Single Song Sunday

For this edition of Single Song Sunday I've chosen a song that has been covered much less frequently than most of those that we have featured previously. Some of them had 100+ versions knocking about. For this one the good folks at Single Song Sunday have only been able to verify nine. Seven of those feature here, and I've found a couple of others for you.

The song in question is "Thin Line Between Love And Hate", written in 1971 by the Poindexter brothers, Richard and Robert (not Buster), and Robert's wife Jackie Members. The Poindexters were New York based writers and producers who had a licensing agreement with Atlantic. Jimi Hendrix was a backing musician on some of their early releases in the mid-1960s.

"Thin Line Between Love And Hate" was written specifically as a launch pad for the newly formed Persuaders. It succeeded admirably, making it all the way to #15 in the Billboard Hot 100 in 1971 and topping the R 'n B charts. For me it is still the pick of the bunch.

It was quickly covered twice the following year, one being by The Lost Generation (we will come to the other one later). Then there seems to have a bit of a lull until 1984 when The Pretenders' version rocketed to #49 in the UK and #83 in the US.

We then had to wait another decade for a sudden rash of covers in the mid-1990s - Annie Lennox in 1995 and Sly, Slick & Wicked (on a live album) and H-Town both in 1996. The latter two are relegated to the videos - one is decent, the other is not.

Then there was another decade long gap until the mysterious Donald McCollum popped up in 2008. The single came out on a German label called Sundae Soul that was active between 2006 and 2016. Quite a lot of the singles it released were reissues by American artists like Barbara Lewis, so whether Donald's original recording dates from 2008 I have no idea.

Which brings us back to the other cover version from 1972, and probably my favourite apart from the original. Filling the MRV quota this time out we are delighted to present the late great B.B. Seaton. There is some extra MRV in the videos for you fanatics.

"Thin Line Between Love And Hate" - The Persuaders

"Thin Line Between Love And Hate" - The Lost Generation

"Thin Line Between Love And Hate" - The Pretenders

"Thin Line Between Love And Hate" - Annie Lennox

"Thin Line Between Love And Hate" - Donald McCollum

"Thin Line Between Love And Hate" - B.B. Seaton