Blues Image was formed in Tampa, Florida in 1966 by singer-songwriter and guitarist Mike Pinera, singer-drummer Manuel "Manny" Bertematti, singer-percussionist Joe Lala, and bassist Malcolm Jones. They were later joined by keyboardist Frank "Skip" Konte. Blues Image moved to Miami in 1968, where they were instrumental in helping promoters form the most innovative music venue in South Florida, which was known as "The Image". Blues Image became the house band at the club, which also featured bands like the Grateful Dead, Cream, and Blood, Sweat & Tears.
The band moved to Los Angeles, sensing that they were heading to the big time, and signed with Atco Records, releasing their self-titled debut album in February 1969. Their second album, 'Open' (April 1970), included the popular hit "Ride Captain Ride", which was co-composed by Pinera and Konte. The summertime vibes of that soft rock tune, reaching the #4 spot in Billboard, helped launch its parent album into the magazine's top albums chart as well. The song lately was notably included in the cult film 'Reservoir Dogs'.
Still, the band found itself saddled with the "one hit wonder" tag that would be hard to shake off. Pinera left the group and was replaced by singer Dennis Correll and guitarist Kent Henry. Fortunes failing them, the band called it quits. They still managed to release a third album, titled 'Red White & Blues Image', in May 1970. Mainly comprised of outtakes, it shows how the group perhaps never did reach their potential.
The various members of Blues Image went on to become parts of other prominent rock bands. Pinera & Bertematti later played with Iron Butterfly and Cactus. Pinera also played with Ramatam and Alice Cooper. Konte joined Three Dog Night, and Lala played with Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Lala's percussion work figures prominently on the Stephen Stills / Chris Hillman led group, Manassas. Kent Henry played lead guitar with Steppenwolf prior to their breakup in the early 1970's.
Michael Pinera has released several solo albums, most recently In the Garden of Eden. He is currently working on a project with keyboardist John Russ, bassist Mike Anglin, and drummer Robert Hill.
Love Is the Answer
Blues Image Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I knew it was the beginning
Of good times to come
And the end of all my sinning
Cheating myself
I could never get nowhere
What I needed was love
Love, whoa, love is the answer
They told me living can be easy
When you have one desire
To let love lead the way
It can only get you high
"Love is real and so are you"
I kept saying to myself
'Til finally you came to me
And now there's nothing else
Love, whoa, love is the answer
Love, whoa, love you came and lifted my soul
Love, love, love is the answer
It'll take you there so much faster
Trying to live without love is disaster
So come on up and get into your natural
Come over here and get into your natural thing
Whoa, love, love, love is the answer
Love, love, love is the answer
Oh, talking about love, baby
Love, love, love is the answer
Talking about your love, baby
Love, love, love is the answer
Yeah, talking about your love
Love, love, love is the answer
Talking about your love, baby
Love, love, love is the answer
Whoa, love, love, love is the answer
Whoa, love, love, love is the answer
Whoa, love, love, love is the answer
Yeah, talking about your love, baby
Love, love, love
Love, love, love, love
Whoa, love, love, love, love
Whoa, love, love, love, love
Whoa
Blues Image's "Love Is the Answer" is a song that is filled with positivity and encourages listeners to embrace love in their lives. The lyrics describe how the singer knew that good times were ahead when he saw the person he loves. The beginning of a new relationship marked the end of his past mistakes and misdeeds. The song suggests that the pursuit of love is the most important thing in life.
Throughout the verses, the singer expresses his belief that love is the solution to all problems. He emphasizes that with love, life becomes easier and more enjoyable. The lyrics also talk about a personal transformation that occurs when one finds love. The feeling of being lifted up and having one's soul healed is attributed to the power of love. The song concludes with an invitation to listeners to come to love and to allow love to guide them towards their natural selves.
Overall, "Love Is the Answer" is an uplifting song that celebrates the power of love. The lyrics encourage listeners to take a positive outlook on life and embrace the transformative power of love.
Line by Line Meaning
When I saw you
Upon seeing you, I instinctively knew that something great was starting.
I knew it was the beginning
Seeing you represented a new beginning for me.
Of good times to come
I foresaw a future filled with happiness and joy.
And the end of all my sinning
You brought an end to my past mistakes and misdeeds.
Cheating myself
I was deceiving myself.
I could never get nowhere
I was never going to make progress in life.
What I needed was love
The one thing that could fix my problems was love.
And somebody else who cared
Someone who cared for me had to be a part of my life.
Love, whoa, love is the answer
Love is the solution to the problems in my life.
They told me living can be easy
People said that living a good life was easy.
When you have one desire
As long as you have a single desire in life.
To let love lead the way
And as long as you allow love to guide your path.
It can only get you high
You will only feel elevated and elated with joy.
"Love is real and so are you"
"Love is genuine and so are you", I always reminded myself.
I kept saying to myself
I always reiterated this to myself.
'Til finally you came to me
Until the day you finally came into my life.
And now there's nothing else
Now that you're here, I need nothing else.
Love, whoa, love is the answer
Love is still the answer.
Love, whoa, love you came and lifted my soul
Love arrived and I felt lifted and soulful.
Love, love, love is the answer
Love is always the answer.
It'll take you there so much faster
Love can help you reach your wishes so much quicker.
Trying to live without love is disaster
Living a loveless life is catastrophic.
So come on up and get into your natural
Be true to yourself and embrace what comes naturally.
Come over here and get into your natural thing
Embrace what comes naturally by coming closer to me.
Whoa, love, love, love is the answer
Love is the definitive answer.
Oh, talking about love, baby
Speaking about love, baby.
Love, love, love is the answer
Love is always going to be the answer.
Talking about your love, baby
Speaking about your love, baby.
Yeah, talking about your love
Yes, speaking about your love.
Love, love, love is the answer
Love is the definitive answer.
Whoa
An exclamation of excitement.
Love, love, love
Repeating the importance of love.
Love, love, love, love
Repeating the importance of love.
Whoa
An exclamation of excitement.
Love, love, love, love
Repeating the importance of love.
Love, love, love, love
Repeating the importance of love.
Whoa
An exclamation of excitement.
Contributed by Savannah F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.