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Love Hurts
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Wikipedia article
"'Love Hurts'" is a song written and composed by the American songwriter Boudleaux Bryant. First recorded by the Everly Brothers in July 1960, the song is most well known from the 1974 international hit version by Scottish hard rock band Nazareth and 1975 Top 5 hit in the UK by English singer Jim Capaldi.
Appearances
The song was introduced in October 1960 as an album track on 'A Date with The Everly Brothers' but was never released as a single (A-side or B-side) by the Everlys. Due to a falling out with their manager and publisher Wesley Rose they were prevented from issuing it as a single, though it had been meant for them. It was after the quarrel was settled in 1964 that they rerecorded it for the 1965 album Rock 'n' Soul.
The first hit version of the song is by Roy Orbison, who earned Australian radio play, hitting the Top Five of that country's singles charts in 1961.
A recording by Emmylou Harris and Gram Parsons is included on Parsons' posthumously released 'Grievous Angel' album. After Parsons' 1973 death, Harris made the song a staple of her repertoire and has included it in her concert setlists from the 1970s to the present. Harris has since re-recorded the song twice.
The most successful recording of the song is by Scottish hard rock band, Nazareth, who took the song to the U.S. Top 10 in 1975 and hit No. 1 in Norway and the Netherlands.
In the UK, the most successful version of the song is by former Traffic member, Jim Capaldi, who took it to No. 4 in the charts in November 1975 during an 11-week run.
The song was also covered by Cher in 1975 for her album, 'Stars'; Cher re-recorded the song in 1991 for her album of the same name.
Jennifer Warnes released a version on her 1976 self-titled album.
Joan Jett includes a version on her 1990 album, 'The Hit List', a covers compilation.
Heart offers a live unplugged rendition on their 1995 live album, 'The Road Home', also included on the album's 1995 VHS concert video and later on its 2003 DVD reissue.
Rod Stewart recorded the song in 2006 for his album, 'Still the Same... Great Rock Classics of Our Time', which was No. 1 on the 'Billboard' 200 chart. Jazz guitarist Julian Lage performs the song on his 2019 album of the same name.
The bluegrass version appearing in both the 'Deadpool 2' "Super Duper Cut" and the "Once Upon A Deadpool" DVD during the montages featuring the titular character's suicide attempts following Vanessa's death, was first recorded by The Osborne Brothers for their 1977 release, 'From Rocky Top to Muddy Bottom: The Songs of Boudleaux & Felice Bryant'.
Roy Orbison version
{{Infobox song
| name = Love Hurts
| cover = File:RoyOrbisonRunningScared.jpg
| alt =
| caption = US picture sleeve
| type = single
| artist = Roy Orbison
| album = Crying
| A-side = Running Scared
| released = March 1961
| recorded = February 27, 1961
| studio = RCA Victor Studio B, Nashville, Tennessee
| venue =
| genre = Pop
| length =
| label = Monument
| writer = Boudleaux Bryant
| producer = Fred Foster
| prev_title =
| prev_year =
| next_title =
| next_year =
| misc =
}}
Roy Orbison covered "Love Hurts" in 1961 and issued it as the B-side to "Running Scared." While "Running Scared" was an international hit, the B-side only picked up significant airplay in Australia. Consequently, chart figures for Australia show "Running Scared"/"Love Hurts" as a double A-Side, both sides peaking at No. 5. This makes Orbison's recording of "Love Hurts" the first version to be a hit.
Nazareth version
{{Infobox song
| name = Love Hurts
| cover = Nazareth Love Hurts.png
| alt =
| caption = Netherlands single sleeve
| type = single
| artist = Nazareth
| album = Hair of the Dog
| B-side =
| released = November 8, 1974
| studio =
| venue =
| genre =
| length =
(U.S. single)
| label = Vertigo
| writer = Boudleaux Bryant
| producer = Manny Charlton
| prev_title = This Flight Tonight
| prev_year = 1973
| next_title = Shanghai'd in Shanghai
| next_year = 1974
| misc =
}}
Performed as a power ballad, the Nazareth version is the most popular version of the song and the only rendition of "Love Hurts" to become a hit single in the United States, reaching No. 8 on the 'Billboard' Hot 100 in early 1976. 'Billboard' ranked it as the No. 23 song for 1976.Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1976 As part of the "Hot Tracks (EP)" it also reached No. 41 in the UK in 1977. Nazareth's version was an international hit, peaking at No. 1 in Canada, the Netherlands, Belgium, South Africa and Norway. The Nazareth single was so successful in Norway that it charted for 61 weeks on the Norwegian charts (VG-lista Top 10), including 14 weeks at No. 1, making it the top single of all time in that country.
A later recording by Nazareth, featuring the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra, peaked at No. 89 in Germany.
The lyrics of the song were changed for Nazareth's 1975 recording, where the original line "love is like a stove/it burns you when it's hot" was changed to "love is like a flame/it burns you when it's hot".
