B-side "Love Is Good" Format 7" Length 1:59 | Released 1965 (1965) Genre Pop Label Fontana | |
"A Groovy Kind of Love" is a pop song written by Toni Wine and Carole Bayer Sager and published by the Screen Gems music publishing company. It is heavily based on the Rondo movement of Sonatina in G major, op. 36 no. 5 by Muzio Clementi. The song was released first by Diane & Annita in 1965, and several covers have since appeared on worldwide music charts.
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The song title was an early use of the then-new slang word "groovy". Wine, who was 17 years old when she wrote the song, said, "Carole came up with "Groovy kinda… groovy kinda… groovy…" and we're all just saying, 'Kinda groovy, kinda groovy, kinda…' and I don't exactly know who came up with "Love", but it was 'Groovy kind of love'. And we did it. We wrote it in 20 minutes. It was amazing. Just flew out of our mouths, and at the piano, it was a real quick and easy song to write." The song was recorded and covered by other bands and artists such as The Turtles and Phil Collins.
The Mindbenders version
Jack McGraw, who ran the London Screen Gems offices, thought the Wine/Bayer Sager song was a perfect match for the new group The Mindbenders, who recorded their version of "A Groovy Kind of Love" in 1965. They liked the result so much that they included the song on their first album The Mindbenders (US title "A Groovy Kind of Love") and released the song to radio as their debut single. It reached #2 in the UK the week of January 19–26, 1966 and it also hit #2 in the United States on the Billboard Hot 100 for 2 weeks in late May and early June 1966. The song features a female backing chorus, and they sing the words "You and me" and the repeated title towards the end of each verse of the song.
Phil Collins version
Phil Collins recorded a new version of "A Groovy Kind of Love" in 1988. He had originally suggested the song as a good one for collaborator Stephen Bishop to record, with Collins producing. Collins originally recorded his demo version as a suggestion for the film Buster, then found out later that the demo was actually used in the film. He later decided to record it himself when he took the starring role in the film, which had a 1960s setting. The song was originally released on Buster: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. A live version appeared on his Serious Hits... Live! album.
Unlike the Mindbenders' version, which was an upbeat guitar-based pop song, Collins's version was a slow ballad with a prominent keyboard and strings. This version hit No. 1 on both the U.S. and UK charts, and remains Collins' only single to top the charts in both countries; it was his last No. 1 single in the UK. The single was certified silver in the UK by the British Phonographic Industry. It also reached No. 1 on the U.S. Adult Contemporary chart. The song earned Collins a Grammy Award nomination for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male in 1989.
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Other covers
Other covers include:
In 1979, Italian artist Ivan Graziani recorded "Agnese", his own adaptation of Clementi's Rondo, which has the same song structure.
In 1989, Hong Kong singer Sandy Lam covered this song in Cantonese.
In 1998, ska/punk band My Superhero covered the song as "Groovy" on their album Solid State 14.
In 2011, a version of the song based on Phil Collins's slow ballad interpretation was featured in an advert for Walkers crisps featuring Gary Lineker.
In 2011, the TV show New Girl featured the Phil Collins version in the episode "Wedding."