"The Game of Love"
Single by Santana featuring Michelle Branch
from the album Shaman and Hotel Paper (international version)
B-side
  • "Come to My World"
  • "Curacion"
ReleasedSeptember 23, 2002 (2002-09-23)
Length4:18
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Santana singles chronology
"Primavera"
(2001) 		"The Game of Love"
(2002) 		"Nothing at All"
(2003)
Michelle Branch singles chronology
"Goodbye to You"
(2002) 		"The Game of Love"
(2002) 		"Are You Happy Now?"
(2003)

"The Game of Love" is a song by American rock band Santana from their 19th studio album, Shaman (2002). The vocal performance on the song is by Michelle Branch. It was composed by Gregg Alexander (as Alex Ander) and Rick Nowels. The song was released as a single on September 23, 2002, and won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals.[1] Commercially, "The Game of Love" peaked at number five on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and topped the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, becoming that ranking's most successful track of 2003. The song also reached the top 10 in Canada, New Zealand, and six European countries.

Background

The song had originally been recorded with New Radicals frontman Gregg Alexander, but album producer Clive Davis felt a female voice would maximize the song's appeal and a recording of Santana performing "The Game of Love" with Tina Turner as vocalist was completed. When Turner declined to participate in making a video for the track, Davis recruited Macy Gray to record a replacement vocal. When Davis was not satisfied with that version, Michelle Branch was asked to record the song,[2][better source needed] with Branch's rhythm guitar playing also added to the track. Branch said, "It was the first time for me to sing somebody else's song. Usually I'm like: 'Oh I want it this way' and I'm in charge...I didn't meet [Carlos Santana at the recording session], I didn't know what was going on...It felt to me like wow it seems like there's so much at stake, I'm going to go in there and just sing my heart out and just cross my fingers."[3]

The Tina Turner version of "The Game of Love" was issued on the 2007 retrospective Ultimate Santana. Santana said "There's only one Tina Turner...No one can hit a note like Tina Turner...I love Michelle [Branch] and she did a great interpretation of it. It's just that with all honor and respect to Michelle, there's the girl and there's the woman, and Michelle is unfolding into a woman...but it takes time to go from a girl into a woman."[4][full citation needed]

Chart performance

"The Game of Love" peaked at number five on the US Billboard Hot 100 on the week ending November 30, 2002. The song stayed on the charts for 37 weeks. The song became Branch's second top-10 hit, as well as her first-highest-peaking single, after "All You Wanted" and "Everywhere".[5]

Music video

The music video depicts Santana and Branch in an alley with couples around them, each expressing their love for one another. The director was Paul Fedor and the video was filmed in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago, with cameo appearances by Wesley Snipes, Helen Hunt and Jennifer Garner.

Track listings

US CD single[6]

  1. "The Game of Love" (radio mix) – 4:18
  2. "The Game of Love" (instrumental) – 4:18

European CD and cassette single[7][8]

  1. "The Game of Love" (radio mix) – 4:18
  2. "Come to My World" – 4:11

European and Australian maxi-CD single[9]

  1. "The Game of Love" (radio mix) – 4:18
  2. "Come to My World" – 4:11
  3. "Curacion" – 4:47
  4. "The Game of Love" (video)

Credits and personnel

Credits are taken from the European CD single liner notes.[7]

Studio

Personnel

Charts

Release history

Release dates and formats for "The Game of Love"
Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United States September 23, 2002
Arista [50]
Australia November 11, 2002 CD
[51]
United Kingdom [52]

