"Penny Lover" | ||||
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Single by Lionel Richie | ||||
from the album Can't Slow Down | ||||
B-side | "Tell Me" | |||
Released | September 1984 | |||
Recorded | 1983 | |||
Genre | Pop | |||
Length |
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Label | Motown | |||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) |
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Lionel Richie singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Lionel Richie - Penny Lover (Official Music Video)" on YouTube |
"Penny Lover" is the title of the fifth and final single released from Lionel Richie's multi-platinum 1983 album, Can't Slow Down . The song was written by Richie and his then-wife, Brenda Harvey Richie.
As with all the other singles taken from Can't Slow Down ("All Night Long (All Night)", "Running with the Night", "Hello" and "Stuck on You"), "Penny Lover" was a top ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, spending two weeks at No. 8 in December 1984. [1] The song reached an identical No. 8 peak position on the Billboard R&B chart, while on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, the song logged four weeks at No. 1. [2] On the UK Singles Chart, the song reached number 18. [3] In Canada, it peaked at No. 12 on the RPM singles chart.
In a song review printed in Billboard by an anonymous writer in 1984, "Penny Lover" was described as "another of his unfailingly effective universal-appeal ballads". [2] [4]
The music video was directed by Bob Giraldi, who had also directed "Running with the Night" and "Hello".
In addition to being shortened by nearly 2 minutes, the single version is remixed with added reverb and more prominent background vocals, as well as a cold ending with just vocals and keyboard.
7" single
12" single
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
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Jamaican reggae duo Sly and Robbie covered the song in 1997, from their album Friends . It features singer Ambelique, and the song also appears on his 1997 album Sings the Classics. The single reached No. 94 on the UK Singles Chart. [3]
Can't Slow Down is the second solo studio album by American recording artist Lionel Richie. It was released on October 14, 1983, by Motown Records.
"All Night Long (All Night)" is a song by American singer and songwriter Lionel Richie from his second solo album, Can't Slow Down (1983). The song combined Richie's Commodores style with Caribbean influences. The single reached number one on three Billboard charts (pop, R&B and adult contemporary). In the UK, it peaked at number two on the singles chart.
"Endless Love" is a song written by Lionel Richie and originally recorded as a duet between Richie and singer/actress Diana Ross. In this ballad, the singers declare their "endless love" for one another. It was covered by Luther Vandross with R&B-pop singer Mariah Carey, and also by country music singer Shania Twain. Billboard has named the original version as the greatest song duet of all time.
"Easy" is a song by American band Commodores from their fifth studio album, Commodores (1977), released on the Motown label. Group member Lionel Richie wrote "Easy" with the intention of it becoming another crossover hit for the group given the success of a previous single, "Just to Be Close to You", which spent two weeks at number one on the US Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart and peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1977.
"Nightshift" is a 1985 song by the Commodores and the title track from their album of the same name. The song was written by lead singer Walter Orange in collaboration with Dennis Lambert and Franne Golde as a tribute to soul/R&B singers Jackie Wilson and Marvin Gaye, both of whom died in 1984. The song was released as the album's first single in January 1985 by Motown Records. "Nightshift" was recorded in 1984 and became the Commodores' first hit after Lionel Richie's departure from the group. Bruce Springsteen covered the song in his 2022 studio album, Only the Strong Survive.
"Easy Lover" is a song performed by Philip Bailey of the band Earth, Wind & Fire and Phil Collins of the band Genesis, jointly written and composed by Bailey, Collins, and Nathan East. The song appears on Bailey's solo album, Chinese Wall. Collins has performed the song in his live concerts, and it appears on both his 1990 album, Serious Hits... Live!, and his 1998 compilation album, ...Hits. It is Bailey's only US Top 40 hit as a solo artist.
"Love Will Lead You Back" is a song recorded by American singer Taylor Dayne for her second studio album, Can't Fight Fate (1989). Written by Diane Warren and produced by Ric Wake, the song was released on January 12, 1990, by Arista Records as the second single from the album.
