Where Is Love?

For the 1993 dance track What is Love by the singer Haddaway, see What Is Love (Haddaway song).

"Where is Love?" is a song from the Tony Award-winning British musical Oliver! and the 1968 film Oliver! based on the novel Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens. The musical was written by Lionel Bart and was first staged in London's West End in 1960.

Background

Oliver Twist, the leading character, sings the song after being thrown into the cellar of a funeral parlour for getting into a fight with Noah Claypole, another servant of the undertaker. Later in the show a reprise is sung by Mr Brownlow's housekeeper, Mrs Bedwin.

In the 1968 musical film version of Oliver!, "Where is Love?" was performed onscreen by Mark Lester, whose singing voice was reportedly dubbed by Kathe Green (the daughter of the film's conductor and musical arranger, Johnny Green), though Lester was actually given credit on the soundtrack album.

Cover versions

• Monty Alexander on his albums Here Comes the Sun (1973), Live in Holland (1978), and Monty Alexander at Maybeck (1995)
• Lorez Alexandria on her 1977 album From Broadway to Hollywood
• Kris Aquino on her 2007 album Songs of Love and Healing
• The Arbors on their 1968 album The Arbors
• Shirley Bassey on her 1972 album I Capricorn
• Bill Beach on his 2004 album Letting Go
• Tony Bennett, orchestral arrangement by Robert Farnon, on the 1968 album Snowfall: The Tony Bennett Christmas Album
• Daniel Benzali on his 2005 album Benzali
• Donald Braswell II recorded this song on his 2007 album New Chapter.
• Liz Callaway and Billy Porter on Callaway's 1995 album The Story Goes On: And On (On and Off Broadway)
• The Clayton Brothers on their 2008 album Brother to Brother
• Perry Como, orchestral arrangement by Nick Perito, on Como's 1977 album The Best of British
• Sammy Davis, Jr. with Laurindo Almeida on their 1966 album Sammy Davis, Jr. Sings and Laurindo Almeida Plays
• Paul Desmond on his 1968 album Summertime
• Val Doonican on his 2001 compilation Love Songs
• Bob Dorough on his 1963 album Excursions Through Songs from the Hit Show "Oliver!"
• Will Downing on his 1995 album Moods
• Louis Edmonds on his 1990 live album Nobody Cares About Langley
• Johnny Farnham on the 1972 album Johnny Farnham Sings the Shows
• The 4 Seasons on their 1965 album The 4 Seasons Entertain You
• Judy Garland and Joey Luft, transcription of 1963 Christmas episode of The Judy Garland Show on the 1982 album Christmas With Judy
• Russell Grant and the Starlettes on their 1983 single
• Sonny Greenwich on his 2001 album Fragments of a Memory
• Amy Hanaialiʻi on her 2012 album My Grandfather's Granddaughter
• Johnny Harris on his 1967 album The Heart of Bart
• Hampton Hawes on his 1969 album Hampton Hawes Plays Movie Musicals
• Dick Haymes on his 1982 album Last Goodbye: 1967-87 Performances
• Fred Hersch on the 1991 album On Golden Pond: Improvisations by Seven New York Jazz Pianists
• Leroy Holmes on his 1968 album Cinema '69
• Lena Horne, orchestral arrangement by Lennie Hayton, on her 1962 single
• Ahmad Jamal on his 1967 album Cry Young
• Jack Jones, orchestral arrangement by Pat Williams, on his 1968 album Where Is Love
• Rebecca Kilgore on her 2011 album Rebecca Kilgore's Lovefest at the Pizzarelli Party
• Irene Kral on her 1974 album Where Is Love?
• Cleo Laine, orchestral arrangement by John Dankworth, on her 1978 album Cleo: Cleo Laine Sings 20 Famous Show Tunes
• Ketty Lester on her 1965 album Where is Love?
