What Time Is Love?

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“What Time Is Love?”
“What Time Is Love?” cover
Pure Trance Original (004T) cover
Single by The KLF
Released July 1988 (Pure Trance 1)

October 1990 (Live at Trancentral)
October 1991 (America: What Time Is Love?)
Format 12", CD; 7"; cassette (Live at Trancentral, America: What Time Is Love?)
Recorded Trancentral
Genre House music
Length 7:05 (Pure Trance Original)

5:20 (Live at Trancentral)
9:02 (America: What Time Is Love? (Uncensored))
Label KLF Communications (UK)
Producer Drummond/Cauty
Drummond & Cauty singles chronology
"Doctorin' the Tardis"
(1988)		 "What Time Is Love? (Pure Trance)"
(1988)		 "3 a.m. Eternal (Pure Trance)"
(1989)


"Last Train to Trancentral (Pure Trance)"
(1990)		 "What Time Is Love? (Live at Trancentral)"
(1990)		 "3 a.m. Eternal (Live at the S.S.L.)"
(1991)


"Last Train to Trancentral (Live from the Lost Continent)"
(1991)		 "America: What Time Is Love?"
(1991)		 "It's Grim Up North"
(1991)


Alternate covers
Live at Trancentral cover
Live at Trancentral cover
America: What Time Is Love? cover
America: What Time Is Love? cover
For the 1993 dance track What is Love by the singer Haddaway, see What Is Love (song).

"What Time Is Love?" is a song released, in different mixes, as a series of singles by acid house pioneers The KLF. It featured prominently and repeatedly in their output from 1988 to 1992 and, under the moniker of 2K, in 1997. In its original form, the track was an instrumental acid house anthem; subsequent reworkings, with vocals and additional instrumentation, yielded the international hit singles "What Time Is Love? (Live at Trancentral)" (1990) and "America: What Time Is Love?" (1991), which respectively reached # 5 and # 4 in the UK Singles Chart and introduced The KLF to a mainstream international audience.

Contents

[edit] History

The KLF co-founders Jimmy Cauty and Bill Drummond began releasing music in March 1987, under the pseudonym The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu (The JAMs), named after a cultish organisation from The Illuminatus! Trilogy novels. The JAMs' output was created from plagiarised samples of popular music grafted together to form new songs, with beatbox rhythms and Drummond's often political raps. Initially hip hop-oriented, The JAMs' sound soon inclined towards house music. Their second album, Who Killed The JAMs?, was followed by a newsletter which expressed regret that people believed The JAMs were leading "a crusade for sampling", and suggested "We might put out a couple of 12-inch records under the name The K.L.F., these will be rap free just pure dance music, so don't expect to see them reviewed in the music papers."[1] The first incarnation of "What Time Is Love?" followed.

"What Time Is Love?" became one of The KLF's central tracks, dubbed their "three-note warhorse of a signature tune" by Bill Drummond, in reference to the three-note bassline which, together with a high-pitched refrain on two notes (B bending to F#) characterises the song.[2] In common with the singles "3 a.m. Eternal", "Last Train to Trancentral" and "Justified and Ancient", "What Time Is Love?" evolved through substantial reworkings, each new version taking elements of its predecessors and placing them in the context of a different musical genre. There were three main versions, released in 1988, 1990 and 1991, shifting The KLF's sound from acid house through pop-house into heavy rock-oriented electronica.

 Audio samples:

In 1997, the original "What Time Is Love?" was covered by the Williams Fairey Band, a brass band which under the stewardship of British artist Jeremy Deller pioneered the Acid Brass concept. Inspired by an Acid Brass concert, Drummond and Cauty collaborated with Deller, incorporating an Acid Brass version of "What Time Is Love?" into their single "Fuck the Millennium".

[edit] Pure Trance Original

The original 1988 12" single release launched The KLF's minimalist "Pure Trance" series of singles. The descriptive use of the word "trance" is notable in this context, since the trance music genre was at this time unestablished.

