"It's Only Love" is a song written by

Hank Cochran Garland Perry "Hank" Cochran (August 2, 1935 – July 15, 2010) was an American country music singer and songwriter. Starting during the 1960s, Cochran was a prolific songwriter in the genre, including major hits by Patsy Cline, Ray Price, Eddy ...

that was originally recorded by American

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...

artist

Jeannie Seely Marilyn Jeanne Seely (born July 6, 1940) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, actress and author. Primarily identified with country music, Seely found success with the Grammy Award-winning song " Don't Touch Me" (1966). Her soul-ins ...

. It was released by

Monument Records Monument Records is an American record label co-founded in 1958 by Fred Foster. Originally founded in Washington, D.C., the label moved to Nashville in 1960, and experienced success over the next two decades with a number of artists including ...

as a single in September 1966, rising to the US country songs top 20. It was given positive reviews from music publications following its release and was included on her debut studio album '' The Seely Style''.

Background, content and recording

Known for her

soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...

-inspired style, Jeannie Seely rose to country music stardom with 1966's " Don't Touch Me". The song was a US top ten single and later won her a

Grammy award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

. Her success would lead to several more top 20 songs in its wake, including the follow-up single to "Don't Touch Me" titled "It's Only Love". Like its predecessor, "It's Only Love" was also written by Hank Cochran and tells the story of a woman who has difficulty getting over a former lover. The song was produced by Fred Foster.

Release, critical reception and chart performance

"It's Only Love" was released as a single by Monument Records in September 1966. The label distributed it as a seven-inch vinyl record and featured a

B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph record, vinyl records and Compact cassette, cassettes, and the terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side of a Single (music), single usually ...

called "Then Go Home to Her". "It's Only Love" received positive reviews from music publications following its release. ''

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 advertis ...

'' called it an "emotional ballad" as well as a "solid follow-up" to her previous release. ''

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', is an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...

'' described it as a "tender slow shufflin' weeper" and believed it would make both the US country and pop charts. The single entered the US ''Billboard''

Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. This 50-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly by collecting airplay data along with digital sales and streaming. ...

chart on September 10, 1966 and spent 15 weeks on the survey. By October 29, it reached the number 15 position on the country songs chart, becoming her second top 20 record in her career and her second single released with the Monument label. It was included in Seely's debut studio album titled ''The Seely Style''.

Track listing

7" vinyl single * "It's Only Love" – 3:38 * "Then Go Home to Her" – 2:51

Charts

Weekly charts

References

{{authority control 1966 singles 1966 songs Jeannie Seely songs Monument Records singles Songs written by Hank Cochran Song recordings produced by Fred Foster