The Glow of Love

The Glow of Love is the debut studio album by Italian/American ensemble Change, released in April 1980. It includes the singles "A Lover's Holiday", "Searching" and "The Glow of Love"; all three singles simultaneously topped the US dance chart for nine weeks from May to June 1980. The album reached number twenty-nine on the US Billboard Album Chart[5] and ten on the US Billboard Black Albums chart.[5]

The Glow of Love
Studio album by
ReleasedApril 16, 1980
Recorded1979–1980
Studio
  • Fonoprint (Bologna, Italy)
  • Power Station (New York City)
  • Mediasound (New York City)
Genre
Length38:09
Label
ProducerJacques Fred Petrus
Change chronology
The Glow of Love
(1980)
Miracles
(1981)
Singles from The Glow of Love
  1. "A Lover's Holiday" b/w "The End"
    Released: March 1980[2]
  2. "Searching" b/w UK: "Angel in My Pocket" / US: "It's a Girl's Affair"
    Released: July 1980[3]
  3. "The Glow of Love" b/w "It's a Girl's Affair"
    Released: October 1980[4]

Background

The band recorded the songs for the album at Fonoprint Studios in Bologna, Italy. The songs were then taken to Power Station Studios in New York City for the recording of the vocals. "Searching" and the title track were recorded and mixed at Mediasound Studios in New York. The sessions were then mastered at Sterling Sound Studios.

The artwork was designed and illustrated by Greg Porto.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[6]
Robert ChristgauB+[7]

The Glow of Love received positive reviews from the majority of critics. Alex Henderson writing retrospectively for AllMusic describes it as a disco/R&B masterpiece and Change's most essential album. Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards' Chic sound is noted as a heavy influence but Henderson argues that "knowledgeable disco and R&B enthusiasts knew better; Change wasn't a carbon copy of Chic any more than jazz great Chet Baker was a clone of Miles Davis." "A Lover's Holiday" is marked as a playful opener, while "It's a Girl's Affair" and "Angel in My Pocket" are highlighted as "sassy and passionate," respectively.[6]

Robert Christgau writing at the time, summarises the album as "New and true and gay" and "having the complete bag of disco tricks." The influence of Chic is again noted in "A Lover's Holiday" which he describes as a "Rodgers-&-Edwards rip." He also compares "The End" to the electronic music of Giorgio Moroder.[7]

The album's showcasing of Luther Vandross is highlighted in most reviews. Ed Hogan, writing for AllMusic, described "The Glow of Love" as a startling introduction to Vandross' dazzling singing style.[8] Henderson remarks that "the laid-back title song which Vandross sang on became a quiet storm radio favorite and demonstrates that not everything Change recorded was aimed at the dancefloor. Vandross had yet to secure a solo career in 1980, although many of the people who heard his performances on those two gems agreed that a solo career was inevitable."[6]

Use in other media

Track listing

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."A Lover's Holiday" (a Jim Burgess mix)David Romani, Paolo Gianolio, Tanyayette Willoughby6:24
2."It's a Girl's Affair"Romani, Gianolio, Wayne Garfield5:29
3."Angel in My Pocket"Romani, Gianolio, Willoughby6:10
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
4."The Glow of Love"Romani, Mauro Malavasi, Wayne Garfield6:11
5."Searching"Malavasi, Paul Slade, Willoughby, Wayne Garfield8:01
6."The End"Romani, Paolo Gianolio5:54
1992 Compact Disc bonus track
No.TitleLength
7."Searching" (Parkside remix)9:03

Personnel

  • David Romani and Paolo Gianolio – composing, arrangement, conductor
  • David Romani and Mauro Malavasi – composing, arrangement ("The Glow of Love")
  • Mauro Malavasi – composing, arrangement ("Searching")
  • Wayne Garfield, Paul Slade, Tanyayette Willoughby – lyrics
  • Jacques Fred Petrus – producer, executive producer (for Little Macho Music Co., Inc., New York)
  • Mauro Malavasi – executive producer (for Little Macho Music Co., Inc., New York)
  • All songs featuring instruments played by the Good Music Orchestra
  • Luther Vandross – lead vocals ("The Glow of Love" and "Searching")
  • Jocelyn Brown – lead vocals ("Angel In My Pocket" and "It's a Girl's Affair")
  • Maurizio Biancani – engineering (Fonoprint Studios)
  • Bill Scheniman – engineering (Power Station Studios)
  • Michael Brauer – engineering (Mediasound Studios)
  • Ray Caviano and Bob Siegel – album coordination
  • Greg Porto – album design and illustration
  • Recorded at Fonoprint Studios, Bologna, Italy. All vocals were recorded and mixed at Power Station Studios, New York City. "The Glow of Love" and "Searching" were recorded and mixed at Mediasound Studios, New York City. Mastered at Sterling Sound Inc., New York City.

Charts

Chart (1980) Peak
position
Italy (FIMI)[9] 22
US Billboard Pop Albums[5] 29
US Billboard Black Albums[5] 10

References

  1. Pitchfork Staff (September 10, 2018). "The 200 Best Albums of the 1980s". Pitchfork. Retrieved April 21, 2023. ...The Glow of Love is the ultimate cosmopolitan dance record...
  2. "45cat - Change - A Lover's Holiday (Edit) / The End - RFC / Warner Bros. - USA - RCS49208". Discogs. Retrieved 2014-08-25.
  3. "45cat - Change - Searching / It's a Girl's Affair - RFC / Warner Bros. - USA - RCS49512". Discogs. Retrieved 2014-08-25.
  4. "45cat - Change - The Glow Of Love / It's a Girl's Affair - RFC / Warner Bros. - USA - RCS49587". Discogs. Retrieved 2014-08-25.
  5. "Change US albums chart history". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2009-12-09.
  6. "AllMusic review".
  7. Christgau, Robert. "The Glow of Love review". Robert Christgau. Retrieved 2016-11-16.
  8. ""The Glow of Love" Allmusic review".
  9. "Gli album più venduti del 1980" (in Italian). Hit Parade Italia. Retrieved 2021-03-17.
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