That's Love (song)
"That's Love" is a song by British singer-songwriter Jim Capaldi. It was released as the first single from the 1983 album Fierce Heart. The track, a simple arrangement with synthesizers, vocals, a drum machine and an almost inaudible acoustic guitar, became Capaldi's biggest hit in the U.S., peaking at number 28 on the Billboard Hot 100 in summer 1983,[1] while becoming a bigger hit on Billboard‘s AC chart, peaking at No. 3.
| "That's Love" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Jim Capaldi | ||||
| from the album Fierce Heart | ||||
| B-side | "Runaway" | |||
| Released | April 1983 | |||
| Recorded | 1983 | |||
| Genre | Soft rock | |||
| Length | 3:37 | |||
| Label | Asylum | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Jim Capaldi | |||
| Producer(s) | Steve Winwood, Jim Capaldi | |||
| Jim Capaldi singles chronology | ||||
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"That's Love" has since been compiled onto both the greatest hits album Prince of Darkness (1995) and the boxed set Dear Mr Fantasy: The Jim Capaldi Story (2011).
Background and lyrical content
"That's Love" was written mostly while Capaldi was in Brazil; it developed further over the course of recording sessions in England.[2]
The lyrics present two conflicting views of love. The verses are cynical ("Young couple there going insane / Fussing and fighting then they make up again / That's love") while the chorus is idealistic ("You stood by me / All through the good times / And through the bad times"). The backing vocals at the end are by Steve and Nicole Winwood, who were themselves having marriage problems at the time.[3] Steve Winwood also played all the synthesizers, including both solos.
Music video
The song was promoted with a music video involving a mini-love story told through a montage. The shots alternate between angry arguments, loving embraces, bitter silences and scenes of quiet companionship. Eric Bogosian and Jo Bonney, married less than a year at the time, played the couple.
In contrast to the vast majority of music videos at the time, which would prominently feature the performing artist lip-synching the song, Capaldi appears in the video in a minor acting role only. He and co-producer Steve Winwood portray two friends looking on as the romantic protagonists of the video walk arm-in-arm. Capaldi and Winwood appear together in two brief scenes, and the video ends with a shot of Capaldi entering the frame alone in front of the couple.
Personnel
- Jim Capaldi — lead vocals, drums, percussion, Linn drum programming
- Steve Winwood — synthesizers, backing vocals, Linn drum programming
- Nicole Winwood — backing vocals
- Pete Bonas — acoustic guitar
References
- "That's Love" chart history, Billboard. Retrieved August 14, 2011.
- Capaldi, Jim (1983). Song details, Fierce Heart press kit.
- Black, Johnny (May 1997). Feature: Steve Winwood Archived 2011-09-28 at the Wayback Machine, Mojo.