Love of the Common People

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For the album by Waylon Jennings, see Love of the Common People (album).
"Love of the Common People"
Love of the Common People Four Preps.jpg
Single by The Four Preps
B-side"What I Don't Know Can't Hurt Me"
ReleasedJanuary 21, 1967[1]
Recorded1966
GenrePop
Length2:35
LabelCapitol
Songwriter(s)John Hurley and Ronnie Wilkins
Producer(s)Al De Lory
The Four Preps singles chronology
"Let's Call It a Day Girl"
(1966) 		"Love of the Common People"
(1967) 		"Draft Dodger Rag"
(1967)

"Love of the Common People" is a song written by John Hurley and Ronnie Wilkins,[2] eventually released in 1970 on John Hurley's album John Hurley Sings about People,[3] but first sung in January 1967 by The Four Preps.[4]

Lyrics[]

The lyrics tell a bleak story of poverty and unemployment. There is a mention of "free food tickets," a reference to government food stamp and welfare programs, in the very first line, and the lyrics also describe the subject family as having holes in their clothes and their shoes. The last verse advises the subject family to keep their faith strong and to maintain hope for improvement.

Nicky Thomas version[]

Nicky Thomas recorded a Joe Gibbs-produced reggae version of the song in 1970, which sold over 175,000 copies in the United Kingdom and reached number 9 in the UK Singles Chart.[5][6] It was Thomas's largest selling single, and, according to Steve Leggett of Allmusic, "practically defines the term 'pop reggae.'"[7]

Paul Young version[]

"Love of the Common People"
Paul Young Love of the Common People single cover.jpg
Artwork for European releases, including the 1983 UK re-release
Single by Paul Young
from the album No Parlez
B-side
Released1982
7 November 1983 (Re-release)
Length3:33 (7")
5:50 (12")
4:56 (Original Album)
LabelCBS
Songwriter(s)John Hurley
Ronnie Wilkins
Producer(s)Laurie Latham
Paul Young singles chronology
"Iron Out the Rough Spots"
(1982) 		"Love of the Common People"
(1982) 		"Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home)"
(1983)
Paul Young singles chronology
"Come Back and Stay"
(1983) 		""Love of the Common People"
(re-release)"
(1983) 		"Everytime You Go Away"
(1985)

In 1982 Paul Young released his interpretation of "Love of the Common People" as a single, but initially it failed to chart. Only after Young's first and second solo hits in 1983, with "Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home)" and "Come Back and Stay", and the single's re-release did it become successful. The single peaked at No 2 in the UK, and reached the No 1 spot in Ireland, Italy and the Netherlands. This version also contained a solo by ska and reggae trombonist Rico Rodriguez.

Chart performance[]

Weekly charts[]

Chart (1983/1984) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[8] 8
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[9] 3
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[10] 1
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[11] 1
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[12] 1
France (IFOP)[13] 24
Germany (Official German Charts)[14] 5
Ireland (IRMA)[15] 1
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[16] 10
South Africa (Springbok Radio)[17] 8
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[18] 3
UK Singles (OCC)[19] 2
US Billboard Hot 100[20] 45
US Cash Box[21] 50

Year-end charts[]

Chart (1984) Position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[8] 54
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[22] 13
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[23] 8
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[24] 20
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[25] 10
Germany (Official German Charts)[26] 34
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[27] 25

Other cover versions[]

"Love of the Common People" had been covered [4] by:

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Date of Release in hitparade.ch
  2. ^ "The Four Preps - Love Of The Common People". 45cat.com. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
  3. ^ John Hurley Sings about People, John Hurley, with Ronnie Wilkins. RCA Records LSP-4355, 1970
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b Finnis, Rob; Rounce, Tony (2010). You Heard It Here First! Volume 2 (CD booklet). London: Ace Records Ltd. p. 3. CDCHD 1250.
  5. ^ "Love of the Common People - Nicky Thomas". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
  6. ^ Moskowitz, David V. (2006) Caribbean Popular Music: an Encyclopedia of Reggae, Mento, Ska, Rock Steady, and Dancehall, Greenwood Press, ISBN 0-313-33158-8, p. 292
  7. ^ Leggett, Steve "Love of the Common People: The Best of Nicky Thomas Review, Allmusic, Macrovision Corporation, retrieved 6 December 2009
  8. ^ Jump up to: a b "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – CHART POSITIONS PRE 1989 , part 2". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Archived from the original on 29 September 2013. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
  9. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Paul Young – Love of the Common People" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
  10. ^ "Ultratop.be – Paul Young – Love of the Common People" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
  11. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 4, 1984" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40 Retrieved 2 June 2016.
  12. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Paul Young – Love of the Common People" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
  13. ^ "Le Détail par Artiste". InfoDisc (in French). Select "Paul Young" from the artist drop-down menu. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
  14. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Paul Young – Love of the Common People" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
  15. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Love of the Common People". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
  16. ^ "Charts.nz – Paul Young – Love of the Common People". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
  17. ^ "South African Rock Lists Website SA Charts 1969 – 1989 Acts (Y)". The South African Rock Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
  18. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Paul Young – Love of the Common People". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
  19. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
  20. ^ "Paul Young - Chart History". Billboard Hot 100. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
  21. ^ "CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending JUNE 30, 1984". Cash Box magazine. Archived from the original on 30 September 2012. Retrieved 1 June 2017.
  22. ^ "Jahreshitparade Singles 1984". Ö3 Austria Top 40 (in German). Retrieved 2 June 2016.
  23. ^ "Ultratop Jaaroverzichten 1984". Ultratop 50 (in Dutch). Retrieved 2 June 2016.
  24. ^ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1984". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
  25. ^ "Dutch Jaaroverzichten Single 1984". Single Top 100 (in Dutch). Retrieved 2 June 2016.
  26. ^ "Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts 1984". GfK Entertainment Charts (in German). Retrieved 2 June 2016.
  27. ^ "Top 100 1983". Uk-charts.top-source.info. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
  28. ^ Limbabwe. "Love of the Common People by Leonard Nimoy". Secondhand Songs. Retrieved 2021-05-19.
  29. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2013). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012. Record Research. p. 922.

External links[]

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