See also

References

  1. ^ "2003 Grammy Award Winners". The New York Times. February 25, 2003. Retrieved May 6, 2018.
  2. ^ You Sing, I Write: A Night With Clive Davis
  3. ^ "Santana, Branch shine". The Cincinnati Enquirer. November 20, 2002. p. A2. Retrieved September 10, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ Victoria Advocate August 3, 2007, p. m3
  5. ^ a b "Santana Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 6, 2018.
  6. ^ The Game of Love (US CD single liner notes). Santana. Arista Records. 2002. 07822-15203-2.((cite AV media notes)): CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  7. ^ a b The Game of Love (European CD single liner notes). Santana. Arista Records, BMG. 2002. 74321959432.((cite AV media notes)): CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  8. ^ The Game of Love (European cassette single sleeve). Santana. Arista Records, BMG. 2002. 74321 959444.((cite AV media notes)): CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  9. ^ The Game of Love (European & Australian maxi-CD single liner notes). Santana. Arista Records, BMG. 2002. 74321959442.((cite AV media notes)): CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  10. ^ "Santana feat. Michelle Branch – The Game of Love". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved May 6, 2018.
  11. ^ "Santana feat. Michelle Branch – The Game of Love" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved May 6, 2018.
  12. ^ "Santana feat. Michelle Branch – The Game of Love" (in Dutch). Ultratip.
  13. ^ "Santana feat. Michelle Branch – The Game of Love" (in French). Ultratip.
  14. ^ "Santana Chart History (Canadian Digital Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  15. ^ "Top Lista Hrvatskog Radija". Croatian Radiotelevision. Archived from the original on December 3, 2002. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
  16. ^ "Oficiální Česká Hitparáda – Pro týden 4/2003" (in Czech). IFPI ČR. Archived from the original on February 1, 2003. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
  17. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 20, no. 49. November 30, 2002. p. 11. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
  18. ^ "Santana feat. Michelle Branch – The Game of Love" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
  19. ^ "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 20, no. 47. November 16, 2002. p. 11. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
  20. ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Rádiós Top 40 játszási lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved December 8, 2010.
  21. ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  22. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – The Game of Love". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved May 6, 2018.
  23. ^ "Santana feat. Michelle Branch – The Game of Love". Top Digital Download. Retrieved May 6, 2018.
  24. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 45, 2002" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved May 6, 2018.
  25. ^ "Santana feat. Michelle Branch – The Game of Love" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved May 6, 2018.
  26. ^ "Santana feat. Michelle Branch – The Game of Love". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved May 6, 2018.
  27. ^ "t.A.t.U domina" (in Spanish). El Siglo de Torreón. December 16, 2002. Retrieved August 3, 2022.
  28. ^ "Santana feat. Michelle Branch – The Game of Love". VG-lista. Retrieved May 6, 2018.
  29. ^ "t.A.t.U domina" (in Spanish). El Siglo de Torreón. December 16, 2002. Retrieved August 3, 2022.
  30. ^ "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 20, no. 49. November 30, 2002. p. 13. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
  31. ^ "Arhiva romanian top 100 Editia 4, saptamina 3.02–9.02, 2003" (in Romanian). Romanian Top 100. Archived from the original on December 28, 2004. Retrieved September 29, 2020.((cite web)): CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  32. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 6, 2018.
  33. ^ "Santana feat. Michelle Branch – The Game of Love" Canciones Top 50. Retrieved May 6, 2018.
  34. ^ "Santana feat. Michelle Branch – The Game of Love". Singles Top 100. Retrieved May 6, 2018.
  35. ^ "Santana feat. Michelle Branch – The Game of Love". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved May 6, 2018.
  36. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  37. ^ "Santana Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 3, 2019.
  38. ^ "Santana Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved May 6, 2018.
  39. ^ "Santana Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 6, 2018.
  40. ^ "Santana Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 6, 2018.
  41. ^ "Brazilian Top 100 Year-End 2002". Crowley Broadcast Analysis. April 3, 2018. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
  42. ^ "Canada's Top 200 Singles of 2002". Jam!. January 14, 2003. Archived from the original on September 6, 2004. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
  43. ^ "Most-Played Adult Top 40 Songs of 2002". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 10, no. 51. December 20, 2002. p. 16.
  44. ^ "Most-Played AC Songs of 2002". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 10, no. 51. December 20, 2002. p. 19.
  45. ^ "Most-Played Mainstream Top 40 Songs of 2002". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 10, no. 51. December 20, 2002. p. 12.
  46. ^ "Topul anului 2003" (in Romanian). Romanian Top 100. Archived from the original on January 22, 2005. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  47. ^ "Year in Music: Hot 100 Singles & Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 115, no. 52. December 27, 2003. p. YE-30. Retrieved February 11, 2017.
  48. ^ a b "Year in Music". Billboard. Vol. 115, no. 52. December 27, 2003. p. YE-80. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
  49. ^ "The Year in Charts 2003: Most-Played Mainstream Top 40 Songs". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 11, no. 51. December 19, 2003. p. 14.
  50. ^ "Going for Adds" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1471. September 20, 2002. p. 33. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  51. ^ "The ARIA Report: New Releases Singles – Week Commencing 11th November 2002" (PDF). ARIA. November 11, 2002. p. 30. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 6, 2003. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  52. ^ "New Releases – For Week Starting 11 November 2002: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. November 9, 2002. p. 25. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
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