"One More Try" is a song by American musician Timmy T. The song was both written and produced by Torres, who was inspired to create the song after breaking up with a girlfriend. Released in October 1990, it topped the US Billboard Hot 100 on March 23, 1991, and entered the top 10 in Belgium, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, and Sweden. It was the first single to top the Hot 100 on an independent record label since Lionel Richie's "Truly" in 1982.
"Say You, Say Me" is a song written and recorded by American singer and songwriter Lionel Richie for the film White Nights. The single hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and on the Hot Black Singles chart in December 1985. It also became Richie's ninth number-one on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. The track is not available on the film's soundtrack album, as Motown did not want Richie's first single following the massive success of his 1983 album Can't Slow Down to appear on another label. It was included by Motown on Richie's 1986 release Dancing on the Ceiling.
"Hello" is a song by American singer and songwriter Lionel Richie. Taken as the third single from his second solo album, Can't Slow Down (1983), the song was released in 1984 and reached number one on three Billboard music charts: the pop chart, the R&B chart, and the Adult Contemporary chart. The song also went to number one on the UK Singles Chart for six weeks.
Lionel Richie is an American R&B and pop singer, who has released 11 studio albums, three live albums, and seven compilation albums. Formerly the lead vocalist of The Commodores, Richie began a solo career in the early 1980s and has released over 40 singles, five of which became number-one hits on the US Billboard Hot 100.
"Do It to Me" is a song by American singer Lionel Richie. The song was written by Richie, and produced by himself and Stewart Levine. It was the first single from his first compilation album, Back to Front and was released in 1992 by Motown Records. The song spent one week at number one on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and peaked at number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Do It to Me" also achieved some success in European countries, becoming a top ten hit in France and Norway. The song samples the drum break "Sneakin' in the Back" by Tom Scott.
"Truly" is the debut solo single by American singer-songwriter Lionel Richie. Resuming where he left off with D-flat major tunes "Sail On" and particularly "Still" when he was lead for the Commodores, Richie wrote the song and co-produced it with James Anthony Carmichael.
"Lady" is a song written by Lionel Richie and first recorded by American country music artist Kenny Rogers. It was released in September 1980 on the album Kenny Rogers' Greatest Hits.
"Rhythm of the Night" is a song by American musical recording group DeBarge, written by Diane Warren and released on February 23, 1985, on the Motown label as the first single from their fourth studio album of the same name. The song was Warren's breakthrough as a songwriter and was the biggest hit recorded by the Motown family singing group, peaking at number three on the Billboard Hot 100.
"Running with the Night" is the second single released from American singer and songwriter Lionel Richie's multi-platinum and Grammy Award-winning 1983 album, Can't Slow Down. Richie co-wrote the song with songwriter Cynthia Weil and co-produced it with James Anthony Carmichael.
"My Destiny" is a song recorded by American singer and songwriter Lionel Richie. It was released on July 28, 1992 as the second single from his first compilation album, Back to Front (1992), by Motown Records. It was written by Richie and produced by himself and Stewart Levine. The song achieved some success, and it even topped the Dutch Single Top 100 and peaked at number two in the Dutch Top 40. It also appeared on Richie's best of albums Truly: The Love Songs and The Definitive Collection.
"Stuck on You" is a song written and originally recorded by American singer and songwriter Lionel Richie. It was the fourth single released from his second studio album, Can't Slow Down, released in June 1984, by Motown, and achieved chart success, particularly in the US and the UK, where it peaked at number three and number 12, respectively. "Stuck on You" reached number one on the Adult Contemporary chart, Richie's seventh chart topper.
"Ballerina Girl" is a song written and recorded by Lionel Richie, from his 1986 album Dancing on the Ceiling. The song was written for Lionel's daughter, Nicole. In the US and Canada, the song was released as a double A-side, with "Deep River Woman" entering the charts in January 1987.
"Se La" is a track from Lionel Richie's 1986 album Dancing on the Ceiling. The song was written by Richie and Greg Phillinganes, and produced by Richie and James Anthony Carmichael. Released in 1987 as the final single from the album, it would be Richie's last single of the 1980s.