(The Hit Hammer is where I'm reviewing each #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100. Starting from when the chart started in 1958 and eventually working my way to the present. To see my inspiration and more information about this blog, please CLICK HERE)
The O'Jays - "Love Train"
Hit Number 1: March 24, 1973
Stay at Number 1: 1 Week
Philadelphia soul music was rising, but it was still trying to find its identity. Soul music has been around for a long time, but Philadelphia soul music was an entirely new phenomenon. It started out as this graceful, slow-moving genre with songs like Billy Paul's "Me and Mrs. Jones" becoming one of the first Philly soul records to achieve success. But that's not what it ended up becoming. Instead, Philly soul eventually became this intense musical juggernaut, with fun danceable songs becoming its true identity. "Love Train" is not the first Philly soul record to become a #1 hit, but it's the first one to top the charts that Philly soul would be closely identified with. This kind of genre is largely responsible for the upcoming dynasty of disco music, which dominated the charts in the later half of the '70s.
The O'Jays were one of those popular, albeit for a brief time, groups that burst onto the scene courtesy of the new popularity of Philadelphia music. Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff were the band's producers, and they also wrote the bulk of their songs. The O'Jays were just getting ready to wrap up their album Back Stabbers, but thought that maybe one more song could do the trick to make it sound more complete. The team of Gamble and Huff already wrote the title track, which proved to be a successful O'Jays single, and the O'Jays needed their help again for this last one. ("Back Stabbers" peaked at #3. It's a 9) "Love Train" would end up being that last song, but it originally didn't have any lyrics. Allegedly, Gamble wrote lyrics to the song in a matter of just five minutes, and he chose the classic way to find yourself a hit: by writing a song dealing with social issues. The difference between "Love Train" and the rest of those social issues songs, though, is that there was absolutely zero chance that a song like this could fail. It's drowning in an uplifting spirit, and it's an irresistible jam with monster hooks, combined with its message. On the track, the O'Jays are backed by the Philly instrumental geniuses MFSB, a band that will eventually appear in this blog.
Though the message of "Love Train" is about as uplifting as they come, it's also an overly simple one. I think it's clear that the O'Jays are building a "love train" that's going to travel the entire world, and it's going to aim to bring unity to everyone around the globe. In that sense, it's a song about world peace. In times like today, "Love Train" is a song that hits particularly hard. This is a song I've known for almost my whole life, but it's never not put me in a better mood. I'm not sure if it's the O'Jays' obvious joy in singing this song, or if it really is just the message, but "Love Train" has always worked for me, and it's one that holds out hope for better times. I like that.
If you're talking about Philly music as a whole however, "Love Train" is only scratching the surface. In fact, it's only scratching the surface in the O'Jays' own catalogue. I already brought up the raging antitrust banger "Back Stabbers", but the O'Jays also released another song in 1975 called "I Love Music", which will always be an ultimate Philly soul masterpiece. (It made it to #5 in 1975. It's a 10) "Love Train" simply isn't as awesome as either one of those songs, and it's just a simple fun sing-along, but that doesn't mean it can't work. It's aged quite well, and it will always be, at the very least, a good song.
GRADE: 7/10
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