Recorded in 1964 by the very popular musical singing group “The Searchers” the song “Love Potion Number 9” reached number two on Cash Box during the Winter of 1965 and number three on the American Billboard Hot 100. The song is based on a fictional story about a man who wants to get a Love Potion from a Gypsy named madame Ruth to make his Love Life a lot better. The secret potion that smelled like turpentine and looked like Indian Ink could have been mixed and dispensed in a special machine using Industrial Valves.
The story continues after the man has consumed the magical Potion and starts to kiss everything in sight including a Policeman on the street named Thirty-fourth and Vine. The Policeman ends up breaking the bottle and that’s where the song finishes.
The Romantic Comedy film of the same name starring Sandra Bullock and Tate Donovan was released in 1992 and tells a very similar story of a man Paul Mathews played by Donovan who falls desperately in love with his work colleague Diane Farrow played by Bullock who unfortunately does not reciprocate his feelings. He goes to see Madame Ruth the Gypsy who gives him a Love potion which seems to work on a neighbourhood Cat so he ends up trying to analyse the ingredients alongside Diane.
At the end of the movie Paul and Diane end up happily together, without the need of any Love potion.
