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The Love I Lost

"The Love I Lost" is a song by American R&B group Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes. Group member Teddy Pendergrass sang lead vocals. Originally written as a ballad by Philly soul songwriters Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, the song was transformed into a funk song and features drummer Earl Young. It was released from the Black & Blue album in late 1973 and sold more than a million copies. In the 21st century, the track has been the subject of extended re-edits by notable remixers Tom Moulton, Theo Parrish, and Dimitri From Paris.

Background

"The Love I Lost" is considered an early example of disco. The track was one of the transitional songs marking the emergence of disco from traditional rhythm and blues as a distinctive style of music.

The 2024 PBS series Disco: Soundtrack of a Revolution explores the importance of "The Love I Lost" to the history of disco music.

Charts

Certifications

West End featuring Sybil version

On January 4, 1993, American R&B and pop singer-songwriter Sybil released a cover of "The Love I Lost" with British DJ and producer West End (a.k.a. Eddie Gordon). It was produced by Mike Stock and Pete Waterman, released by PWL International and received positive reviews from music critics. This version remains one of Sybil's most successful single, reaching number 18 on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart and number three in the United Kingdom. A music video was produced to promote the single.

Critical reception

AllMusic editor Justin Kantor described the song as a "vibrant, disco-styled cover", noting further that Sybil's "high-energy delivery is soulful, spirited, and commanding". Larry Flick from Billboard wrote, "While urban-ites continue to chew on the sweet "You're the Love of My Life", popsters are served a sparkling pop/NRG rendition of a Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes classic. This timeless tune gains its current top 40 muscle by Sybil's lively and soulful vocal, and the distinct hand of producers Stock & Waterman. A top-five U.K. smash that should have little trouble making the grade here." The Gavin Report complimented the singer's "sweet, strong vocals". In his weekly UK chart commentary, James Masterton said, "A fairly faithful cover [...], the classic song, coupled with the powerful voice of Sybil makes for one of those soul covers which if anything adds to the original. Notice as well the production credits on the back of such a trendy record - Mike Stock and Pete Waterman, showing that there is life after Kylie and Jason."

Alan Jones from Music Week felt that here, the 1974 hit "makes an easy transition from Philly soul to commercial garage", remarking that "its uplifting, hustling. instrumental track is strangely at odds with the downbeat lyrics, but it's tight, commercial, bright and breezy. A monster in the clubs, and likely to become an equally large pop hit." Another Music Week editor, Andy Beevers, declared it as a "very solid garage reworking". James Hamilton from the Record Mirror Dance Update complimented it as "superb". In 2014, Matt Dunn of WhatCulture ranked the song at number 12 in his "15 unforgettable Stock Aitken Waterman singles" list, commenting on the song's music video, "The music video was a veritable celebration of the early-90s: muted primary colours, silhouetted dancers in silly hats spinning and flailing their arms about, flares and big collars everywhere and lots of classic Sybil moves - sideways glances, eyes up to the sky, shrugging shoulders, hands and arms gesticulating wildly and topped with a clap, plus that funky neck thing she always did."

Chart performance

"The Love I Lost" was a hit on both the European and North American continent, becoming a top-10 hit in Ireland (9) and the UK, as well as on the Eurochart Hot 100 and European Dance Radio Chart. In the UK, the single peaked at number three in its third week on the UK Singles Chart on 24 January 1993. It was kept off number one and number two by Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You" and Snap!'s "Exterminate!", and stayed as number three for two weeks. But on both the UK Dance Singles chart and the UK Club Chart, the song did reach number one. Additionally, it was a top-20 hit in Finland (14) and a top-70 hit in Germany. It debuted on the Eurochart Hot 100 at number 83 on 23 January, after charting in the UK, and peaking at number nine three weeks later. It ended up as numbers 84 and 30 on the Eurochart and UK Singles Chart year-end charts. In the US, "The Love I Lost" peaked at number 90 on the Billboard Hot 100, and number 18 on both the Billboard Dance Club Play chart and Maxi-Singles Sales chart. In Australia, the song only reached number 145 on the ARIA singles chart.