The "Pure Trance" version is a synthesizer composition based around an acid house riff on three low-pitched notes and one minor chord (B minor). The subtle progression of the piece occurs through the modulation of the main loops, the dub-like dropping of particular loops, and a recurring high-pitched refrain on two notes (B bending to F#). An Oberheim OB-8 synthesiser provided the instrumentation.

Two discs of different "Pure Trance" mixes, numbered KLF 004T (green writing on a black sleeve) and KLF 004R (yellow writing on a black sleeve, and a cover sticker), were given low-key releases on 24 November 1988 and 24 July 1989 respectively). The cumulative popularity of KLF 004T in continental European clubs prompted The KLF to release a compilation album of selected cover versions and sound-alikes, entitled The "What Time Is Love?" Story.[3] What Time Is Love?'s European acclaim also contributed towards The KLF's change of musical direction following their abortive film project, The White Room.

As Drummond had predicted, the "Pure Trance" release received little attention from the music press. However, upon the release of The "What Time Is Love?" Story, Q Magazine hailed the track as "a whirling house stomper ... not so much of a tune but a good beat".[4]

[edit] Live at Trancentral

A 1990 version subtitled "Live at Trancentral" was the first of The KLF's upbeat "Stadium House Trilogy" and the single that introduced The KLF to an international mainstream audience, reaching #5 in the UK Singles Chart. It is a pop-house reworking of the Pure Trance Original, adding vocal samples, a new bassline, a new house rhythm and a self-proclaiming rap (performed by Isaac Bello). The "Trancentral" in the subtitle refers to The KLF's recording studio. Although crowd noise features on the mix, it is in fact a purely studio-based creation and a characteristic of the "Stadium House" recordings.[citation needed] An LP version of this mix appears on the album The White Room.

A remix 12", "What Time Is Love? (Remodelled & Remixed)" was released a month after the "Stadium House" version. It contains remixes by Echo & the Bunnymen—for whom The KLF co-founder Bill Drummond had previously been manager—and The Moody Boys. Both "Live at Trancentral" and "Remodelled & Remixed" were declared 'single of the week' at different times by NME, where "Live at Trancentral" was described as a collision of "energy, humour and violence".[5] [6] NME also ranked "Live at Trancentral" as the 4th best single of 1990.[7] Q Magazine noted the "awesome vitality" of the LP version.[8] A retrospective review of the LP version by Splendid Magazine found the song to be "extraordinary". "It throbs and pulses in a still-riveting manner that transcends the dated beatdrops. Fusing the siren-wailing urgency of rave anthemry with the drunk-on-its-own-riff brilliance of the stupidest, simplest pop music, it's the kind of song that sends electrifying impulses through the drunken brain."[9]

[edit] America: What Time Is Love?

The single release "America: What Time Is Love?" constituted a major reworking of the anthem and was The KLF's final UK commercial musical offering. It was released in February 1992 in the UK, four months after it was first made available in the US.[10] The KLF's notorious BRIT Awards performance, staged in the week prior to "America"'s UK release, concluded with the announcement of their departure from the music industry. This was later confirmed by a full-page press announcement that used images from the set of the "America: What Time Is Love?" music video.

"America" has a markedly different tone to previous incarnations of the song: harder, heavier and more guitar-laden (featuring the riff from Motörhead's Ace of Spades). It opens with a protracted narration by The KLF's regular narrator Scott Piering, about The JAMs' odyssey of 992 to discover America[11]. In common with previous single "It's Grim Up North", it features a climactic orchestral section and a spoken list of towns and cities. However, in common with the "Stadium House" tracks, the mood of the song is one of jubilation. Between verses, a male chorus chants the word "America" to the tune of the song "Aquarius" from Hair. Isaac Bello again provided rap, and Glenn Hughes (formerly of Deep Purple) provided vocals - a contribution which Hughes claimed "saved his life" from drug abuse.[12]

In contrast, the B-side "America No More" is a sombre anti-war statement focussing on US foreign policy. With ambient overtones, it features forlorn guitars, austere brass and a pipe band, set against the backdrop of artillery noise and the recorded words of US politicians, commentators and evangelists speaking either about or during major 20th century US military conflicts. According to Drummond, it was the final track to be recorded by The KLF.[13] Evangelists feature elsewhere in The KLF's music (Chill Out, "What Time Is Love? (Remodelled & Remixed)" and "Fuck the Millennium"), as does gunfire (in the three "Stadium House" singles).

