It's Only Love Doing Its Thing

"It's Only Love"
"It's Only Love"
Single by Simply Red
from the album A New Flame
Released	January 16, 1989
Recorded	1988–1989
Genre	Blue-eyed soul
Length	4:58
Label	Elektra, WEA
Songwriter(s)	Jimmy Cameron, Vella Cameron
Producer(s)	Stewart Levine
Simply Red singles chronology
Music video
	"It's Only Love" on YouTube

"It's Only Love Doing Its Thing"
"It's Only Love Doing Its Thing"
Single by Barry White
from the album The Man
A-side	"Your Sweetness Is My Weakness"
Released	September 1978
Recorded	1978
Genre	Soul, funk
Length	4:04
Label	20th Century
Songwriter(s)	Jimmie Cameron, Vella Cameron
Producer(s)	Barry White
Barry White singles chronology

"It's Only Love Doing Its Thing" is a song by soul singer Barry White, from his 1978 album The Man. It was released as the B-side to the album's lead single, "Your Sweetness Is My Weakness". The English soul band Simply Red covered the song in 1989, under the shortened title "It's Only Love".

Elements from the song were sampled in "21 Questions" by 50 Cent. In 2008, the song was featured on Grand Theft Auto IV's fictional soul/R&B radio station The Vibe 98.8.

Simply Red version

In 1989, the English soul and pop band Simply Red released a cover as "It's Only Love" as the lead single of their third studio album, A New Flame (1989). This version had its greatest success by charting at number-seven in Ireland. The song was later featured in Simply Red's several greatest-hits albums and a ballad collection of the same name.

Critical reception

Robin Smith from Record Mirror wrote, "Hell, sure has been a long time since we last heard Mick Hucknall crooning blissfully, but all good things are worth waiting for. 'It's Only Love' is a magnificent slow-burning track to cherish and savour, as Hucknall side-steps his vocals around some powerful instrumentation. It's nice to hear that Simply Red aren't merely regurgitating old ideas, and I can hardly wait for the album."^[2] William Shaw from Smash Hits said, "It's a low key re-entry into the giddy world of pop, none of Mick's over-the-top wailing, just a simple, catchy piece of their old fashioned "soul" that swings along in a most acceptable manner."^[3]

Personnel

Fritz McIntyre – keyboards and backing vocals
Tim Kellett – trumpet and keyboards
Chris Joyce – drums
Tony Bowers – bass guitar

Charts

Chart performance for "It's Only Love" by Simply Red
Chart (1989)	Peak position
Australia (ARIA)^[4]	31
Belgium (Ultratop Flanders)^[5]	11
Canada (RPM)	30
Ireland (IRMA)^[6]	7
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)^[7]	31
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)^[8]	31
Switzerland (Swiss Hitparade)^[9]	12
UK Singles (OCC)^[10]	13
US Billboard Hot 100	57
West Germany (Gfk Entertainment charts)^[11]	21

References

^ "Barry White". Billboard.
^ Smith, Robin (January 21, 1989). "45". Record Mirror. p. 30. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
^ Shaw, William (January 24, 1989). "Singles". Smash Hits. p. 45. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
^ "australian-charts.com - Discography Simply Red". australian-charts.com. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
^ "ultratop.be - ULTRATOP BELGIAN CHARTS". www.ultratop.be. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
^ "The Irish Charts – Search for Simply Red". irishcharts.ie. Retrieved October 9, 2022.
^ "Simply Red | Top 40 Hitdossier-artiesten".
^ "charts.org.nz - New Zealand charts portal". charts.nz. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
^ "Die Offizielle Schweizer Hitparade - hitparade.ch". hitparade.ch. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
^ "Simply Red | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
^ "officialcharts.de". December 29, 2014. Archived from the original on December 29, 2014. Retrieved July 13, 2022.

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[1] "Barry White". Billboard.

[2] Smith, Robin (January 21, 1989). "45". Record Mirror. p. 30. Retrieved August 25, 2021.

[3] Shaw, William (January 24, 1989). "Singles". Smash Hits. p. 45. Retrieved March 11, 2023.

[4] "australian-charts.com - Discography Simply Red". australian-charts.com. Retrieved July 13, 2022.

