Lovin' You
"Lovin' You" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Minnie Riperton | ||||
from the album Perfect Angel | ||||
B-side | "The Edge of a Dream" | |||
Released | January 1975[1] | |||
Recorded | 1974 | |||
Studio | Record Plant, Los Angeles, CA[2] | |||
Genre | ||||
Length |
| |||
Label | Epic | |||
Songwriter(s) |
| |||
Producer(s) | ||||
Minnie Riperton singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Official audio | ||||
"Lovin' You" on YouTube |
"Lovin' You" is a song recorded by American singer
On April 8, 1975, "Lovin' You" was certified
Background
Richard Rudolph began composing "Lovin' You" in 1971, while he and Riperton were living in Chicago. The couple later moved to Florida, where work on the song continued after their daughter was born in 1972. Riperton developed the final melody, while Rudolph wrote the lyrics and the bridge.[2]
Riperton was offered a contract with Epic Records a few years later, and the couple moved to Los Angeles to record the album Perfect Angel. When Epic asked Riperton whom she wanted to produce the album, she named Stevie Wonder. Wonder, by then one of the biggest names in American popular music, was a fan of Riperton's work, and agreed to the collaboration.[2]
However, Wonder was signed to Motown Records; so to avoid contract conflicts he was credited under the pseudonym "El Toro Negro", Spanish for "Black Bull", as Wonder's astrological sign is Taurus.[8][9] For the same reason, Wonder only agreed to be a producer for the project as co-producer along with Rudolph, resulting in the production company Scorbu Productions being created specifically for the project.[2]
Composition
"Lovin' You" was originally published in the key of A major in common time with a tempo of 72 beats per minute. Riperton's vocals span from C♯4 to F♯6 (277–1480 Hz).[10][11]
According to the liner notes from Riperton's compilation album Petals, the melody for "Lovin' You" was created as a distraction for her baby daughter (Maya Rudolph) so that Minnie and her husband Richard could hang out. Maya was in the studio with Riperton on the day it was recorded and Riperton can be heard singing her daughter's name at the end, but only in the unedited or album version. The song fades out early in the radio edit because the disc jockeys felt that the repeated "Maya" was being overdone and that it would be misunderstood as a religious chant.[12]
Instrumentation
The original single version released to radio contained only Riperton's vocals, accompanied by electric piano and acoustic guitar. As with the rest of the album, the piano backing is played by Wonder.[8][13] Rudolph played acoustic guitar for the track.[2][8] After the single became popular, an alternative single version was created which added effects from an Arp string synth, likely in an effort to increase the complexity and depth of the otherwise simple-sounding song.[9] This alternate 7" single version was released on the 2017 re-issue of the album, as Perfect Angel: Deluxe Edition.[8]
"Lovin' You" was one of the first songs to top the US Billboard Hot 100 without the help of a percussion instrument.[14][15]
The song is especially known for Riperton's use of the high whistle register in the song's bridge, and for the chirping songbirds heard throughout.[13] Riperton stated that during the recording of the song's demo, the bird chirping was recorded accidentally. She said that it was kept in the song since it "seemed to work", and was included on the song's final version.[9]
Release
Rudolph and Riperton wanted Epic to release "Lovin' You" as a single, after seeing the song's effect on people while on tour to promote the album. Rudolph recalled: "We found ourselves performing in Portland one night during a huge blizzard. We look around and see that people are putting their arms around each other and having a great time as we're playing 'Lovin' You.'" Epic initially refused, because they had planned to market Riperton as an R&B singer. However, Rudolph and Riperton prevailed, rejecting the R&B label and insisting that "[Riperton is] a singer, period".[2]
The song was released on March 14, 1975, as the fourth single from Perfect Angel.[7] It went on to become the album's most successful track, and Riperton's biggest hit.[16] With "Lovin' You", Riperton became the first female artist on the Epic label with a debut song that reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100.[17]
Chart performance
In the US, "Lovin' You" made its debut on the
Critical reception
Ed Hogan of
"Lovin' You" was ranked number forty-six on Billboard's Top 50 Love Songs of All Time.[24]
In popular culture
In the 1996 comedy film The Nutty Professor, Sherman Klump, under the guise of his alter ego Buddy Love, sings the first part of the song to his love interest Carla Purdy (while humorously twisting his rival Reggie Washington's hand to achieve the high singing note at the end of the chorus).
