music.wikisort.org - Composition

"Love Potion No. 9" is a song written in 1959 by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. It was originally performed by the Clovers,[1] who took it to number 23 on the US as well as R&B charts that year.[2][3]

"Love Potion No. 9"
Single by The Clovers
B-side	"Stay Awhile"
Released	July 1959
Recorded	June 8, 1959
Studio	Capitol (New York City)
Genre	Doo-wop
Length	2:02
Label	United Artists
Songwriter(s)	Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller
Official Audio
"Love Potion No. 9" on YouTube

"Love Potion Number Nine"
Single by The Searchers
from the album Meet the Searchers
B-side	"Hi-Heel Sneakers"
Released	November 1964
Studio	Pye Studios, London, England
Genre	Rock and roll
Length	2:05
Label	Kapp KJB-27
Songwriter(s)	Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller
Producer(s)	Tony Hatch
The Searchers singles chronology
"When You Walk in the Room" (1964) "Love Potion Number Nine" (1964) "What Have They Done to the Rain" (1964)
Official Audio
"Love Potion No. 9" on YouTube

The song was recorded by the Searchers in 1964. Their version reached number three on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and number two on Cash Box during the winter of 1965.[4]

Herb Alpert and The Tijuana Brass did an instrumental version (side 2, track 1) on his 1965 album Whipped Cream and Other Delights.

The Coasters released a version in December 1971 with "D. W. Washburn" on the B-side. It reached No. 76 on the Billboard Pop chart and No. 96 on the Cash Box chart.

History

The song describes a man seeking help to find love. He enlists the help of a gypsy who determines, by means of palmistry, that he needs "love potion number nine." The potion, an aphrodisiac, causes him to fall in love with everything he sees, kissing whatever is in front of him, eventually kissing a policeman on the street corner, who breaks his bottle of love potion.

In LP release, at the ending of the song the Clovers used the alternative lyrics:[1]

I had so much fun that I'm going back again,

I wonder what'll happen with Love Potion Number Ten?

This version was used in the film American Graffiti and released on the LP version of the soundtrack, but replaced by the single version on the CD release.

The song was the basic premise of the 1992 film of the same name starring Sandra Bullock and Tate Donovan.

Charts

Chart (1965)	Peak position
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[5]	6
New Zealand (Lever Hit Parade)[6]	4
US Billboard Hot 100[7]	3
US Cash Box Top 100	2
West Germany (Official German Charts)[8]	23

Later versions

The heavy metal band Tygers of Pan Tang recorded "Love Potion No. 9" in 1982. Their version charted in the UK, reaching No. 45 in 1982.[9] In 2016 the song was performed by John Cooper Clarke and Hugh Cornwell for BBC 6 Music Live.[10] The song was released as a single by indie rock band The Wallies in November 2019; it has also been covered by punk rock group The Queers on their 2021 album Reverberation.[11]

References

External links

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