"Everlasting Love" is a song written by Buzz Cason and Mac Gayden that has been a hit for various artists, including Robert Knight, Carl Carlton, Love Affair, and Gloria Estefan.
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The original version of "Everlasting Love" was recorded in Nashville by Robert Knight, whose producers Buzz Cason and Mac Gayden aimed to record him in a Motown style with especial reference to the Four Tops and the Temptations. Cason would recall how he and Gayden wrote "Everlasting Love" to serve as B-side for a song entitled "The Weeper", which they were to record with Knight. The night before the recording session for "The Weeper", Gayden stopped by Cason's home and, according to Cason, "as usual brought several melodies, riffs and grooves to work on", two of whose hit potential particularly struck Cason, who had Gayden combine these ideas into one melody. The writing session was abbreviated as Gayden had to go home for supper; Cason assured his partner: "I'll put some kind of lyric to it...Neither of us was too concerned as just knew that 'The Weeper' would be the hit of the session." Cason believes he may have drawn the phrase "everlasting love" from the biblical verse Jeremiah 31.3 which begins: "Yea, I have loved you with an everlasting love". [1]
Ultimately "Everlasting Love" was released as an A-side for Knight and reached No. 13 in 1967. Subsequently the song has reached the U.S. Top 40 three times, most successfully by Carl Carlton, who peaked at No. 6 in 1974, with more moderate success for remakes by Rex Smith and Rachel Sweet (No. 32, 1981) and Gloria Estefan (No. 27, 1995). Thus, "Everlasting Love" is one of two songs (the other being "The Way You Do the Things You Do") to become a Top 40 hit in the 1960s, '70s, '80s and '90s.
In the UK, versions of "Everlasting Love" have appeared in the Top 40 in every decade between 1960 and 2010, always—with the exception of the 1980s—reaching the Top 20. In 1968 Love Affair took the song to No. 1. The Robert Knight original had peaked at No. 40 in 1968, but was re-issued in 1974 and reached No. 19. In 1981, a duet version with Rex Smith and Rachel Sweet hit No. 35). "Everlasting Love" reached the UK Top 20 three times in the 1990s with versions by Worlds Apart (No. 20, 1993), Gloria Estefan (No. 27, 1995) and, most successfully, with a charity single by the Cast of Casualty that reached No. 5 in 1998. In 2004 Jamie Cullum reached No. 20 with his version.
In 1987 the rendition of "Everlasting Love" by Sandra reached at least the Top 20 in at least eight territories, going Top 10 in four. Her version also reached UK No. 45 in 1988, affording "Everlasting Love" its second UK Top 50 incarnation of the decade. The song has also charted internationally via its renditions by Love Affair, Rex Smith and Rachel Sweet and Worlds Apart.
As early as 1968 "Everlasting Love" was remade for the C&W market by Hank Locklin, who charted at No. 57. Narvel Felts would make the song a major C&W hit in 1979, reaching No. 14 on the Billboard C&W chart; a concurrent remake by Louise Mandrell peaked at No. 69 C&W.
Just prior to the release of Jamie Cullum's 2004 version, Buzz Cason theorized on his composition's appeal: "It's an uplifting song, with a real positive feeling, and it's danceable. I think people get a lift from it. When it comes to that chorus it just really lets go." (Nashville Times Daily 28 October 2004)
| "Everlasting Love" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Robert Knight | ||||
| from the album Everlasting Love | ||||
| B-side | "Somebody's Baby" | |||
| Released | July 1967 | |||
| Format | 7" Single | |||
| Recorded | 1967 | |||
| Genre | Soul | |||
| Length | 2:54 | |||
| Label | Monument Records MON 1008 | |||
| Writer(s) | Buzz Cason, Mac Gayden | |||
| Producer | Buzz Cason, Mac Gayden | |||
| Robert Knight singles chronology | ||||
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Although Buzz Cason and Mac Gayden had written "Everlasting Love" to serve as the B-side for their composition "The Weeper" which Robert Knight would record the next day, the hit potential of "Everlasting Love" was evident at the end of that recording session - on which Kenny Buttrey played drums [2] - and it was the last-named song which was issued as Knight's single in July 1967 ("The Weeper" would in fact never be released, the track "Somebody's Baby" served as the B-side for "Everlasting Love"). Debuting on the Billboard Hot 100 dated 30 September 1967, "Everlasting Love" had already reached #1 in Philadelphia and Detroit by the time of its Top 40 debut on 21 October 1967. Cason - ["'Everlasting Love'] drove...the promotion guys nuts since it hit in one market then several weeks later pop up somewhere else."[1] The track spent its second week at its Hot 100 peak of #13 on the chart dated December 2 1967 then dropped off the Hot 100 over the next three weeks. The R&B chart peak of "Everlasting Love" was #14.