Reviewing "America: What Time Is Love?", Melody Maker found that "the whole bizarre concoction's brilliantly bonkers", but questioned The KLF's strategy of recycling their songs.[14] "America No More" was described by The Wire in 1997 as "a devastating protest-montage of helicopters, bagpipes and carpet-bombs".[15]

[edit] Legacy

Reviewing Drummond's book 45 for The Observer in 2000, Steven Poole labelled "What Time Is Love?" an "epic pop masterpiece".[16] The Observer also described the "Pure Trance Original" as a "juddering rave anthem".[17]

On July 14, 2002, the "Pure Trance Original" was incorporated into DJ John Digweed's set at Fatboy Slim's free Brighton beach show, where it was played to a live audience of approximately 150,000 people and relayed to viewers of television channel E4. Digweed's set showcased the origins of trance music, with "What Time Is Love?" used alongside Underworld's "Dark & Long" and Paul Oakenfold's "Perfecto Mix" of U2's "Even Better Than the Real Thing".

British band Kaiser Chiefs covered "What Time Is Love?" on February 14, 2006 on BBC Radio 1[18]. At the end of the performance, presenter Jo Whiley said "The Kaiser Chiefs have now left the building" in reference to the phrase used more than once by The KLF (and previously by Elvis Presley).

German techno group Scooter sampled the music of the Trancentral version and the introductory lyrics of "America: What Time Is Love?" on their single "Behind The Cow", taken from the 2007 album The Ultimate Aural Orgasm. They had previously sampled the Trancentral version in 2001 on the song "Posse (I Need You On The Floor)" from the album We Bring the Noise!.

[edit] Personnel

The three reworkings of the track were written and produced by Bill Drummond and Jimmy Cauty. Cauty also receives credit for playing electric guitar, bass, drums and keyboards on "America...", and Drummond for playing Gibson 330 on that version. Additional contributors to "What Time Is Love? (Live at Trancentral)" and "America: What Time Is Love?" included:

[edit] Formats and track listings

As a central track in The KLF's canon, "What Time Is Love?" was given international commercial releases on many occasions and in many forms between 1988 and 1992. The following lists detail most of these, but are not exhaustive.[19]

[edit] Pure Trance 1

"What Time Is Love? (Pure Trance Original)" (catalogue number KLF 004T) was first released on October 17, 1988, and deleted following initially low UK media interest and sales. The reaction from continental Europe's clubbers and DJs led to further European releases in 1989 and 1990. In late 1989, a US edition of "Pure Trance 1" (sea-green writing on a black sleeve, and slightly different typography) was issued on the TVT label, including a live version taken from The "What Time is Love?" Story. The KLF's "Pure Trance" series was originally envisaged as comprising five "Original" 12" singles and five "Remix" 12"s. The "Pure Trance Remix" single of "What Time Is Love?" was released on 24 July 1989. KLF 004T was re-released in the UK on July 15, 1991, during the peak of The KLF's chart success, along with both "Pure Trance" mixes of 3 a.m. Eternal.

Format (and countries) Track number
1 2 3
12" single (UK - KLF Communications KLF 4T, Germany) PT1 PT2
12" single (UK - KLF Communications, KLF 4R) Pr TS PT1
12" single (US) Oz PT1 TS
12" single (Austria) Po PT1 po
CD single (Austria) po PT1 Po

Key

PT1 - "What Time Is Love?" (Pure Trance Original) (7:05) Oz - "What Time Is Love?" (Live version, "Land Of Oz")[20] (8:46)
PT2 - "What Time Is Love?" (Pure Trance Mix 2) (7:00) po - "What Time Is Love? (Power Remix)" (7" edit) (3:41)
Pr - "What Time Is Love? (Primal Remix)" (5:57) Po - "What Time Is Love? (Power Remix)" (7:37)
TS - "What Time Is Love? (Techno Slam Mix)" (4:28)

