Take Me in Your Arms and Love Me

Last updated
"Take Me in Your Arms and Love Me"
Take Me in Your Arms and Love Me.jpg
Single by Gladys Knight & the Pips
from the album Everybody Needs Love
B-side "Do You Love Me Just a Little, Honey?"
Released1967
Genre Soul
Length2:56
Label Soul S-35033
Songwriter(s) Barrett Strong, Cornelius Grant, Rodger Penzabene
Producer(s) Norman Whitfield

"Take Me in Your Arms and Love Me" is a song and single by American group, Gladys Knight & the Pips written by Barrett Strong, Cornelius Grant and Rodger Penzabene. It was produced by Norman Whitfield. [1]

Contents

Background

It also appeared on their 1967 album Everybody Needs Love , where the song's erotic nature was censored. Critic John Lowe for AllMusic felt the editing "damaged the song's story structure" and "undermined Knight's erotic awareness for the song". [2]

Chart performance

Originally released in the US on the Soul label in 1967 with "Do You Love Me Just a Little, Honey" as the B-side, [1] the song only charted at number 98 on the Hot 100. [3] "Take Me in Your Arms and Love Me", however, did not chart on the national, Billboard's Top Selling R&B Singles chart. Overseas, it was later released in the UK in 1967 on the Tamla Motown label. It made number 13 in the UK charts in June 1967 and was Gladys Knight & the Pips' first UK hit. [4]

Cover versions

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gladys Knight & the Pips</span> American R&B/soul vocal group

Gladys Knight & the Pips were an American R&B, soul, and funk family music group from Atlanta, Georgia, that remained active on the music charts and performing circuit for over three decades starting from the early 1950s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scritti Politti</span> British music group

Scritti Politti are a British band, originally formed in 1977 in Leeds, England, by Welsh singer-songwriter Green Gartside. He is the only member of the band to have remained throughout the group's history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Heard It Through the Grapevine</span> 1966 song written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong

"I Heard It Through the Grapevine" is a song written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong for Motown Records in 1966. The first recording of the song to be released was produced by Whitfield for Gladys Knight & the Pips and released as a single in September 1967. It went to number one on the Billboard R&B Singles chart and number two on the Billboard Pop Singles chart and shortly became the biggest selling Motown single up to that time.

B.E.F. was a band/production company formed by former Human League members Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh which became largely eclipsed by its best-known project, Heaven 17.

<i>Cupid & Psyche 85</i> 1985 studio album by Scritti Politti

Cupid & Psyche 85 is the second studio album by the British pop band Scritti Politti, released in the UK on 10 June 1985 by Virgin Records. The release continued frontman Green Gartside's embrace of commercial pop music stylings and state-of-the-art studio production, while its lyrics reflect his preoccupation with issues of language and politics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Green Gartside</span> Musical artist

Green Gartside is a Welsh singer, songwriter and musician. He is the frontman of the band Scritti Politti.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The "Sweetest Girl"</span> 1981 single by Scritti Politti

"The 'Sweetest Girl' " is a song written by the Welsh singer Green Gartside. It was originally performed by Gartside's band Scritti Politti, and released in October 1981 as a single. The single peaked at No. 64 in the UK Singles Chart. The keyboards are played by Robert Wyatt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You're the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me</span> 1973 song originally performed by Danny Thomas

"You're the Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me" — also known simply as "Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me" — is a song written by Jim Weatherly, and produced by Don Law. It was first recorded in 1973 by Danny Thomas. Soon after it was done by Ray Price from his album You're the Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me. The song enjoyed two runs of popularity, each by an artist in a different genre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Take Me in Your Arms (Rock Me a Little While)</span>

"Take Me in Your Arms (Rock Me a Little While)" is a song written by the premier Motown songwriting/production team of the 1960s Holland–Dozier–Holland. The first hit recording was sung by Kim Weston in 1965. It was most popular in 1975 when it was recorded by the Doobie Brothers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Feel Like Makin' Love (Roberta Flack song)</span> 1974 single by Roberta Flack

"Feel Like Makin' Love" is a song composed by singer-songwriter and producer Eugene McDaniels, and recorded originally by soul singer-songwriter Roberta Flack. The song has been covered by R&B and jazz artists including Gladys Knight & the Pips, Lou Rawls, Isaac Hays, George Benson, Jeffrey Osborne, Larry Coryell, Johnny Mathis, and Marlena Shaw.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wood Beez (Pray Like Aretha Franklin)</span> 1984 single by Scritti Politti

