"Generations of Love" is a song by

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

band Jesus Loves You, founded by singer

Boy George George Alan O'Dowd (born 14 June 1961), known professionally as Boy George, is an English singer, songwriter, DJ, author and mixed media artist. Best known for his soulful voice and his androgynous appearance, Boy George has been the lead singe ...

, and was released as the second single from their only album, ''

The Martyr Mantras ''The Martyr Mantras'' is the only studio album by Jesus Loves You (band), Jesus Loves You and the fourth studio album by Boy George. It was credited to Jesus Loves You worldwide except in North America, where it was credited to Boy George upon ...

'' (1990). It also features

ragga Raggamuffin music, usually abbreviated as ragga, is a subgenre of dancehall and reggae music. The instrumentals primarily consist of electronic music. Similar to hip hop, sampling often serves a prominent role in raggamuffin music. Wayne Sm ...

muffin

toaster A toaster is a small electric appliance that uses radiant heat to brown sliced bread into toast. Types Pop-up toaster In pop-up or automatic toasters, a single vertical piece of bread is dropped into a slot on the top of the toaster. ...

MC Kinky Caron Liza Geary (born 15 October 1963 in Paddington, London), known by various stage names, is an English female raggamuffin toaster. She was the first white female reggae/dancehall MC. According to Geary, her first recorded appearance was on ...

and made the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

in two versions; the "Land of Oz Mix" which peaked at number 80 in 1990 and the "La La Gone Gaga Mix""Generations of Love" 1991 version at Discogs.com
/ref> which peaked at number 35 in 1991. The 1990 version also peaked at number 11 on the US ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

Hot Dance Club Play Dance Club Songs is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It is a national look over of club disc jockeys to determine the most popular songs being played in nightclubs across the country. It was launched as t ...

chart, while the 1991 version peaked within the top 20 in the Netherlands and the top 30 in Austria and Belgium. British electronic dance and clubbing magazine ''

Mixmag ''Mixmag'' is a British electronic dance and clubbing magazine published in London. Launched in 1983 as a print magazine, it has branched into dance events, including festivals and club nights. History The first issue of ''Mixmag'' was prin ...

'' ranked "Generations of Love" number 100 in its "100 Greatest Dance Singles Of All Time" list in 1996. In 2016, a new version was released by Phunk Investigation with Boy George's vocals, and remixed by

Cristian Poow "Shake Ur Bumpa" is a dance music song by Argentinian DJ and music producer Cristian Poow and Italian DJ Glovibes. The song peaked at 27th on the US Dance Club Songs chart. Background This is the very first dance music song to ever get into ...

and

Tom Novy Tom Novy (born Thomas Reichold) is a DJ and producer from Munich, Germany. Biography Tom Novy lived in Munich in his youth and attended the Luitpold Gymnasium in Munich. In the mid-1980s he started to DJ and got his first residency at the B ...

Critical reception

"Generations of Love" received favorable reviews from most music critics. Bill Coleman from ''

'' wrote that "if the vocals sound familiar, they should—since track is actually the latest from former pop darling

. Brilliantly conceived

deep house Deep house is a subgenre of house music that originated in the 1980s, initially fusing elements of Chicago house with the lush chords of 1980s jazz-funk and touches of soul music. Its origins are attributed to the early recordings of Larry Heard ( ...

jam has already set U.K. dancefloors on fire. Similar results can be expected here." The magazine's

Larry Flick Larry Flick is an American journalist, former dance music columnist, single reviewer, and Senior Talent Editor for ''Billboard'' magazine, where he worked for 14 years. Now he produces and hosts Sirius XM radio shows. Flick started in the music ...

felt that "this is arguably among the true, timeless gems of the singer's career, with its politically relevant and emotionally charged lyrics—not to mention its fist-waving performance." Jim Farber from ''

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 cul ...