[edit] Live at Trancentral

"What Time Is Love? (Live from Trancentral)" was released on 30 July 1990, and the single of remixes "(Remodelled & Remixed)" followed on 20 August 1990. The main B-side accompaniment of "What Time Is Love? (Live at Trancentral)" was the "Techno Gate Mix" of the track, which retained the title track's rhythm and bass as a backdrop to extensive samples of Jimi Hendrix's "Voodoo Chile". Another UK 12" featured instead the "Wandaful Mix", which sampled from Wanda Dee's "To the Bone".

Format (and countries) Track number
1 2 3 4
Live at Trancentral
7" single (UK, France, Australia),

cassette single (UK, Australia), CD single (Belgium)

 l TG
7" single (Australia) l PT1
12" single (UK, US, Germany, Australia),

cassette single (Australia), CD single (US)

 L TG
12" single (Denmark, Sweden) L Pr PT1 TG
12" single (France, Australia) L PT1
12" single (UK) L W
CD single (UK, Germany, France, Belgium) l L PT1
CD single (Australia) L PT1 M
Remodelled & Remixed
12" single (UK - KLF Communications KLF 4Y, Germany) M E V

Key

l - "What Time Is Love? (Live at Trancentral)" (radio edit) (3:53) W - "What Time Is Love? (Wandaful Mix)" (6:07)
L - "What Time Is Love? (Live at Trancentral)" (5:20) M - "What Time Is Love? (The Moody Boys vs. The KLF)" (7:35)
TG - "What Time Is Love? (Techno Gate Mix)" (4:44) E - "What Time Is Love? (Echo & The Bunnymen Mix)" (5:10)
PT1 - "What Time Is Love?" (Pure Trance Original) (7:05) V - "What Time Is Love? (Virtual Reality Mix)" (6:50)
Pr - "What Time Is Love? (Primal Remix)" (5:57)

[edit] America: What Time Is Love?

"America: What Time Is Love?" was released in the US during October 1991, four months before its release in the UK and elsewhere (February 24, 1992). The B-side "America No More", which featured anti-war sentiments directed at US foreign policy and included samples of contemporary Gulf War dialogue, was not included on the US releases. Unlike previous single releases of "What Time Is Love?", no commercial remixes of "America" were released, although five edits of different lengths were distributed.

Format (and countries) Track number
1 2 3 4 5
Cassette single (except US), 7" single a N
12" single, cassette single (US) A2 L M
12" single (UK - KLF Communications KLF USA 4X,

Germany, Australia, Denmark)

 A N
12" single (UK - KLF Communications, KLF USA 4T) AU N
CD single (US) a2 A2 L M
CD single (UK, Germany, Australia, Denmark, Belgium) a N AU n
CD single (Austria) A N AU L PT1
CD single (Japan) l A2

Key

a - "America: What Time Is Love?" (radio edit) (3:30) n - "America No More (Just the Pipe Band)" (3:18)
a2 - "America: What Time Is Love?" (7" edit) (4:05) l - "What Time Is Love? (Live at Trancentral)" (radio edit) (3:53)
A - "America: What Time Is Love?" (7:34) L - "What Time Is Love? (Live at Trancentral)" (5:20)
A2 - "America: What Time Is Love?" (12" mix) (8:35) M - "What Time Is Love? (The Moody Boys vs. The KLF)" (7:35)
AU - "America: What Time Is Love? (Uncensored)" (9:02) PT1 - "What Time Is Love?" (Pure Trance Original) (7:05)
N - "America No More" (6:05)

[edit] Charts

Chart (1990-1991)1 [21] [22] [23] [24] [25] Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 57
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play 13
Austrian Singles Chart 23
German Singles Chart 6
Swedish Singles Chart 14
Swiss Singles Chart 23
UK Singles Chart 5
Chart (1992)2 Peak
position
French Singles Chart 29
German Singles Chart 6
Irish Singles Chart 4
UK Singles Chart 4

