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"Power of Love/Love Power"
Single by Luther Vandross
from the album Power of Love
ReleasedApril 9, 1991 (1991-04-09)[1]
Recorded1991
A&M Studios
(Hollywood, CA)
Right Track Recording
(New York, NY)
GenreR&B, soul, gospel
Length6:42
LabelEpic
Songwriter(s)Luther Vandross, Marcus Miller, Teddy Vann
Producer(s)Luther Vandross, Marcus Miller
Luther Vandross singles chronology
"Treat You Right"
(1990) 		"Power of Love/Love Power"
(1991) 		"Don't Want to Be a Fool"
(1991)
Music video
"Power of Love/Love Power" on YouTube

"Power of Love/Love Power" is a single by American singer-songwriter Luther Vandross. It was released on April 9, 1991 as the lead single from his 1991 album of the same name. The song spent two weeks at number one on the US R&B chart, and peaked at number four on the US pop chart, becoming his biggest pop solo hit.[2]

The song is a medley of the songs "Power of Love," written by Vandross and Marcus Miller, and "Love Power," a minor hit in 1968 for the one-hit wonder R&B group The Sandpebbles. The Sandpebbles version of "Love Power" had made it number 22 on the Billboard Hot 100, and number 14 on the R&B singles chart.[3]

In 1995, the song was re-recorded for the compilation Greatest Hits 1981–1995. It was released as a single with remixes by Frankie Knuckles and Uno Clio.[4]

American singer Donna Summer recorded a version of the song for the 2005 album So Amazing: An All-Star Tribute to Luther Vandross.

Critical reception

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Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic picked the song as one of the "high points" of the album.[5] Larry Flick from Billboard deemed it "a tasty blend of influences: pleasing pop melodies, funky guitars, gospel-tinged backing vocals, and (naturally) effective R&B vocals. Thoroughly satisfying."[6] Ken Tucker from Entertainment Weekly said it is "as paradoxically playful and ambitious as its title." He added, "Here is a perfect example of the way pop improvisation can combine with technical precision to revitalize verbal clichés. In this case, Vandross has joined two different songs, both featuring gliding, colliding melodies that offer the singer an opportunity to apply his delicate tenor to witty, chanted variations on the songs' titles."[7]

After the song was remixed in 1995, British magazine Music Week rated it four out of five, adding, "Not typical Luther, but sumptuous all the same. This upbeat groover, taken from the soul meister's new greatest hits album, has all the ingredients of a chart hit."[4] Alan Jones commented, "The underlying melodic strength is surrendered to the rhythm, which takes the form of a brisk house beat. Vandross is a singer of great finesse and exercises like this do him no favours."[8]

Track listings

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US CD/12" Remix Single (12" Power Mixes)
  1. "Power of Love/Love Power" (Powerful Mix) — 7:55
  2. "Power of Love/Love Power" (Radio Edit) — 5:20
  3. "Power of Love/Love Power" (Love Dub) — 5:54
12"Vinyl single
  1. "Power of Love/Love Power" - 4:15
  2. "I Wanted Your Love" - 5:38
  3. "Any Love" - 4:59
7"Vinyl single
  1. "Power of Love/Love Power" - 4:15
  2. "Power of Love/Love Power" (Instrumental) - 6:43
12"Vinyl Austria single (1995)
  1. "Power of Love/Love Power" (The Absolutely Fabulous Club Mix) - 10:27
  2. "Power of Love/Love Power" (The Franktified Mix) - 6:40
  3. "Power of Love/Love Power" (Uno Clio Main Vocal Remix) - 7:50
  4. "Power of Love/Love Power" (Colin Peter & Carl Ward 12" Remix) - 6:06
  5. "Power of Love/Love Power" (The Classic Instrumental) - 6:51
US, UK, CD maxi single (1995)
  1. "Power of Love/Love Power" (The Frankie Knuckles Radio Remix) - 4:15
  2. "Power of Love/Love Power" (Original Version - Radio Edit) - 4:15
  3. "Power of Love/Love Power" (Uno Clio 7" Vocal Remix) - 4:18
  4. "Power of Love/Love Power" (Colin Peter & Carl Ward 7" Vocal) - 4:25
  5. "Power of Love/Love Power" (The Dance Radio Mix) - 6:28
  6. "Power of Love/Love Power" (The Absolutely Fabulous Club Mix) - 10:27
  7. "Power of Love/Love Power" (The Power Reprise) - 3:37

Charts

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Luther Vandross' new single;Catch Sting on the radio". USA TODAY. April 9, 1991. Archived from the original on January 31, 2013.
  2. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 601.
  3. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 511.
  4. ^ a b "Reviews: Singles - Single of the Week" (PDF). Music Week. October 21, 1995. p. 30. Retrieved May 13, 2021.
  5. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Luther Vandross – Power of Love". AllMusic. Retrieved November 4, 2020.
  6. ^ Flick, Larry (April 20, 1991). "Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. p. 72. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  7. ^ Tucker, Ken (May 31, 1991). "Power of Love". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
  8. ^ Jones, Alan (September 30, 1995). "Talking Music" (PDF). Music Week. p. 10. Retrieved May 13, 2021.
  9. ^ "Bubbling Down Under Week Commencing July 8, 1991". Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  10. ^ "Power of Love/Love Power: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
  11. ^ "Luther Vandross Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
  12. ^ "Luther Vandross Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  13. ^ "Luther Vandross Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
  14. ^ "RPM 100 Hit Tracks of 1991". RPM. 17 July 2013. Retrieved November 23, 2017.
  15. ^ Nielsen Business Media, Inc (December 21, 1991). "1991 The Year in Music & Video: Top Pop Singles". Billboard. Vol. 103, no. 51. p. YE-14. {{cite magazine}}: |last1= has generic name (help)
  16. ^ "1991 The Year in Music" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 103, no. 51. December 21, 1991. p. YE-36. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
  17. ^ "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 1991". Billboard. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
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