Lookin' for a Love
{{Short description|1962 single by The Valentinos}}
{{for|the 1975 song by Neil Young|Zuma (Neil Young & Crazy Horse album)}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Lookin' for a Love
| cover = Lookin'_for_a_Love_-_The_Valentinos.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = the Valentinos
| album =
| B-side = Somewhere There's a Girl
| released = March 1962
| recorded = 1962
| studio =
| venue =
| length = 3:15
| label = SAR
| writer = J. W. Alexander, Zelda Samuels
| producer = Sam Cooke
| prev_title =
| prev_year =
| next_title =
| next_year =
}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Looking for a Love
| cover = Looking_for_a_Love_-_The_J._Geils_Band.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = the J. Geils Band
| album = The Morning After
| B-side = "Whammer Jammer" (US)
"What's Your Hurry" (Intl.)
| released = November 1971
| recorded = Record Plant West, Los Angeles
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = Blues rock, rock and roll
| length = 3:47
| label = Atlantic Records
| writer = J.W. Alexander, Zelda Samuels
| producer = Bill Szymczyk
| prev_title = Wait
| prev_year = 1971
| next_title = I Don't Need You No More
| next_year = 1972
}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Lookin' for a Love
| cover = Lookin'_for_a_Love_-_Bobby_Womack.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Bobby Womack
| album = Lookin' for a Love Again
| B-side = Let It Hang Out
| released = January 1974
| recorded = 1973
| studio =
| venue =
| length = 2:37
| label = UA
| writer = J. W. Alexander, Zelda Samuels
| producer = Bobby Womack
| prev_title = I'm Through Trying to Prove My Love to You
| prev_year = 1973
| next_title = You're Welcome, Stop On By
| next_year = 1974
}}
"Lookin' for a Love" is a song written by J. W. Alexander and Zelda Samuels and was the debut hit of the family group the Valentinos, which featured Bobby Womack. The song was a hit for the Valentinos, climbing to number eight on the R&B chart and crossing over to number 72 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1962, released on Sam Cooke's SAR label. The song became a much bigger hit when Womack issued a solo version in 1974; this version reached number one on the R&B chart and number ten on the Billboard Hot 100. As well, an interim version of "Lookin' for a Love" by the J. Geils Band in 1971 was a top-40 hit for them, peaking at number 39.
Background
The melody originally came from a gospel hymn titled, "Couldn't Hear Nobody Pray," recorded and released in 1961 when they were still known as the Womack Brothers. Sam Cooke produced that session as well as the sessions for "Lookin' For a Love". Following the release of "Couldn't Hear Nobody Pray" and convinced that 17-year-old Bobby Womack would "go places", Cooke hired his staff writers J. W. Alexander and Zelda Samuels to rewrite the song as a doo-wop dance number, basing the song's chord structure on the melodic motif found in "Pray".
When the brothers were presented with the song, they protested initially fearing a backlash from their minister father, Friendly Womack. However, Cooke convinced them that the song would be a hit and guarantee the Womacks some financial success as well as commercial. Like "Couldn't Hear Nobody Pray", the song featured Bobby on lead. Prior to its release, Cooke suggested a name change, thinking the change would do wonders for their career as it had done for him. Cooke settled on the Valentinos and released the song that spring.
Chart performance
After its success, the group opened for James Brown & The Famous Flames where they won fans. In 1973, Bobby used "Lookin' for a Love" as a warm-up song to help loosen up his vocal cords during a recording session. Womack recorded one take of the song - with his brothers again providing background vocals - but had no plans of putting it out as a single. However, after some convincing, he released the song in early 1974 and the song went on to be his most successful single to date, and was his second number-one single on the Hot Soul Singles chart (after "Woman's Gotta Have It" in 1972, which only got to number 60 on the Hot 100) and his first and only top-10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, where it peaked at number 10.{{cite book |title= Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942–2004|last=Whitburn |first=Joel |author-link=Joel Whitburn |year=2004 |publisher=Record Research |page=634}} It also reached number eight on the Cash Box Top 100. The single was later certified gold by the RIAA for sales of one million copies. This resulted in the song later selling more than two million copies. The song's success was bittersweet, however: the song's background vocalist Harry Womack later died from stab wounds from his girlfriend the week before it hit number one.