In its original release Knight's "Everlasting Love" lost out in the UK to a cover by Love Affair although Knight's version did spend two weeks at #40 UK in January 1968. In the spring of 1974 Knight's "Everlasting Love" had a second UK release to followup the Top Ten success of the reissue of Knight's "Love on a Mountain Top"; this time the first-named track reached #19.
An airplay staple on American oldies radio stations (though less so than the 1974 Carl Carlton version), Knight's "Everlasting Love" has become a "cult favorite" of the beach music scene.
| Chart (1967) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 13 |
| Chart (1968) | Peak position |
| UK Singles Chart | 40 |
| Chart (1974) | Peak position |
| UK Singles Chart | 19 |
| "Everlasting Love" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by The Love Affair | ||||
| B-side | "Gone are the songs of Yesterday" (Goodhand-Tait) | |||
| Released | 1968 | |||
| Format | 7" Single | |||
| Genre | Pop | |||
| Label | CBS 3125 | |||
| Writer(s) | Buzz Cason Mac Gayden |
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| The Love Affair singles chronology | ||||
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In the UK the song "Everlasting Love" was shopped to the group Marmalade who rejected it as "too Pop"; "Everlasting Love" was then passed to the group Love Affair, who like Marmalade were on the CBS roster. Muff Winwood produced the original Love Affair recording of "Everlasting Love" but the label rejected it and producer Mike Smith recorded a new track featuring Love Affair lead vocalist Steve Ellis backed by studio musicians rather than his fellow band members. The female choir on this recording comprised Madeline Bell, Kiki Dee, Lesley Duncan and Kay Garner.
Debuting on the UK Top 50 dated 2 January 1968, "Everlasting Love" by Love Affair rose to #1 for a two week stay that February. The track also charted internationally - see the chart below.
The band members of Love Affair soon admitted that their hit was essentially a studio production incurring a spate of bad press but no significant negative impact on the band's popularity: their followup to "Everlasting Love": "Rainbow Valley" - another Cason/Gayden composition introduced by Robert Knight - reached #5 UK and the additional success of "A Day Without Love" (#6) made Love Affair the UK's top group in singles sales for the year 1968 excepting the Beatles. [2]
| Chart (1968) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart | 1 |
| Australia singles chart | 23 |
| Austria singles chart | 12 |
| Belgium (Flemish Region) chart | 10 |
| French singles chart | 76 |
| German singles chart | 12 |
| Ireland singles chart | 2 |
| Malaysia singles chart | 1 |
| Netherlands singles chart | 13 |
| New Zealand singles chart | 4 |
| Norway singles chart | 6 |
| Poland singles chart | 4 |
| Swiss singles chart | 6 |
| Preceded by "The Ballad of Bonnie and Clyde" by Georgie Fame |
UK number-one single (Love Affair version) January 31, 1968 (two weeks) |
Succeeded by "Mighty Quinn" by Manfred Mann |
In Australia the Love Affair version competed with a cover by Melburnian band the Town Criers whose recording - with production credited to Geoffrey Edelsten - was released in February 1968 to reach #2 on the Melbourne hit parade with chart impact in two other major markets: Adelaide (#33) and Sydney (#16) contributing to a national peak of #17 besting the #23 peak of the Love Affair version.[3]
| "Everlasting Love" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Carl Carlton | ||||
| from the album Everlasting Love | ||||
| B-side | I Wanna Be Your Main Squeeze | |||
| Released | July 1974 | |||
| Format | 7" Single | |||
| Recorded | October 1973 | |||
| Genre | Disco | |||
| Length | 2:20 | |||
| Label | Backbeat | |||
| Writer(s) | Buzz Cason Mac Gayden |
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| Producer | Papa Don Schroeder, Tommy Cogbill | |||
| Carl Carlton singles chronology | ||||
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The most successful US release of "Everlasting Love" was that by Carl Carlton which reached the Top Ten on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1974.
The track features a distinctive countermelody, running through most of the song, consisting of background vocal harmonies. Brenda Russell is among the background vocalists.
