Love Ballad

Album: Love To The World (1976)
Charted: 20
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This R&B burner was the first single from L.T.D.'s third album, and it was their first hit, reaching #1 on the R&B chart and #20 on the Hot 100. The song finds lead singer Jeffrey Osborne crooning about an indomitable love that some people will never understand. The song is befitting for the group, whose name stands for Love, Tenderness, and Devotion.
  • This song was written by Skip Scarborough, who did vocal arrangements for the group Creative Source (a group assembled by Ron Townson of The 5th Dimension). He wrote it at a Bermuda hotel late one night when he was suffering from jet lag-induced insomnia. Scarborough says it took him just 20 minutes to write the song.

    Scarborough made the song gender-neutral so it could be sung by either a man or a woman, and he shopped it around, finding a taker in L.T.D., whose lead singer Jeffrey Osborne had filled in on drums and vocals on some Creative Source gigs.
  • There is no traditional chorus or hook to this song, which made it difficult to title. When Skip Scarborough wrote it, he referred to it as "Love Ballad," which is what he wrote on the lyric sheet. That name stuck, even though that title never appears in the lyric.

Comments: 3

  • Gereshom144 from TexasDidn't the Temptations sing this song too?
  • Don from Sevierville, TnGeorge Benson recorded a faster version of this song in 1979. I heard his version first.
  • Bruce from Dallas, TxEvery album LTD has released shows their group name as Love TOGETHERNESS and Devotion. Where did TENDERNESS come from? A&M records listed LTD's first album with them as Love Tenderness and Devotion on SP-3047, but when the album was released, the name had changed to TOGETHERNESS on SP-3602. Can anyone explain the mixup?
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Petula Clark

Petula ClarkSongwriter Interviews

Petula talks about her hits "Downtown" and "Don't Sleep In The Subway," and explains her Michael Jackson connection.

Mike Rutherford (Genesis, Mike + The Mechanics)

Mike Rutherford (Genesis, Mike + The Mechanics)Songwriter Interviews

Mike Rutherford talks about the "Silent Running" storyline and "Land Of Confusion" in the age of Trump.

Art Alexakis of Everclear

Art Alexakis of EverclearSongwriter Interviews

The lead singer of Everclear, Art is also their primary songwriter.

Donald Fagen

Donald FagenSongwriter Interviews

Fagen talks about how the Steely Dan songwriting strategy has changed over the years, and explains why you don't hear many covers of their songs.

U2 Lyrics

U2 LyricsMusic Quiz

How well do you know the lyrics of U2?

Let Me Be Your Teddy Bear: Teddy Bears and Teddy Boys in Songs

Let Me Be Your Teddy Bear: Teddy Bears and Teddy Boys in SongsSong Writing

Elvis, Little Richard and Cheryl Cole have all sung about Teddy Bears, but there is also a terrifying Teddy song from 1932 and a touching trucker Teddy tune from 1976.