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Love Potion No. 9 (song)
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Wikipedia article
{{Infobox song
| name = Love Potion No. 9
| cover =
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = The Clovers
| album =
| B-side = Stay Awhile
| released = July 1959
| recorded = June 8, 1959
| studio = Capitol (New York City)
| venue =
| genre = Doo-wop
| length =
| label = United Artists
| writer = Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller
| producer =
| prev_title =
| prev_year =
| next_title =
| next_year =
| misc =
}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Love Potion Number Nine
| cover = Love_Potion_Number_Nine_-_The_Searchers.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = The Searchers
| album = Meet the Searchers
| B-side = Hi-Heel Sneakers
| released = November 1964
| recorded =
| studio = Pye Studios, London, England
| venue =
| genre = Rock and roll
| length =
| label = Kapp KJB-27
| writer = Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller
| producer = Tony Hatch
| prev_title = When You Walk in the Room
| prev_year = 1964
| next_title = What Have They Done to the Rain
| next_year = 1964
| misc =
}}
"'Love Potion No. 9'" is a song written in 1959 by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. It was originally performed by the Clovers, who took it to number 23 on the US as well as R&B charts that year.[http://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-clovers-p3925/charts-awards/billboard-singles The Clovers' charting singles] Retrieved February 7, 2012.
The song was recorded by the Searchers in 1964. Their version reached number three on the U.S. 'Billboard' Hot 100 and number two on 'Cash Box' during the winter of 1965.
Herb Alpert and The Tijuana Brass did an instrumental version (side 2, track 1) on his 1965 album 'Whipped Cream and Other Delights'.
The Coasters released a version in December 1971 with "D. W. Washburn" on the B-side. It reached No. 76 on the 'Billboard' Pop chart and No. 96 on the 'Cash Box' chart.
History
The song describes a man seeking help to find love. He enlists the help of a gypsy who determines, by means of palmistry, that he needs "love potion number 9". The potion, an aphrodisiac, causes him to fall in love with everything he sees, kissing whatever is in front of him, eventually kissing a policeman on the street corner, who breaks his bottle of love potion.
In LP release, at the ending of the song the Clovers used the alternative lyrics:
:I had so much fun that I'm going back again,
:I wonder what'll happen with Love Potion Number Ten?
This version was used in the film American Graffiti and released on the LP version of the soundtrack, but replaced by the single version on the CD release.
The song was the basic premise of the 1992 film of the same name starring Sandra Bullock and Tate Donovan.
Charts
Later versions
The heavy metal band Tygers of Pan Tang recorded "Love Potion No. 9" in 1982. Their version charted in the UK, reaching No. 45 in 1982. In 2016 the song was performed by John Cooper Clarke and Hugh Cornwell for BBC 6 Music Live.Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211205/TRof0M1IJ1I Ghostarchive] and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20161018201125/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRof0M1IJ1I&gl=US&hl=en Wayback Machine]: The song was released as a single by indie rock band The Wallies in November 2019; it has also been covered by punk rock group The Queers on their 2021 album 'Reverberation'.{{cite web|url=https://officialthequeers.bandcamp.com/
References
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