Lovin' You
| "Lovin' You" | ||||||||||
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| Single by Minnie Riperton | ||||||||||
| from the album Perfect Angel | ||||||||||
| B-side | "The Edge of a Dream" | |||||||||
| Released | January 13, 1975 | |||||||||
| Recorded | 1974 | |||||||||
| Genre | Soul | |||||||||
| Length |
3:21 (single version) 3:46 (album version) | |||||||||
| Label |
Epic 32561 | |||||||||
| Writer(s) |
Minnie Riperton Richard Rudolph | |||||||||
| Producer(s) | Stevie Wonder and Richard Rudolph (as Scorbu Productions)[1] | |||||||||
| Minnie Riperton singles chronology | ||||||||||
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"Lovin' You" is a 1975 hit single originally performed by American singer Minnie Riperton. The song became a #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 on April 5, 1975. Additionally, it reached #2 in the UK, and #3 on the R&B chart in the U.S. Billboard ranked it as the No. 13 song for 1975.[2] It is especially noteworthy for Riperton singing in the very high whistle register in the bridge of the song. It is also noteworthy for the sound of the chirping songbirds that are heard throughout the song.
Setting
It was the fourth single from the album Perfect Angel (1974). As with the rest of the album, the keyboard backing is played by Stevie Wonder (credited as "El Toro Negro", Spanish for the black bull, as Wonder is a Taurus.).
"Lovin' You" was among the first of several songs to top the U.S. pop chart without the help of a percussion instrument. Prior examples of percussion-less Number Ones were Jim Croce – "Time in a Bottle" (1973), The Beatles – "Yesterday" (1965), and on the UK Singles Chart, The Beatles – "Eleanor Rigby" (1966).
According to the liner notes from Riperton's compilation CD Petals, the melody for "Lovin' You" was created as a distraction for her daughter (Maya Rudolph) when she was a baby so that Minnie and her husband Richard could hang out. Maya was in the studio with her mother on the day the song was recorded and Riperton can be heard singing her daughter's name at the end of the song, but only in the unedited or album version of the song. The song fades out early in the single edit, because the disc jockeys felt that the repeated "Maya" was being overdone and too misunderstood, thinking that it was a Mayan chant.
Chart performance
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"Lovin' You (Minnie Riperton)"
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Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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Certifications
| Region | Certification | Sales/shipments |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[9] | Silver | 250,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[10] | Gold | 1,000,000^ |
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*sales figures based on certification alone | ||
| Preceded by "Lady Marmalade" by Labelle |
Billboard Hot 100 number-one single April 5, 1975 (one week) |
Succeeded by "Philadelphia Freedom" by Elton John |
Shanice version
| "Lovin' You" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Single by Shanice | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| from the album Inner Child | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Released | August 11, 1992 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Format | CD single, Cassette single | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Recorded | 1991 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Genre | R&B, soul, quiet storm | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Length | 3:57 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Label |
Motown 2175 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Producer(s) | Narada Michael Walden for Perfection Light Productions | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Shanice singles chronology | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Shanice's cover of the song was released in the summer of 1992 months after the success of her hit "I Love Your Smile". It only achieved minor success on the R&B chart peaking at #59; it also peaked at #54 on the UK chart. The music video for the song is set on a beach. In 2005, she re-recorded the song again for her 2006 album Every Woman Dreams.
Track listing
- Single Version
- I Love Your Smile (Driza Bone Single Remix)
- I Love Your Smile (Driza Bone Club Remix)
- Instrumental
Charts
| Chart (1992) | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot R&B Singles | 59 |
| UK Singles Chart | 54 |
Personnel
- Drums and programming by Narada Michael Walden
- Keyboards and programming by Louis Biancaniello
- Produced by Narada Michael Walden for Perfection Light Productions
In popular media
The song appears in the films First Sunday, Disturbia, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004), Monkeybone, Megamind, The Nutty Professor and Seven Pounds.
It was used in a Burger King commercial promoting Cini-Minis. In Japan, this song was used for commercial message (CM) of Japan Tobacco's Salem Slim Light in 1994.
The song plays a prominent role in the episode of South Park titled Big Gay Al's Big Gay Boat Ride, in which Jimbo and Ned seek a back-up plan and learn that John Stamos' brother Richard will be singing "Lovin' You" at half-time. Consequently, they plan to detonate the mascot for Middle Park, by placing a bomb to explode when Richard Stamos sings the high F note in the song.
The song also played as a backdrop to Sean Hayes' physical comedy antics in the 2002 Will and Grace episode "Fagel Attraction", (Season 4, Episode 23) guest starring Michael Douglas.
References
- ↑ Eskow, Gary (February 1, 2008). "Classic Tracks: Minnie Riperton's "Lovin' You"". Mix. Retrieved June 22, 2013.
- ↑ Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1975
- ↑ "Ultratop.be – Minnie Riperton – Lovin' You" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
- ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Minnie Riperton – Lovin' You" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
- ↑ "Charts.org.nz – Minnie Riperton – Lovin' You". Top 40 Singles.
- ↑ http://www.officialcharts.com/charts/singles-chart/19750504/7501/
- ↑ http://australian-charts.com/forum.asp?todo=viewthread&id=35092
- ↑ 1975 in British music
- ↑ "British single certifications – Minnie Riperton – Loving You". British Phonographic Industry. Enter Loving You in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select single in the field By Format. Select Silver in the field By Award. Click Search
- ↑ "American single certifications – Riperton, Minnie – Lovin' You". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH
External links
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