Part-Time Love

[BiteUrLip]

Music: Elton John

Lyrics: Gary Osborne

Part time love is bringing me down

'Cause I just can't get started with you my love

Did I hear you saying that I'm too hard hearted

Wipe those stars from your eyes

And you'll get quite a surprise

Because you'll see everybody's got a part time love


You've been seen running around

There's not much I don't hear of and still you try

Telling me all the things I must stay clear of

Don't tell me what to do

When you been doing it too

Because you, me and everybody's got a part time love


Falling, I'm falling can't get free

Baby if you keep on stalling

Oh how can I make you see

That you, me and everybody needs a part time love


Part time love

I seem to be pulling in the wrong direction

With you my love

Whatever I do you raise the same objection

I've got someone at home

But she's got a love of her own

Because you, me and everybody got a part time love


I'm waiting, I'm waiting all the time

And it's getting so frustrating

Love well it ain't no crime

Because you, me and everybody needs a part time love

And oh you, me and everybody's got a part time love

And oh you, me and everybody needs a part time love

You, me, everybody got a part time love

[BiteUrLip]

A very nice song, lightweight but catchy. Elton didn't like the song, I guess Doug can tell us more.

4½ stars.

[dougs]

"Part-Time Love" from A SINGLE MAN:

Yep, BiteUrLip, here is a serving of musical history...

1978 saw Elton release a new album,  A SINGLE MAN, which was a change of direction for Elton in many ways.  Gone was lyricist Bernie Taupin and in was friend and co-lyricist Gary Osborne.  Gone was producer Gus Dudgeon and in was friend and co-producer Clive Franks.  Gone was the lyric first approach to writing songs being replaced by EJ writing the melodies first.  Gone was the Elton John Band (mostly) and in came Clive Franks on bass, Steve Holly on drums, and Tim Renwick on guitar.  The familiar faces were Ray Cooper on percussion and the return of Paul Buckmaster with his string arrangements. Davey Johnstone made his only appearance on record between 1976 and 1983 on "Part-Time Love" and his guitar solo does stand out.

Lyrically, most songs on A SINGLE MAN were Elton's to some degree.  Gary Osborne chipped in to finish the lyrics or to take an Elton line or two & title and make it into a lyric.  There is a good chance that the lyrics to "Part-time Love" were co-authored by Elton & Gary.  The song's production (Elton & Clive) is clean and light.  It is a catchy upbeat pop song that is fun to sing along to but lacks any real depth.  It really did not fit into the music that was new and hot at the time.  Punk had changed music, especially in Europe at the time.  New wave influences were changing the sound and look of music everywhere.  "Part-Time Love" was unfortunately a bit of "been there, seen that."  Certainly not a bad song, it just wasn't anything new and it didn't capture the imagination of the music buying public.

"Part-Time Love" was released as a single and peaked in South Africa at #6.  Around the world it charted at #12 in Australia, #13 in Canada, #15 in the UK, and #21 in the US.  Fair to moderate success.  Elton played it live a couple of times in 1978 to promote it and then it appeared a number of times in 1979 on the tours with Ray Cooper.  It has, apparently, never been played since. "Part-Time Love" had never been added to any of Elton's "hits" packages or "box" releases over the years until 2017 when it appeared on the "Deluxe Edition - Extra CD" for DIAMONDS.

Rating: 4 stars

Doug

[newloneranger]

First single, Not bad kind of catchy.

4 stars

[Commodore Orpington]

I think it was on Very Best Of, 1990 or so? US and UK were different.
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I form these loyalties to certain artists, and all I ask in return is that they have some vague sort of depth or gravity, a sense that the material isn't just passing entertainment. So the first single always disappoints me. I was expecting BIG things after Blue Moves and Ego/Flinstone Boy. Maybe a Sgt Pepperish leap. But here was just some bouncy pop of no consequence.
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What it had going for it is that it's almost a parody of pop love songs. That saves it. If you're going to do cliche pop, send it up!

[rocketman]

4 stars...enjoyable enough, and it was a single, but in my view not one of Elton's top-flight singles, as the buying public seemed to say as well. Still, there's nothing that brings the song down to anything less than a 4 star rating.