The Lovelites - Love So Strong - The Lovelite Recordings (2023) Hi-Res

Formed around lead vocalist Patty Hamilton with the help of legendary Chicago producer Clarence Johnson, the Lovelites were one of the finest teen soul groups in recorded history. Despite the poor sales of their sole studio album With Love From The Lovelites (1970) they would remain active, recording and releasing a number of singles before fading into obscurity. For the first time ever, we’ve collected these singles and previously unreleased tracks, and are going to release them as a double LP! From textbook Chicago soul, to tender ballads, all the way to modern dance numbers - this album has it all! Unreleased tracks include covers of The Stylistics’ “Betcha By Golly Wow”, Michael Jackson’s “Got To Be There”, and The Righteous Brother’s “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling”. With an obi-strip, this record is sure to look fantastic!

As if one album from The Lovelites was not enough those wonderful people at P-Vine have also released another, a 16 track compilation "Love So Strong: The Lovelite Recordings".

There is no duplication as these recordings are from their post Uni days when they released material on their own Lovelite imprint and on Cotillion.

Patricia Hamilton and The Lovelites’ first release of ‘Love So Strong’ was in 1970 on 7" on the Lovelite Record label and then in 1973, 20th Century re-released it on 7" with the B side, 'Oh My Love' remaining the same.

It consists of virtually all their A & B sides from their singles from that period with a couple of glaring omissions i.e. no "Love Bandit" and "We've Got The Real Thing" but does include an unreleased recording of their interpretation of "Betcha By Golly, Wow", which has featured on a previous compilation. Curiously, The Lovelites version of "Love Bandit", nor "We've Got The Real Thing", has appeared on any of their compilations, perhaps the master tapes are damaged or lost?

"Love Bandit" was a popular Northern Soul spin for Keanya Collins (aka Renee Marks who co-wrote the song with Byron Gregory) who released it as "Barnabus Collins - Love Bandit" on Keanya Records in 1969/70. As it was so popular, it was bootlegged by the notorious Simon Soussan on Soul Galore and reissued by Grapevine in 1978.