Love Potion #9 by The Clovers

Album: The Best Of The Clovers (1959)

Charted: 23

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Songfacts®:

This was written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. It was initially recorded by The Clovers, who were an R&B group, but was quickly covered by many white pop groups.
The Clovers were one of the few R&B groups of this time period to cross over into rock and roll. They started in 1946 as a trio of Armstrong High School (Washington, D.C.) students, and underwent many personnel changes in the next four years. They initially recorded for Rainbow in 1950 but changed to Atlantic in 1951, where they stayed for seven years and became known for their stirring their live performances. This was their last hit.
The Searchers' 1965 version was the biggest hit, reaching #3 in the US. Pickwick Records capitalized on this when they bought the rights to some of The Clovers' old tracks and released them as The Original Love Potion #9 by the Clovers.
Other artists to cover this include Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass (1965), The Ventures (February 1965), The Coasters (1971), Beau Nasty (1989) and Neil Diamond (1993).
The original song included alternative final lyrics: the album version had it, "I had so much fun that I'm going back again, I wonder what happens with Love Potion #10!"
"Love Potion #9" is also the title of a 1992 romantic comedy with Sandra Bullock, based loosely on the song. >>
Suggestion credit:
Ekristheh - Halath
Leiber and Stoller wrote many songs like "Hound Dog" and "Charlie Brown" with fun and entertaining lyrics. This was the same idea: the song is about a guy who drinks a love potion concocted by a gypsy. He gets carried away and starts kissing everything he sees, including a cop who breaks his bottle of potion.

Comments: 12

Jennifur Suntwo of the funniest comments I ever saw come up on this song were 1. my insurance wouldnt pay for it so I had to get the generic brand. 2. When I kissed a cop down at 34th and Vine they read my obituary next day in the Times.
Stuzoid from Solent CityThe best version I'd say is by The Coasters.....funkay!!
Jennifur SunI've never been able to find out who played on this song does any one know
Brendan from StavangerHave to say, Elkie Brooks belts out a fantastic rendition of this song also
Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn September 23, 1959, the Clovers performed "Love Potion No. 9" on the Dick Clark ABC-TV weekday-afternoon program "American Band'...
At the time the song was at #80 on Billboard's Top 100 chart, eight weeks later it would peak at #23 {for 1 week} and it spent 17 weeks on the Top 100...
It also reached #23 on Billboard's Hot R&B Singles chart...
Their only other Top 100 record also had 'Love' in it's title, in fact it had three; "Love, Love, Love", it reached #30 in 1956...
Between 1951 and 1959 they had twenty-one records on the Hot R&B Singles chart, eighteen made the Top 10 with three reaching #1*, "Don't You Know I Love You" and "Fool, Fool, Fool" {both in 1951}, and "Ting-A-Ling" {in 1952}...
Two covered versions of "Love Potion No. 9" have made the Top 100, the Searchers {#3 in 1965} and the Coasters (#76 in 1972}...
* The Clovers just missed having seven #1 records when four peaked at #2, "One Mint Julep" {1952}, "Hey, Miss Fannie" {1952}, "Good Lovin'" {1953}, and "Lovey Dovey" {1954}.
Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn January 10th 1965, "Love Potion Number Nine" by the Searchers peaked at #3 (for 2 weeks) on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart; it had entered the chart on November 22nd, 1964 and spent 14 weeks on the Top 100 (and 6 of those 14 weeks were on Top 10)...
It was the groups only Top 10 entry in America; their biggest U.S.A. hit was "Needles & Pins" at #13 (in their native U.K. they had three #1s, "Sweets for My Sweet", "Needles and Pins", and "Don't Throw Your Love Away")...
The Clovers original version in 1959 reached #23 on both Billboard's Top 100 and Billboard's R&B Singles chart...
In 1972 the Coasters' covered version reached #76 (it was their 19th & last record to make Billboard's Top 100).
Steve Dotstar from Los Angeles, CaAnother good story song by Jerry Leiber....he wrote some fun lyrics!
Chloe from St. Louis, MoAlthough I hate to be "that guy", I immediately thought of ecstasy when I listened to the lyrics....ahaha....
George from Salvador, BrazilAwesome song, really clever.

That "I wonder what happens with love potion no. 9" thing, absolutely fantastic.
Guy from Woodinville, WaThis a very clever, engaging song.
Henry from Kingston, NyThe Clovers' original is much better than The Searchers version, though their's is the one you'll hear on the radio. I heard the original on the American Graffiti Soundtrack.
Jon from Oakridge, OrThis song is actually pretty dang good. At first it seems like a mediocre song but when you really listen to it with the music and all, it's really fun and uplifting.

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