"A Groovy Kind of Love" is a song written by Toni Wine and Carole Bayer Sager based on a melody by the classical composer Muzio Clementi. The original rendition was recorded by American singing duo Diane & Annita and released as Groovey Kind of Love on the French e.p. One by One in 1965. Later, it has been recorded by numerous artists, with the Mindbenders and Phil Collins releasing very successful versions.
Background
"A Groovy Kind of Love" consists of lyrics written by Bayer Sager and Wine, with music by Muzio Clementi. Composition of the song took place at Bayer Sager's home in New York City, only a few blocks away from the Brill Building and 1650 Broadway. These buildings housed numerous music publishing companies and record labels, including Wine and Bayer Sager's label, Allegro Music ; the buildings also contained facilities for songwriting and composition. However, Bayer Sager's residence was preferred because it was more comfortable, and more private. Wine composed the music, and Bayer Sager wrote the lyrics. The title was an early use of the slang word "", and both women were interested in using the word because they recognized it as new and "happening". Wine 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 melody is from the Rondo from Muzio Clementi's Sonatina, Opus 36, No. 5. Even though Wine and Sager claim full songwriting credits, they mainly wrote the lyrics and just slightly modified Clementi's music. Bayer Sager originally pitched the song to pop star Lesley Gore in early 1965, but Gore's producer at the time, Shelby Singleton, rejected it, as he found the word "groovy" too slangy.
, the group that backed Wayne Fontana before he broke from the band, continued with the band's guitarist, Eric Stewart, was now also the lead vocalist. Jack McGraw, who ran the Screen Gems offices in London, thought the Wine and Bayer Sager song was a perfect match for Eric's voice. The band recorded their version of the song in 1965, featuring a female backing chorus singing the words "You and me" and the repeated title towards the end of each verse of the song. The band liked the result so much that they released it to radio as their debut single. It reached No. 2 in the UK the week of January 19–26, 1966, and it also reached No. 2 in the United States on the BillboardHot 100 for two weeks in late May and early June 1966. "When a Man Loves a Woman" by Percy Sledge kept the song from No. 1. The band included the song on their first album without Wayne Fontana, The Mindbenders.
Chart performance
Chart
Peak position
Canada RPM Top Singles
4
-
South Africa
10
UK Singles
2
U.S. Billboard Hot 100
2
Phil Collins version
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. While filming the movie Buster, Collins suggested the song as a potential love theme for the title character and his wife. He recorded a demo as a guide for the producers, only to find out later his demo had actually been used in the film. Collins had initially expressed reservations about being featured on the soundtrack during the movie, but relented due to feeling it worked well for the scene. He subsequently recorded a full version of the song, co-produced by Anne Dudley. This version was originally released on Buster: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. It subsequently appeared on the compilation albumsHits, , and The Singles. A live performance appeared on his Serious Hits... Live! album. Unlike the Mindbenders' version, which was an upbeat guitar-based pop song, Collins' was a slow ballad with a prominent keyboard and strings. When released as a single, it reached No. 1 on both the U.S. and UK charts, becoming 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. The TV series New Girl featured the Phil Collins version in the episodes "Wedding" and "The Curse of the Pirate Bride".
