"Thin Line Between Love and Hate" is the title of a 1971 song by the New York City-based R&B vocal group The Persuaders. The song was written and produced by the Poindexter brothers, Robert and Richard, and was also co-written by Robert's wife, Jackie Members.
Composition
The song tells a story about a man coming home early in the morning to his understanding wife one too many times; after the song's bridge, he finds himself lying in a hospital, bandaged from head to foot.[2]
Chart history
This was the group's biggest hit song, spending two weeks atop the Billboard R&B chart in late 1971. It also reached #15 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and was a certified Gold Record by the RIAA.[3]
| Chart (1971) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 15 |
| U.S. Billboard Best Selling Soul Singles[4] | 1 |
Cover versions
The song has been covered or sampled by many musical acts.
- The rock band The Pretenders recorded a cover version of this song, included on their 1984 album Learning to Crawl. Featuring Paul Carrack on keyboards and backing vocals, it was released as a single, peaking at #83 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and #49 on the UK Singles Chart.[5] This version changed the lyric from first-person viewpoint to second-person.
- Jamaican reggae singer B.B. Seaton recorded a version as the title track of his 1973 album for Trojan Records.[6]
- A sample of "Thin Line Between Love and Hate" was featured in the song "Washed Away" by the hip-hop band Arrested Development.[7] This song can be found on their 1992 album 3 Years, 5 Months & 2 Days in the Life Of....
- Also in 1992, rapper Kid Frost sampled this song on his track "Thin Line".[7] This song is included on his album East Side Story and reached #82 on the Billboard R&B chart.
- In 1995, Annie Lennox recorded a cover with slightly modified lyrics, with a second-person viewpoint and additional final verses, featured on her second solo album Medusa.[8]
- In 1996, R&B vocal trio H-Town recorded the song, which was included in the film A Thin Line Between Love and Hate starring Martin Lawrence. Released as "A Thin Line Between Love & Hate", this version featured Roger Troutman, and Shirley Murdock on female vocals and reached #6 on the Billboard R&B chart and #37 on the Billboard Hot 100.[3]
See also
References
- ^ a b Marsh, Dave (1989). The Heart of Rock & Soul: The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made. Plume. p. 213. ISBN 0-452-26305-0.
- ^ Pareles, Jon (January 22, 1984). "Chrissie Hynde Makes Peace with the Past and Moves On". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
- ^ a b Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 8th Edition (Billboard Publications), page 488.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 457.
- ^ Official Charts Company info OfficialCharts.com. Retrieved 22 April 2009.
- ^ "BB Seaton – Thinline Between Love & Hate [1/1/1973]". Retrieved June 14, 2024.
- ^ a b "Songs that Sampled Thin Line Between Love and Hate by The Persuaders". Whosampled.com. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
- ^ Moore, Rick (2019). "Behind the Song: Annie Lennox, "Thin Line Between Love and Hate"". Americansongwriter.com. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
External links
- 1971 Persuaders single info From discogs.com
- 1984 Pretenders single info From discogs.com
You must be logged in to post a comment.