"Love Grows " is a popular song by Edison Lighthouse, originally recorded by Jefferson. The single reached the number one spot on the UK Singles Chart on the week ending on 31 January 1970, where it remained for a total of five weeks. It also became the first number one single of the 1970s.
Song profile
"Love Grows " was written by Tony Macaulay and Barry Mason. Essentially, they were a studio group with prolific session singer Tony Burrows providing the vocals. When the song became a hit, a group needed to be assembled rapidly to feature the song on Top of the Pops, a popular TV show. Mason's wife, Sylvan, found a group called 'Greenfield Hammer' and brought them to Tony's auditions a week before their appearance on Top of the Pops. Once chosen and rehearsed, they appeared on the show as 'Edison Lighthouse' to mime to the fastest climbing number 1 hit record in history. Burrows sang the song on the programme during his third appearance on the same show with three different groups. In a 1986 Court Case, Sylvan Whittingham claimed that she had written half the lyrics of 'Love Grows' as well as Englebert Humperdinck's 'My Marie' - By The Time The Sun Goes Down. The case was settled out of Court. Though she has never been registered as the third writer of 'Love Grows' by the publishers, she remains legally entitled to claim a writing credit This has never been disputed by Macaulay or Mason.
Chart history
"Love Grows" reached number 5 on US pop chart, number 3 in Canada, and number 1 on the UK Singles Chart for five weeks in January and February 1970. It reached number 3 in South Africa in February 1970.
Chart performance
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
UK and US chart history
"Love Grows " entered the UK top 40 at no.12 on 24 January 1970 - an unusually high new-entry for a debutant act. A week later it climbed eleven places to no.1, becoming the first new UK chart-topper of the 1970s. After a five-week stay at the top, it dropped to no.4, replaced by "Wand'rin' Star" by Lee Marvin. Whilst at no.1, Edison Lighthouse held off strong competition from Peter, Paul and Mary and Canned Heat. Eventually, after a twelve-week run, "Love Grows " left the UK top 40 on 18 April 1970. In the US Billboard Hot 100 top 40 chart, Edison Lighthouse entered at no.28 on 28 February 1970. "Love Grows " reached a peak position of no.5 on 28 March, remaining there for two weeks. After a twelve-week run, the song left the US top 40 on 23 May.
Cover versions
Jerry Vale covered the song on his 1970 album Let It Be.
Anni-Frid Lyngstad covered the song in 1970 as "Där du går lämnar kärleken spår".
Uschi Glas covered the song in 1970 in German as "Wenn dein Herz brennt".
In 1984, Hong Kong singer Samuel Hui covered the song in Cantonese as "Tsui Hei Foon Lei".
British indie pop band The Siddeleys covered the song on the 1990 compilation Alvin Lives - Anti Poll Tax Trax.
Izabella Scorupco covered the song on her 1991 albumIZA.
In 2002, the Not Lame Recordings CD Right to Chews—a collection of modern bands performing cover versions of bubblegum pop songs—included Beagle's version of the song.
In 2007, Little Man Tate did a cover of this song at their concerts at the Boardwalk, Sheffield and at the Bolton Soundhouse.
Freedy Johnston covered the song on his 2001 album Right Between the Promises.
Les Fradkin covered the song on his 2004 albumPerfect World.
In 2012 Dennis Diken with Bell Sound recorded a version for a fundraising album titled Super Hits of the Seventies for radio station WFMU. The Legendary Reggae Artist Dennis Brown recorded ‘Love Grows’ in 1970 for Studio One in Jamaica, and released in the UK on the Bamboo Label-. Barry Biggs also released a Reggae version of ‘Love Grows’ in 1970, on Two Labels the Jamaican Tiger Label-, and the UK Dyanamic Label-. Lloyd Miller released a reggae Cover of ‘Love Grows’ in 1978 on the UK Trojan Label-.
In the media
The song is featured in the closing scenes of the film Shallow Hal.
It is referred to in the narration of Reservoir Dogs, as part of the fictional "K-BILLY's Super Sounds of the '70s" radio show, but the song itself is not played.
It is parodied in the game Al Emmo and the Lost Dutchman's Mine, at the title theme for Act 3: Shallow Al.
It acts as the closing theme to The Kennedys television series referring to the often forgotten, unfortunately mentally disabled daughter Rosemary Kennedy, and sister of 35th President John F. Kennedy and brother Attorney General/ Senator Robert F. Kennedy.
It plays during a romantic montage during the 2018 Netflix production The Kissing Booth.