In the 1997 comedy film Vegas Vacation, Ellen Griswold and Wayne Newton sing the song in duet.
In season 1 episode 3 of South Park, "Weight Gain 4000", aired on August 27, 1997, Mr. Garrison plans to assassinate Kathie Lee Gifford the moment John Stamos' little brother hits the high note of the song in concert, but since Stamos' brother can't actually hit the note, Garrison's plan is thrown off and Gifford lives. It's also used again in the Season 1 Episode 4 episode, "Big Gay Al's Big Gay Boat Ride", in which a bomb is armed to blow up the opposing football team using a sonic triggering device as Richard Stamos hits the high F note in the song. They attach the bomb to Middle Park's mascot. At halftime, Richard Stamos fails to hit the note, upsetting Jimbo and Ned, who shout that he is not as talented as his brother.
In the early 2000s,
In the 2004 film, Johnson Family Vacation, characters Dorothy Johnson and Destiny Johnson sing the tune in the bathtub
In 2006, the
In 2010, the DreamWorks Animation film Megamind, it is played a couple of times throughout the film.
In 2019, it was used in the film The Angry Birds Movie 2. Riperton's daughter Maya Rudolph voiced Matilda in the film.
Track listings
- 7" single (1974) Epic 3121[5]
- "Lovin' You" – 3:20
- "The Edge Of A Dream" – 3:34
- 7" single (1987) BR 45216 [Netherlands][5]
- "Lovin' You" – 3:20
- "Skylark – Wildflower" – 3:14
Charts and certifications
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
|
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom (BPI)[42] | Silver | 250,000^ |
United States (RIAA)[43] | Gold | 1,000,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Other releases
On December 1, 2017,
The Orb: A Huge Ever Growing Pulsating Brain That Rules from the Centre of the Ultraworld
In 1989, English
The single version was recorded live at
The initial single release was subtitled "Loving You",[44] and contained samples taken directly from Riperton's recording.[46] However, the Orb had not licensed the samples they had used of Riperton's vocals, and were forced to remove them. The single was reissued using vocals from a similar-sounding singer, so that only the copies from the single's first-week release contained Riperton's vocal samples; as a result, these copies are considered valuable.[51]
Sal Cinquemani of
Within a week of the single's release, the Orb was invited by John Peel to record a live version of the song at the BBC's Maida Vale Studios (Studio 3) on December 3, 1989.[46][52] Peel, the legendary DJ of BBC Radio 1, broadcast the live version on December 19, 1989, giving both the band and the song exposure to a much wider audience.[46][52][48] The version that was played live on BBC Radio 1 included samples of Riperton's voice,[46] and was ranked at number 10 on John Peel's year-end Festive Fifty for 1990, listed as "Loving You (Session)".[53]
Shanice version
"Lovin' You" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Motown | ||||
Songwriter(s) |
| |||
Producer(s) | Narada Michael Walden | |||
Shanice singles chronology | ||||
|
American singer-songwriter
Shanice's five-octave vocal range,[57] as well as her "rare coloratura soprano" abilities, were showcased by her cover of "Lovin' You".[58]
Critical reception
Tim Greggs of
Track listing
- UK CD single (Motown 860 071-2)[64]
- "Lovin' You" (single version) – 4:01
- "I Love Your Smile" (Driza Bone single remix) – 3:50
- "I Love Your Smile" (Driza Bone club remix) – 4:21
- "Lovin' You" (instrumental) – 3:50
Personnel
- Drums and programming by Narada Michael Walden
- Keyboards and programming by Louis Biancaniello
- Produced by Narada Michael Walden
Charts
Chart (1992) | Peak position |
---|---|
UK Singles (OCC)[65] | 54 |
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[66] | 59 |
Release history
Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
United States | August 1992 | Cassette | Motown
|
|
Japan | September 21, 1992 | Mini-CD | [67] | |
United Kingdom | November 2, 1992 |
|
[68] |
Other notable versions
"Lovin' You" has been covered in a variety of genres including jazz, reggae, pop, rock, electronica, indie rock, R&B, soul, and hip hop.
