.E. Taylor Group. It was released on New Year's Day, 1983.The album spawned the charting single, "Vitamin L".Released in 1983 as MCA-39007-Track listing:...
, and also the third single pulled from that album. In a departure of the norm of B. E. Taylor singing lead vocals, Joey d'Amico sings lead on this track. It also heavily uses synthesizer
Synthesizer
A 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 and a brass sections as the main instruments. The guitar
Guitar
The 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...
's role is minimized to a steady strumming pattern with sustained power chord
Power chord
In music, a power chord is a chord consisting of only the root note of the chord and the fifth interval, usually played on electric guitar, and typically through an amplification process that imparts distortion...
s in the chorus. The lyrics tell the story of a man whose medical condition can only be treated with an unstable drug, called Vitamin L, that reacts "when boy meets girl". In the last verse it is revealed the drug was, in fact, love, and the man is cured of his ailment when he falls in love with a woman.
This song is the B. E. Taylor Group's most popular song, as it peaked at #66 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
in 1984 and stayed on the chart for 8 weeks. The song also spawned a popular music video that scored heavy airplay on MTV. B. E. and Rick Witkowsi are featured as the doctor
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
and pharmacist
Pharmacist
Pharmacists are allied health professionals who practice in pharmacy, the field of health sciences focusing on safe and effective medication use...
in the video, respectively. The song also is a near constant at live performances.
B. E. Taylor later re-recorded this song on his first solo album, Try Love, as more of a rock song, getting rid of the synthesizers and making the bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, lead guitar, and drums much more involved. The lyrics in the verses have entire lines changed as well, mildly changing the story in the process, e.g. "A chemical reaction occurs/Every time that boys meets girl" to "It could keep us all in touch/But we can never take too much", erasing the idea that the vitamin is an unstable drug. Three whole lines in the third verse are changed, but these do not change the story in any way.