Love Is Alive

Zoo Freaks, get ready to groove to "Love Is Alive" by Gary Wright from his iconic 1975 album, The Dream Weaver! This track, a funky, keyboard-driven masterpiece, hit No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1976, tied with "Dream Weaver" as Wright’s highest-charting single. Interestingly, "Love Is Alive" was the first single released from the album but initially flopped. It was only after "Dream Weaver" soared to fame that Warner Brothers reissued "Love Is Alive," and it rocketed to No. 2, spending an impressive 27 weeks on the charts—seven weeks longer than its counterpart. The song’s swaggering beat has been sampled by hip-hop artists like 3rd Bass and Tone Loc, and covered by artists including Chaka Khan, who retitled it "My Love Is Alive" for her 1984 million-selling album, and Olivia Newton-John for her 1976 live album. Joan Osborne also gave it an "improbably funky" spin on her 2000 album, Righteous Love, with a live version featured on her 2022 compilation, Radio Waves.

One juicy tidbit comes from a 1976 fan account shared on Songfacts, where a fan named Belinda from Demarest, NJ, revealed her friend played in a band with a backup keyboardist from the "Love Is Alive" live video. This keyboardist was part of the 1976 summer tour alongside the "Dream Weaver" and "Comes Alive" tours, rubbing shoulders with rock royalty. Belinda gushed about Wright’s genius, calling him handsome and noting how fans adored his stoic pose on the album cover—arms folded, long scarf, boots, and all. Another fan on Reddit in 2023 reminisced about how "Love Is Alive" transported them back to summer days at the reservoir, highlighting its nostalgic pull. Wright himself noted in a 2009 Mix magazine interview that the song’s all-keyboard vibe was a bold move, as he ditched guitars after years with guitar-heavy Spooky Tooth, a decision that paid off with its unique sound.

Gary Wright, born April 26, 1943, in Cresskill, New Jersey, kicked off his career far from the DJ booth. As a child, he stepped into showbiz at age seven, appearing in TV and radio commercials and landing a role in the 1954 Broadway musical Fanny alongside Florence Henderson. He even graced The Ed Sullivan Show. But music called louder than acting. In high school, Wright played in rock bands, yet briefly pursued medicine in the US and West Germany, deeming music too unstable. That changed in 1967 when he ditched med school for music, moving to London to co-found Spooky Tooth, a bluesy proto-metal band. After recording with them from 1968 to 1970, he went solo, releasing Extraction and Footprint in 1970 and 1971. His big break came with The Dream Weaver in 1975, fueled by a friendship with George Harrison, whose 1970 album All Things Must Pass featured Wright on keyboards. This bond inspired the Indian spirituality woven into Wright’s songwriting, evident in both "Dream Weaver" and "Love Is Alive."

Though Wright passed away in 2023, his legacy lives on through his official website. You can also connect with his music and memory on social media, including his Facebook page, where fans still share tributes, and his Instagram, which showcases vintage photos and career highlights. On X, posts from fans and peers like Stephen Bishop in 2023 celebrated Wright’s vibrant personality and talent. For Zoo Freaks wanting to dive deeper, check out fan communities like the Gary Wright Fan Club on Facebook, where enthusiasts swap stories and rare clips. There’s also ClassicRockHistory.com, a fan-driven site with detailed write-ups on Wright’s discography. So, crank up "Love Is Alive," let those synths wash over you, and celebrate the genius of Gary Wright with the Zoo Crew!