"Dov'è l'amore" (; en, "Where's
heLove") is a song recorded by American singer
Cher for her twenty-second studio album, ''
Believe'' (1998). It was written by
Mark Taylor and
Paul Barry
Paul James Barry (born 24 February 1952) is an English-born, Australian-based journalist, newsreader and television presenter, who has won many awards for his investigative reporting. He previously worked for the BBC on numerous programs, bef ...
, and produced by Taylor and Brian Rawling, and released as the fourth single from the album on October 25, 1999, by
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Records Inc. (formerly Warner Bros. Records Inc.) is an American record label. A subsidiary of the Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division of the ...
, and
WEA
The Wea were a Miami-Illinois-speaking Native American tribe originally located in western Indiana. Historically, they were described as either being closely related to the Miami Tribe or a sub-tribe of Miami.
Today, the descendants of the ...
. The song is a
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
-influenced track with
Spanish guitar over
dance beats. In the song, Cher mixes English with Italian lyrics as she sings: "Dov'è l'amore /dov'è l'amore /I cannot tell you of my love/ here is my story".
Critical reception
Rolf E. Lund from Norwegian newspaper ''
Altaposten
''Altaposten'' is a Norwegian daily newspaper, published in Alta, Norway.
History and profile
''Altaposten'' was founded in 1969, and its first editor was Øystein Dalland. From 1988 Ulf Jørgensen edited the newspaper, and since 2001 the edit ...
'' described "Dov'è l'amore" as a "sophisticated" song in his review. J.W. Lim from ''
Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. ne ...
'' said that it, with "The Power" and "We All Sleep Alone" are "bright spots" of the ''
Believe'' album. The Daily Vault's Michael R. Smith wrote that "even
Madonna was envious when she heard the Latin-infused track for the first time." Sarah Davis from ''
Dotmusic
''Dotmusic'' was a music webzine that existed as a standalone website from 1 June 1995 to December 2003. Initially intended as the web complement to the UK music industry trade magazine ''Music Week'', the site was relaunched in December 1998 as a ...
'' described it as "catchy", noting that "skilful writing and slick production on vocal effects and vibrant beats gives the song its own appeal." ''
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cu ...
''s Beth Johnson commented that Cher's "unmistakable voice makes the song shine". She described it as an "Italian salsa". Henrik Bæk of ''
Gaffa
''Gaffa'' (stylized as ''GAFFA'') is a free Nordic music magazine with local editions in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. ''Gaffa'' is Denmark's largest and oldest music magazine. It has been published since 1983 and has 320,000 print readers and ...
'' noted that the song is the only track that deviates from the
electronic dance music sound on the album. He described it as a "world music characterized" song that with the help of the
Gipsy Kings
Gipsy Kings are a group of flamenco, salsa, and pop musicians from Arles and Montpellier in southern France, who perform mostly in Catalan but also mix in Spanish with southern French dialects. Although the group members were born in France, th ...
"swings magnificently in Latin American rhythms." Deborah Wilker from ''
Knight Ridder'' said that Cher "fetes" Madonna's "
La Isla Bonita
"La Isla Bonita" is a song by American singer Madonna from her third studio album '' True Blue'' (1986). Written and produced by Madonna and Patrick Leonard, with additional lyrics by Bruce Gaitsch, the song was originally presented by Leonard ...
" "with the romantic "Dov'è l'amore"". Bob Waliszewski of ''
Plugged In
Focus on the Family (FOTF or FotF) is a fundamentalist Protestant organization founded in 1977 in Southern California by James Dobson, based in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The group is one of a number of evangelical parachurch organizations ...
'' wrote that Cher "expresses affection across the miles" on the song.
Music video
In a 1999 Norwegian interview, when Cher said that "Dov'è l'amore" would serve as the fourth international single from the album, she also revealed that singer
Madonna insisted that she wanted to direct its music video, but for unknown reasons, she was replaced by Jamie O'Connor.
The video for "Dov'è l'amore" follows the story of a man who tries to win the affections of a Latina woman. During the course of the video many people are shown dancing to
flamenco
Flamenco (), in its strictest sense, is an art form based on the various folkloric music traditions of southern Spain, developed within the gitano subculture of the region of Andalusia, and also having historical presence in Extremadura and ...
, others are shown playing guitars and some people are just enjoying watching the dancers. In the video Cher wore a big red flamenco dress and she sat in a red room while singing and petting a
chihuahua dog. The concept of the song and video was considered an attempt to ride into the wave of the rising Latin influence in music at the time of its release, having both a Spanish genre, and Italian lyrics.
The track used for the original "Dov'è l'amore" video was the
Emilio Estefan, Jr.
