I Need to Be in Love

{{Infobox song

| name = I Need to Be in Love

| cover = I Need to Be in Love.jpg

| alt =

| caption = Single picture sleeve

| type = single

| artist = Carpenters

| album = A Kind of Hush

| B-side = Sandy

| released = May 21, 1976

| recorded = 1976

| studio =

| venue =

| genre = Pop

| length = *3:25 (single version)

3:49 (album version)

| label = A&M

| writer = *Richard Carpenter

| producer = Richard Carpenter

| prev_title = There's a Kind of Hush (All Over the World)

| prev_year = 1976

| next_title = Goofus

| next_year = 1976

| misc = {{Extra track listing

| album = A Kind of Hush

| type = single

| tracks = {{hidden

| title = 10 tracks

| text =

;Side two

"I Need to Be in Love"
"One More Time"
"Boat to Sail"
"I Have You"
"Breaking Up Is Hard to Do"

}}

"I Need to Be in Love" is a song written by Richard Carpenter, Albert Hammond and John Bettis. It was released as a single on May 21, 1976. It was featured on the A Kind of Hush album, which was released on June 11 of the same year.

Background

The single featured a version without the piano lead-in and starts immediately with a flute introduction by David Shostac.{{cite web|url=http://carpenters.amcorner.com/album/a-kind-of-hush |title=A Kind Of Hush | The Carpenters Complete Recording Resource |date=29 March 2012 |publisher=Carpenters.amcorner.com |access-date=2013-06-04}} Richard recalled that it was Karen's favorite Carpenters song.{{cite web|url=http://www.richardandkarencarpenter.com/SN_INeedToBeInLove.htm |title=Carpenters •• I Need To Be In Love |publisher=Richardandkarencarpenter.com |date=2008-06-04 |access-date=2013-06-04}}

Reception

Cash Box said that it starts with a "beautiful string introduction" and that "Karen Carpenter's voice slips in with a sweet ballad melody."{{cite news|title=CashBox Singles Reviews|date=June 5, 1976|page=16|accessdate=2021-12-11|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1976/Cash-Box-1976-06-05.pdf|newspaper=Cash Box}}

Personnel

Karen Carpenter - lead vocals
Richard Carpenter - piano, Fender Rhodes electric piano, harpsichord, Hammond organ, orchestration
Joe Osborn - bass
Tony Peluso - electric guitar
Jim Gordon - drums
Earle Dumler - English horn
Gayle Levant - harp
David Shostac - flute
The O.K. Chorale - backing vocals

Chart performance

The song entered the Billboard Hot 100 on June 12 at number 55,{{cite web |title=The Hot 100 |url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/1976-06-12 |publisher=Billboard|access-date=September 3, 2016 |date=June 12, 1976}} and peaked at number 25.[{{BillboardURLbyName|artist=carpenters|chart=all}} "I Need to Be in Love" USA chart history], Billboard.com. Retrieved March 19, 2012. It peaked at number 36 on the UK charts.[http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/_/carpenters/ Carpenters UK chart history], The Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 19, 2012. In 1995, it was released as a CD single in Japan, after being chosen for the theme song of the drama Miseinen. It was taken from the best-selling compilation 22 Hits of the Carpenters (promoted as a double A-side with "Top of the World"). On his website, Richard Carpenter wrote that "It became one of the biggest sellers of 1995, ultimately going quadruple platinum. In more ways than one, Karen would have loved that!" "I Need to Be in Love" was also the Carpenters' fourteenth number one on the Easy Listening chart.{{cite book |title= Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001|last=Whitburn |first=Joel |author-link=Joel Whitburn |year=2002 |publisher=Record Research |page=48}}

class="wikitable sortable"
style="text-align:center;"\|Chart (1976) ! style="text-align:center;"\|Peak position
US Billboard Hot 100 \| style="text-align:center;"\|25
US Billboard Easy Listening \| style="text-align:center;"\|1
Canada RPM Top Singles \| style="text-align:center;"\|31
Canada RPM Adult Contemporary[https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.4291&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.4291.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.4291 RPM Adult Contemporary, July 31, 1976] \| style="text-align:center;"\|1
Ireland \| style="text-align:center;"\|14
Japanese Singles Chart (Oricon) \| style="text-align:center;"\|62
UK Singles Chart \| style="text-align:center;"\|36
Australia (Kent Music Report){{cite book\|title=Australian Charts Book 1970—1992\|author=David Kent\|isbn=0-646-11917-6\|year=1993\|publisher=Australian Chart Book Pty Ltd, Turramurra, N.S.W.}} \| style="text-align:center;"\|47
align="left" \|US Cash Box Top 100{{cite web\|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1976/Cash-Box-1976-07-17.pdf\|title=Cash Box\|website=Worldradiohistory.com\|date=1978-07-17\|access-date=2023-08-17}} \|align="center"\| 31
Chart (1995) !Peak position
Japan (Oricon) \| style="text-align:center;"\|5

class="wikitable sortable"

style="text-align:center;"|Chart (1976)

! style="text-align:center;"|Peak
position

US Billboard Hot 100

| style="text-align:center;"|25

US Billboard Easy Listening

| style="text-align:center;"|1

Canada RPM Top Singles

| style="text-align:center;"|31

Canada RPM Adult Contemporary[https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.4291&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.4291.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.4291 RPM Adult Contemporary, July 31, 1976]

| style="text-align:center;"|1

Ireland

| style="text-align:center;"|14

Japanese Singles Chart (Oricon)

| style="text-align:center;"|62

UK Singles Chart

| style="text-align:center;"|36

Australia (Kent Music Report){{cite book|title=Australian Charts Book 1970—1992|author=David Kent|isbn=0-646-11917-6|year=1993|publisher=Australian Chart Book Pty Ltd, Turramurra, N.S.W.}}

| style="text-align:center;"|47

align="left" |US Cash Box Top 100{{cite web|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1976/Cash-Box-1976-07-17.pdf|title=Cash Box|website=Worldradiohistory.com|date=1978-07-17|access-date=2023-08-17}}

|align="center"| 31

Chart (1995)

!Peak
position

Japan (Oricon)

| style="text-align:center;"|5

Certifications

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Japan|title=青春の輝き／トップ・オブ・ザ・ワールド|artist=カーペンターズ|award=Platinum|number=4|type=single|relyear=1995|certyear=1996|certmonth=1|note=I Need to Be in Love / Top of the World|salesamount=450,000|salesref={{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Dg8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA49|magazine=Billboard|title=The Carpenters Are A Hit Among Young Japanese|page=49|issn=0006-2510|date=February 10, 1996|via=Google Books|first=Steve|last=McClure|accessdate=July 28, 2023}}}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Japan|title=青春の輝き|artist=カーペンターズ|award=Gold|type=single|digital=true|relyear=2008|certyear=2017|certmonth=3|note=Digital|access-date=October 19, 2020}}