Romantic albums _ not just boxed chocolates _ popular gifts on Valentine’s day

Valentine’s Day sweetened by love-themed music CDs

CHICAGO — On Valentine’s Day, many lovers try to select the perfect mix of songs that will lead to passionate fireworks at the end of a romantic evening.

Music retailers and record labels have made sure there are plenty of options for those looking to set the mood. In the weeks before the lover’s holiday, they usually offer up a variety of options, from repackaged material by old favorites to new offerings from contemporary artists.

“It’s second to Christmas It’s a gift-giving holiday,” says Scott Seviour, senior vice president of artist development at RCA Music Group.

Recent top album picks on iTunes include the new CD from the alternately lovestruck and lovelorn Sade, “Soldier of Love”; Michael Buble’s “Special Delivery,” a mini-disc of romantic songs; and “Valentine’s Day (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack).”

Rascal Flatts also released a special digital collection of their 14 most romantic tunes.

Barry Manilow’s latest album “The Greatest Love Songs of All Time” wasn’t specifically intended as a V-Day release — it was released late last month — but “it all ties into love and romance,” says Seviour.

For Manilow, whose hits like “Mandy” and “Can’t Smile Without You” have long soothed the ears of the sappy and lovestruck, it gave him a chance to tackle some romantic classics like “The Look of Love.”

“I’ve made some beautiful records, some beautiful songs over the years, but this is the most beautiful album I’ve ever made,” says Manilow. “It’s a very romantic album and it is perfect for Valentine’s Day.”

Manilow doesn’t consider himself big on Valentine’s Day, but says it is “a sweet holiday, and … this album is perfect for the people who really love it.”

The record industry really loves it as well. It marks an important period on the music industry’s calendar. Keith Caulfield, an analyst with Billboard magazine, said Valentine’s Day-themed releases provides a limelight for artists not released during the fourth-quarter rush (It also can help give the industry a bit of a boost after the post-Christmas slump).

“If you don’t want to be lost in that melee, and you have the right kind of artist who is the right fit for (Valentine’s Day) — like Michael Buble, who released a new digital EP, who’s loved by women of all ages — it kind of works,” he said. “It makes a lot of sense to put it out the week of Valentine’s Day.”

“It isn’t the kind of holiday where people are buying music in droves like they do for Christmas but there are certain kinds of acts and certain older albums that tend to do well.”

Singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega earlier this month released a collection of re-recorded tracks on “Close Up, Vol. 1 — Love Songs.” She says that “people who are expecting a regular kind of ‘I love you,’ kind of love song might be surprised by the variety.”

She describes the CD as one loosely tied around love — and not just the romantic kind: “The way I see it is that if I was in love with someone when I wrote the song, then that makes it a love song.”

On the Net:

www.sade.com

www.barrymanilow.com

www.suzannevega.com

www.rascalflatts.com

www.michaelbuble.com