Many yacht rock enthusiasts draw a fine line between the purest songs in the genre and what they feel is a more catch-all kind of soft rock. It’s likely that most of the canon of Australia’s Air Supply would warrant a “not” in the “Yacht or Not” debate.
Videos by American Songwriter
We’re here to argue that Air Supply’s breakthrough single in the US, “Lost In Love”, gives off serious yacht rock vibes. You can practically feel the warm breeze as Graham Russell and Russell Hitchcock do their thing on this monster hit.
Fresh Air
Air Supply seemed unstoppable in their native country of Australia when they came bursting out of the gates in the mid-1970s. At the time, they were more of a full band, even as chief songwriter Graham Russell and main lead singer Russell Hitchcock largely determined the artistic direction of the band.
In time, the band would mostly consist of Russell and Hitchcock, along with rotating musicians. Their 1976 debut single, “Love And Other Bruises”, immediately soared to the Top 10 down under. Their first few albums sold well there also.
But Air Supply were soon knocked off their perch a bit. A tour with Rod Stewart showed them that their local popularity hadn’t quite translated to other parts of the globe. They were determined, though, and they eventually came up with a song with worldwide appeal in “Lost In Love”.
Getting “Lost”
Graham Russell is the type of songwriter who believes that the best of his songs fall together quite quickly. That was certainly the case with “Lost In Love”. Once he had the idea for it, it came pouring out of him in about 15 minutes or so. The song also hit upon an early Air Supply formula, one where Graham would sing the early parts of the lyric. As the song progressed, Hitchcock, with his skyscraping vocals, would then come in for some showstopping moments.
“Lost In Love” breezed to a Top 20 spot in Australia. Who knows how it would have fared worldwide if it hadn’t picked up a champion? Legendary music hit-picker Clive Davis loved the song and signed the band to Arista Records in the US.
The band offered up a newly mixed version of the song for American radio. It did better than any of their other songs had ever done in Australia. When all was said and done, “Lost In Love” made it all the way to no. 3 in the US, setting the stage for a long string of stateside hits for Air Supply in the years to come.
Behind the Lyrics of “Lost In Love”
Graham Russell’s lyrics for “Lost In Love” start with a few lines that manage to say something novel in a love song, no easy feat. “I realize that the best part of love is the thinnest slice / And I’m not letting go,” he sings. Those lyrics touch on both the complications that relationships inevitably engender and the courage it takes to get through them.
He goes on to explain that he only reached his enlightened state about love because someone led him there. “I figured it out,” he explains. “What I needed was someone to show me.” The familiarity of a long connection gives him comfort: “You know you can’t fool me / I’ve been loving you too long.”
In the chorus, first sung by Graham Russell in relaxed tones and later by Russell Hitchcock in emotional swoops, the narrator elucidates his position. “Lost in love and I don’t know much,” he says. “Was I thinking aloud and fell out of touch? / But I’m back on my feet and eager to be what you wanted.”
Maybe songs like “All Out Of Love” or “Making Love Out Of Nothing At All” veer closer to easy listening territory. But Air Supply, in our humble opinion, hit the yacht rock sweet spot with “Lost In Love”.
Photo by Ebet Roberts/Redferns
Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.