Are You Ready for Love


"Are You Ready for Love" is a song recorded by British musician Elton John in 1977 and first released in the UK in 1979 as the first single from the EP The Thom Bell Sessions. It was written by LeRoy Bell, Thom Bell and Casey James, and was originally produced in Philadelphia by Thom Bell, who had already produced a series of hits for the Spinners, the Delfonics and the Stylistics. While the song "Mama Can't Buy You Love" from the EP charted in 1979, this song and the other track on the three-track 12-inch vinyl disc, "Three Way Love Affair", were only minor footnotes at the time. The song originally peaked at number 42 on the UK singles chart in 1979.
In 1989, MCA released a six-track CD, The Complete Thom Bell Sessions, which contained a different mix of "Are You Ready for Love" in place of the one that appeared on the original 1979 EP..

2003 version

In 2003, "Are You Ready for Love" was remixed by Ashley Beedle and released as a 12-inch vinyl single on 25 August 2003. It gave John the sixth No. 1 hit of his career when it topped the UK singles chart in the first week of its 2003 re-release, following his performance of the song in a television advertisement promoting the new 2003–04 football season for Sky Sports. The 2003 single's B-side is "Three Way Love Affair" and also the full-length 1979 version of "Are You Ready for Love". On some CD versions, the CD also contains a QuickTime version of a video for the song, with recording studio footage from 1977 with John recording his vocals.
Various hit R&B vocalists of the late 1970s, including Bell and James, MFSB and the Spinners with lead singer John Edwards, contributed backing and accompanying lead vocals, most prominent on the Thom Bell Sessions mixes of the song. The music video, produced in a 1970s retro style, was directed by Kate Dawkins.

Track listings

UK, US, and Australian CD single
  1. "Are You Ready for Love"
  2. "Are You Ready for Love"
  3. "Three Way Love Affair"
  4. "Are You Ready for Love"
UK 12-inch single 1
UK 12-inch single 2
UK cassette single
  1. "Are You Ready for Love"
  2. "Are You Ready for Love"
  3. "Three Way Love Affair"
European CD single
  1. "Are You Ready for Love"
  2. "Are You Ready for Love"
'''US 12-inch single'''

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart Peak
position
Australian Club Chart 4
Europe 6
Ireland Dance 1

Year-end charts

Chart Position
US Dance Club Play 22

Cover versions

In 1977, the Spinners recorded two versions of the track. One featured all of the Spinners, while the other only featured lead singer John Edwards on vocals and was included on their 1979 album From Here to Eternally.

In popular culture

"Are You Ready for Love" was featured on the European version of Donkey Konga 2.