Tonio K – Without Love

When I’m at work I listen to Tonio K quite a bit. I pull him up on Spotify and listen. Notes From the Lost Civilization and Life in the Foodchain are the two albums I know the most by him. Great music on both of these albums. I really like the clean flow of this song and the guitar sound.

He has written music for some films and with a lot of artists. Some of the artists are  Brian Wilson, J.I. Allison, The Crickets, Al Green, Bette Midler, The Pointer Sisters, Tanya Tucker, Diane Schuur, Percy Sledge, Phoebe Snow, Jules Shear, The Runaways, Patty Smyth, and Kenny Wayne Shepherd.

Who is Tonio K? He was born Steve Krikorian in California on July 4, 1950. He is a singer/songwriter, whose songs have been recorded by Charlie Sexton, Bette Midler, Peter Case, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Vanessa Williams, Bonnie Raitt, Brian McKnight, and others. His most successful song is “Love Is”… a #1 hit for Vanessa Willams with Brian McNight.

Krikorian and Alan Shapazian (rhythm guitar) formed a band called The Raik’s Progress which recorded one single for Liberty Records, released in 1967. In 1973, he appeared as a member of the former Buddy Holly backing band the Crickets on their album “Remnants.”

He released his first album in 1978 called Life in the Foodchain. In 1988 he released  Notes From the Lost Civilization and this song is off that album. Without Love peaked at #42 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Charts in 1988. He has released nine albums in total.

Without Love

It ain’t worth nothin’ without love
It ain’t worth nothin’ without real love

These days it’s a crime not to be beautiful
It’s a crime not to be young
It’s a crime to be different from everyone else
It’s a crime not to always have fun

Well, that’s OK
Except of course that none of it is true
The real crime is how they have divided me from you
Because
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[Chorus]
It ain’t worth nothin’ without love
It ain’t worth nothin’ without real love

[Bridge]
I don’t know what it was
It was some kind of primitive dream
I saw all these prisoners of counterfeit love in the world
They were finally set free

There were people on the moon last night
Probably on their way to Mars
There’s people under the ocean
And a hundred stories up
Dreaming about the stars

Now everybody’s on the move
Ain’t nothin’ we can’t do
Nothing we can’t buy or build
To make these dreams come true, but

It ain’t worth nothin’ without love
It ain’t worth nothin’ without real love

It ain’t worth nothin’ without love, love, love, love
It ain’t worth nothin’ without real love

Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, Alternative music, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player. Not the slightest bit interested in politics at all. View all posts by Badfinger (Max)