Love, Need and Want You

"Love, Need and Want You" is a song recorded by American singer Patti LaBelle from her sixth studio album, I'm in Love Again (1983). The song is a mid-tempo R&B number written and produced for LaBelle by Bunny Sigler and Kenny Gamble, and was released in 1984 as the album's second single. Following the success of her breakthrough R&B hit, "If Only You Knew", the song peaked at number 10 on the US Billboard R&B chart. Like "If Only You Knew", the song features LaBelle singing the song at her mid-range whereas in previous songs prior to 1983, LaBelle mostly sang in a straightforward soprano voice.

Covers and samples

"Love, Need and Want You" was first sampled by rapper Flesh-n-Bone for his hit "World So Cruel" (from the 1996 album T.H.U.G.S.), which featured rapper Rev. Run of the legendary hip-hop group Run-DMC. It was famously sampled by rap singer Nelly and R&B singer Kelly Rowland (formerly of Destiny's Child) on their Grammy-winning hit, "Dilemma". Big Boi of the group Outkast released the hit song, "Ghettomusick" from the Outkast album, Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, and parts of the song sampled "Love, Need and Want You". A re-recorded version and a video of the song would feature LaBelle, who was also in the video to "Dilemma" as Rowland's mother. R&B singer Lloyd sampled it for his hit song, "Lay It Down". Responding to its success, Patti LaBelle was called to add in vocals for a remixed version of the song, released as "Lay It Down II: A Tribute to the Legends", which was dedicated to the late Teena Marie and a then-ailing Aretha Franklin. Singer Jaguar Wright covered the song for her debut album, Denials, Delusions and Decisions. In 2015, Ciara sampled the song on her album track "Lullaby" taken from her album Jackie.

Charts

Credits

• Lead vocals by Patti LaBelle
• Instrumentation by Sigma Sound Studio musicians
• Produced by Kenny Gamble and Bunny Sigler

References