"Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City" is a 1974 R&B song written by Michael Price and Dan Walsh, and first recorded by Bobby "Blue" Bland for his Dreamer album on the ABC Dunhill label.
Background
While it is ostensibly a love song, some critics and fans have also heard it as a lament on urban poverty and hopelessness, as well as a lament upon the struggle to achieve one's goals in life in the absence of external support. "Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City" remains a cult favorite, and is considered a classic.[1]
Chart performance
In the US, Bland scored a top ten hit on the Hot Soul Singles chart, where it peaked at #9, as well as peaking at #91 on the Hot 100.[2]
Cover versions and samples
| "Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Whitesnake | ||||
| from the album Snakebite and Live...in the Heart of the City | ||||
| B-side | "Bloody Mary" "Take Me With You" (live) | |||
| Released | June 1978 November 1980 (live)[3] | |||
| Recorded | April 1978 23 November 1978 (live) | |||
| Genre | Hard rock, blues rock | |||
| Length | 5:07 8:18 (live) | |||
| Label | United Artists, Geffen, EMI (studio) Liberty, Sunburst (live) | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Michael Price Dan Walsh | |||
| Producer(s) | Martin Birch(both versions) | |||
| Whitesnake singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City" on YouTube | ||||
It is known through several cover versions and samples:
- A well-known cover of the song is by the hard rock band Whitesnake, who included it on their 1978 debut EP, Snakebite, and again as a live recording on Live...in the Heart of the City. The cover was the new band's first hit, and it became a staple of their live set.
- For his 2001 album The Blueprint, rapper Jay-Z recorded the song "Heart of the City (Ain't No Love)," a Kanye West-produced track built around a sample of Bobby Bland's chartmaking rendition.
Other notable cover versions have been recorded by:
- Bobby Bazini - on his sophomore album “Where I Belong”(folk/soul, 2014)
- The cover version by reggae singer Al Brown even changes most of the lyrics to magnify the emphasis of the lyrics.[1]
- Barrett Strong (R&B, 1976)
- Café Jacques - on the album Round the Back' (rock, 1977)
- Grady Tate (jazz, 1977)
- Long John Baldry (blues, 1977)
- Kate Taylor (rock, 1979)
- Crystal Gayle (country, 1980)
- Herman Brood (rock, Bühnensucht, live recording, 1985)
- Chris Farlowe (R&B, 1985)
- Ruthless Blues (blues, 1989)
- Walter "Wolfman" Washington (New Orleans R&B, on 1991 album Sada)
- The Good Earth (pop/rock, 1994)
- Mick Abrahams (rock, 1996)
- Jørn Lande (hard rock, The Snakes live in Europe 1998)
- Paul Weller (rock, 1998)
- Willie Clayton (R&B, 1998, as "Heart of the City")[4]
- Jay Z (on the album The Blueprint, as "Heart of City (Ain't No Love)", 2001)
- Mary Coughlan (jazz, 2002)
- DJ Andrew Unknown & DJ Mekalek (hip hop/rap (intro), 2002)
- Joey Tempest (rock/metal, 2003)
- Maggie Bell (rock, 2004, live recording)
- Vaya Con Dios (rock, 2004)
- YTcracker (From the "STC Is the Greatest" album, track #16, "spamcity", 2004)
- Joe Budden (Rap, 2007)
- Paul Carrack (Blue-Eyed Soul, Pop/Rock, 2008)
- Allman Brothers (Blues, 2009 live recording)
- Nicky Moore (blues rock, 2009)
- GRiZ (sampled on the song "Where's The Love" on the album Mad Liberation, 2012)
- Lukas Graham (Blue-Eyed Soul, 2012 as "Daddy, Now That You're Gone (Ain't No Love)")
- Jo Harman And Company (blues, on the album Live At The Royal Albert Hall Recorded 2013, released 2014)
- Dana Fuchs (On album "Broken Down, acoustic sessions" 2015)
- Shane Pacey Trio (On album, "Helios" 2016)
- Supersonic Blues Machine (On the album "West of flushing south of frisco" 2016)
- C.S. Armstrong (On album, "Ain't No Love" 2016)
- Zeshan B (On album, "Vetted" 2017)
- Black Pumas (On the album Black Pumas Deluxe Edition Exclusive 2LP+7", released 2020)
- DJ Khaled (Sampled on the intro track "THANKFUL", on the album KHALED KHALED, released 2021)
- Gov't Mule (on the album 'Heavy Load Blues', released 2021)
- Horace Andy (on album "Midnight Scorchers", released 2022)
Popular culture
- Jay-Z's version of the song was used in the trailer for the 2007 film American Gangster, in a 2011 Chrysler commercial, as the theme song for the CBS series NYC 22 and a Crown Royal commercial in 2013.
- The song is featured in the 2009 video game DJ Hero, in "mashed-up" form.
- The song is played over the opening credits of the 2019 Norwegian time-travel fantasy comedy-drama television series Beforeigners.[5]
- The song is featured on the soundtracks to the 2009 film Fighting, the 2011 crime drama The Lincoln Lawyer and is also featured in the 2017 movie The Hitman's Bodyguard.[6]
- The song is featured in episode 5 of Sex Education.
- The song is also featured in season five of the Netflix series, Last Chance U, which focuses on the lives of Laney College football players and staff within Oakland, CA.
- In Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Aaron Davis of Earth-42 plays a Bobby Bland LP with this song on it.
Charts
Whitesnake
| Year | Title | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | "Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City" | UK Singles Chart[7] | 51 |
References
- 1 2 Jo-Ann Greene (2001-08-14). "Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City - Al Brown : Listen, Appearances, Song Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 2013-03-26.
- ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 64.
- ↑ Strong, Martin Charles (1995). The Great Rock Discography. p. 894. ISBN 9780862415419.
- ↑ Hamilton, Andrew (1998-06-02). "Something to Talk About - Willie Clayton : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2013-03-26.
- ↑ "Beforeigners - Season 1 Soundtrack". Soundtrack Mania. 2019-09-15. Retrieved 2020-03-09.
- ↑ "The Lincoln Lawyer and 2019 Netflix film, Shaft (Soundtrack)". Blogs.indiewire.com. Archived from the original on 2011-04-07. Retrieved 2011-03-24.
- ↑ "Whitesnake – Official Charts". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 25 April 2015.
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