• The Lettermen on their 1970 album Traces/Memories
• Joe Locke, on his albums Beauty Burning (2000), Just Suppose (2004), and Wish Upon a Star (2012), the latter featuring an orchestral arrangement by Tim Garland
• Loonis McGlohon on his 1981 album Loonis and London
• Jackie McLean on his 1973 album A Ghetto Lullaby
• Adam Makowicz on the 1993 live album Adam Makowicz at Maybeck Hall
• Rebecca Martin on her 2000 album Middlehope
• Johnny Mathis on his 1964 album Tender is the Night
• Max Q (quartet) on their 2004 album Discovery
• Tina May with the London Session Orchestra on its 2010 album Ludamus
• Mocedades on the 1971 album Mocedades 3
• The Mormon Tabernacle Choir on their 2007 album Showtime: Music of Broadway and Hollywood
• Dado Moroni on his 2011 album Live in Beverly Hills
• Dick Morrissey on the 1961 album It's Morrissey, Man!
• Sammy Nestico on his 2002 album This is the Moment
• Leonard Nimoy on his 1967 album Mr. Spock's Music from Outer Space
• Bill O'Connell's Chicago Skyliners Big Band on their 1998 album That Toddlin' Town
• Helen O'Connell on her 1963 album An Era Reborn
• Oliver on his 1969 album, Good Morning Starshine
• Elaine Page on her 2006 album Essential Musicals
• Houston Person on his 1990 album Why Not!
• Dave Pike on his 1963 album Dave Pike Plays the Jazz Version of Oliver!
• Linda Purl on her 2005 album Out of This World – LIVE
• Quartette Tres Bien on its 1967 album Here It Is
• Jerome Richardson, with Herbie Hancock and arrangements by Benny Golson, on his 1968 album Groove Merchant
• Molly Ringwald on her 2013 album Except Sometimes
• Scott Robinson on his 2000 album Scott Robinson Plays C-Melody Saxophone: Melody From the Sky
• Lea Salonga on her 2002 album The Broadway Concert
• Harry Secombe on his 1981 album These Are My Songs
• Singers Unlimited, vocal arrangement by Gene Puerling, on their 1973 album The Four of Us
• Sonny Stitt on his albums Black Vibrations (1971) and Goin' Down Slow (1972)
• Cal Tjader, with Clare Fischer, on Tjader's 1977 album Guarabe
• Natalie Toro on the 2000 album Latin Broadway
• Union (featuring Laurence Hobgood, Brian Torff, and Paul Wertico) on its 1999 album State of the Union
• George Van Eps on his 1969 album Soliloquy
• Tom Vaughn, with Art Davis and Elvin Jones, on his 1966 album Live in Concert at the Village Gate''
• Marlene VerPlanck on her 1968 album A Breath of Fresh Air
• Bobby Vinton on his 1962 album Roses Are Red
• The Vocal Majority Chorus on their 1990 album I'll Be Seeing You
• Shani Wallis, orchestral arrangement by Ralph Carmichael, on her 1968 album As Long As He Needs Me
• Dionne Warwick on her 1968 album Promises, Promises
• Patty Weaver, orchestral arrangements by Mundell Lowe, on her 1976 album As Time Goes By
• Gary Wilmot on his 2005 album Where Is Love & Other Great Show Tunes
• Jimmy Wisner on his 1969 album The Jimmy Wisner Sound: Featuring Love Theme from "Romeo and Juliet"
• Tom Wopat on his 2000 album The Still of the Night
• Danny Wright on his 1996 album Black and White Six
• Lisa Young on her 1991 album Transformation

In popular culture

• The song was covered in the pilot episode of Glee by Ben Bledsoe and Stephen Tobolowsky.
• The song was featured over the end credits of the eleventh episode of the third season to AMC's Mad Men.

The song was sung by Hunter Metcalf at the Coffs Harbour 42nd annual Eisteddfod in the 8 years and under character song in costume. Hunter took out first prize in the category.