- American jazz musician and composer Pitchfork described the song as "brief" and "strangely loungy".[70] John Kelman of All About Jazz described the song as "near-pop", and one of the only tracks on the album that had a distinct melody and musical form.[71]
- English singer Allmusic noted that her cover was "very agreeable".[73]
- Jamaican reggae artists Alton Ellis and the Heptones recorded a cover of the song for the album Mr. Skabeana (1980). Jimmy Wentz of VH1 ranked their cover version at number three on his list of 12 More Awesome Reggae Covers Of Classic Songs. Wentz noted that unlike the original, the cover contained percussion, and that the artists also did not attempt to sing in the whistle register.[15]
- Massivo (Featuring Tracy) released a cover of "Loving You" which charted in the UK in May 1990, reached No. 25 and remained on the UK chart for 11 weeks.
- The band Her's released a cover of "Lovin' You" in 2017.
References
- ^ "The Hot 100 Chart". Billboard. Retrieved April 23, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g Eskow, Gary (February 1, 2008). "Classic Tracks: Minnie Riperton's 'Lovin' You'". Mix. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
- ^ a b Chick, Stevie (June 29, 2016). "Minnie Riperton – 10 of the best". The Guardian. Retrieved March 27, 2019.
- ^ Ankeny, Jason. "Minnie Riperton – Artist Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved March 26, 2019.
- ^ a b c "Minnie Riperton – Lovin' You (Song)". Hung Medien. 1974. Retrieved March 24, 2019.
- RIAA. April 8, 1975. Archivedfrom the original on April 11, 2019. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
- ^ a b "Minnie Riperton – Loving You". BPI. May 1, 1975. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f "The Late Minnie 'Lovin' You' Riperton's 70th birthday to be celebrated with special release". Pressparty. October 20, 2017. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e Hogan, Ed. "Minnie Riperton – Lovin' You – Song Review". AllMusic. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
- ^ "Minnie Riperton – Lovin' You". musicnotes.com. August 13, 2012. Retrieved January 4, 2019.
- ^ "Minnie Riperton – Lovin' You". songbpm.com. Retrieved January 4, 2019.
- ^ Weaver, Caity (September 14, 2018). "How Maya Rudolph Became the Master of Impressions". The New York Times. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
- ^ a b Sexton, Paul (May 3, 2018). "Minnie Riperton's Atlantic Crossing With 'Lovin' You'". udiscovermusic.com. Universal Music Group. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
- Idolator. January 10, 2018. Retrieved April 10, 2019.
- ^ a b Wentz, Jimmy (July 19, 2013). "Shock On! 12 More Awesome Reggae Covers Of Classic Songs". VH1. Archived from the original on April 28, 2023. Retrieved March 23, 2019.
- ^ Wynn, Ron. "Minnie Riperton – Perfect Angel". AllMusic. Retrieved March 28, 2019.
- ^ Trust, Gary (September 10, 2014). "Meghan Trainor Tops Hot 100 With 'All About That Bass'". Billboard. Retrieved April 10, 2019.
- ^ "Hot 100 – Lovin' You – Minnie Riperton". Billboard. March 29, 1975. Retrieved April 7, 2019.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary – Lovin' You – Minnie Riperton". Billboard. March 29, 1975. Retrieved April 7, 2019.
- ^ "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Lovin' You – Minnie Riperton". Billboard. March 29, 1975. Retrieved April 7, 2019.
- ^ Easlea, Daryl (2009). "Minnie Riperton Perfect Angel Review". BBC. Retrieved March 26, 2019.
- ^ "Minnie Riperton – Perfect Angel review". Classic Pop. March 2018. Retrieved April 4, 2019.
- ^ a b Moore, Marcus J. (December 5, 2017). "Minnie Riperton – Perfect Angel". Pitchfork. Retrieved March 23, 2019.
- ^ Bronson, Fred (March 2, 2016). "Top 50 Love Songs of All Time". Billboard. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
- ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "Minnie Riperton – Lovin' You" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
- ^ "RPM Weekly Top Singles". Library and Archives Canada. RPM Weekly (archived). April 19, 1975. Retrieved February 25, 2018.
- ^ "RPM Weekly Adult Contemporary". Library and Archives Canada. RPM (archived). April 5, 1975. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
- ^ Pennanen, Timo (2021). "Minnie Ripperton". Sisältää hitin – 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021 (PDF) (in Finnish). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 216. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
- ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Minnie Riperton" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
- ^ "Minnie Riperton – Lovin' You" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
- ^ "Minnie Riperton – Lovin' You". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
- ^ "Minnie Riperton: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
- ^ "Minnie Riperton Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
- ^ "Minnie Riperton Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
- ^ "Minnie Riperton Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
- ^ "National Top 100 Singles for 1975". Kent Music Report. December 29, 1975. Retrieved January 15, 2022 – via Imgur.
