(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want to Be Right

Last updated

"(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want to Be Right"
Single by Luther Ingram
from the album If Loving You Is Wrong I Don't Want to Be Right
B-side "Puttin' Game Down"
ReleasedApril 1972
Genre Soul
Length3:32
Label KoKo
Songwriter(s) Homer Banks, Carl Hampton, Raymond Jackson
Producer(s) John Baylor
Luther Ingram singles chronology
"You Were Made For Me"
(1972)
"(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want to Be Right"
(1972)
"I'll Be Your Shelter (In Time of Storm)"
(1972)
"(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want to Be Right"
Song by Millie Jackson
from the album Caught Up
B-side "The Rap"
ReleasedDecember 1974
Recorded1974
Genre Soul
Length3:27 (single version)
3:56 (album version)
Label Spring
Composer(s) Homer Banks, Carl Hampton, Raymond Jackson
Producer(s) Brad Shapiro
"(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want to Be Right"
(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want to Be Right - Barbara Mandrell.jpg
Single by Barbara Mandrell
from the album Moods
B-side "I Feel the Hurt Coming On"
ReleasedFebruary 17, 1979
Recordedc. 1978
Genre Country
Length3:05
Label ABC
Songwriter(s) Homer Banks, Carl Hampton, Raymond Jackson
Producer(s) Tom Collins
Barbara Mandrell singles chronology
"Sleeping Single in a Double Bed"
(1978)
"(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want to Be Right"
(1979)
"Fooled by a Feeling"
(1979)

"(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want to Be Right" is a song written by Stax Records songwriters Homer Banks, Carl Hampton, and Raymond Jackson. Originally written for The Emotions, it has been performed by many singers, most notably by Luther Ingram, whose original recording [1] topped the R&B chart for four weeks and rose to number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1972. [2] Billboard ranked it as the No. 16 song for 1972. [3]

Contents

In 1972–73, The Faces recorded the song as an outtake for Ooh La La (1973), their final studio album. In 1974, Millie Jackson released her version of the song which received two Grammy Award nominations. [4] [5] In 1978, Barbara Mandrell's version topped the U.S. country chart, reached number 31 on the Billboard Hot 100 (number 27 Cashbox), and was nominated for Single of the Year at the 1979 CMA (Country Music Association) Awards. Rod Stewart recorded the song for Foot Loose & Fancy Free (1977), his eighth album; as a single it peaked at number 23 on the UK Singles Chart in 1980.

Content

The song is about an adulterous love affair, told from the point of view of either the mistress or the cheating spouse, depending on the gender of the performer. Regardless, both parties involved express their desire to maintain the affair, while at the same time acknowledging that the relationship is wrong according to conventional moral standards.

Millie Jackson, however, took a somewhat different approach. On both studio and live recordings, her version is typically divided into three parts: "(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want to Be Right", "The Rap", and "(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want to Be Right (Reprise)", which together have a running time of over 11 minutes. [6] The first and third parts include the song more or less as originally written, while the second part was written by Jackson herself. Titled "The Rap", the middle segment is a monologue in which an unrepentant Jackson discusses her status as the "other woman" and why she loves it. [7]

The song is sampled in Travis Scott, Young Thug, and Rich Homie Quan's song "Mamacita" and Pusha T and Kendrick Lamar's song "Nosetalgia"

Notable performers

It was first recorded by The Emotions (but their version has never been released), and by Veda Brown, whose version was finally released in 2008. [8] Other notable singers to cover it include: country singer Jackie Burns (whose version made Hot Country Songs in 1972), [9] Isaac Hayes, Millie Jackson, Rod Stewart, Percy Sledge, Bobby "Blue" Bland, David Ruffin, Barbara Mason, LeAnn Rimes, Renée Geyer, Ramsey Lewis, jazz chanteuse Della Reese, reggae singers Alton Ellis, George Faith and Glen Washington, Tom Jones, Cassandra Wilson, Nathan Cavaleri, Rania Zeriri, Barbara Mandrell and Johanne Desforges (French cover: Si je ne peux t'aimer a quoi bon exister).

In 2020, electronic musician Nicolas Jaar (under his moniker Against All Logic) released his own version called "If Loving You Is Wrong" from his second album 2017-2019 , which heavily samples Ingram's version, notably the chorus.

