Released November 1966 Recorded 1966 | Format 7" single Length 2:13 | |
Genre Psychedelic pop, folk rock | ||
"Words of Love" is a song appearing on the album The Mamas & the Papas. The song was written by John Phillips, and featured Cass Elliot as the primary vocalist. It was released as a single in November 1966 (backed with a cover of Martha and the Vandellas's "Dancing in the Street").
Contents
Given the disappointing chart placement of the prior single, Look Through My Window, hopes were high that Words of Love would return the group to the upper reaches of the charts: on the week of January 21, 1967, the single fulfilled this hope, as it reached No. 5 in the United States. Overseas, it peaked at No. 47 in the United Kingdom.
The mono single, while approximately the same running time as the stereo version, contains a horn section overdub not heard in the stereo mix, extra backing vocals, and a more prominent piano; Elliot's vocals fade out a bit sooner near the end. This was the only song by the band which does not include a vocal contribution from either Phillips or Denny Doherty.
Michelle did contribute her high pitched "NO" right before the Chorus.
The B-Side, Dancing in the Street, is a cover of the Martha and the Vandellas smash from 1964. The Mamas & the Papas used the song in their live performances, and this flip side garnered enough airplay on its own accord to reach #73 on the Billboard Pop Chart.
Later uses
In 1971, Mama Cass featured "Words of Love" as the B-side of one of her UK single releases, "One Way Ticket." This inclusion provided "Words of Love" with additional exposure in Britain given its relatively tepid chart showing five years earlier.