"Are You Ready for Love" is a song recorded by Elton John in 1977 and first released in the UK in 1979 on the EPThe Thom Bell Sessions. It was written by Leroy Bell, Thom Bell and Casey James, and was originally produced in Philadelphia by Thom Bell. While the song, "Mama Can't Buy You Love" from the EP charted in 1979, this song and the other track on the three-track 12-inch vinyl disc, "Three Way Love Affair", were only minor footnotes at the time. In 1989, MCA released a 6-track CD, The Complete Thom Bell Sessions, which contained a different mix of "Are You Ready for Love" in place of the one that appeared on the original 1979 EP.. In 2003, it was remixed by Ashley Beedle and released as a 12" vinyl single on 25 August 2003. It gave John another No. 1 hit in the UK Singles Chart on its first week of its 2003 re-release, following his performing the song in a television advertisement promoting the new 2003–2004 football season for Sky Sports. It scored John his fifth UK No.1. The 2003 single's B-side is "Three Way Love Affair" and also the full-length 1979 Version of "Are You Ready for Love". On some CD versions, the CD also contains a QuickTime version of a video for the song, with recording studio footage from 1977 with Elton recording his vocals. Various hit R&B vocalists of the late 1970s, including Bell and James, MFSB and The Spinners with lead singerJohn Edwards, contribute backing and accompanying lead vocals, most prominent on the Thom Bell Sessions mixes of the song. In 1979, The Spinners also recorded a version of the song which charted at #25 on the USBillboard R&B chart. The music video, produced in a 1970s retro style, was directed by Kate Dawkins.
In 2003, The Spinners reissued "Are You Ready for Love", featuring them on backing vocals. In 1977, The Spinners had recorded two versions of the track. One had all of the Spinners, the other with only lead singer John Edwards on vocals. Finally in 1979, the John Edwards version was released making it to number 42 in the UK Singles Chart. It was also covered by SAWA on her EP "Time&Space" in 2008.
