Love You Down
Encyclopedia
"Love You Down" is the title of an R&B
song written by Melvin Riley Jr. Riley's former band, Ready for the World
, originally recorded the song in 1986 and released it as the lead single
from their second album, Long Time Coming produced by Gary Spaniola. A slow jam
, "Love You Down" was a hit on the Billboard
pop
and R&B
charts, spending two weeks atop the R&B chart in December 1986 and peaking at #9 on the pop chart in early 1987. This was Ready for the World's second R&B chart-topper, following the success of "Oh Sheila
" in 1985. It also reached #24 on the Billboard adult contemporary chart
. The song charted in the United Kingdom at #60 on the UK Singles Chart
. The song has been covered by artists such as R&B singer INOJ
and neo soul musician Me'shell Ndegeocello
. Houston, the musician who had the hit "I Like That" feat. Chingy, Nate Dogg, & I-20 in 2004 also recorded a version of this song for his debut album, "It's Already Written".
recorded a cover version
of "Love You Down" in 1997 with the assistance of producer Charles Roane. Featuring a faster beat and more percussion than the original version, INOJ's cover reached #25 on the Billboard pop chart. It contains a sample from "Push It
" by Salt-N-Pepa
. Both "Love You Down" and INOJ's top 10 cover of the Cyndi Lauper
hit, "Time After Time
", can be found on her debut album, incidentally titled Ready for the World
, which was released on So So Def Recordings
.
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
song written by Melvin Riley Jr. Riley's former band, Ready for the World
Ready for the World
Ready for the World is an American R&B band from Flint, Michigan who scored several moderate pop, soul, and dance hits in the mid to late 1980s...
, originally recorded the song in 1986 and released it as the lead single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
from their second album, Long Time Coming produced by Gary Spaniola. A slow jam
Slow jam
A slow jam an umbrella term for music with R&B and Soul influences. Slow jams are commonly R&B ballads or down tempo songs. The term is most commonly reserved for soft-sounding songs with heavily emotional or romantic lyrical content. This definition has led to intense debate over whether...
, "Love You Down" was a hit on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
pop
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...
and R&B
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,...
charts, spending two weeks atop the R&B chart in December 1986 and peaking at #9 on the pop chart in early 1987. This was Ready for the World's second R&B chart-topper, following the success of "Oh Sheila
Oh Sheila
"Oh Sheila" is a 1985 single by Ready for the World. The song went to number one on the Billboard Hot 100, the Hot Black Singles and the Hot Dance Club Play charts. It was the first of two chart toppers for the band on the Billboard R&B chart, preceding their 1986 number-one R&B hit, "Love You Down"...
" in 1985. It also reached #24 on the Billboard adult contemporary chart
Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks
The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States...
. The song charted in the United Kingdom at #60 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. The song has been covered by artists such as R&B singer INOJ
INOJ
Ayanna Porter , better known by her stage name INOJ is an American R&B/bass music musician.She was born in Madison, Wisconsin & raised in New York City, New York...
and neo soul musician Me'shell Ndegeocello
Me'shell Ndegeocello
Meshell Ndegeocello is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, bassist, and vocalist. Her music incorporates a wide variety of influences, including funk, soul, hip hop, reggae, R&B, rock, and jazz. She has received significant critical acclaim throughout her career, and has had ten career Grammy...
. Houston, the musician who had the hit "I Like That" feat. Chingy, Nate Dogg, & I-20 in 2004 also recorded a version of this song for his debut album, "It's Already Written".
| Chart (1986) | Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 9 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot R&B Songs | 1 (1 week) |
INOJ version
Female R&B vocalist INOJINOJ
Ayanna Porter , better known by her stage name INOJ is an American R&B/bass music musician.She was born in Madison, Wisconsin & raised in New York City, New York...
recorded a cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of "Love You Down" in 1997 with the assistance of producer Charles Roane. Featuring a faster beat and more percussion than the original version, INOJ's cover reached #25 on the Billboard pop chart. It contains a sample from "Push It
Push It (Salt-N-Pepa song)
"Push It" is a song by the group Salt-N-Pepa, released as a single in 1986. It peaked at number 19 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1987 and has been certified Platinum by the RIAA...
" by Salt-N-Pepa
Salt-N-Pepa
Salt-N-Pepa is an American hip hop trio from Queens and Brooklyn, New York, that was formed in 1985. The group, consisting of Cheryl "Salt" Renee James, Sandra "Pepa" Denton, and Deidra "DJ Spinderella" Roper, was one of the first all-female rap crews....
. Both "Love You Down" and INOJ's top 10 cover of the Cyndi Lauper
Cyndi Lauper
Cynthia Ann Stephanie "Cyndi" Lauper is an American singer, songwriter, actress and LGBT rights activist. She achieved success in the mid-1980s with the release of the album She's So Unusual and became the first female singer to have four top-five singles released from one album...
hit, "Time After Time
Time after Time (Cyndi Lauper song)
"Time After Time" is a song by American singer Cyndi Lauper, released as the second single from her album She's So Unusual. It reached number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart on June 9, 1984, and remained there for two weeks...
", can be found on her debut album, incidentally titled Ready for the World
Ready for the World (album)
Ready for the World is an R&B album released by singer INOJ in 1998.-Track listing:# "All I Want"# "Movin' On"# "Time After Time"# "Fallin'"# "Wait For You"# "Precious Love"# "I Found Love"# "Rather Be Alone"# "What Can I Do"# "Phone Intro"...
, which was released on So So Def Recordings
So So Def Recordings
So So Def Recordings is a record label based in Atlanta, Georgia, and owned by producer Jermaine Dupri, specializing in Southern hip hop, R&B and bass music.-Beginnings:...
.
Charts
| End of year chart (1998) | Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 88 |