So Much in Love
{{short description|1963 single by the Tymes}}
{{other uses}}
{{Infobox song
| name = So Much in Love
| cover =
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = the Tymes
| album = So Much in Love
| B-side = Roscoe James McClain
| released = 1963
| format =
| recorded =
| studio =
| venue =
| genre =
- Doo-wop{{cite book|last=Caputo|first=Salvatore|chapter= All-4-One|editor-last1=Graff|editor-first1=Gary|editor-last2=du Lac|editor-first2=Josh|editor-last3=McFarlin|editor-first3=Jim|date=January 1, 1998|title=MusicHound R&B: The Essential Album Guide|publisher=Visible Ink Press|location=Detroit|page=11}}
- R&B{{cite book|first=Dave|last=Marsh|title=The Heart of Rock & Soul: The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5t5DYDniSHEC|date=1989|publisher=Plume|isbn=0-452-26305-0|page=331}}
| length = {{Duration|m=2|s=08}}
| label = Parkway Records
| writer =
- George Williams
- Bill Jackson
- Roy Straigis
| producer =
| prev_title =
| prev_year =
| next_title = Wonderful! Wonderful!
| next_year = 1963
}}
"So Much in Love" is a song written by George Williams, Billy Jackson, and Roy Straigis (initially under the name John Joseph). It was originally performed by Williams's American soul vocal group the Tymes and was released in the summer of 1963 on Cameo Parkway Records, which produced many pre-Beatles hits of the 1960s such as The Twist. It quickly became The Tymes' first hit single, topping the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart on August 3, 1963, and remaining there for one week,{{cite book
| last = Bronson
| first = Fred
| title = The Billboard Book of Number One Hits - revised & enlarged
| publisher = Billboard Books
| date = 1992
| location = New York
| pages = [https://archive.org/details/billboardbookofn0000bron/page/134 134]
| isbn = 0-8230-8298-9
| url-access = registration
| url = https://archive.org/details/billboardbookofn0000bron/page/134
}} as well as peaking at No. 4 on the Hot R&B Singles chart.{{cite book |title= Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004|last=Whitburn |first=Joel |author-link=Joel Whitburn |year=2004 |publisher=Record Research |page=596}}
Charts
| class="wikitable"
!Chart (1963) !Peak |
| US Billboard Hot 100
|align="center"|1 |
All-4-One version
{{Infobox song
| name = So Much in Love
| cover = All-4-One-So Much in Love.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = All-4-One
| album = All-4-One
| released = {{Start date|1993}}
| format =
| recorded =
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = R&B
| length = 3:31
| label =
- Atlantic
- Blitzz
| writer =
- George Williams
- Bill Jackson
- Roy Straigis
| producer =
- Tim O'Brien
- Gary St. Clair
| prev_title =
| prev_year =
| next_title = I Swear
| next_year = 1994
| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|yML4pkBj93Q|"So Much in Love"}}}}
}}
American R&B vocal group All-4-One released their cover version of "So Much in Love" in late 1993 by Atlantic and Blitzz as their debut single from their first album, All-4-One (1994). It was produced by Tim O'Brien and Gary St. Clair, and peaked at No. 5 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in early 1994. The single was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), selling 600,000 copies. It also reached No. 3 in New Zealand, No. 29 in Belgium and No. 49 in the UK. All-4-One's version is based on a version by a group called AFD whose version was released not long before All-4-One's. A rare music video was also produced to promote the single.{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7UPzxjBzHY|title=The Real "So Much In Love"|date=26 August 2008 |via=YouTube}}
=Background and composition=
The group had not previously heard the original song by the Tymes. One of the producers of the cover record, Gary St. Clair, had reached out with the idea of asking for the group to be part of the new recording. "So Much in Love" was also the first work All-4-One had done together; the doo-wop sound had not been stylistically an intention for the group.{{cite web | title=All of a Sudden, All-4-One's a Group With a Hit Single : Pop music: The Antelope Valley vocal quartet was put together to record a remake of 1963's 'So Much in Love.' An album is in the works. | website=Los Angeles Times | date=1994-03-16 | url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-03-16-ca-34866-story.html | access-date=2022-11-03}}
=Critical reception=
Dave Sholin from the Gavin Report wrote, "Recalling those street corner harmonies of old, this sensational cover of the Tymes' 1963 summer smash caught fire at the tail end of 1993. It's one of those songs that gets on the air and within seconds, captures the audience. Strong request activity."{{cite magazine|first=Dave|last=Sholin|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Gavin-Report/90/94/Gavin-1994-01-14.pdf|title=Gavin Picks — Singles|magazine=Gavin Report|date=January 14, 1994|page=|accessdate=March 10, 2022}} Dennis Hunt from Los Angeles Times named it a "glorious remake" and "a highlight of this excellent album".{{cite news|first=Dennis|last=Hunt|title=In Brief|work=Los Angeles Times|date=May 29, 1994|page=|accessdate=January 21, 2023|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-05-29-ca-63396-story.html}} Alan Jones from Music Week gave it a score of three out of five, saying the group's "close harmony is very similar to that of Boyz II Men. One mix is virtually a capella, the other slips a slow shuffle under the song. It should get enough support to be a mid-charter."