"Wood Beez (Pray Like Aretha Franklin)" is the seventh single released by British pop band Scritti Politti, issued in the UK on 24 February 1984 by Virgin Records. It later appeared on the band's second studio album Cupid & Psyche 85 (released in June 1985) and was produced by Arif Mardin. The song's subtitle is a reference to "I Say a Little Prayer", Aretha Franklin's biggest UK hit; Mardin had also produced Franklin.

<i>Songs to Remember</i> 1982 studio album by Scritti Politti

Songs to Remember is the debut studio album by the British pop band Scritti Politti. The album's recording had to be delayed for nine months due to frontman Green Gartside's collapse and illness, and then after completion its release was delayed for a further year at the band's request. It was eventually released on 3 September 1982 by Rough Trade Records, peaking at number 12 on the UK Albums Chart. The album was heavily influenced by disco, reggae, and soul music, and marked the beginning of Scritti Politti's move from their underground DIY post-punk sound towards commercial pop music.

<i>Everybody Needs Love</i> (album) 1967 studio album by Gladys Knight & the Pips

Everybody Needs Love is the third album by Gladys Knight & the Pips and their first album for Motown Records' Soul imprint. The LP, chiefly produced by Norman Whitfield, features the singles "Just Walk in My Shoes", "Take Me in Your Arms and Love Me", "Everybody Needs Love" and "I Heard It Through the Grapevine".

"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>Provision</i> (album) 1988 studio album by Scritti Politti

Provision is the third studio album by the British pop band Scritti Politti, released in the UK on 6 June 1988 by Virgin Records.

David Gamson is an American keyboardist/musician. Originally hailing from New York, he has worked with, among others, Kesha, Kelly Clarkson, Jessie J, Adam Lambert, Chaka Khan, Charli XCX, Meshell Ndegeocello, Green Gartside, Sheila E., George Benson, Luther Vandross, Donny Osmond, Miles Davis, Al Jarreau, Tony LeMans, Roger Troutman, Eden xo, Quinn XCII and Hannah Diamond.

"It Should Have Been Me" is a 1963 song written by William "Mickey" Stevenson and Norman Whitfield for Kim Weston. It has been performed by Yvonne Fair, Gladys Knight & the Pips and Adeva among others. Knight's version peaked at number 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1968 and number 33 in Canada. Fair had her only hit single with her recording of the song in 1976, reaching number 5 in the UK, number 85 in the US and number 10 in Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Perfect Way (Scritti Politti song)</span> 1985 single by Scritti Politti

"Perfect Way" is a song written by Green Gartside and David Gamson and performed by the British pop band Scritti Politti. It was featured on the band's second and most successful studio album, Cupid & Psyche 85, released in June 1985. The song features synthesizer in its instrumentation.

"Baby, Don't Change Your Mind" is a 1977 single by Gladys Knight & the Pips. It was originally performed by the Stylistics on their 1976 album Fabulous. The song was written by Van McCoy, who had a disco hit himself with "the Hustle". McCoy would go on to write "Come Back and Finish What You Started", a hit for Gladys Knight & the Pips in 1978.

This is the discography of British band Scritti Politti.

References

  1. 1 2 "Take Me in Your Arms and Love Me". www.discogs.com. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
  2. "Everybody Needs Love". Allmusic. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
  3. Whitburn, Joel (2013). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012. Record Research. p. 471.
  4. "Gladys Knight & the Pips". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
  5. Strong, Martin C. (2000). The Great Rock Discography (5th ed.). Edinburgh: Mojo Books. p. 853. ISBN 978-1-84195-017-4
  6. "SCRITTI POLITTI | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com.
  7. "BBC One - Top of the Pops, 28/03/1991". BBC.
  8. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 486. ISBN 978-1-904994-10-7.
  9. Roberts, David (1998). Guinness Rockopedia (1st ed.). London: Guinness Publishing Ltd. p. 378. ISBN 978-0-85112-072-0.
  10. "Florence Rawlings – A Fool In Love". Discogs . Retrieved 20 January 2023.