THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

674-Billy Ocean-Love Really Hurts Without You.

1976-Number 2 single.

Best Bit-At 0.41. If you’re a wedding DJ, and you play this, and the crowd still wont dance, then it’s not your fault.

Billy Ocean was born Leslie Sebastian Charles, on January 21st, 1950, in Fyzabad, Trinidad and Tobago, in 2020 he was appointed ‘Member of the Order of the British Empire,’ (MBE) in recognition for his services to music. Billy Ocean who took his stage name from a local football team in his home town of Trinidad and Tobago, who called themselves ‘Oceans 11,’ emigrated with his family to Romford, Essex, England, at the age of 10, shortly before Trinidad and Tobago became independent in 1962. To say Billy Ocean wasn’t an overnight success would be an understatement, as he had struggled to make a commercial breakthrough for many years, initially issuing his first two non charting singles in 1971, and 1972, as Les Charles, and then again failing to chart as ‘Scorched Earth,’ in 1974, with a studio band.

‘Love Really Hurts Without You’ was the song which finally brought Billy Ocean commercial success in 1976, it was co-written by Billy Ocean, and Ben Findon, with the production being by Findon. ‘Love Really Hurts Without You,’ was the first of three singles released from Billy Ocean’s self titled debut studio Album from 1976. Billy Ocean has said that he was ‘The most surprised person in the world that ‘Love Really Hurts Without You’ had become a hit,’ as he had got to the point where he assumed his records would be flops. Billy Ocean had written the original version of ‘Love Really Hurts Without You’ several years earlier, while working as a pattern cutter, at a fashion house on Savile Row, in London. Ocean has recalled buying a piano for £23 from one of his co-workers, and teaching himself to play it. ‘The novelty of it was coming home every lunchtime and evening, and tinkling my piano, until eventually I did get something out of it, which was the song ‘Love Really Hurts Without You.’ My left hand started playing the melody, and my right hand just did some down beats, and my voice just started coming out with the opening lyric, ‘You run around town like a fool and you think that it’s groovy,’ and the song just came together there and then.’ Billy Ocean has also admitted that the songs tune was heavily influenced by the intro to the ‘Four Tops’ 1965 ‘Motown’ track ‘I Can’t Help Myself,’ and it’s 1972 cover version by Donnie Elbert (1936-1989.)

The discography of Billy Ocean includes 11 studio Albums released between 1976-2020, and 41 singles, released between 1971-2016, there are also 12 official compilation Albums available. In the UK, Billy Ocean has had 12 top 40 hit singles, with ‘When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going,’ reaching Number 1 in 1986, while in America on the Billboard Hot 100, he has also had 12 top 40 hits, with ‘Caribbean Queen (No More Love on the Run,’) (1984) ‘There’ll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry,’ (1986) and ‘Get Outta My Dreams, Get into My Car,’ (1988) all making the Number 1 spot. On Billboard ‘Love Really Hurts Without You’ peaked at Number 22. In 1999 ‘When the Going Gets Tough,’ which had been co-written by Billy Ocean, became a UK Number 1 single for a second time, when covered by the Irish boy band Boyzone, for that years ‘Comic Relief’ charity single.

‘Love Really Hurts Without You’ was co-written and produced by Ben Findon, who was born Benjamin David Findon, in the United Kingdom. As a songwriter he has co-written many hit singles during the 1970’s, and 1980’s, particularly for Billy Ocean, which include ‘Red Light Spells Danger,’ (1977-UK Number 2) The Nolans, ‘I’m in the Mood For Dancing,’ (1980-UK Number 3) and The Dooleys, ‘Wanted’ (1979-UK Number 3.) Ben Findon who also produced, or co-produced all of the above tracks, was also involved as a songwriter alongside Sharon Sheeley (1940-2002) (see also best songs 422) a decade or so earlier.

‘You walk like a dream, and you make like you’re queen of the action. You’re using ev’ry trick in the book, the way that you look, you’re really something to see. You cheat and you lie, to impress any guy that you fancy, but don’t you know I’m out of my mind, so give me a sign, and help to ease the pain inside me.’