What the World Needs Now Is Love!
| What the World Needs Now Is Love! | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Compilation album by | ||||
| Released | January 1968 | |||
| Recorded | Late 1960s | |||
| Genres | ||||
| Length | 29 minutes 43 seconds | |||
| Labels | Kapp Records KL 1551, KS 3551 | |||
| Producer | Michael Kapp | |||
| Jack Jones chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from What the World Needs Now Is Love! | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music |   [1] |
| Billboard | Positive (Spotlight)[2] |
| Cashbox | Positive (Pop Pick)[3] |
What the World Needs Now Is Love! is a compilation album by pop vocalist Jack Jones, released in January 1968 as his first album of the year.[4] It received a positive critical reception and reached the charts.[5]
Background and release
By the winter of 1968, Jones had been recording for RCA Victor Records for a few months.[1] Kapp Records was his previous label, and What the World Needs Now Is Love! was the first compilation album they released after Jones moved to RCA.[5] Offered as a vinyl LP, it was available both in mono and stereo.[6] Kapp chose recent hits and older album cuts for the track listing.[7] Released in January 1968, the album went on to sell well.[5] "I'm Indestructible" and "Afterthoughts" were singles hits, the title track and "Yesterday" were lifted from his 1966 LP For the "In" Crowd. The album included three singles and one flip side.[7] For instance, "Seein' the Right Love Go Wrong" was another minor pop hit and major easy listening hit earlier in the decade.[8]
Reception
The album received a positive critical reception upon its release. Billboard praised Jones' "top" covers of "Yesterday" and "True love." They stated that "Jones never lets go on this LP, from the opening title tune to the oldie 'I Only Have Eyes for You.' He shapes each song with style and excellent phrasing while backed up by some spirited arranging."[2] Cashbox believed that the album "contains eleven pearls that anyone would be glad to possess. A feelingful performance of the title tune starts things off and establishes the theme of the set which is, of course, love. The various aspects, happy and sad, of amour are explored in the ten remaining tracks."[3]
Chart performance
The album debuted on Billboard magazine's Top LP's chart in the issue dated February 24, 1968, peaking at No. 167 during a six-week run on the chart.[5]
"Seein' The Right Love Go Wrong" had reached the top-ten on the Billboard Easy Listening in 1964.[9] "I'm Indestructible" (1967) debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 in the issue dated April 15, 1967, peaking at number 81 during a seven-week run.[8] The track debuted on the Cashbox singles chart in the issue dated April 22, 1964, peaking at number 84 during a four-week run.[10] The B-side "Afterthoughts" on the other hand debuted on the magazine's Easy Listening chart on May 6, peaking at number 19 during a seven-week run.[9] "The Gypsies, the Jugglers and the Clowns" was released as a single concurrently with the LP, reaching No. 134 nationally.[10]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "What the World Needs Now Is Love" | 3:10 | |
| 2. | "Afterthoughts" |
| 2:31 |
| 3. | "I'm Indestructible" |
| 2:27 |
| 4. | "I Never Go There Anymore" | 3:38 | |
| 5. | "The One I Love Belongs to Somebody Else" | 2:44 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6. | "The Eyes of Love" |
| 2:34 |
| 7. | "True Love" | Cole Porter | 2:30 |
| 8. | "Yesterday" | Lennon–McCartney | 2:21 |
| 9. | "The Gypsies, the Jugglers and the Clowns" |
| 2:27 |
| 10. | "Seein' the Right Love Go Wrong" | 2:31 | |
| 11. | "I Only Have Eyes for You" | 1:46 | |
| Total length: | 30:39 | ||
Charts
Album
| Chart (1968) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Top LP's[5] | 167 |
Singles
| Single | Year | Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Seein' The Right Love Go Wrong" | 1964 | US Billboard Hot 100[8] | 41 |
| US Cashbox Top 100 Singles[10] | 46 | ||
| US Easy Listening[9] | 9 | ||
| "I'm Indestructible" | 1967 | US Billboard Hot 100[8] | 81 |
| US Cashbox Top 100 Singles[10] | 84 | ||
| "Afterthoughts" | US Easy Listening[9] | 19 | |
| "The Gypsies, the Jugglers and the Clowns" | 1968 | US Cashbox Top 100 Singles[10] | 134 |
References
- 1 2 Larkin, Colin (2007). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Omnibus Press. p. 766. ISBN 9781846098567. Retrieved February 15, 2026.
- 1 2 "Pop Spotlight: What the World Needs Now Is Love!" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 80, no. 5. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. February 3, 1968. p. 96.
- 1 2 "Cashbox Album Pop Picks Reviews: What the World Needs Now Is Love!" (PDF). Cash Box. Vol. XXIX, no. 29. August 3, 1968. p. 30.
- ↑ "New Kapp Records Releases". Billboard. Vol. 80, no. 4. January 27, 1968. p. 74. Retrieved March 29, 2026 – via worldradiohistory.com.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Whitburn, Joel (1973). Top LP's, 1945–1972. Record Research. p. 75. LCCN 74075179. Retrieved March 29, 2026.
- ↑ Kinslow, Chris (2022). Goldmine Record Album Price Guide. Penguin. p. 1991. ISBN 978-1-68145-973-8. Retrieved December 30, 2025.
- 1 2 Jones, Jack (January 1968). "What the World Needs Now Is Love!". Kapp Records. KL 1551; KS 3551 (LP).
- 1 2 3 4 Whitburn, Joel (2002). Joel Whitburn's top pop singles 1955-2002. Menomonee Falls, Wisc.: Record Research. p. 366. ISBN 0898201551.
- 1 2 3 4 Whitburn, Joel (2007). Joel Whitburn presents Billboard top adult songs, 1961-2006. Menomonee Falls, Wis. : Record Research Inc. p. 142. ISBN 978-0-89820-169-7.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Downey, Pat (1994). Cash box pop singles charts, 1950-1993. Englewood, Colo.: Libraries Unlimited. p. 182. ISBN 1-56308-316-7.