Yvonne Elliman - Food of Love

Yvonne Elliman - Food of Love - 1973

Yvonne Elliman had a brief moment in the spotlight during the middle of the '70s, yet she appeared on many of the decade's biggest hits as a backing singer. While she was in high school in Hawaii, she sang in a group called We Folk. She moved to London in 1969 and began singing at the Pheasantry folk club, located on Kings Road in Chelsea. It was here that songwriters Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice discovered her. The duo offered her the role of Mary Magdalene in their new rock opera, Jesus Christ Superstar; the role brought her instant fame. Elliman played the Magdalene character in the film version of Superstar, for which she won a Golden Globe award; it also gave her a hit with "I Don't Know How to Love Him." The hit single became the title of her debut album, which was released in 1972.

Pete Townshend helped Elliman prepare her second album, 1973's Food of Love. During this time, she appeared in the American production of Jesus Christ Superstar on Broadway, where she met Bill Oakes, the president of RSO Records; the two married soon afterwards. Oakes introduced her to Eric Clapton, inviting her to sing backup vocals on "I Shot the Sheriff." Elliman became part of the guitarist's band afterwards; she stayed with him for five years.

She joined RSO's roster in 1975, releasing the Steve Cropper-produced Rising Sun. Barry Gibb and Robin Gibb wrote the title song for Elliman's next album, 1976's Love Me; the song became a U.K. hit, paving the way for her greatest chart success, the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack. The Bee Gees wrote several songs on the soundtrack specifically for Elliman, including the number one single "If I Can't Have You." She never followed through on the song's success -- she released two more albums before becoming solely a session musician.

Food of Love is a 1973 album by Yvonne Elliman, produced by Rupert Hine, released on Purple Records in England and MCA Records in America.

Yvonne Elliman arrived in London from Hawaii having graduated from college, and was cast by Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice in their musical Jesus Christ Superstar. Her big song in the rock opera, "I Don't Know How To Love Him", made her a star, and the song is referred to in a song on this album, "I Don't Know How to Love Him Blues", written by David MacIver and Rupert Hine. Musicians who appear on Food of Love include keyboardist Peter Robinson, bass player John Gustafson, guitarists Caleb Quaye and Mick Grabham, and also Pete Townshend of The Who (Elliman covers their debut hit "I Can't Explain" on the album). Elliman also covers Robbie Robertson's "The Moon Struck One" from Cahoots. A song by the, at the time, virtually unknown Jim Steinman, "Happy Ending", also appears.

01. Casserole Me Over

02. More than one, less than Five

03. I Want to Make you Laugh, I Want to Make you Cry

04. Muesli Dreams

05. I Can't Explain

06. Sunshine

07. Hawaii

08. I Don't Know How To Love Him Blues

09. The Moon Struck One

10. Happy Ending

11. Love's Been Bringing Me Down

Yvonne Elliman - Vocals

Pete Townshend - Guitar

Simon Jeffes, Mick Grabham, Caleb Quaye - Guitar

John G. Perry,John Gustafson, Daryl Runswick - Bass

Ray Cooper, Morris Pert - Percussion

Peter Robinson - Keyboards

Michael Giles - Drums

Rupert Hine - ARP Synthesizer, Harmonica, Keyboards

Ann Odell - keyboards

Irene Chandler, Joanne Williams, Liza Strike, Rosetta Hightower, Ruby James - Backing Vocals

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