I Was Made to Love Her (song)
Encyclopedia
"I Was Made to Love Her" is a hit single recorded by American soul music
ian Stevie Wonder
for Motown's Tamla label in 1967 (see 1967 in music
). The song was written by Wonder, his mother Lula Mae Hardaway
, Sylvia Moy
and producer Henry Cosby
; and included on Wonder's 1967 album I Was Made to Love Her. Released as a single, "I Was Made to Love Her" peaked at number-two on the Billboard Pop Singles
chart and spent four non-consecutive weeks at number-one on the Hot Rhythm & Blues Singles
chart in the United States. When asked in a 1968 interview which of his songs stood out in his mind, Wonder answered "I Was Made to Love Her because it's a true song." The song features Wonder's harmonica solo in the introduction. The song also features strings following the bridge section. The last lyric line "You know Stevie won't ever leave you", refers to the singer himself.
The song was covered by the American band
The Beach Boys
on their 1967 album Wild Honey
, by Jimi Hendrix
(with Stevie Wonder on drums) on the BBC Sessions album, by the Jackson 5 on Boogie, and with minor changes, by American R&B singer Whitney Houston
on her 1998 album My Love Is Your Love
under the name "I Was Made To Love Him". Most recently, it was covered by Boyz II Men
on their album Motown Hitsville USA.
Stevie's version was also heard in DTV Disney set to the Johnnie Fedora and Alice Bluebonnet segment of Make Mine Music
.
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
ian Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
for Motown's Tamla label in 1967 (see 1967 in music
1967 in music
The summer of 1967 is "The Summer of Love" in San Francisco. It also became an important year for psychedelic rock, with releases from The Beatles The summer of 1967 is "The Summer of Love" in San Francisco. It also became an important year for psychedelic rock, with releases from The Beatles The...
). The song was written by Wonder, his mother Lula Mae Hardaway
Lula Mae Hardaway
Lula Mae Hardaway was the mother of blind soul musician Stevie Wonder...
, Sylvia Moy
Sylvia Moy
Sylvia Moy is a songwriter and record producer, formerly associated with the Motown Records group. The first woman at the Detroit-based music label to write and produce for Motown acts, she is probably best known for her songs written for Stevie Wonder....
and producer Henry Cosby
Henry Cosby
Henry "Hank" R. Cosby was an African American songwriter and record producer for Motown Records...
; and included on Wonder's 1967 album I Was Made to Love Her. Released as a single, "I Was Made to Love Her" peaked at number-two on the Billboard Pop Singles
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart and spent four non-consecutive weeks at number-one on the Hot Rhythm & Blues Singles
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
chart in the United States. When asked in a 1968 interview which of his songs stood out in his mind, Wonder answered "I Was Made to Love Her because it's a true song." The song features Wonder's harmonica solo in the introduction. The song also features strings following the bridge section. The last lyric line "You know Stevie won't ever leave you", refers to the singer himself.
The song was covered by the American band
Band (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys are an American rock band, formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California. The group was initially composed of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Managed by the Wilsons' father Murry, The Beach Boys signed to Capitol Records in 1962...
on their 1967 album Wild Honey
Wild Honey (album)
-Singles:* "Wild Honey" b/w "Wind Chimes" , 23 October 1967 US #31; UK #29* "Darlin'" b/w "Here Today" , 18 December 1967 US #19; UK #11....
, by Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
(with Stevie Wonder on drums) on the BBC Sessions album, by the Jackson 5 on Boogie, and with minor changes, by American R&B singer Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston
Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among...
on her 1998 album My Love Is Your Love
My Love Is Your Love
My Love Is Your Love is the fourth studio album by American singer Whitney Houston, released worldwide on November 17, 1998. The album, her first studio album in eight years since I'm Your Baby Tonight, was composed of mid-tempo R&B, hip hop, ballads, urban-dance, reggae, and torch songs, produced...
under the name "I Was Made To Love Him". Most recently, it was covered by Boyz II Men
Boyz II Men
Boyz II Men is an American R&B vocal group best known for emotional ballads and a cappella harmonies. They are the most successful R&B group of all time, having sold more than albums worldwide. In the 1990s, Boyz II Men found fame on Motown Records as a quartet, but original member Michael McCary...
on their album Motown Hitsville USA.
Stevie's version was also heard in DTV Disney set to the Johnnie Fedora and Alice Bluebonnet segment of Make Mine Music
Make Mine Music
Make Mine Music is an animated feature produced by Walt Disney and released to theatres by RKO Radio Pictures on August 15, 1946. It is the eighth animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series....
.
Cover versions
- Chaka KhanChaka KhanChaka Khan , frequently known as the Queen of Funk, is a 10-time Grammy Award winning American singer-songwriter who gained fame in the 1970s as the frontwoman and focal point of the funk band Rufus. While still a member of the group in 1978, Khan embarked on a successful solo career...
covered the song as "I Was Made To Love Him" on her 1978 solo debut ChakaChaka (1978 album)Chaka is the debut solo album by American R&B/funk singer Chaka Khan, released on the Warner Bros. Records label in 1978.- Overview :Two singles were released from Chaka, the first being her anthemic solo debut "I'm Every Woman", one of Khan's signature tunes alongside "Ain't Nobody" and "I Feel...
. - Whitney HoustonWhitney HoustonWhitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among...
did a Lauryn HillLauryn HillLauryn Noelle Hill is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress.Early in her career, she established her reputation as a member of the Fugees. In 1998, she launched her solo career with the release of the commercially successful and critically acclaimed album, The Miseducation of...
-produced cover as "I Was Made To Love Him" on the album My Love Is Your LoveMy Love Is Your LoveMy Love Is Your Love is the fourth studio album by American singer Whitney Houston, released worldwide on November 17, 1998. The album, her first studio album in eight years since I'm Your Baby Tonight, was composed of mid-tempo R&B, hip hop, ballads, urban-dance, reggae, and torch songs, produced...
. - Jackie WilsonJackie WilsonJack Leroy "Jackie" Wilson, Jr. was an American singer and performer. Known as "Mr. Excitement", Wilson was important in the transition of rhythm and blues into soul. He was known as a master showman, and as one of the most dynamic singers and performers in R&B and rock history...
and Count BasieCount BasieWilliam "Count" Basie was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. Basie led his jazz orchestra almost continuously for nearly 50 years...
combined to create a version of the song included on the album "Manufacturers Of Soul". - Claude François, a famous French singer (co-author of "Comme d'Habitude", with Jacques Revaux, the song that later became "My Way"), covered this song as "Rien, Rien, Rien", with a very bitter text about breaking up with a cold-hearted woman (the title means 'nothing', repeated three times, and the chorus is 'à la place du cœur tu n'as rien', which translates to 'where your heart should be, you've got nothing'). Note that Claude François had a special partnership with the Motown, and he adapted many of their titles in French, sometimes co-releasing the song in French and in English (thus technically speaking both versions being 'original' covers.)