- ^ Brendan Lyttle (December 27, 1975). "RPM Top 200 Singles of 1975". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved July 28, 2018.
- ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1975" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
- ^ "Britain's best selling records of '75". Record Mirror. London: Billboard. January 10, 1976. p. 12. Retrieved August 29, 2016.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Top 100 Hits of 1975/Top 100 Songs of 1975". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved April 2, 2019.
- ^ "British single certifications – Minnie Riperton – Loving You". British Phonographic Industry.
- ^ "American single certifications – Riperton, Minnie – Lovin' You". Recording Industry Association of America.
- ^ a b c Wårstad, Jonas. "The Orb – Discography". discog.info. Retrieved April 2, 2019.
- ^ "The Orb – The Orb's Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld". AllMusic. Retrieved April 6, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e Anniss, Matt. "The History of Ambient House 1988–95 Part 1" (in Japanese). Red Bull Music Academy. Retrieved April 6, 2019.
- ^ Bush, John. "The Orb – Artist Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved March 27, 2019.
- ^ a b Dave Thompson. "The Orb – Peel Sessions". AllMusic. Retrieved March 27, 2019.
- ^ Slant. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
- ^ Bush, John. "The Orb – A Huge Ever Growing Pulsating Brain That Rules from the Centre of the Ultraworld". AllMusic. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
- ^ a b Boyd, Brian (October 23, 1998). "Unidentified Flying Orb". The Irish Times. Retrieved March 27, 2019.
- ^ a b "BBC – Radio 1 – Keeping It Peel – 03/12/1989 The Orb". BBC. Retrieved April 6, 2019.
- ^ "BBC Radio 1 – Festive Fifty 1990". BBC. 1990. Archived from the original on December 20, 2013. Retrieved March 27, 2019.
- ^ "SoulBounce's Class Of 1991: Shanice 'Inner Child'". soulbounce.com. December 7, 2011. Retrieved April 7, 2019.
- ^ "Shanice – Every Woman Dreams". AllMusic. Retrieved April 2, 2019.
- ^ a b John Alroy; Wilson, David Bertrand. "Shanice Album Reviews: Discovery – Inner Child – 21... Ways To Grow – Shanice – Every Woman Dreams". warr.org. Retrieved April 4, 2019.
- ^ Norment, Lynn (November 1993). "The Lives And Loves of New Pop Divas". Ebony: 42. Retrieved April 2, 2019.
- ^ "Shanice". americanmusicchannel.com. Archived from the original on November 20, 2010. Retrieved April 2, 2019.
- ^ Griggs, Tim. "Shanice – Inner Child". AllMusic. Retrieved April 2, 2019.
- ^ Flick, Larry (September 5, 1992). "Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. p. 76. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
- ^ Clark, Randy; DeVaney, Bryan (December 14, 1991). "Music Reviews: Albums" (PDF). Cashbox. p. 5. Retrieved October 31, 2020.
- ^ "Picks and Pans Review: Inner Child". People. February 10, 1992. Retrieved April 4, 2019.
- ^ Dyson, Michael Eric (March 19, 1992). "Recordings". Rolling Stone. Issue 626.
- ^ "Shanice – Lovin' You (song)". Retrieved April 1, 2019.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 24, 2019.
- ^ "Shanice Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Archived from the original on April 19, 2016. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
- ^ "ラビン・ユー | シャニース" [Lovin' You | Shanice] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
- ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. October 31, 1992. p. 21.
- ^ Losin, Peter. "Miles Ahead session details". plosin.com. Retrieved April 10, 2019.
- ^ Pitchfork. Retrieved April 10, 2019.
- ^ Kelman, John (November 28, 2007). "Miles Davis: The Complete On The Corner Sessions". All About Jazz. Retrieved April 10, 2019.
- ^ Atwal, Kay (June 12, 2013). "Janet Kay talks about Silly Games". Newham Recorder. Retrieved March 23, 2019.
- ^ Cook, Stephen. "Various Artists – Burning Up". AllMusic. Retrieved March 23, 2019.