'' noted that "simultaneously fey and determined, he conveys a tender reassurance and an emphatic strength. Just as emotionally nuanced are the synthesized bass lines that dominate the record." He added that "they create a hypnotic groove, reminiscent of the extended soul tracks pioneered by

Isaac Hayes Isaac Lee Hayes Jr. (August 20, 1942 – August 10, 2008) was an American singer, actor, songwriter, and composer. He was one of the creative forces behind the Southern soul music label Stax Records, where he served both as an in-house songwri ...

and

Curtis Mayfield Curtis Lee Mayfield (June 3, 1942 – December 26, 1999) was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer, and one of the most influential musicians behind soul and politically conscious African-American music.

in the early ’70s." Irish newspaper ''

Evening Herald ''The Herald'' is a nationwide mid-market tabloid newspaper headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, and published by Independent News & Media who are a subsidiary of Mediahuis. It is published Monday–Saturday. The newspaper was known as the ''Ev ...

'' stated that George is "in splendid voice". Dave Sholin from the ''

Gavin Report The ''Gavin Report'' was a San Francisco-based radio industry trade publication. The publication was founded by radio performer Bill Gavin in 1958. Its Top 40 listings were used for many years by programmers to decide content of programs. The pu ...

'' wrote that "addressing human injustice with a message of hope and love, Boy George rejuvenates his career thanks to a beautiful melody and a superb singing performance." A reviewer from Pakistan's '' The Herald'' said that "good old Boy George is back with a new posse and (thankfully) minus the gender-bender hype. Tuneful, energetic with lots going on in the background and up front." Electronic dance and clubbing magazine ''

'' noted that "the gently rolling

flamenco guitar A flamenco guitar is a guitar similar to a classical guitar but with thinner tops and less internal bracing. It usually has nylon strings, like the classical guitar, but it generally possesses a livelier, more gritty sound compared to the clas ...

s and warm

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the e ...

vocals saw dance floors turn to slush in its wake." David Giles from ''

Music Week ''Music Week'' is a trade publication for the UK record industry distributed via a website and a monthly print magazine. It is published by Future. History Founded in 1959 as '' Record Retailer'', it relaunched on 18 March 1972 as ''Music W ...

'' said the 1990-version is "reflecting the gentler "vibes" on the dancefloor at present and hinting at the impending

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...

influence this summer." Another editor, James Hamilton described the 1991 remix as a "flamenco/

rap Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...

" fusion. Upon the release of the 1996 remix, Brad Beatnik rated it four out of five, adding, "Nice, very nice." Phil Cheeseman from ''

Record Mirror ''Record Mirror'' was a British weekly music newspaper between 1954 and 1991 for pop fans and record collectors. Launched two years after the ''NME'', it never attained the circulation of its rival. The first UK album chart was published in ''Re ...

'' felt that the song "set the pace for a series of mellow, house-inspired grooves that are just as likely to work in your living room as the club environments they were designed for." Caroline Sullivan from ''

Smash Hits ''Smash Hits'' was a British music magazine aimed at young adults, originally published by EMAP. It ran from 1978 to 2006, and, after initially appearing monthly, was issued fortnightly during most of that time. The name survived as a brand fo ...

'' declared it as a "glossy, understated

dance Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...

tune".

Music video

The accompanying

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...

for "Generations of Love" was directed by British music video and film director

Baillie Walsh Baillie Walsh is a film director and screenwriter. Career Walsh made his feature-film debut with ''Flashbacks of a Fool,'' starring Daniel Craig and Felicity Jones, which he wrote and directed. He has also directed the documentaries ''Mirror M ...

. An uncensored 7-minute short movie named "Generations of Love" was also made by the band. It features

, Talullah and

Leigh Bowery Leigh Bowery (26 March 1961 – 31 December 1994) was an Australian performance artist, club promoter, and fashion designer. Bowery was known for his flamboyant and outlandish costumes and makeup as well as his (sometimes controversial) perform ...