Emilio Estefan Gómez (born March 4, 1953) is a Cuban-born American musician and producer. Estefan has won 19 Grammy Awards. He first came to prominence as a member of the Miami Sound Machine. He is the husband of singer Gloria Estefan, father ...
Radio Edit mix instead of the album version which is slightly slower and lasts nearly 30 seconds longer.
In late 1999, Dan-O-Rama remixed the "Dov'è l'amore" video, but instead of using a remix of the song he left the "Dov'è l'amore" (Emilio Estefan Jr. Radio Edit) in it and only remixed some video clips. In the year 2000, this video was released as a promo on
VHS tape in the UK. In 2004, it was officially released on DVD in the video compilation, ''
The Very Best of Cher: The Video Hits Collection''.
Track listings
"Dov'è l'amore"
UK CD1
# "Dov'è l'amore" (radio edit) – 3:44
# "Dov'è l'amore" (Ray Roc's Latin soul vocal mix) – 9:37
# "Dov'è l'amore" (
Tony Moran
Anthony "Tony" Moran is a DJ, record producer, remixer, singer and songwriter known for remixing popular songs. In 2007, he hit number one on the U.S. '' Billboard'' Hot Dance Club Play chart twice with " Walk Away" featuring Kristine W and " K ...
's Anthem 7-inch mix) – 3:30
UK CD2 and Australian CD single
# "Dov'è l'amore" – 4:18
# "Dov'è l'amore" (Tony Moran's Anthem mix) – 9:54
# "Dov'è l'amore" (
Tee
A tee is a stand used in sport to support and elevate a stationary ball prior to striking with a foot, club or bat. Tees are used extensively in golf, tee-ball, baseball, American football, and rugby.
Etymology
The word tee is derived from the ...
's radio) – 3:20
UK cassette single
# "Dov'è l'amore" (radio edit) – 3:44
# "Dov'è l'amore" (Ray Roc's Latin soul vocal mix) – 9:37
UK 12-inch single
:A1. "Dov'è l'amore" (Emilio Estefan Jnr. extended mix) – 5:38
:A2. "Dov'è l'amore" (Ray Roc's Latin soul vocal mix) – 9:37
:B1. "Dov'è l'amore" (Tony Moran's Anthem mix) – 9:54
:B2. "Dov'è l'amore" (Tee's radio) – 3:20
European CD single
# "Dov'è l'amore" – 4:18
# "Dov'è l'amore" (radio edit) – 3:44
"All or Nothing" / "Dov'è l'amore"
US maxi-CD single
# "
All or Nothing" (
Danny Tenaglia
Daniel "Danny" Tenaglia (born March 7, 1961) is an American DJ and record producer. He is a Grammy nominee for the best remixed recording (44th Annual Grammy Award). He is also a three time International Dance Music Award winner, 3 time DJ Awar ...
international mix)
# "All or Nothing" (Metro radio mix)
# "All or Nothing" (Danny Tenaglia Cherbot Vocadub)
# "All or Nothing" (Almighty Definitive mix)
# "Dov'è l'amore" (
Todd Terry
Todd Norton Terry (born April 18, 1967) is an American DJ, record producer and remixer in the genre of house music.
Musical career
Todd Terry was influential in moving House music beyond the early Chicago house sound of 1984–86. He crosse ...
's TNT club mix)
# "Dov'è l'amore" (Tony Moran's Anthem mix)
# "Dov'è l'amore" (Ray Roc's Latin soul vocal mix)
# "Dov'è l'amore" (Tee's radio mix)
# "Dov'è l'amore" (Tony Moran's Anthem 7-inch mix)
# "Dov'è l'amore" (Ray Roc's radio mix)
US 2×12-inch single
:A1. "All or Nothing" (Danny Tenaglia international mix) – 9:46
:A2. "All or Nothing" (Almighty Definitive mix) – 8:32
:B1. "All or Nothing" (Danny Tenaglia Cherbot Vocadub) – 12:37
:B2. "All or Nothing" (Metro radio mix) – 3:59
:C1. "Dov'è l'amore" (Todd Terry's TNT club mix) – 6:56
:C2. "Dov'è l'amore" (Tony Moran's Anthem mix) – 9:54
:D1. "Dov'è l'amore" (Ray Roc's Latin soul vocal mix) – 9:37
:D2. "Dov'è l'amore" (Todd Terry's MT's club mix) – 6:52
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
References
External links
Official Cher siteWarner official site*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dov'e L'amore
1998 songs
1999 singles
Cher songs
Latin pop songs
Macaronic songs
Song recordings produced by Mark Taylor (record producer)
Songs written by Mark Taylor (record producer)
Songs written by Paul Barry (songwriter)
Warner Records singles