HEY LOVE... - Various Artists

YEAR: c. 1977 (?) / 2001

LABEL: Time-Life

TRACK LISTING: The Girl Don't Care - Gene Chandler, Let's Fall In Love - Peaches & Herb, Yes I'm Ready - Barbara Mason, The Touch of You - Brenda & the Tabulations, Together - The Intruders, Stay In My Corner - The Dells, La-La Means I Love You - The Delfonics, Hypnotized - Linda Jones, Going In Circles - The Friends of Distinction, Close Your Eyes - Peaches & Herb, Court of Love - The Unifics, Oh How It Hurts - Barbara Mason, Dry Your Eyes - Brenda & the Tabulations, Count To Ten - Franky & the Spindles, Break Your Promise - The Delfonics, Always Together - The Dells, So I Can Love You - The Emotions, Hey There Lonely Girl - Eddie Holman, Baby I'm For Real - The Originals, Have You Seen Her? - The Chi-Lites, Break Up To Make Up - The Stylistics, The Bells - The Originals, The Love We Had (Stays On My Mind) - The Dells, Cowboys To Girls - The Intruders, Somebody Loves You - The Delfonics, Love On A Two-Way Street - The Moments, Oh Girl - The Chi-Lites, Me and Mrs. Jones - Billy Paul, Thin Line Between Love and Hate - The Persuaders, If You Don't Know Me By Now - Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, Dedicated to the One I Love - The Temprees, The Sly Slick and the Wicked - The Lost Generation, I Want To Pay You Back (For Loving Me) - The Chi-Lites, Leaving Me - The Independents, Hey! Love - The Delfonics, Stop Look Listen (To Your Heart) - The Stylistics, Betcha By Golly Wow - The Stylistics, Spinning Around (I Must Be Falling In Love) - The Main Ingredient, In the Rain - The Dramatics, I Gave To You - The Delfonics

IMPRESSIONS: I remember so well watching TV on some UHF channel (Channel 17, 29 or 48) back in the late 1970s and always seeing the commercial for this 2 record set. The advert was legendary: a dimly lit party where the soundtrack on the record player is the HEY LOVE... album. One man says to the host "Man, can I borrow that?" and the host shoots him down with "Naw, my brotha. . .you've got to get your own! Here's how." And the ordering information came on the screen. In school, this catchphrase was often heard. Listening to this album puts you right in the "Quiet Storm" mood with some well-known soul classics accompanied by a panoply of lesser-known but superb tracks.

MY FAVOURITE TRACKS: Yes I'm Ready - Barbara Mason, The Touch of You - Brenda & the Tabulations, Together - The Intruders, La-La Means I Love You - The Delfonics, Going In Circles - The Friends of Distinction, Cowboys To Girls - The Intruders, Hey! Love - The Delfonics, Betcha By Golly Wow - The Stylistics, Spinning Around (I Must Be Falling In Love) - The Main Ingredient, In the Rain - The Dramatics

FACT SHEET: HEY LOVE... is a two-volume set that was hugely successful when released on LP in the late 1970's (selling over 350,000 copies). The album was sold on television as a mail-order only and the commercial is remembered fondly to this day. The songs are culled from top 40 R&B hits from the late 1960s-early 1970s and the album has the catchphrase "The Classic Sounds of Sexy Soul". Time-Life Music finally released the classic set on cd in 2001 with remastered sound and without tampering with the song sequencing.