Chart recordings

Luther Ingram

Chart (1972)Peak
Position
US Billboard Hot 100 [10] 3
US Best Selling Soul Singles ( Billboard ) [11] 1

Jackie Burns

Chart (1972)Peak
Position
US Billboard Hot Country Singles [9] 71

Millie Jackson

Chart (1975)Peak
Position
US Billboard Hot 100 [12] 42
US Hot Soul Singles ( Billboard ) [13] 42

Barbara Mandrell

Chart (1979)Peak
Position
US Billboard Hot 100 [14] 31
US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) [15] 1
US Billboard Adult Contemporary [16] 6

Year-end charts

Chart (1979)Position
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard) [17] 19

Rhonda Clark

Chart (1992)Peak
Position
US Hot R&B Singles ( Billboard ) [18] 6

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Can't Stop Loving You</span> 1957 song by Don Gibson

"I Can't Stop Loving You" is a popular song written and composed by country singer, songwriter, and musician Don Gibson, who first recorded it on December 3, 1957, for RCA Victor Records. It was released in 1958 as the B-side of "Oh, Lonesome Me", becoming a double-sided country hit single. At the time of Gibson's death in 2003, the song had been recorded by more than 700 artists, most notably by Ray Charles, whose recording reached No. 1 on the Billboard chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Millie Jackson</span> American singer of dance and soul, mother of hip-hop (born 1944)

Mildred Virginia Jackson is an American R&B and soul recording artist. Beginning her career in the early 1960s, three of Jackson's albums have been certified gold by the RIAA for over 500,000 copies sold. Jackson's songs often include long spoken sections, sometimes humorous, sometimes sexually explicit. According to the cataloguing site WhoSampled.com, her songs have appeared in 189 samples, 51 covers, and six remixes.

"Since she always enjoyed writing poems, in the early '70s Jackson began crafting such proto-rap R&B singles as the outspoken "A Child of God ."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luther Ingram</span> American songwriter (1937–2007)

Luther Thomas Ingram was an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter. His most successful record, "(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want to Be Right", reached No. 1 on the Billboard R&B chart and No. 3 on the Hot 100 in 1972.

"Together Again" is a 1964 song by American country singer and guitarist Buck Owens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'll Be Around (The Spinners song)</span> 1972 single by The Spinners

"I'll Be Around" is a song recorded by the American R&B vocal group The Spinners. It was co-written by Thom Bell and Phil Hurtt and produced by Bell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Homer Banks</span> American soul singer-songwriter (1941–2003)

Homer Banks was an African American songwriter, singer and record producer. Although best known by many for his songwriting for Stax Records in the 1960s and 1970s, some of his own releases from the 1960s are considered classics on the Northern Soul scene. Many of the songs he wrote have become contemporary classics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woman to Woman (Shirley Brown song)</span> #1 R&B Chart single by Shirley Brown in 1974

"Woman to Woman" is the title of a 1974 deep soul single recorded by Shirley Brown for whom it was a #1 R&B hit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barbara Mandrell singles discography</span>

The singles discography of American country music artist Barbara Mandrell contains 54 singles as a lead artists, seven singles as a collaborative artist, six promotional singles and one music video. In 1966, Mandrell's debut single was released titled "Queen for a Day". She then signed a recording contract and in 1969 had her first charting release with a cover of "I've Been Loving You Too Long ". In the early 1970s, Mandrell had a series of top 20 charting singles on America's Billboard country songs chart. This included "Playin' Around with Love" (1970), "Treat Him Right" (1971) and "Show Me" (1972). She collaborated with David Houston on several singles as well. Their most successful was 1970's "After Closing Time", which became Mandrell's first top ten hit on the Billboard country chart. During this period she also reached the top ten with "Tonight My Baby's Coming Home" (1971) and "The Midnight Oil" (1973). In 1975, Mandrell signed to ABC Records and had a top five country hit with "Standing Room Only".

<i>Moods</i> (Barbara Mandrell album) 1978 studio album by Barbara Mandrell

Moods is the eighth solo studio album by American country music singer Barbara Mandrell, released in September 1978.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Respect Yourself</span> 1971 single by the Staple Singers

"Respect Yourself" is a song by American R&B/gospel group the Staple Singers. Released in late 1971 from their album Be Altitude: Respect Yourself, the song became a crossover hit. The Staple Singers' version peaked at No. 12 on the Hot 100, No. 2 on the Hot Soul Singles chart, and is one of the group's most recognizable hits. In 2002, the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, and in 2010 it was ranked #468 on the Rolling Stone list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, moving down 4 spots from #464 in 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Any Day Now (Burt Bacharach song)</span> 1962 song by Bacharach and Bob Hilliard

"Any Day Now" is a popular song written by Burt Bacharach and Bob Hilliard in 1962. It has been recorded by numerous artists over the years, including notable versions by Chuck Jackson in 1962, Alan Price in 1965, Elvis Presley in 1969, Scott Walker in 1973 and Ronnie Milsap in 1982. In the lyrics, the singer predicts the imminent demise of a romantic relationship and describes the sadness this will leave.