.''Generations of Love'' (uncensored) Jesus Loves You featuring

, Talullah, and

: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUv6qIc-MBA The film was shot in and around

Soho, London Soho is an area of the City of Westminster, part of the West End of London. Originally a fashionable district for the aristocracy, it has been one of the main entertainment districts in the capital since the 19th century. The area was develo ...

, and was produced to promote the single. The short film gives an intriguing snapshot into London’s Soho nightlife during 1990 (still hungover from the late-1980s) by way of capturing the bustling local outdoor streets, and the inside of long-gone amusement arcades and porn cinemas. Talullah, in a wig, plays the role of a straight office-type punter, looking for a quick trick, who ends up pulling a transvestite hooker. They visit a Soho dark porn cinema, where business is dealt.

appears in the film briefly in drag and as himself. The movie has a classic early

Andy Warhol Andy Warhol (; born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director, and producer who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art. His works explore the relationsh ...

esque feel to it.

Track listing

* 12", UK (1990) :A. "Generations of Love" (Land Of Oz 12" Mix) – 7:05 :B. "Generations of Love" (Future Dub) – 5:34 * 12" - Remix, UK (1990) :A. "Generations of Love" (The 70's Mix) – 6:09 :B1. "Generations of Love" (The Jazz Mix) – 6:08 :B2. "Generations of Love" (The Ambient Mix) – 5:58 * CD single, UK (1990) #"Generations of Love" (Land Of Oz 7" Mix) – 4:58 #"Generations of Love" (Land Of Oz 12" Mix) – 7:15 #"Generations of Love" (The 80's Mix) – 7:47 * 7" single, UK (1991) :A. "Generations of Love" (La La Gone Gaga Mix) :B. "Generations of Love" (Land Of Oz 7" Mix) * 12" vinyl, UK (1991) :A. "Generations of Love" (Totally Outed Mix) :B1. "Generations of Love" (90's Corporeal Mix) :B2. "Generations of Love" (Land Of Oz 12" Mix) * CD single, Europe (1991) #"Generations of Love" (La La Gone Gaga Mix) – 3:59 #"Generations of Love" (Totally Outed Mix) – 7:04 #"Generations of Love" (Bodhisattva Mix) – 6:11 * 12", UK (1996) :A1. "Generations of Love" (Cheap Spanish Wine Vocal Mix) :A2. "Generations of Love" (Can't Una Copa Dub) :AA1. "Generations of Love" (Disco Rumproller) :AA2. "Generations of Love" (Soho Sleaze) :AA3. "Generations of Love" (Mother's Leftovers) * CD maxi-single, Sweden (1997) #"Generations of Love" (Cheap Spanish Wine Vocal Mix) #"Generations of Love" (Can't Una Copa Dub) #"Generations of Love" (Disco Rumproller) #"Generations of Love" (Soho Sleaze) #"Generations of Love" (Mother's Leftovers) * CD maxi-single, Germany (1998) #"Generations of Love" (Scream Radio Mix) – 4:26 #"Generations of Love" (La La Gone Gaga Mix) – 3:58 #"Generations of Love" (De-Phazz Radio Mix) – 3:38 #"Generations of Love" (Dharma Bums Vocal Mix) – 6:43 #"Generations of Love" (Mothers Vocal Mix) – 5:24 #"Generations of Love" (Land Of Oz Mix By

Paul Oakenfold Paul Mark Oakenfold (born 30 August 1963), formerly known mononymously as Oakenfold, is an English record producer, remixer and trance DJ. He has provided over 100 remixes for over 100 artists including U2, Moby, Madonna, Britney Spears, Mass ...

) – 6:23 #"Generations of Love" (Timewriter Bootleg Mix) – 8:49 #"Generations of Love" (Andrew Wooden Remix) – 6:51 #"Generations of Love" (Airscape Sensation Mix) – 5:12 #"Generations of Love" (De-Phazz Dub Mix) – 5:33

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

References

{{authority control 1990 singles 1991 singles 1990 songs Electro songs British dance songs Songs written by Boy George Boy George songs MC Kinky songs