"Love Will Keep Us Together" is a song written by Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield. It was first recorded by Sedaka in 1973. American pop duo Captain & Tennille covered the song in 1975, with instrumental backing almost entirely by “Captain” Daryl Dragon, with the exception of drums played by Hal Blaine; their version became a worldwide hit.
Neil Sedaka version
"Love Will Keep Us Together" first appeared on Neil Sedaka's 1973 studio album The Tra-La Days Are Over which did not have a US release. His version of the song made its US album debut on the 1974 compilation album Sedaka's Back. In West Germany, Sedaka's original song was also included as the B-side of his 1976 hit, "Love in the Shadows". In 2009, Neil Sedaka rerecorded a spoof of his song, renaming it "Lunch Will Keep Us Together" for his first children's CD Waking Up Is Hard to Do.
"Love Will Keep Us Together" had its first single release via a UK recording by the brother and sister vocal duo Mac and Katie Kissoon on September 28, 1973, but it failed to chart. This version also failed to chart in its US release in February 1974, but it did become the first hit version of "Love Will Keep Us Together" by virtue of charting in the Netherlands in the autumn of 1973, peaking at number 12 that December.
"Love Will Keep Us Together" was the title cut and lead single of Captain & Tennille's debut album, although "Captain" Daryl Dragon originally hoped that honor would go to the duo's rendition of "I Write the Songs". The single rose to number 1 on both the BillboardEasy Listening chart and the Billboardpop chart, staying atop the latter for four weeks starting June 21, 1975. It also hit the top of the 1975 year-end chart. In the US it was the best-selling single of 1975. "Love Will Keep Us Together" was certified gold by the RIAA and also won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year on February 28, 1976. Dragon and Tennille acknowledged Sedaka's authorship—as well as his mid-1970s comeback—by working the phrase "Sedaka is back" into the song's fadeout, where the applause from the studio musicians can be heard. Their version would earn Sedaka and Greenfield a Grammy nomination for Song of the Year. Twenty years later in 1995, the duo would re-record the song for their Twenty Years of Romance CD.
"Por Amor Viviremos" (Spanish version)
While "Love Will Keep Us Together" was topping the charts in the summer of 1975, Captain & Tennille released a Spanish version of the song, "Por Amor Viviremos". "Por Amor Viviremos" rose to number 49 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, giving Captain & Tennille a rare feat of the identical song, in different languages and released as separate singles, appearing simultaneously on the Billboard Hot 100. Chicago radio station WLS AM 890 used the two versions to create a Spanglish version of the song for their own broadcasting use. Por Amor Viviremos" would later appear on their May 1976 album Por Amor Viviremos, a Spanish track-for-track rerecording of their album Love Will Keep Us Together. It also appears on the 2002 Hip-O Records compilation album Ultimate Collection: The Complete Hits.
Personnel
Toni Tennille – piano, lead vocals
Daryl Dragon – keyboards, bass, arrangements
Hal Blaine – drums, percussion
Toni Tennille, Jane Tennille, Louisa Tennille, Melissa Tennille – background vocals
Chart performance
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
All-time charts
Other versions
Andy Williams released a version in 1975 on his album, The Other Side of Me.
Ray Conniff and his singers released the medley "Love will Keep Us Together/How Sweet It Is " on Conniff's album Love Will Keep Us Together.
In 1976, The Tubes covered "Love Will Keep Us Together" with a live show track on the album T.R.A.S.H. .
Wilson Pickett recorded "Love Will Keep Us Together" for his 1976 studio album release Chocolate Mountain from which it was issued as a single. It reached number 69 on the Billboard R&B chart.
In 1999, French singer Sheila, who is best known internationally as Sheila B. Devotion, covered the song for her album Dense. The song was released as a CD and 12 inch single with remixes in the Summer of 2000. Also in 1999, Canadian dance recording artist Emjay released a cover of "Love Will Keep Us Together" as a non-album single.
