Just being a great song and recording doesn’t necessarily guarantee a track will make it to the point where it’s heard by a big audience. A little bit of luck and momentum can never hurt, as evidenced by Gary Wright‘s “Love Is Alive.”
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Wright was a well-respected, critically acclaimed musician at the time of the song’s release as a single in 1975, but that wasn’t enough to put it across to the mainstream. It was only when another of his songs gained footing the listening public gave “Love Is Alive” the attention it deserved.
The Wright Path
When you listen to the work Gary Wright did on record prior to his sudden rise to fame, it’s kind of a wonder it took him so long to get to the pinnacle. This is doubly true when you look at some of the massive names with whom he worked throughout the years.
Early in his career, Wright made an impact as one of the chief artistic forces in the British band (except for Wright, who hailed from New Jersey) Spooky Tooth. Their second album, Spooky Too, had them poised for stardom. But their management convinced them to record their next album in conjunction with an electronic music maven, and their momentum was stunted by this experimental foray.
Spooky Tooth disbanded in 1970, allowing Wright, an ace keyboardist, to do plenty of session work. He collaborated with George Harrison on several solo albums, as well as other top artists of the era. In addition, Spooky Tooth returned for a few more albums before disbanding again, leaving Wright to pursue a solo career full-time.
“Alive” and Kicking
Wright stumbled upon a somewhat unique approach as he began work on his 1975 album. With all of his keyboards and synths lined up before him, he started constructing the songs with nothing else but those instruments and a drum machine. He liked the results, so he decided to keep the album guitar-free.
“Love Is Alive,” which benefited from one of the funkiest instrumental hooks of all-time, seemed like a no-brainer hit, which is why Wright chose it as the first single. But it did nothing when released. Luckily, Wright had a second ace up his sleeve in the woozy, evocative “Dream Weaver.”
“Dream Weaver,” which Wright considered more an afterthought of a song, grabbed the public in a big way, soaring to No. 1 in America. Emboldened by this, Warner Bros. Records reissued “Love Is Alive.” This time around, it caught fire, going all the way to No. 2.
What is “Love Is Alive” About?
In “Love Is Alive,” Gary Wright rhapsodizes about the transformative powers of the titular emotion. I have lived only half of what I am, it’s all clear to me now, he testifies. Everything changes for him: My heart is on fire, my soul’s like a wheel that’s turnin’ / My love is alive.
In the second verse, Wright suggests this is the kind of thing that needs to be taken seriously and delicately, lest it be fumbled away: ‘Cause what I say may not happen the same way, now could be forever. It’s nothing short of a cosmic phenomenon: There’s a mirror movin’ inside my mind, reflecting the love that you shine on me.
His keyboard ability aside, Wright’s vocal on the track is a marvel, as he sounds practically possessed by the feeling enveloping him. “Love Is Alive” really should have been a hit the first time around. But we should just be grateful it received that fateful second chance.
Photo by Paul Natkin/Getty Images
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