Carlton had recorded "Everlasting Love" in October 1973 at Nashville recording studio Creative Workshop which was owned by the song's composer Buzz Cason; however Cason was not involved in the recording by Carlton, the singer himself choosing to record "Everlasting Love" which he knew via the version on David Ruffin's 1969 My Whole World Ended album. Produced by Papa Don Schroeder and Tommy Cogbill, Carlton's original recording of "Everlasting Love" was issued as the B-side of the 1973 single "I Wanna Be Your Main Squeeze"; the track (ie. "Everlasting Love") was then issued in July 1974 as an A-side having been given a disco style remix and became a discothèque favorite before breaking on the Hot 100 in September 1974 to proceed to a #6 peak that November, almost reaching the R&B Top Ten at #11. [3]
Carlton's version remains an airplay favorite on American oldies radio stations. According to Broadcast Music Incorporated (BMI), the 1974 Carl Carlton version has been played more than 4 million times.
One of the earliest Pop hits to crossover from disco airplay, Carlton's "Everlasting Love" is a staple of disco music compilations including the second installment of the Pure Disco CD compilation series.
| Chart (1974) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 6 |
"Everlasting Love" reached the Top 40 for the third time in the summer of 1981 via a duet version cut by Rex Smith and Rachel Sweet; this version features revised lyrics including an additional verse of uncredited authorship.
The track marked the Columbia debut of Sweet who'd previously recorded two albums for the New Wave oriented Stiff label. According to Sweet upon submitting the tracks intended to comprise her first album for Columbia - all original songs produced by Pete Solly - she was told: "we'd like you to cut some more songs. And we'd like it if they weren't yours." Columbia was hoping that augmenting Sweet's album with outside material produced by Rick Chertoff - then best known for his work with Air Supply - would provide Sweet with a commercial breakout, with "Everlasting Love" in particular being recorded for its perceived hit potential.
In keeping with the trend for duets prevalent in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Sweet was paired on "Everlasting Love" with another Columbia artist who was being produced by Chertoff: Rex Smith, who had reached #10 in 1979 with "You Take My Breath Away": their duet on "Everlasting Love" was featured on both Sweet's And Then He Kissed Me album and the album Everlasting Love by Smith and the single was a two-track B-side featuring Sweet's "Billy and the Gun" and Smith's "Still Thinking of You" respectively taken from each singer's last-named album.
With neither singer having a current Top 40 presence the teaming of Sweet and Smith on "Everlasting Love" generated a qualified chart impact with a #32 peak on the Billboard Hot 100 in August 1981; this would provide Sweet with her only Top 40 showing and Smith with a second and final one. The track also appeared on Billboard's Hot Adult Contemporary chart peaking at #31.
This Rex Smith/Rachel Sweet version of "Everlasting Love" was also a mid-chart item in the UK at #35; in Australia the track reached #41 mainly due to its being a local Top Ten hit in Adelaide at #9. In 1982 the Smith/Sweet version of "Everlasting became a Top Ten hit in Switzerland (#9) and Denmark (#4) also reaching #11 in South Africa. [4]
A promotional video was shot for "Everlasting Love" with Smith and Sweet playing a couple getting married. The singers performed "Everlasting Love" live on the Solid Gold episode aired 19 February 1983: Smith was currently co-hosting the show on which Sweet guested to promote her current single "Voodoo".[4]
| "Everlasting Love" | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Single by Sandra | ||||||||||||||||||||
| from the album Ten on One (The Singles) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| B-side | "Change Your Mind" (1987 Version) "Stop for a Minute" (1988 Version) |
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| Released | August 1987 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Format | 7" single, 12-inch single, CD single | |||||||||||||||||||
| Genre | Synthpop | |||||||||||||||||||
| Length | 3:49 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Label | Virgin | |||||||||||||||||||
| Writer(s) | Mac Gayden Buzz Cason |
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| Producer | Michael Cretu (1987 Version) Pete Hammond (1988 Version) |
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| Certification | Silver France, 1988 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Sandra singles chronology | ||||||||||||||||||||
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In late 1987 and early 1988 "Everlasting Love" was a hit in several European territories as rendered by German singer Sandra. Born in 1962, Sandra was familiar with the song via the 1968 Love Affair version; she'd say of the song: "I have always loved it...Even as a little child I heard that song and I said that I would like to sing it sometime." The video shot for Sandra's version featured the singer and Austrian model Rupert Weber playing lovers at different points in history beginning with Adam and Eve.
Everlasting Love", the tenth solo single released by Sandra, was featured on her 5 October 1987 album release Ten on One (The Singles). The track was a Top Ten hit in Austria (#6), Belgium (Dutch charts #9), Germany (#5), the Netherlands (#8) and Switzerland (#5) also charting in France (#23), Italy (#19) and Sweden (#13).