{{cite magazine|first=Alan|last=Jones|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1994/Music-Week-1994-03-26.pdf|title=Market Preview: Mainstream - Singles|magazine=Music Week|date=March 26, 1994|page=14|access-date=April 25, 2025}} Pan-European magazine Music & Media wrote, "The a capella wind of early last year has somewhat calmed down, but could easily be blowing again, if you choose for the right mix without instruments. Of 'Caravan of Love' class."{{cite magazine|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1994/MM-1994-03-26.pdf|title=New Releases: Singles|magazine=Music & Media|volume=11|issue=13|date=March 26, 1994|page=7|access-date=April 25, 2025}} Pete Stanton from Smash Hits also gave it three out of five, noting that "So Much in Love" "is even slower [than 'I Swear'], with not an instrument in sight."{{cite magazine|first=Pete|last=Stanton|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/smashhits90s/36233920571/in/album-72157683762016282/|title=New Singles|magazine=Smash Hits|date=November 9, 1994|page=53|access-date=May 31, 2025}}
=Charts=
{{col-begin|width=74%}}
{{col-2}}
==Weekly charts==
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |
| scope="col"| Chart (1994)
! scope="col"| Peak |
|---|
| scope="row"| Australia (ARIA){{cite Ryan|page=12}}
|align="center"|82 |
| {{single chart|Flanders|29|artist=All-4-One|song=So Much in Love|rowheader=true|access-date=October 22, 2021}} |
| {{single chart|Canadatopsingles|50|chartid=2463|rowheader=true|access-date=December 24, 2022}} |
| {{single chart|Germany|56|artist=All-4-One|song=So Much in Love|songid=11998|rowheader=true|access-date=October 22, 2021}} |
| {{single chart|New Zealand|3|artist=All-4-One|song=So Much in Love|rowheader=true|access-date=October 22, 2021}} |
| {{single chart|UK|49|date=19941119|rowheader=true|access-date=October 22, 2021}} |
| {{single chart|Billboardhot100|5|artist=All-4-One|rowheader=true|access-date=October 22, 2021}} |
| {{single chart|Billboardrandbhiphop|10|artist=All-4-One|rowheader=true|access-date=October 22, 2021}} |
| {{single chart|Billboardrhythmic|1|artist=All-4-One|rowheader=true|access-date=October 22, 2021}} |
| scope="row"|US Cash Box Top 100{{cite magazine|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/90s/1994/CB-1994-03-19.pdf|title=Top 100 Pop Singles|magazine=Cash Box|volume=LVII|issue=27|date=March 19, 1994|page=12|access-date=October 14, 2024}}
|align="center"|3 |
| scope="row"|Zimbabwe (ZIMA)* Zimbabwe. Kimberley, C. Zimbabwe: singles chart book. Harare: C. Kimberley, 2000
|align="center"|1 |
{{col-2}}
==Year-end charts==
{{col-end}}
=Certifications=
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|type=single|artist=All-4-One|title=So Much in Love|award=Gold|relyear=1994|certyear=1994|access-date=December 24, 2022|salesamount=600,000|salesref={{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uAsEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA57|title=Best-Selling Records of 1994|magazine=Billboard|volume=107|number=3|page=57|date=January 21, 1995|issn=0006-2510|access-date=May 5, 2015}}|refname="riaa"}}
{{table end}}
=Release history=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
!scope="col"|Region !scope="col"|Version !scope="col"|Date !scope="col"|Format(s) !scope="col"|Label(s) !scope="col"|{{abbr|Ref.|Reference}} |
| scope="row"|United States
|rowspan="2"|Original |1993 |Cassette |rowspan="2"|{{hlist|Atlantic|Blitzz}} | |
|---|
| scope="row" rowspan="2"|United Kingdom
|March 21, 1994 |{{hlist|7-inch vinyl|CD|cassette}} |{{cite magazine|title=Single Releases|magazine=Music Week|page=21|date=March 19, 1994}} |
| Remix
|November 7, 1994 |{{hlist|7-inch vinyl|12-inch vinyl|CD|cassette}} |Atlantic |{{cite magazine|title=Single Releases|magazine=Music Week|page=23|date=November 5, 1994}} |
Other versions
The song has been covered several times:
- In 1965, Lulu - as "So in Love" for her Something to Shout About.{{cite web|title=Lulu – Something To Shout About|url=https://www.discogs.com/master/585781-Lulu-Something-To-Shout-About|website=Discogs|accessdate=June 28, 2024}} Also that year, the Shangri-Las - on their album Leader of the Pack.
- In 1978, the group Cheek released it and it peaked at No. 31 in Australia.{{cite book|last=Kent|first=David|author-link=David Kent (historian)|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992|edition=illustrated|publisher=Australian Chart Book|location=St Ives, N.S.W.|year=1993|isbn=0-646-11917-6|page=61}}
- In 1982, Eagles member Timothy B. Schmit contributed his take on the song for the soundtrack to Fast Times at Ridgemont High. The single reached No. 59 on the Hot 100.{{cite book |title= Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012 |last=Whitburn |first=Joel |author-link=Joel Whitburn |year=2013 |publisher=Record Research |page=743}}
- English band the Housemartins - in 1986 as the B-side to their No.1 hit single, "Caravan of Love".
- A 1988 rendition by Art Garfunkel got to No. 11 on the Adult Contemporary chart.
- In 1989, a salsa version by Henry Fiol was recorded for the album Renacimiento (El Abuelo Records).
- On the 1994 album Live: Out on the Road by the Flirtations.
References
{{Reflist}}
{{All-4-One}}
{{Art Garfunkel}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Timothy B. Schmit songs
Category:Jay and the Americans songs
Category:Atlantic Records singles
Category:Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles
Category:Contemporary R&B ballads