Charts
;Valentinos original
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Chart (1962)
!Peak |
|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990 - {{ISBN|0-89820-089-X}}
| style="text-align:center;"|72 |
| US Billboard R&B
| style="text-align:center;"|8 |
| US Cash Box Top 100[http://tropicalglen.com/Archives/60s_files/19620929.html Cash Box Top 100 Singles, September 29, 1962]
| style="text-align:center;"|63 |
Credits (Bobby Womack versions)
=1962 original=
- Lead vocal by Bobby Womack
- Background vocals by the Valentinos: Friendly Womack, Jr., Curtis Womack, Harry Womack and Cecil Womack
- Instrumentation by SAR Records staff musicians
- Produced by Sam Cooke
=1974 version=
- Lead vocal by Bobby Womack
- Background vocals by the Valentinos: Friendly Womack, Jr., Curtis Womack, Harry Womack and Cecil Womack
- Instrumentation by the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section
- Produced by Bobby Womack
Charts
;Bobby Womack version
{{col-begin|width=65%}}
{{col-2}}
=Weekly charts=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Chart (1974)
!Peak |
|---|
| Canada RPM Top Singles{{cite web|url= http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.5017a&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.5017a.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.5017a |title=Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada |website=Collectionscanada.gc.ca |date= 17 July 2013|accessdate=2017-02-20}}
| style="text-align:center;"|24 |
| US Billboard Hot 100
| style="text-align:center;"|10 |
| US Billboard R&B
| style="text-align:center;"|1 |
| US Cash Box Top 100{{Cite web |url=http://tropicalglen.com/Archives/70s_files/19740427.html |title=Cash Box Top 100 Singles, April 27, 1974 |access-date=February 20, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170221105905/http://tropicalglen.com/Archives/70s_files/19740427.html |archive-date=February 21, 2017 |url-status=dead }}
| style="text-align:center;"|8 |
{{col-2}}
=Year-end charts=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| align="left"|Chart (1974)
! style="text-align:center;"|Rank |
|---|
| Canada[http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.3893b&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.3893b.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.3893b Bac-lac.gc.ca]
| style="text-align:center;"|197 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[http://www.musicoutfitters.com/topsongs/1974.htm Musicoutfitters.com]
| style="text-align:center;"|67 |
| US Cash Box {{Cite web |url=http://tropicalglen.com/Archives/70s_files/1974YESP.html |title=Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles, December 28, 1974 |access-date=February 20, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161009212559/http://tropicalglen.com/Archives/70s_files/1974YESP.html |archive-date=October 9, 2016 |url-status=dead }}
| style="text-align:center;"|75 |
{{col-end}}
;J. Geils Band cover
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Chart (1971–72)
!Peak |
|---|
| Canada RPM Top Singles
| style="text-align:center;"|25 |
| US Billboard Hot 100
| style="text-align:center;"|39 |
| US Cash Box Top 100
| style="text-align:center;"|37 |
Cover Versions
- In 1971, rock band the J. Geils Band covered the song as one of its first releases and the song became a top-40 hit for them, peaking at number 39. Record World called it a "hard driving rocker" and a "high energy package."{{cite magazine|title=Picks of the Week|magazine=Record World|date=November 13, 1971|page=1|accessdate=2023-04-10|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Record-World/70s/71/RW-1971-11-13.pdf}} Classic Rock History critic Brian Kachejian named "Flamethrower" as the band's 3rd best song.{{cite web|title=10 J. Geils Band Songs Fans Love|author=Kachejian, Brian|date=January 2024|accessdate=2024-09-21|publisher=Classic Rock History|url=https://www.classicrockhistory.com/10-essential-j-geils-band-songs/}}
- Squeeze covered the song for their album East Side Story, which features Paul Carrack on co-lead vocals. The track is only available as a bonus track.
- Tortoise Matsumoto as singer of Ulfuls had covered the song his first solo album Traveller in 2003.
See also
References
{{reflist|30em}}
- "Lookin' for a Love" song review [{{Allmusic|class=song|id=t5024319|pure_url=yes}}] on Allmusic website
{{The J. Geils Band}}
{{authority control}}
Category:The J. Geils Band songs
Category:Songs written by J. W. Alexander (musician)
Category:Atlantic Records singles