Sandra's "Everlasting Love" also reached the UK chart at #88; the track was subsequently acquired by Pete Waterman who had "Everlasting Love (the PWL mix)" - remixed by Pete Hammond - released in the UK in the summer of 1988 to barely improve on the original's UK chart performance with a #79 peak. However "Everlasting Love (the PWL mix)" re-entered the UK chart in December 1988 to rise as high as #45 in January 1989; the track was a hit in South Africa (#4) while in its Australian release "Everlasting Love (the PWL mix)" reached the Adelaide hit parade at #21 with a national chart showing of #72. In the US "Everlasting Love (the PWL mix)" rose as high as #22 on the Billboard maxi single sales chart.
The PWL mix of "Everlasting Love" was showcased on an Everlasting Love album which was released in December 1988 only in the UK and the US; besides "Everlasting Love (the PWL mix)" the album comprised the original versions of several of Sandra's European hits.
In 2006, a ballad version was also done by Sandra, this one being from her album Reflections.
| Country | Certification | Date | Sales certified |
|---|---|---|---|
| France[5] | Silver | 1988 | 200,000 |
| Chart (1987) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Austrian Singles Chart[6] | 6 |
| Belgian Singles Chart (Flemish Region)[7] | 9 |
| Dutch Singles Chart[7] | 8 |
| Eurochart Hot 100 | 5 |
| French Singles Chart[5] | 23 |
| German Singles Chart[6] | 5 |
| Italian Singles Chart | 19 |
| Swedish Singles Chart[7] | 13 |
| Swiss Singles Chart[6] | 5 |
| UK Singles Chart[8] | 88 |
| Chart (1988) "Everlasting Love (the PWL mix)" |
Peak position |
| UK Singles Chart [9] | 45 |
| Australian Singles Chart | 72 |
| South African Singles Chart[10] | 4 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales 1 [11] | 22 |
| End of year chart (1987) | Position |
|---|---|
| Swiss Singles Chart[12] | 30 |
UK boyband Worlds Apart included a remake of "Everlasting Love" on their 1994 debut album Together, all that album's tracks featuring Aaron Paul on lead; recorded at Select Recording Studios in Wood Green with producers Pete Schwier and Ricki Wilde, the track had had a single release in the September 1993 reaching #20 UK - #23 in Ireland - and was issued in September 1994 in Germany to peak at #40. A new version of "Everlasting Love" with a lead by Nathan Moore was included in the French edition of the second Worlds Apart album Everybody; produced by Andy Reynolds and Tee Green this track spent nine weeks in the Top Ten in France - four of them at its #4 peak - in December 1996 and January 1997 and also became a hit in Belgium on both the French and Dutch charts, respective peaks being #29 and #33.[13] [14]
| "Everlasting Love" | ||||||||||
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| Single by Gloria Estefan | ||||||||||
| from the album Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me | ||||||||||
| Released | January 3, 1995 (see Release history) |
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| Format | CD Single CD Maxi single 12" Vinyl Maxi Single |
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| Recorded | 1993 - 1994 | |||||||||
| Genre | Techno-Pop | |||||||||
| Length | 4:01 (Album/Single Version) 3:40 (7" Remix) |
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| Label | Epic Records | |||||||||
| Gloria Estefan singles chronology | ||||||||||
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"Everlasting Love" was recorded by Gloria Estefan for her 1994 album release Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me which comprised remakes of well-known hits, with "Everlasting Love" being the second album track issued as a US single following "Turn the Beat Around" (in some territories including the UK "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me" was the album's second single precedent to "Everlasting Love").
"Everlasting Love" was not one of Estefan's highest ranking Billboard Hot 100 entrants peaking at #27 in March 1995. However, the single topped the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play. The single was more successful in the UK with a #19 peak in February 1995 buoyed by a performance by Estefan on the 19 February 1995 broadcast of TOTP.
Estefan, pregnant with her second child at the time[15], could not appear in the video. The production team, which included co-directors Tony Minnelli and Paul Lynde, along with Estefan, decided to give the video a twist. They selected some of the best drag talent from West Hollywood, California to star in the video. Five appeared as Gloria Estefan, each representing a different stage in Estefan's career. Some notable video cast members include female impersonator; Julian Viva, Hollywood Super Club Kids; The Fabulous Wonder Twins, and drag performers Venus D-Lite and Sutan Amrull aka Raja. The latter two recently appeared as cast member's of Logo's series RuPaul's Drag Race (Season 3), in which Sutan Amrull was crowned the winner. "Everlasting Love" was shot at The Sunset Studios in Hollywood, California.
