Story of the Song: You've Got the Love, Florence + the Machine (2008)
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Your support makes all the difference.Three times a hit in the Nineties and endlessly remixed before landing in the hands of Florence + the Machine, "You've Got the Love" dates back to 1986, when it was titled "You Got the Love".
Candi Staton first recorded it for a video about the world's fattest man and his endeavour to lose weight. In return for her vocal services the programme-makers donated half the publishing rights to Staton. It was issued as a seven-inch in 1986, credited to the anonymous label act The Source (featuring Candi Staton). When a soul/gospel mix of the song reached the UK Top Five in 1991, Staton was contacted. She initially denied all knowledge of the song. "Then I got off the phone and realised it was the one from the diet video!" she said.
Staton eventually received healthy royalties from her recording, buoyed when Florence + the Machine returned it to the charts in 2009. The band premiered their version at Bestival 2008. "I remember looking at my guitarist as we played the first chords," said Welch, "and then there was the reaction and it was like tearing ourselves open and just exploding on the crowd."
It was first issued as the B-side of the single "Dog Days Are Over" in 2008, until its reissue as a digital download the following year. It finally charted towards the end of 2009, boosted by its inclusion as a bonus track on the band's debut album, 'Lungs'. Welch took the opportunity to correct the grammar in the title. Kasabian have also tackled it and in 2009 Florence + the Machine's version was beautifully reconfigured by fellow south Londoners The xx.
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