Lost and Found

The UK Pop Music Chart in the late summer and early autumn of 1978 was amongst the most difficult to break into by bands and artists. 

There was a potent combination of genres and styles at that time with the blockbuster musical Grease having three hits in the top ten as well as the usual offerings by the heavyweights of Leo Sayer, Boney M, Rose Royce, ELO and Sylvester. 

They did all have something in common in that they were a bit slow and ordinary, a sort of middle of the road monopoly. 

Hovering around were a few late Punk tunes from Siouxsie and The Banshees, a bit more of Quo and a double "A" side of David Watts and Wardour Street by The Jam.

There was amongst this lot another standout track which under such competition only managed to reach and stall at number 10 in the charts. This , in my opinion, was one of the great musical injustices ever,.

It was a disco funk cover version by the Jamaican reggae band, Third World of "Now that we found Love". 

I was reminded of that great track from its use this week, albeit in a poor unknown artist rendition, in the stream of adverts on TV for the up and coming Love Island reality show and this prompted me to seek out the 1978 masterpiece. 

It is a great and rhythmic tune with a good bass line and very distinctive and sing-a-long melody that on full blast on the car stereo just brings on a smile and much finger drumming and foot tapping action. 

The best Third World recording of it is from their Journey to Addis album which was released in 1978. 

It has some meaningful and quite spiritual lyrics which have given it a timeless and very relevant quality. The song was originally written by the founders of the Philadelphia Sound, Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff in 1973 and first recorded by The O'Jays as an album track but not as a single release. 

Sweet love is what we've been searchin' for
And love is what we're lookin' for
Yeaheah, now that I've got it right here in my hand
I'm gonna spread it all over the land

You've got to forgive and forget
Let hate, let hate be your enemy

Bow to the lord
And only love will set your spirit free

Oh, love is what we've been searchin' for
And sweet love is what we're lookin' for
Now that I got it right here in my hand
We're gonna share it all over the land

The track was sampled by the hip hop rappers fronted by the late Heavy D and The Boyz in the early 1990's but it is the Third World recording that is by far the best version in existence.

Third World "Now that we found love"