The video was so well received worldwide, Estefan decided to add video cast members, Julian Viva and Willie E., to her "Evolution Tour" "Evolution Tour" act.
Gloria Estefan went on to receive The Award for "Best Video Clip of the Year" at the Billboard Music Awards.
U.S. CD Maxi Single (49K 77775)
UK CD Maxi Single (661159 5)
| Region | Date |
|---|---|
| United States | January 3, 1995 |
| Japan | February 1, 1995 |
| World | February 6, 1995 |
| Chart (1995) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia Singles Chart | 28 |
| Colombia Singles Chart | 2 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 24 |
| UK Singles Chart | 19 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 27 |
| U.S. Billboard Top 40 Mainstream | 28 |
| U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary | 5 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales | 10 |
| Country | Certification | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | Gold | 35,000 |
| United States | Gold | 500,000 |
Original versions
Remixes
| ARTIST | RECORDING INFO | YEAR |
|---|---|---|
| Carlo Lind | single "Viel zu viel Gefühl" Polydor 52882 | 1967 |
| Nicoletta | single "L'amour me pardonne" Riviera r518 #60 | 1967 |
| Rosalía | single "Un eterno amor" Zafiro OOX-197 | 1968 |
| Ricchi e Poveri | single "L'ultimo amore"CBS 3417 | 1968 |
| Joe Dassin | single "Plus je te vois, plus je te veux" CBS 3336 | 1968 |
| The Drifters | album cut | 1969 |
| Gary Bonner | single MGM/Verve 72L3723 | 1972 |
| Doug Parkinson | single Atlantic 1011 74 | 1974 |
| Mac Gayden | album Skyboat ABC 927 | 1976 |
| Patricia Paay | single EMI Bovema 5C 006-25863 album The Lady is a Champ EMI Bovema 5C 064-25737#16 |
1977 |
| Steve Ellis | album The Last Angry Man Ariola 5004 | 1977 |
| Soirée | album Soirée Road Show BXL1-3401 | 1979 |
| Shampoo | single "Everlasting" (medley) Polydor 2040 319 | 1981 |
| Wild Horses | single EMI #5199 | 1981 |
| Vicki Sue Robinson | single Profile PRO 5039 #83 | 1984 |
| Rosetta Hightower and Henry Turtle | single SEA 4 (Riviera Records UK) | 1986 |
| U2 | single Island Records IS422 #2 (double A-side hit w/"All I Want Is You") #22 #10 #3 |
1989 |
| Wolfgang Ziegler | "Viel zu viel Gefühl" single B-side "Du fehlst mi sehr" WEA 248 469-7 | 1987 |
| Juha-Matti Mäkelä | "Tosi Rakkaus" album Hymy |
1989 |
| David Essex | album Cover Shot Polygram 514 563-2 | 1993 |
| Dominique Dalcan | album L'équipe à JoJo - Les chansons de Joe Dassin par... Columbia 50 9974 74889 2 4 tribute to Joe Dassin featuring various artists |
1994 |
| Wendy Van Wanten | "Hij is zo lief" album Blijf nog één nacht J.R.P. 2101763 |
1994 |
| Heartclub featuring Ian Lex | maxisingle 21st Century Records CNT 21-68 | 1994 |
| Gaby Albrecht | "Herzen lügen nicht" album Herzen lügen nicht EAN 0743214016923 |
1998 |
| Dump | album Plea For Tenderness brcd070 | 1997 |
| Seventh Avenue | album Midnight in Manhattan Hot Productions HTCD 66117-2 bonus track added to reissue of 1979 album |
1996 |
| Fernando Express | "Herzen lügen nicht" album Die Könige Der Tanzpaläste EAN 0724382261827 |
1998 |
| Knudsen Brothers | album Livewired | 2003 |
| Jamie Cullum | album Twentysomething | 2004 |
| Michael Ball | album Music Universal 987424 1 | 2005 |
| Scooter | album Who's Got the Last Laugh Now Sheffield Tunes 0167362STU | 2005 |
| Kerry Norton | single #97 album Young Heart NRCD 427992 |
2005 |
| Mysterio | single "Everlasting Love 2005" DA 874208-0 #87 album Ride on Time DA 874210-2 |
2004 |
| The Soldiers | album Letters Home Rhino 2564678108 | 2010 |
| Howard Carpendale | "Viel zu viel Gefühl" | 2010 |
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