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The Right Kinda Lover

{{Short description|1994 single by Patti LaBelle}}

{{Infobox song

| name = The Right Kinda Lover

| cover = Pattitherightkindalove.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Patti LaBelle

| album = Gems

| B-side =

| released = May 10, 1994

| recorded =

| studio =

| venue =

| genre =

| length = 4:52

| label = MCA

| writer =

| producer =

| prev_title = All Right Now

| prev_year = 1993

| next_title = All This Love

| next_year = 1994

| misc = {{External music video|1=[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ieT8oeFMZ8 "The Right Kinda Lover"] on YouTube}}

}}

"The Right Kinda Lover" is a song by American singer and actress Patti LaBelle. It was written by Ann Bennett-Nesby, James Harris III, Terry Lewis, and James "Big Jim" Wright, while production was helmed by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, with Wright as co-producing. The song was released as the first single from her LaBelle's 12th album, Gems (1994), and appeared on the soundtrack to the 1994 film Beverly Hills Cop III, starring Eddie Murphy.

In the United States, "The Right Kinda Lover" reached number 61 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number eight on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.{{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=337}} It also became LaBelle's second number one on the Dance Club Songs.{{cite book |title= Hot Dance/Disco: 1974-2003|last=Whitburn |first=Joel |author-link=Joel Whitburn |year=2004 |publisher=Record Research |page=150}} Overseas, the single also reached number fifty on the UK Singles Chart. The song's video featured LaBelle performing as a seductress choosing her choice of mate.

Critical reception

Larry Flick from Billboard wrote, "At age 50, the divine Ms. LaBelle puts out more verve and energy than a lot of performers half her age.

The juicy funk throwdown is featured on her new album, Gems, as well as the soundtrack to Beverly Hills Cop III, and is ripe for picking by R&B, pop, and club programmers. Producers Jam and Lewis surround LaBelle's distinctive voice with phat, rugged grooves and a lively, synth-activated melody. Fab single's bright future is sealed with an array of remixes that range from street hip hop to hearty house."{{cite magazine|first= Larry |last= Flick |title= Single Reviews |magazine= Billboard |date= June 4, 1994 |page= 85 |access-date= March 19, 2021 |url= https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/90s/1994/BB-1994-06-04-N.pdf |author-link= Larry Flick}}

Troy J. Augusto from Cash Box described it as "a funkified, boisterous cut that will no doubt find the lady back at the top of many formats' charts. Contemporary without sounding forced, courtesy of golden egg production team [...], and sophisticated without sounding stuffy, it’s a song that promises to provide many happy summertime memories."{{cite magazine|first=Troy J.|last=Augusto|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/90s/1994/CB-1994-06-11.pdf|title=Pop Singles — Reviews|magazine=Cash Box|date=June 11, 1994|page=27|access-date=February 28, 2022}} Bill Speed and John Martinucci from the Gavin Report declared it "a midtempoed groove that gets your body shaking while singing the praises of finding Mr. Right."{{cite magazine|first1=Bill|last1=Speed|first2=John|last2=Martinucci|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Gavin-Report/90/94/Gavin-1994-05-06.pdf|title=Gavin Urban — New Releases|magazine=Gavin Report|date=May 6, 1994|page=18|access-date=March 17, 2022}} Andy Beevers from Music Week gave the song four out of five, adding that the remixes "work very well and will help soul stalwart Labelle reach some new audiences."{{cite magazine|first= Andy |last= Beevers |url= https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1994/Music-Week-1994-08-20.pdf |title= Market Preview: Dance |magazine= Music Week |date= August 20, 1994 |page= 18 |access-date= April 19, 2021}}

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Gems.{{cite AV media notes |title=Gems|publisher=MCA Records |others=Patti LaBelle |year=1994}}

Charts

{{col-start}}

{{col-2}}

=Weekly charts=

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+Weekly chart performance for "The Right Kinda Lover"

!Chart (1994)

!Peak
position

{{single chart|UKsinglesbyname|50|artist=Patti LaBelle|artistid=23489|rowheader=true|access-date=March 3, 2023}}
{{single chart|UKdance|19|artist=Patti LaBelle|date= August 28, 1994 |rowheader=true|access-date=April 18, 2022}}
scope="row"|UK Dance (Music Week){{cite magazine|url= https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1994/Music-Week-1994-09-03.pdf |title= Dance Singles |magazine= Music Week |date= September 3, 1994 |page= 28 |access-date= April 26, 2021}}

|19

scope="row"|UK Club Chart (Music Week){{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1994/Music-Week-1994-08-13.pdf|title=The RM Club Chart|magazine=Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert)|date=August 13, 1994|page=6|accessdate=May 19, 2023}}

|12

{{single chart|Billboardhot100|61|artist=Patti LaBelle|rowheader=true|access-date=August 8, 2020}}
{{single chart|Billboarddanceclubplay|1|artist=Patti LaBelle|rowheader=true|access-date=August 8, 2020}}
{{single chart|Billboardrandbhiphop|8|artist=Patti LaBelle|rowheader=true|access-date=August 8, 2020}}

{{col-2}}

=Year-end charts=

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+Year-end chart performance for "The Right Kinda Lover"

!Chart (1994)

!Position

scope="row"|US Hot Dance Music Club/Play (Billboard){{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZAgEAAAAMBAJ|title=The Year in Music: Hot Dance Music Club Play Singles|magazine=Billboard|date=December 24, 1994|page=YE-74|access-date=April 3, 2022}}

|14

scope="row"|US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard){{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1994/hot-r-and-and-b-hip-hop-songs|title=Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 1994|magazine=Billboard|access-date=March 30, 2021}}

|21

scope="row"|US Urban Singles (Cash Box){{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/90s/1994/CB-1994-12-31.pdf|title=Cash Box Year-End Awards — Top 50 Urban Singles|magazine=Cash Box|date=December 31, 1994|page=16|access-date=March 22, 2022}}

|15

{{col-end}}

Release history

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"

|+Release dates and formats for "The Right Kinda Lover"

!scope="col"|Region

!scope="col"|Date

!scope="col"|Format(s)

!scope="col"|Label(s)

!scope="col"|{{abbr|Ref.|Reference}}

scope="row"|United States

|May 10, 1994

|{{hlist|7-inch vinyl|12-inch vinyl|cassette}}

|rowspan="2"|MCA

|{{citation needed|date=March 2023}}

scope="row"|United Kingdom

|August 23, 1994

|{{hlist|12-inch vinyl|CD|cassette}}

|{{cite magazine|title=Single Releases|magazine=Music Week|page=27|date=August 20, 1994}}

References

{{Reflist}}

{{Patti LaBelle}}

{{Beverly Hills Cop}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Right Kinda Lover}}

Category:1993 songs

Category:1994 singles

Category:MCA Records singles

Category:Patti LaBelle songs

Category:Song recordings produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis

Category:Songs written by Ann Nesby

Category:Songs written by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis

Category:Songs written by Big Jim Wright