"I Love Music" is a song by American R&B group the O'Jays. It was written by production team Gamble and Huff. The song appeared on the O'Jays 1975 album, Family Reunion. The single reached number five on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the soul singles chart. In the UK, the song peaked at number 13 in the Top 40 singles charts in March 1976. The single spent eight weeks at number one on the US Disco File Top 20 chart.
Because of the song's length of 6:51, only the first part of the song received the airplay of 3:37. This song is noteworthy for the use of the Bongos, heard in the intro, as well as the electric guitar solo, heard in the instrumental second part of the song. Also, the saxophone solos are heard between the choruses and the verses and bridges. Strings, trumpets, bass, piano, vibes, and drums dominate the accompaniment of the song.
Charts Weekly charts +Chart (1975–1976)PeakpositionCanada Top Singles (RPM)9UK Singles (OCC)13US Billboard Hot 100Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990 - 5US Disco Action (Billboard)1US Hot Soul Singles (Billboard)1US Cash Box Top 100Cash Box Top 100 Singles, January 24, 19767
Year-end charts +Chart (1976)RankCanada Top Singles (RPM)104US Billboard Hot 100Musicoutfitters.com52US Cash Box Top 10073
Other cover versions In 1976, a live cover version appears on the album LIVE performed by 3M Productions, also known as Major Harris, Blue Magic and Margie Joseph, recorded at the Latin Casino. In 1990, Chicago House music vocalist Darryl Pandy released a version of the song on Warner Bros. Records which remained faithful to the original version. The track featured a prominent keyboard riff, brass, and a driving House beat.
Rozalla version
The Zambian-born singer Rozalla covered "I Love Music" for her second album, Look No Further (1995). It was released by Epic Records in the United States in November 1993 and in the United Kingdom on January 22, 1994. Her version of the song was produced by Jellybean and also appeared on the soundtrack to the 1993 film Carlito's Way, starring Al Pacino. Rozalla's recording of "I Love Music" reached number-one on the US Billboard Dance Club Play chart. It also entered the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 76. In Europe, the song reached number 18 on the UK Singles Chart in 1994. The song also peaked at number five in Iceland, number six in Finland, and number nine in Zimbabwe.* Zimbabwe. Kimberley, C. Zimbabwe: singles chart book. Harare: C. Kimberley, 2000
Critical reception The song received favorable reviews from many music critics. Barry Walters from The Advocate deemed it a "respectful rendering". Larry Flick from Billboard magazine described it as a "spirited reading of the O'Jays classic". He noted that Rozalla "has developed a smoother, more soulful vocal quality". Gil L. Robertson IV from Cash Box named it a standout track of the Look No Further album. Dave Sholin from the Gavin Report wrote, "International sensation Rozalla and producer Jellybean extract every ounce of excitement out of this 1976 O'Jays hit." Alan Jones from Music Week said, "Though she acquits herself well, not one of the mixes approaches the classy exaltation of the original. For all that, this is sure to give Rozalla yet another hit." In 1994, another Music Week editor, Andy Beevers, gave it a score of four out of five, calling it a "rather routine Jellybean-produced cover". Wendi Cermak from The Network Forty named it "a fabulous remake". Mark Sutherland from UK magazine Smash Hits was negative and deemed it "an inutterably duff discoed-up version of the O'Jays "classic" (which was pretty useless in the first place)".
Charts Weekly charts +Chart (1993–1994)Peakposition Australia (ARIA) 90 Canada Dance/Urban (RPM) 1 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100) 36 Europe (European Dance Radio) 3 Europe (European Hit Radio) 27 Finland (Suomen virallinen lista) 6 Germany (Media Control Charts) 69 Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40) 5 Israel (Israeli Singles Chart) Search "I Love Music" for Israeli chart history. 30 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) 39 Quebec (ADISQ) 50 UK Singles (OCC) 18 UK Airplay (Music Week) 8 UK Dance (Music Week) 6 UK Club Chart (Music Week) 11 US Billboard Hot 100 76 US Dance Club Play (Billboard) 1 US Maxi-Singles Sales (Billboard) 18 US Cash Box Top 100 67 Zimbabwe (ZIMA)9
Year-end charts +Chart (1994)Position Canada Dance/Urban (RPM)13 Europe (European Dance Radio)19 Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)59US Dance Club Play (Billboard)20
Usage in film The song appears in the 1993 film Carlito's Way and in the 2007 film Pride.
References
Billboard, Guinness Book of British Hit Singles & artist website
External links [ Song review] on Allmusic