"Share Your Love with Me" is a song written by Alfred Braggs and Deadric Malone. It was originally recorded by blues singer Bobby "Blue" Bland. Over the years, the song has been covered by various artists, most notably Aretha Franklin who won a Grammy Award for her 1969 rendition. Other artists who covered the song include The Band in 1973, Kenny Rogers in 1981, and most recently, Van Morrison in 2016.

<i>Greatest Hits</i> (Barbara Mandrell album) 1985 greatest hits album by Barbara Mandrell

Greatest Hits is the fourth compilation album by American country music artist Barbara Mandrell. The album was produced by Tom Collins and released on MCA Records in March 1985. The album was her first compilation for MCA Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angel in Your Arms</span>

"Angel in Your Arms" is a song composed by Herbert Clayton Ivey, Terrence Woodford, and Tom Brasfield, which was a 1977 Top Ten hit for Hot, and also a Top Ten country hit in 1985 for Barbara Mandrell.

Raymond Earl Jackson was an American rhythm and blues songwriter, guitarist and record producer. His most successful songs, mostly written at Stax Records in the late 1960s and early 1970s, were "Who's Making Love", co-written with Homer Banks and Bettye Crutcher; and "(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want to Be Right" and "If You're Ready ", both co-written with Banks and Carl Hampton.

"Right or Wrong" or "Right or Wrong (I'll Be with You)" is a song written and originally recorded by Wanda Jackson, an American country, rock, and Christian music artist. Originally, the song was a major country and pop hit for Jackson in 1961. A second version was released in 1964 that became popular by American pop artist, Ronnie Dove.

"Show Me" is a title track of the 1967 album by Joe Tex, who also wrote the song. The single was Joe Tex's fourteenth release to make the US R&B chart. "Show Me" went to #24 on the R&B chart and #35 on the Hot 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Married, But Not to Each Other</span>

"Married But Not to Each Other" is a song originally recorded by American R&B artist Denise LaSalle. It was composed by LaSalle, along with Francis Miller. LaSalle's original version became a major hit on the American R&B music chart in 1976, reaching the top 20 that year. It was one of several singles composed by LaSalle that became a charting single. It was later covered in 1977 by American country artist Barbara Mandrell, whose version reached the top five of the American country chart.

<i>Acoustic Attitude</i> 1994 studio album (re-recording) by Barbara Mandrell

Acoustic Attitude is the twenty-fourth solo studio album by American country artist Barbara Mandrell. It was released on April 21, 1994 on Direct Records and contained 12 tracks. It was Mandrell's twenty-sixth studio recording released in her career and the first to be issued on the Direct label. Acoustic Attitude was a collection of re-recordings of Mandrell's most popular singles from her career. The album was originally sold on television and later released to digital retailers.

"Holdin' On (To the Love I Got)" is a song written by Billy Sherrill, Carmol Taylor and Tammy Wynette. It was originally recorded by American country music artist Tammy Wynette before being recorded again by Barbara Mandrell. Mandrell's version was released in September 1972 as the third from her album The Midnight Oil. It was one of Mandrell's early single releases in her career and among her first to reach the top 40 on the American country songs chart.

References

  1. "If Loving You Is Wrong (I Don't Want to Be Right)", SecondhandSongs.com. Retrieved March 13, 2017
  2. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 274.
  3. Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1972
  4. "Millie Jackson". MTV Artists. Retrieved April 16, 2015.
  5. Patrick Mondout. "Grammy Awards for 1974". Super70s.com. Archived from the original on October 12, 2008. Retrieved December 31, 2008.
  6. "MILLIE JACKSON: Caught Up / Still Caught Up". Amazon Music. 1999. Retrieved April 16, 2015.
  7. "Catching Up with Soul Icon Millie Jackson". National Public Radio . May 19, 2006. Retrieved April 16, 2015.
  8. The Stax Solo Recordings: Judy Clay & Veda Brown, Kent label Cd, Ace Records, London, (2008).
  9. 1 2 Joel Whitburn, Top Country Singles 1944-1993, p.488
  10. "Luther Ingram Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  11. "Luther Ingram Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard .
  12. "Millie Jackson Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  13. "Millie Jackson Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard .
  14. "Barbara Mandrell Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  15. "Barbara Mandrell Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
  16. Whitburn, Joel (1993). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993. Record Research. p. 148.
  17. "Hot Country Songs – Year-End 1979". Billboard. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  18. "Rhonda Clark Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard .