Published on Dec 15, 2012 by Nick Ziggy
‘Love Is All Around’ is a song composed by Reg Presley and originally performed by Presley’s band, The Troggs, in D-major in 1967. Purportedly inspired by a television transmission of the Joy Strings Salvation Army band’s “Love That’s All Around”, the song was first released as a single in the UK in October 1967. On the UK Singles Chart top 50, the record debuted at No.50 on 18 October 1967, peaked at No.5 on 22 November 1967, and appeared 15 straight times. On the US Billboard Hot 100, the record entered at No.98 on 24 February 1968, peaked at No.7 on 18 May 1968, and spent a total of 16 weeks on the chart. This version features a string quartet and a ‘tick tock’ sound on percussion.
‘Love Is All Around’ has been covered by numerous artists, including R.E.M., with whom the Troggs subsequently recorded their 1992 comeback album Athens Andover. R.E.M.’s cover was a B-side on their 1991 ‘Radio Song’ single, and they also played it during their first appearance at MTV’s Unplugged series that same year. Wet Wet Wet’s cover, for the soundtrack to the 1994 film “Four Weddings and a Funeral”, was an international hit and spent 15 weeks at number one in the UK Singles Chart.
The Troggs were an English rock band from the 1960s that had a number of hits in the UK and the US. Their most famous songs include the Hot 100 chart topper ‘Wild Thing’, ‘With a Girl Like You’, and ‘Love Is All Around’. ‘Wild Thing’ is ranked #257 on the Rolling Stone magazine’s list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and was an influence on garage rock and punk rock.
Fronted by Reg Presley, the Troggs were from the town of Andover in southern England and were originally called the Troglodytes.
On 24 January 2012, Presley announced he has been diagnosed with lung cancer and therefore decided to retire from the music industry.