Words of Love

About Words of Love

"Words of Love" is a song appearing on the album The Mamas & the Papas. The song was written by John Phillips, and featured Cass Elliot as the primary vocalist. It was released as a single in November 1966 (backed with a cover of Martha and the Vandellas's "Dancing in the Street"). Given the disappointing chart placement of the prior single, Look Through My Window, hopes were high that Words of Love would return the group to the upper reaches of the charts: on the week of January 21, 1967, the single fulfilled this hope, as it reached No. 5 in the United States. Overseas, it peaked at No. 47 in the United Kingdom. The mono single, while approximately the same running time as the stereo version, contains a horn section overdub not heard in the stereo mix, extra backing vocals, and a more prominent piano; Elliot's vocals fade out a bit sooner near the end. The B-Side, "Dancing in the Street", is a cover of the Martha and the Vandellas smash from 1964. The Mamas & the Papas used the song in their live performances, and this flip side garnered enough airplay on its own accord to reach #73 on the Billboard Pop Chart. more »