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"Lovesong" (sometimes listed as "Love Song") is the tenth track on Adele's album 21. It is a song originally recorded by the English alternative rock band The Cure, released as the third single from their eighth studio album Disintegration in 1989. The song saw considerable success in the United States, where it was the band's only top ten pop hit; in the United Kingdom, however, the single only charted in the top twenty.
Though the song has been covered by several artists, the most famous and successful cover is the 2004 version by American reggae rock band 311, recorded for the soundtrack for the film 50 First Dates and also released as a single. This version actually charted higher on the U.S. Modern Rock Tracks chart (reaching #1) than The Cure original (which peaked at #2). Adele's cover of the song peaked at #18 on Billboard Jazz Songs.
"Lovesong," which replaced "Never Tear Us Apart" as the only song cover on the album, almost didn't make the final cut, as it was not included in the original track listing. Ultimately, four other songs were cut from the album, and "Lovesong," "Set Fire to the Rain," "He Won't Go," and "I'll Be Waiting" were added instead.
BACKGROUND
Adele had first heard this song at her first concert ever, which happened to be The Cure. Her mother had taken her. Adele said the song was very touching, and when she had been in Malibu, she had become homesick, and decided to perform a cover of the song to help. Adele found comfort in her friends and family, specifically her mother, whom she dedicated the song to, to help with the homesickness. She said performing the song had set her free in a way. Her cover of the song received generally positive reviews, as well. Adele had gone into the recording studio to perform the song, although she had lost her voice. She performed the song anyways, which had given it a beautiful element and a very special sentimental value. It also brought the entire production team to tears. Rick Rubin elaborated on the recording process in an interview with Rolling Stone, stating:
“ sang so beautifully as well. I mean, she sings everything so beautifully. You don't have to do anything to get her to sing great. You just have to set up a mic and let her sing it. She sang it so much, when we worked on it; when the band was playing it, she sang. She must have sung the song, I don't know, 30 times in a row. And every time was astounding. ”
Adele has also talked about her mother's response to her cover of the song:
“ I said, 'Oh mum, I've covered "Lovesong," it's a bossa nova version' and she was mortified. Then I played it for her and she loved it and she cried, but the (initial) thought of someone ruining a Cure song fills her with despair. She'd disown me if she didn't like it, but she loved it
CREDITS
Personnel
Adele – vocals
Boris Williams, Laurence Tolhurst, Paul Thompson, Robert Smith, Roger O'Donnell, Simon Gallup – songwriting
Rick Rubin – producer
Pino Palladino – bass
Chris Dave – drums
Matt Sweeney – guitar
Smokey Hornel – guitar
Lenny Castro – percussion
Greg Fidelman – recording
Sara Lyn Killion – recording assistant
David Campbell – string arrangement
Andrew Scheps – mixer
Phillip Broussard Jr. – mixing assistant
Lindsay Chase – production coordinator
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