"Love is the Answer" is a song that was recorded by The Stylistics and appeared on their album Let's Put It All Together that was released in 1974. An instrumental version was released by Van McCoy & the Soul City Symphony and became a hit for the ensemble that year.
Van McCoy version
| "Love Is the Answer" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Van McCoy & the Soul City Symphony | |
| B-side | "Killing Me Softly" |
| Released | 1974 |
| Length | 3:22 |
| Label | Avco AV-4639 |
| Songwriter(s) | George David Weiss, Hugo & Luigi |
| Producer(s) | Hugo & Luigi |
Background
The Van McCoy & the Soul City Symphony version of "Love is the Answer" appears on the album of the same name. Backed with "Killing Me Softly", it was released on Avco 4639.
Avco Records ran a full-page ad for the single which appeared in the 31 August issue of Billboard. It read "SEX IS NOT THE ANSWER TO EVERYTHING "LOVE IS THE ANSWER" AV 4639 by Van McCoy &The Soul City Symphony". It also had short reports of the song by Tom McLaine, Program Director, CKGM /Montreal, John Bettencourt, Program Director, KL1V /San Jose, Dean Tyler Program Director, WIP /Philadelphia, and Ron Vance Program Director, WING /Dayton.
Reception
Music editor for Record World, Dede Dabney had the song in her Dede's Ditties to Watch list for the week of 15 June 1974.
Airplay
On the week of Friday 26 July, Radio & Records had the song on the KLIV parallels list and WBGN parallels list. It was also at 31-23 on WCOL.
On the week of 9 August, Radio & Records had the song in the parallel 2 list for WFIR at Roanoke and the parallel 3 list for WBGN at Bowling Green. It was also an ad on at WBGN, 20-19 at WCOL, 40-33 at KEEL, and an ad at WFIR.
Chart
Billboard Top 50 Easy Listening singles chart
On the week of 29 June, "Love is the Answer" debuted at no. 50 in the Billboard Top 50 Easy Listening singles chart. Having been in the chart for ten weeks, song would peak at no. 22 the week of 31 August.
Radio & Records POP / MOR chart
On the week of 26 July, "Love is the Answer" made its debut in the Radio & Records Pop / MOR chart.
Record World R&B Singles chart
On the week of 27 July, "Love is the Answer debuted at no. 69 on the Record World R&B Singles chart. On the week of 17 August, "Love is the Answer" was at the peak position of no. 51, and held the position for one more week.
Record World singles chart
On the week of 3 August, "Love is the Answer" debuted at no. 96 in the Record World singles chart. The following week (10 August) the single peaked at no. 92.
Cash Box Top 100 Singles chart
On the week of 24 August, "Love is the Answer" debuted at no. 100 in the Cash Box Top 100 Singles chart.
Award
On June 19, 1975, Van McCoy was in Montreal, Canada, where he attended a reception at the Limelight night club which was hosted by Quality Records. There he was presented with a giant award with the inscription, "Presented to Van McCoy by Quality Records Limited, in recognition of "Love Is the Answer" for the song's achieving hit status in Quebec. The function was to also commemorate the first concert appearance of Van McCoy and the Soul City Symphony at the Montreal Forum the following day on the 20th.
References
- Record World, August 10, 1974 - Page 39 It's a Great Year
- Soulful Kinda Music - Van McCoy, Van McCoy And The Soul City Symphony, Avco 4639 - Love Is The Answer / Killing Me Softly - 1974
- Cash Box, August 24, 1974 - Page 4 Cash Box Top 100 Singles 100, LOVE IS THE ANSWER Van McCoy & The Soul City Symphony (Avco 4639), 8/17 _, 8/10 _
- Billboard, August 31, 1974 - Page 9 SEX IS NOT THE ANSWER TO EVERYTHING "LOVE IS THE ANSWER" AV 4639 by Van McCoy &The Soul City Symphony
- Record World, June 15, 1974 - Page 28 Soul Truth By Dede Dabney, DEDE'S DITTIES TO WATCH:
- Radio & Records, Volume 2, Number 29 Friday, July 26, 1974 - Parallels DENOTES FIRST WEEK IN PARALLELS • • • Page 20 VAN McCOY (Avco)-3:22 • • •, Love Is The Answer, PI, P2 KLIV on, P3 WBGN on, WCOL 31-23
- Radio & Records, Volume 2, Number 31 - Page 5 added this week ■ ■ ■, PARALLEL 2, WFIR/ROANOKE, Van McCoy; PARALLEL 3 WBGN/BOWLING GREEN, Van McCoy
- Radio & Records, Volume 2, Number 31 - Page 19 PARALLELS, M, VAN McCOY 3:22, Love Is The Answer (Avco), WBGN ad; WCOL 20-19; KEEL 40-33; WFIR ad
- Billboard, June 29, 1974 - Page 47 Billboard Top 50 Easy Listening, This Week 50, Last Week -, Weeks on Chart 1
- Billboard, August 31, 1974 - Page 30 Billboard Top 50 Easy Listening, This Week 22, Last Week 24< Weeks on Chart 10
- Radio & Records, Volume 2, Number 29 Friday, July 26, 1974 - Page 26 POP/MOR Radio & Records July 26, 1974, 7/12 -, 7/19, 30, VAN MCCOY/Love Is The Answer (Avco)
- Record World, July 20, 1974 - Page 320 The R&B Singles Chart
- Record World, August 3, 1974 - Page 32 The R&B Singles Chart Aug. 3 62, July 27 69
- Record World, August 24, 1974 - Page 22 The R&B Singles Chart, Aug. 24 51, Aug. 17 51
- Record World, August 3, 1974 - Page 27 The Singles Chart, Aug. 3 96, July 27 _, Wks on Chart 1
- Record World, August 10, 1974 - Page 27 The Singles Chart, Aug. 10 92, Aug. 3 96, Wks on Chart 2
- Record World, August 17, 1974 - Page 29 The Singles Chart, Aug 17 99, Aug. 10 92, Wks on Chart 3
- Cash Box, August 24, 1974 - Page 4 Cash Box Top 100 Singles 100, 8/17 _, 8/10 _
- RPM Weekly. Volume 23. No. 20. July 12, 1975 - Page 4 COVER STORY, Van McCoy - Soul with disco power