Originally Posted by
johnjeb
The Love Child album should have not only charted higher than it did but should have lasted longer on the charts similar to WDOLG, MH and AGG. I think the problem was the song placement, rather than the songs, all of which I like.
Love Child was a song that fit The Supremes and the Motown Sound to a tee. That's why it was a hit. The social message was secondary to the music. Had it been a ballad, similar to Does Your Mama Know About Me, I'm not sure it would have been #1. [Do we know if anyone has recorded a ballad of Love Child?] I think following the title song with slower tempo songs, despite how good they are, hampered the overall success of the album. The songs on Side 1 should have continued the energy of the title track.
I was 19 at the time of the album's release and enjoyed it, as is. However, my hunch is that younger teens and fans who loved the title track might have been put-off by the three songs that followed, resulting in a tepid response to the album as a whole. Had the energy continued on Side 1 with uptempo songs and had Side 2 focused on a mature mood and theme, I think the album would have had a longer chart life.
I would have liked to have seen Keep An Eye follow Love Child as a single release, if social messaging was the focus. Evening Train might have worked as a mature offering. However, I think Shake It Loose and Honey Bee, with their infectious melodies and lyrics, would have sustained the energy and chart action set by Love Child.
These days I prefer to start my listening with music that gets me going rather than something that encourages me to stay sedentary. I have reformatted many albums with this idea in mind. I format as if it was a vinyl album.
My Love Child Playlist:
Side 1
Love Child
Can't Shake It Loose
Honey Bee [Keep On Stinging Me]
He's My Sunny Boy
[Don't Break These] Chains Of Love
I'll Set You Free
Side 2
Some Things You Never Get Used To
Keep An Eye
How Long Has That Evening Train Been Gone
Does Your Mama Know About Me
You Ain't Livin' Till You're Lovin'
You've Been So Wonderful To Me
Bookmarks