(Love Is Like A) Heat Wave - Covers and Influence

Covers and Influence

The success of "(Love Is Like a) Heat Wave" helped popularize both Martha and the Vandellas and Holland-Dozier-Holland, while cementing Motown as a strong musical force. The song has since been covered by several acts, including Cilla Black, Lou Christie on his 1966 album Lightnin' Strikes; labelmates The Supremes, on their 1967 album The Supremes Sing Holland-Dozier-Holland; The Jam, on their 1979 album Setting Sons; The Who in their early concerts and on their second album A Quick One; Joan Osborne, in a version done for the Funk Brothers documentary Standing in the Shadows of Motown; and Bruce Springsteen. The song was also covered by Whoopi Goldberg in the film Sister Act. It is also featured in the films Backdraft and More American Graffiti. It's been covered five times on American Idol, by Kimberley Locke, Jennifer Hudson, Vonzell Solomon, Lil Rounds, and recently Thia Megia. The song was also sampled by R&B singer Solange Knowles for her 2008 single "I Decided" and by the UK band Doves in their 2005 single "Black and White Town." Covered in August 2010 by Phil Collins for his album of soul covers, Going Back.

In a 2007 DVD entitled "The Lovin' Spoonful with John Sebastian - Do You Believe in Magic," songwriter John Sebastian explained how he sped up the three-chord intro from "(Love Is Like a) Heat Wave" to come up with the intro to his 1965 hit for The Lovin' Spoonful, "Do You Believe in Magic."

In 2011, Chiddy Bang sampled the song for the track "Heatwave" in their mixtape "Peanut Butter & Swelly".

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