Mel Carter's "Love Is All We Need"

In re my earlier post about Mel Carter:

I found the actual CD and more importantly the liner notes, which include when the songs were recorded and when they were released.

"Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me" was recorded on 22 January 1965 and released 6 May 1965.  The liner notes also list some chart positions from June 1965.  "Love Is All We Need" was indeed recorded after "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me" was a success - on 22 September 1965.  It was released on an LP in November 1965 and as a single on 28 December 1965.  In fact, it appears that following the same structure that "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me" used actually worked for Mel Carter.  There are also chart positions for "Love Is All We Need," although they aren’t as high as those for "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me."  Coincidentally, both of the chart positions listed for "Love Is All We Need" are from 22 January 1966 - exactly a year after "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me" was recorded.

Mel Carter's "Love Is All We Need"

Again, I stayed up too late listening to music.  I just finished The Best of Mel Carter.  Mel Carter is best-known for “Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me,” and - before I got this album - that was the only song I knew by him.  But, listening through these songs, I found an instance where he repeats the same sort of opening.  From what I’ve read, this was a fairly common move.  After you have a hit record, you try to make the next record sound similar to it, so people will buy that one too.

"Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me" starts out with a string section that increases in pitch, number, and volume.  Mel Carter and backing vocalists then come in, along with guitar chords.  Finally, there’s a quick introductory drum part.

"Love Is All We Need" follows this same structure almost identically.  Aside from the words (and probably the key), the only major difference is that the drums don’t come in quite as early.  I looked up Mel Carter’s discography, and - from what I can tell - “Love Is All We Need” was recorded after “Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me.”  So it’s more likely that it was a conscious echo (no pun intended) of “Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me” than just a format that Mel Carter, his producer, his arranger, or any combination of those three liked and used often.