Cher covered this version for her 1991 album of the same name.
Media
The song was used in an advertisement for Esurance, and also in a series of advertisements by Zurich.A cover was sung by Nan Vernon for the film 'Halloween II'.
The song has been featured in several video games and films, including 'Click', 'The Doors', 'Wayne's World', 'Josie and the Pussycats', 'Sid and Nancy', 'This Is Spinal Tap', 'Airheads', 'Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure', 'Dude, Where's My Car?', 'Empire Records', 'High Fidelity', 'Dazed and Confused', 'Rock Star', 'The Rocker', 'The Full Monty', 'Napoleon Dynamite', 'Monkeybone', 'Idiocracy', 'Speed', 'Lethal Weapon 4', 'Exit Wounds', 'Mad Max: Fury Road', 'Guitar Hero II', 'Rock Band 3', 'Barnyard', 'Flushed Away', 'Halloween', 'Detroit Rock City', 'Chicken Little', and 'Toy Story 3'.
The song was featured in a dream sequence in Season 4, Episode 24 of 'That '70s Show', in which Fez daydreams that the characters Eric, Donna, Kelso and Jackie are performing the song after they hurt his feelings.
The song was featured in Season 3, Episode 18 of 'King of the Hill', "Love Hurts and So Does Art", in a sequence which involves Bobby trying to meet Connie at a school dance despite being rendered wheelchair-bound with a case of gout. The name of the episode is also possibly derived from the song.
Charts and certifications
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
All-time chart
Certifications
Jim Capaldi version
{{Infobox song
| name = Love Hurts
| cover = Jim Capaldi Love Hurts.png
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Jim Capaldi
| album = Short Cut Draw Blood
| B-side = Sugar Honey
| released =
| recorded = 1975
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = Pop
| length =
| label = Island
| writer = Boudleaux Bryant
| producer = Steve Smith
| prev_title = It's All Up to You
| prev_year = 1974
| next_title = Goodbye Love
| next_year = 1976
| misc =
}}
Jim Capaldi reached number 4 in the UK charts with his interpretation of "Love Hurts" in November 1975, which was to prove his highest-charting UK single.[http://www.theofficialcharts.com/artist/_/jim%20capaldi/ Jim Capaldi in the UK charts] , The Official Charts. Retrieved August 11, 2011. Described by 'Rolling Stone' as having "a sense of pain very different from Roy Orbison's."Marsh, Dave (March 11, 1976). , 'Rolling Stone'. the single also charted in the US,[http://www.allmusic.com/artist/jim-capaldi-p3832/charts-awards Jim Capaldi in the Billboard charts], Allmusic. Retrieved August 11, 2011. Germany, and Sweden.[http://swedishcharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Jim+Capaldi&titel=Love+Hurts&cat=s "Love Hurts" in the Swedish charts], swedishcharts.com. Retrieved August 12, 2011.
('Love Hurts' was also ranked #137 in the Canadian Top 200 of 1976)
Cher version
{{Infobox song
| name = Love Hurts
| cover = Cher Love Hurts single.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Cher
| album = Love Hurts
| B-side = One Small Step
| released =
| recorded =
| studio =
| venue =
| length = 4:07
| label = Geffen
| writer = Boudleaux Bryant
| producer = Richie Zito
| prev_title = Save Up All Your Tears
| prev_year = 1991
| next_title = Could've Been You
| next_year = 1992
| misc =
}}
American singer Cher recorded her first version in 1975 for the album 'Stars' but did not release this version as a single. She later recorded a second version in 1991 for her album of the same name. This version was a cover of Nazareth's version. The single became a minor hit in the UK in December 1991.
Track listing
*'European 7-inch and cassette single'#"Love Hurts" 4:19
#"One Small Step" 3:27
*'European 12-inch and CD single'
#"Love Hurts" 4:19
#"One Small Step" 3:27
#"Just Like Jesse James" 4:06
Charts
See also
*List of 1970s one-hit wonders in the United States
References
Category:1960 songs
Category:1960s ballads
Category:1974 singles
Category:1975 singles
Category:1991 singles
Category:2001 singles
Category:2005 singles
Category:Nazareth (band) songs
Category:The Everly Brothers songs
Category:Roy Orbison songs
Category:Cher songs
Category:Rod Stewart songs
Category:Jim Capaldi songs
Category:Number-one singles in Norway
Category:RPM Top Singles number-one singles
Category:Number-one singles in South Africa
Category:Song recordings produced by Richie Zito
Category:Songs written by Felice and Boudleaux Bryant
Category:Torch songs
Category:Rock ballads
Category:Warner Records singles
Category:Monument Records singles
Category:A&M Records singles
Category:Vertigo Records singles
Category:Mooncrest Records singles
Category:Island Records singles
Category:Geffen Records singles
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