Strange Kind of Love

For the recording of Strange Kind of Love, Love and Money relocated from Scotland to New York City for half a year to work with American producer Gary Katz.{{cite book |last=Hogg |first=Brian |title=All That Ever Mattered: The History of Scottish Rock and Pop |year=2017 |publisher=Guinness Publishing |isbn=978-0851127231 |pages=264–265}} With the departure of the band's drummer Stuart Kerr, session drummer Jeff Porcaro played on the album, reducing Love and Money to a trio of vocalist and guitarist James Grant, keyboardist Paul McGeechan and bassist Bobby Paterson.{{cite magazine |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/80s/1989/BB-1989-02-25.pdf |title=New on the charts |last=Richliano |first=Jim |magazine=Billboard |volume=101 |issue=8 |pages=33 |date=25 February 1989 |via=World Radio History |access-date=14 April 2022}}

In 1993, Grant revealed his mixed feelings for the album, "It's a good set of songs, but we didn't go the whole way. It still clung on to a rock/funk sort of thing [as heard on the band's 1986 debut album All You Need Is...]. The sessions dragged on and on, and the songs were already a year and a half to two years old by the time we got to work with Katz. He was a really lovely guy but he made me feel I couldn't sing. Some of the tracks we did 30 times and at the end of the day we were dropping in on syllables. Parts of it were really enjoyable, but in retrospect I've had this paranoia about my voice ever since."

{{Album ratings

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1Score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}{{cite web |last=Sutton |first=Michael |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/strange-kind-of-love-mw0000197864 |title=Strange Kind of Love - Love and Money; Songs, Reviews, Credits |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=13 April 2022}}

}}

In the United States, Billboard described the album as "Simply Red meets Steely Dan or a funkier Danny Wilson", with the "unmistakable production" of Katz. They concluded that the "dark-themed tunes play better as a suite than individual tracks", but singled out the title track and "Jocelyn Square" as two potential singles.{{cite magazine |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/80s/1989/BB-1989-02-18.pdf |title=Album Reviews |magazine=Billboard |volume=101 |issue=7 |pages=80 |date=18 February 1989 |via=World Radio History |access-date=14 April 2022}} In a retrospective review, Michael Sutton of AllMusic noted the mixture of funk, blues, jazz, and country, and added that the album is "distinctly American in style". He considered the songs to be "moody but never boring", with Grant's lyrics "often more miserable than the music suggests". He added that the album "takes its time to unfold" with "repeated spins needed for Love & Money's bar band grooves to be keenly felt".

{{Track listing

| all_writing = James Grant except "Jocelyn Square" by Grant and Bobby Paterson, and "Avalanche" by Grant and Paul McGeechan

| title1 = Halleluiah Man

| length1 = 4:40

| title2 = Shape of Things to Come

| length2 = 5:14

| title3 = Strange Kind of Love

| length3 = 5:15

| title4 = Axis of Love

| length4 = 5:06

| title5 = Jocelyn Square

| length5 = 4:02

| title6 = Walk the Last Mile

| length6 = 5:07

| title7 = Razorsedge

| length7 = 4:21

| title8 = Inflammable

| length8 = 4:21

| title9 = Up Escalator

| length9 = 4:13

| title10 = Avalanche

| length10 = 5:08

}}

{{Track listing

| headline = Bonus track on CD and some cassette/vinyl editions

| title11 = Scapegoat

| writer11 = Grant, Paterson

| length11 = 3:50

}}

{{Track listing

| headline = 2010 Cherry Red bonus tracks

| title12 = The Hallelujah Man

| note12 = Demo

| length12 = 4:12

| title13 = Walk the Last Mile with You

| note13 = Demo

| length13 = 4:47

| title14 = Scapegoats

| note14 = Demo

| length14 = 4:40

| title15 = Up Escalator

| note15 = Demo

| length15 = 4:15

| title16 = Strange Kind of Love

| note16 = Demo

| length16 = 5:15

| title17 = Axis of Love

| note17 = Demo

| length17 = 4:31

}}

Credits are adapted from the Strange Kind of Love booklet.{{cite AV media notes|title=Strange Kind of Love|others=Love and Money|year=1988|type=UK/European album CD booklet|publisher=Fontana Records|id=836 498-2}}

Love and Money

• James Grant – lead vocals (1–11), backing vocals (1, 3–4, 6, 9–10), electric guitar (1–11), acoustic guitar (4, 6, 8, 10), wah guitar (5), dobro (5), horn arrangement (8–9)
• Paul McGeechan – keyboards (1–8, 10–11), piano (2–5, 7, 10), organ (9)
• Bobby Paterson – bass (1–11), backing vocals (3, 9–10), horn arrangement (9)

Additional musicians

• Jeff Porcaro – drums (1–11)
• Ronnie Goodman – percussion (1, 3–4, 7–11)
• Paul Griffin – clavinet (1, 9), Rhodes piano (10), keyboard bass (11)
• Frank Floyd – backing vocals (1, 3–4, 7)
• Lani Groves, Dennis Collins – backing vocals (1)
• Beatrice Colin – backing vocals (3, 6, 8, 10)
• Leroy Clouden – additional drums (3, 5)
• Tim Schmidt – backing vocals (5)
• Zak Sanders – backing vocals (7)
• Dave Tofani – horns (8, 9)
• Lou Marini – solo (8)
• Colin Tully – horn arrangement (8)
• Don Brooks – harmonica (9)
• Ronnie Cuber, Dave Bargeron, Lou Sollof – horns (9)
• Merle Miller, Kati McGunigle – backing vocals (9)
• Rick Derringer – slide guitar (9)
• Dave Chesky – horn arrangement charting (9)
• Eric Weissberg – pedal steel guitar (10)

Production

• Gary Katz – producer
• Wayne Yurgelun – engineer
• Bill Price – mixing
• Bob Ludwig – mastering
• Eric Eckley – assistant engineer
• Fred Tenny, Stan Katayama, Mike Harlow, K. K. Nodots, Ron Skies – additional assistants

Other

• Stylorouge – design, art direction
• Avid Images – photography

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{{Love and Money (band)}}

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Category:1988 albums

Category:Love and Money (band) albums

Category:Albums produced by Gary Katz