[5] "ultratop.be - ULTRATOP BELGIAN CHARTS". www.ultratop.be. Retrieved July 13, 2022.

[6] "The Irish Charts – Search for Simply Red". irishcharts.ie. Retrieved October 9, 2022.

[7] "Simply Red | Top 40 Hitdossier-artiesten".

[8] "charts.org.nz - New Zealand charts portal". charts.nz. Retrieved July 13, 2022.

[9] "Die Offizielle Schweizer Hitparade - hitparade.ch". hitparade.ch. Retrieved July 13, 2022.

[10] "Simply Red | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved July 13, 2022.

[11] "officialcharts.de". December 29, 2014. Archived from the original on December 29, 2014. Retrieved July 13, 2022.

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v t e Simply Red
Mick Hucknall Ian Kirkham Steve Lewinson Kenji Suzuki Kevin Robinson Roman Roth Gary Sanctuary Fritz McIntyre Tim Kellett Tony Bowers Chris Joyce David Fryman Sylvan Richardson Aziz Ibrahim Heitor Pereira Gota Yashiki Shaun Ward Dee Johnson Velroy Bailey Sarah Brown Tim Vine John Johnson Mark Jaimes Wayne Stobbart Chris De Margary Andy Wright Pete Lewinson Dave Clayton
Studio albums	Picture Book Men and Women A New Flame Stars Life Blue Love and the Russian Winter Home Simplified Stay Big Love Blue Eyed Soul Time
Compilation albums	Greatest Hits It's Only Love The Very Best of Simply Red Simply Red 25: The Greatest Hits Songs of Love Song Book 1985–2010
Related articles	Discography Mick Hucknall discography The Montreux EP Simply Red Farewell – Live in Concert at Sydney Opera House

v t e Simply Red singles
Picture Book	"Money's Too Tight (to Mention)" "Holding Back the Years"
Men and Women	"The Right Thing" "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye"
A New Flame	"It's Only Love" "If You Don't Know Me by Now" "A New Flame" "You've Got It"
Stars	"Something Got Me Started" "Stars" "For Your Babies" "Thrill Me" "Your Mirror"
Life	"Fairground" "Remembering the First Time" "Never Never Love" "We're in This Together"
Greatest Hits	"Angel"
Blue	"Night Nurse" "Say You Love Me" "The Air That I Breathe"
Love and the Russian Winter	"Ain't That a Lot of Love"
Home	"Sunrise" "Fake" "You Make Me Feel Brand New"
Simplified	"Perfect Love"

v t e Barry White
Studio albums	I've Got So Much to Give (1973) Stone Gon' (1973) Can't Get Enough (1974) Just Another Way to Say I Love You (1975) Let the Music Play (1976) Is This Whatcha Wont? (1976) Barry White Sings for Someone You Love (1977) The Man (1978) The Message Is Love (1979) I Love to Sing the Songs I Sing (1979) Sheet Music (1980) Barry & Glodean (1981) Beware! (1981) Change (1982) Dedicated (1983) The Right Night & Barry White (1987) The Man Is Back! (1989) Put Me in Your Mix (1991) The Icon Is Love (1994) Staying Power (1999)
Compilations	Barry White's Greatest Hits (1975) The Collection (1988) All-Time Greatest Hits (1994) The Ultimate Collection (2000) Gold: The Very Best of Barry White (2005)
Singles	"In the Ghetto" "I'm Gonna Love You Just a Little More Baby" "I've Got So Much to Give" "Never, Never Gonna Give Ya Up" "Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe" "You're the First, the Last, My Everything" "What Am I Gonna Do with You" "You See the Trouble with Me" "It's Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next to Me" "Just the Way You Are" "It's Only Love Doing Its Thing" "Louie Louie" "Practice What You Preach" "The Longer We Make Love" (with Lisa Stansfield & Chaka Khan)
Featured singles	"The Secret Garden (Sweet Seduction Suite)" (with Quincy Jones, Al B. Sure!, James Ingram, & El DeBarge) "Slow Jams" (with Quincy Jones, Babyface, Tamia, & Portrait) "In Your Wildest Dreams" (with Tina Turner)
Related articles	Discography Love Unlimited The Love Unlimited Orchestra