1 "What Time Is Love?" (live at the Trancentral) by The KLF featuring The Children of the Revolution
2 "America: What Time Is Love" by The KLF

[edit] External links

[edit] Notes and references

  1. ^ Drummond, B., KLF Information Sheet, KLF Communications, January 22, 1988 (link).
  2. ^ Drummond, B., "Thrashed", 45, Little & Brown, ISBN 0-316-85385-2 / Abacus, ISBN 0-349-11289-4, 2000.
  3. ^ KLF Communications, "The White Room - Information Sheet Eight", August 1990 (link).
  4. ^ Cranna, I., The "What Time Is Love?" Story review, Q Magazine, October 1989 (link).
  5. ^ Dickson, S., "What Time Is Love? (Live at Trancentral)" review, New Musical Express, July 28, 1990.
  6. ^ Reid, J., "What Time Is Love? (Remodelled & Remixed)" review, New Musical Express, August 25, 1990.
  7. ^ New Musical Express, chart of 1990's best singles, December 22, 1990.
  8. ^ George, I., The White Room review, Q Magazine, March 1991 (link).
  9. ^ Harrison, A., The White Room review, Splendid Magazine (link)
  10. ^ Bush, John, KLF biography, All Music Guide. Retrieved April 19, 2006.
  11. ^ Leif Ericson - whose name features in The Illuminatus! Trilogy - is believed to have first sighted Newfoundland somewhere around the year 1000, popularly believed to be the year 992. See also: Vinland, Knaar
  12. ^ Hughes, G. "The KLF Saved My Life!", cited in Shaw, W., "Who Killed The KLF?", Select, July 1992 (link).
  13. ^ Drummond, B., "Robbie Joins The Jams", 45, (Little & Brown, ISBN 0-316-85385-2 / Abacus, ISBN 0-349-11289-4), 2000.
  14. ^ "America: What Time Is Love?" review, Melody Maker, February 29, 1992 (link).
  15. ^ Watson, B., "King Boy D", The Wire, March 1997 (link).
  16. ^ Poole, S., "Hit man, myth maker - 45", review of 45, The Observer, February 26, 2000 (link).
  17. ^ "Burning Question", interview with Bill Drummond, The Observer, February 13, 2000 (link).
  18. ^ BBC, "Kaiser Chiefs in the Live Lounge". Retrieved 19 April 2006.
  19. ^ Longmire, Ernie et al (2005). KLF discography Compiled by Ernie Longmire, this has been the authoritative KLF discography on the internet for some 10 years or more and has been the subject of long-term scrutiny and peer review by KLF fans and collectors. It is now maintained by the fan site klf.de.
  20. ^ Unlike the "(Live at Trancentral)" version, this version of "What Time Is Love?" was recorded live, at the "Land of Oz" monthly house night, DJed by Cauty and The Orb's Alex Paterson in the chill-out room of Paul Oakenfold's "Heaven" nightclub. The recording was made on July 31, 1989, the release date of The KLF's pop single "Kylie Said to Jason".
  21. ^ "What Time Is Love?", in various Singles Chart [ Lescharts.com] (Retrieved April 10, 2008)
  22. ^ German Singles Chart Charts-surfer.de (Retrieved April 10, 2008)
  23. ^ Irish Single Chart Irishcharts.ie (Retrieved April 10, 2008)
  24. ^ UK Singles Chart Chartstats.com (1) Chartstats.com (2)(Retrieved April 10, 2008)
  25. ^ Billboard Billboard.com (Retrieved April 10, 2008)
v • d • e
The KLF
Bill Drummond • Jimmy Cauty
Also known as
Studio albums
Related projects
v • d • e
The KLF / KLF Communications singles discography
1987
1988
"Burn the Bastards" • "One Love Nation" • "Doctorin' the Tardis" • "What Time Is Love? (Pure Trance)"
1989
1990
"Last Train to Trancentral (Pure Trance)" • "What Time Is Love? (Live...)"
1991
1992
1993
1997