Description
(featuring Glenn Hughes …the voice of rock)
Medieval Death LP and free DVD + Mordicus “Rights ‘n Trials” LP. Official videos, audio, info.
Check the exclusive video showing this tape for sale
Check the exclusive video showing this tape for sale
Medieval Death LP and free DVD + Mordicus “Rights ‘n Trials” LP. Official videos, audio, info.
KLF, The – America: What Time Is Love?
Label: KLF Communications
Catalog#: KLF USA 4 C
Format: Cassette, Single
Country: UK
Released: 24 Feb 1992
Style: Trance
Tracklist
A1 America: What Time Is Love?
A2 America No More
B1 America: What Time Is Love?
B2 America No More
“What Time Is Love?” is a song released, in different mixes, as a series of singles by the band The KLF. It featured prominently and repeatedly in their output from 1988 to 1992. In its original form, the track was an instrumental acid house anthem; subsequent reworkings, with vocals and additional instrumentation, yielded the international hit singles “What Time Is Love? (Live at Trancentral)” (1990) and “America: What Time Is Love?” (1991), which respectively reached #5 and #4 in the UK Singles Chart and introduced The KLF to a mainstream international audience.
America: What Time Is Love?
The single release “”America: What Time Is Love?”” constituted a major reworking of the anthem and was The KLF final UK commercial musical offering. It was released in February 1992 in the UK, four months after it was first made available in the US. The KLF notorious BRIT Awards performance, with death metal band Extreme Noise Terror staged in the week prior to “”America”” UK release, concluded with the announcement of their departure from the music industry. This was later confirmed by a full-page press announcement that used images from the set of the “”America: What Time Is Love?”” music video.
“”America”” has a markedly different tone to previous incarnations of the song: harder, heavier and more guitar-laden (featuring the riff from Motörhead Ace of Spades). It opens with a protracted narration by The KLF regular narrator Scott Piering, about The JAMs’ odyssey of 992 to discover America. In common with previous single “”It Grim Up North””, it features a climactic orchestral section and a spoken list of towns and cities. However, in common with the “”Stadium House”” tracks, the mood of the song is one of jubilation. Between verses, a male chorus chants the word “”America”” to the tune of the song “”Aquarius”” from Hair. Isaac Bello again provided rap, and Glenn Hughes (formerly of Deep Purple) provided vocals â“ a contribution which Hughes claimed “”saved his life”” from drug abuse.
In contrast, the B-side “”America No More”” is a sombre anti-war statement focussing on US foreign policy. With ambient overtones, it features forlorn guitars, austere brass and a pipe band, set against the backdrop of artillery noise and the recorded words of US politicians, commentators and evangelists speaking either about or during major 20th century US military conflicts. According to Drummond, it was the final track to be recorded by The KLF. Evangelists feature elsewhere in The KLF music (Chill Out, “”What Time Is Love? (Remodelled & Remixed)”” and “”Fuck the Millennium””), as does gunfire (in the three “”Stadium House”” singles).
Reviewing “”America: What Time Is Love?””, Melody Maker found that “”the whole bizarre concoction brilliantly bonkers””, but questioned The KLF strategy of recycling their songs. “”America No More”” was described by The Wire in 1997 as “”a devastating protest-montage of helicopters, bagpipes and carpet-bombs”
(featuring Glenn Hughes …the voice of rock)
“What Time Is Love?” is a song released, in different mixes, as a series of singles by the band The KLF. It featured prominently and repeatedly in their output from 1988 to 1992. In its original form, the track was an instrumental acid house anthem; subsequent reworkings, with vocals and additional instrumentation, yielded the international hit singles “What Time Is Love? (Live at Trancentral)” (1990) and “America: What Time Is Love?” (1991), which respectively reached #5 and #4 in the UK Singles Chart and introduced The KLF to a mainstream international audience.
America: What Time Is Love?
The single release “America: What Time Is Love?” constituted a major reworking of the anthem and was The KLFs final UK commercial musical offering. It was released in February 1992 in the UK, four months after it was first made available in the US. The KLFs notorious BRIT Awards performance, with death metal band Extreme Noise Terror staged in the week prior to “America”s UK release, concluded with the announcement of their departure from the music industry. This was later confirmed by a full-page press announcement that used images from the set of the “America: What Time Is Love?” music video.
“America” has a markedly different tone to previous incarnations of the song: harder, heavier and more guitar-laden (featuring the riff from Motörheads Ace of Spades). It opens with a protracted narration by The KLFs regular narrator Scott Piering, about The JAMs’ odyssey of 992 to discover America. In common with previous single “Its Grim Up North”, it features a climactic orchestral section and a spoken list of towns and cities. However, in common with the “Stadium House” tracks, the mood of the song is one of jubilation. Between verses, a male chorus chants the word “America” to the tune of the song “Aquarius” from Hair. Isaac Bello again provided rap, and Glenn Hughes (formerly of Deep Purple) provided vocals a contribution which Hughes claimed “saved his life” from drug abuse.
In contrast, the B-side “America No More” is a sombre anti-war statement focussing on US foreign policy. With ambient overtones, it features forlorn guitars, austere brass and a pipe band, set against the backdrop of artillery noise and the recorded words of US politicians, commentators and evangelists speaking either about or during major 20th century US military conflicts. According to Drummond, it was the final track to be recorded by The KLF. Evangelists feature elsewhere in The KLFs music (Chill Out, “What Time Is Love? (Remodelled & Remixed)” and “Fuck the Millennium”), as does gunfire (in the three “Stadium House” singles).
Reviewing “America: What Time Is Love?”, Melody Maker found that “the whole bizarre concoctions brilliantly bonkers”, but questioned The KLFs strategy of recycling their songs. “America No More” was described by The Wire in 1997 as “a devastating protest-montage of helicopters, bagpipes and carpet-bombs
Songfacts®:
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This song was released on several occasions by KLF, evolving through each reworking. In its original form, the track was an instrumental acid house anthem; subsequent versions with vocals and additional instrumentation, yielded the international hit singles “What Time Is Love? (Live at Trancentral)” (1990) and “America: What Time Is Love?” (1991), both of which reached the Top 5 of the UK Singles Chart and introduced The KLF to a mainstream international audience.
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The 1991 version featured former Deep Purple, Gary Moore and Black Sabbath vocalist Glenn Hughes, who said the recording session inspired him to kick a cocaine habit.
“I suddenly understood that there was more to life than drugs,” he explained. “I mean, the KLF guys were aware of my previous record of drug-induced unreliability but were willing to give me a chance… I did 10 vocal tracks for them in just 25 minutes, and realized that ‘America’ would be huge and probably my last chance to make a go of my career again. My credit on the single: ‘Glenn Hughes – The Voice Of Rock’ restored my confidence and was a kind of a lifeline… Drugs are for losers.”
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Scooter’s 2002 UK Top 20 hit “Posse (I Need You On The Floor)” had a similar bassline to “What Time Is Love.”
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“The First Cut Is The Deepest” singer PP Arnold was a session vocalist during the late 1980s and 1990s, and her credits in this period included The KLF’s “What Time Is Love?” and “3 A.M. Eternal.” The American didn’t get paid properly for her contributions after the controversial duo burned (literally) £1,000,000 of cash for an arts project.
Arnold told Uncut: “I asked them that if they used anything that I did, they would give me 5%. And it’s unfortunate and really annoying that they supposedly burned the money. Everybody knows it’s me singing, ‘KLF! Uh huh, uh huh,’ but they even tried to say that wasn’t the hook of the song.”
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