To be a lover
| To be a lover | |
|---|---|
| Billy Idol | |
| publication | September 22, 1986 |
| length | 3:52 (album) 4:14 (single) Maxisingles : 6:45 ( Mother of Mercy Mix ) 7:11 ( Rock'n'Roll Mix ) |
| Genre (s) | New wave |
| Author (s) | Booker T. Jones , William Bell |
| Publisher (s) | Chrysalis Records |
| album | Whiplash smile |
To Be a Lover is the cover version of the song I Forgot to Be a Lover by William Bell, released in 1986 by Billy Idol as the first single from the album Whiplash Smile . It was written by Bell and Booker T. Jones and first published in 1968.
background
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William Bell's version was in the style of a Soul - Ballad been received and had in Year No. 45 of 100 Billboard Hot reached. Samples of the song were later found. a. Used in the song Growing Pains by Ludacris . Forgot to Be a Lover was first re-recorded in 1972 by Shenley Duffus And The Soul Avengers and used in 1977 by George Faith with the changed title To Be a Lover (Have Mercy) for his album To Be a Lover . For this release, Faith and his producer Lee Perry had reworked the song and made a reggae version of it.
Billy Idol heard this version for the first time that same year in a London record store, the owner of which had brought it to his attention. For the album Whiplash Smile he considered re-recording the song in a twice as fast version, presented the idea to his producer Keith Forsey , who recorded it and went to work with Idol. The song was given a rockabilly robe.
The song was released on September 22, 1986 as the first single from the album; for the publication on maxisingle two extended remixes were created , which were subtitled Mother of Mercy Mix (6:45 am, Europe and USA) and Rock'n'Roll Mix (7:11). The latter had been remixed by Tom Lord-Alge and was only released in Australia. In Great Britain the maxi single was also released as a limited picture disc . The Mother of Mercy Mix made by Keith Forsey was later used for the compilation album Vital Idol .
reception
To Be a Lover is the most successful version of the song to date. It reached number 6 in the singles charts in the USA, number 22 in Great Britain and number 28 in Germany.
Web links
- To Be a Lover at Discogs
- To Be a Lover on YouTube , accessed June 29, 2020.