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Love Train (Holly Johnson song)

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"Love Train"
Single by Holly Johnson
from the album Blast
B-side"Murder in Paradise"
Released9 January 1989
GenrePop
Length4:02
LabelMCA
Songwriter(s)Holly Johnson
Producer(s)Andy Richards, Steve Lovell
Holly Johnson singles chronology
"Hobo Joe"
(1980) 		"Love Train"
(1989) 		"Americanos"
(1989)

"Love Train" is a song by English singer Holly Johnson, released on 9 January 1989[1] as the lead single from his debut solo album, Blast (1989). It was written by Johnson and produced by Andy Richards and Steve Lovell with additional production by Stephen Hague. The song reached No. 4 in the United Kingdom, spending 11 weeks on the chart, and was certified silver by British Phonographic Industry (BPI) in February 1989. In the United States, the song reached No. 65 on the Billboard Hot 100.

"Love Train" features a guitar solo from Queen guitarist Brian May and backing vocals from Don Snow and Lance Ellington. The single's B-side, "Murder in Paradise", is a non-album track exclusive to the single. A music video was filmed to promote the single, directed by Marco Cerere, and Johnson performed the song on the UK music show Top of the Pops.[2]

Critical reception

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On its release, Terry Staunton of New Musical Express picked "Love Train" as "single of the week" in the issue of 7 January 1989. He described it as "the most out-and-out pop song Holly's ever sung" and predicted it would reach the UK top 5. He wrote, "'Love Train' is four minutes of bouncy bliss which finds him in fine voice. Pretty corny lyrics about stoking it up and getting on board roll off the tongue and into our hearts as a nation goes apeshit on the dancefloor."[3] Jerry Smith of Music Week praised it as "a strikingly elegant dance track" and noted Johnson's "soaring vocals" are "encased in a shimmering designer sound that should ensure success".[4]

In a review of Blast, Steve Sutherland of Melody Maker commented, "Blast is essentially a dance LP. There are exceptions but mostly it's smart, ankle-shuffling stuff like the cute mini-masterpiece of pneumatic innuendo, 'Love Train'."[5] Johnny Dee of Record Mirror described the song as "the perfect commercial pop song".[6] American newspaper Record-Journal wrote, "Best songs are cuts such as 'Love Train,' where Holly shows that soul and dance music are not necessarily exclusive of each other. If Simply Red had any energy these days, this is how Mick Hucknall would sound."[7] In May 1989, Billboard picked the song as "new and noteworthy". They pointed out the song's "lyrical hook and percolating rhythm charm".[8]

Track listings

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Personnel

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Charts

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References

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  1. ^ "New Singles". Music Week. 7 January 1989. p. 23. ISSN 0265-1548.
  2. ^ "HQ - Holly Johnson - Love Train - Top of the Pops 1989". YouTube. 4 June 2008. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 8 October 2012.
  3. ^ Staunton, Terry (7 January 1989). "45". New Musical Express. p. 6.
  4. ^ Smith, Jerry (14 January 1989). "A&R: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. p. 21. Retrieved 2 June 2022 – via World Radio History.
  5. ^ "Zang Tuum Tumb and all that | Articles | Rocket man". Zttaat.com. 22 April 1989. Retrieved 8 October 2012.
  6. ^ "Zang Tuum Tumb and all that | Articles | Holly-er than thou". Zttaat.com. 23 September 1989. Retrieved 8 October 2012.
  7. ^ "Record-Journal - Google News Archive Search". Retrieved 9 November 2016.
  8. ^ Billboard magazine - Single reviews - 27 May 1989 - page 73
  9. ^ Love Train (UK 7-inch single sleeve). Holly Johnson. MCA Records. 1989. MCA 1306.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  10. ^ Love Train (US cassette single sleeve). Holly Johnson. Uni Records. 1989. UNIC-50023.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  11. ^ Love Train (UK 12-inch single sleeve). Holly Johnson. MCA Records. 1989. MCAT 1306.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  12. ^ Love Train (UK CD single disc notes). Holly Johnson. MCA Records. 1989. DMCAT 1306.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  13. ^ Love Train (UK cassette single sleeve). Holly Johnson. MCA Records. 1989. MCAC 1306.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  14. ^ Love Train (European mini-CD single disc notes). Holly Johnson. MCA Records. 1989. 257 693-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  15. ^ Love Train (US remix 12-inch single vinyl disc). Holly Johnson. Uni Records. 1989. UNI-8018.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  16. ^ "Holly Johnson – Love Train". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
  17. ^ "Holly Johnson – Love Train" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
  18. ^ "Holly Johnson – Love Train" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
  19. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 6425." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
  20. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles". Music & Media. Vol. 6, no. 10. 11 March 1989. p. 24.
  21. ^ Nyman, Jake (2005). Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN 951-31-2503-3.
  22. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Love Train". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
  23. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 6, 1989" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
  24. ^ "Holly Johnson – Love Train" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
  25. ^ "Holly Johnson – Love Train". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
  26. ^ "Holly Johnson – Love Train". VG-lista. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
  27. ^ "Holly Johnson – Love Train". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
  28. ^ "Holly Johnson – Love Train". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
  29. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
  30. ^ "Holly Johnson Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
  31. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Holly Johnson – Love Train" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
  32. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 1989". Music & Media. Vol. 6, no. 51. 23 December 1989. p. 6.
  33. ^ "Year-End Charts '89 – Top 100 Singles". Music Week. London, England. 3 March 1990. p. 16.
  34. ^ "Top 100 Singles–Jahrescharts 1989" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
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