For The Love of You, Pts. 1 & 2

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"For The Love of You, Pts. 1 & 2" is a quiet storm soul song by The Isley Brothers, released on their T-Neck imprint in 1975. It is one of the most memorable hits on The Isley Brothers' extensive catalogue of hit singles spanning during their 50-plus year existence. Released as the second single off their The Heat Is On album, the song was originally written as a poem of sorts by brother Rudolph Isley to have been called "How Lucky I Am", whose rough draft was given to his younger brothers Ernie Isley, Marvin Isley and in-law Chris Jasper, who re-wrote the song without Rudolph's knowledge or consent. When the other brothers heard the song, his other brothers including Ronald and O'Kelly helped with some of the lyrics, changing the title to "For the Love of You" while younger brothers Ernie and Marvin and brother-in-law Chris Jasper helped with the musical accompaniment.

When brother Ronald Isley presented him with the rewritten song, Rudy balked at the changes of the song and threatened to take the song off the album. Two takes of the song were taken. After one take was accidentally erased, a frustrated Ronald recorded his next vocal for the song and left the studio wondering if the song had any potential. Needless to say, the younger Isleys' promise to the older Isleys that the song would be a hit was valid: released in November of 1975, the song hit the top ten of the R&B charts and peaked at number twenty two on the pop singles chart eventually giving the brothers a gold plaque for the song and helping its parent album be certified platinum at the end of the year.

The song is as memorable for Jasper's synthesizer/keyboard work as is Ronald's serene vocals, Ernie's drumming and acoustic guitar talents, Marvin's bass and the older brothers' searing harmonies and melodies.

The song's legacy was confirmed by its cover versions by Whitney Houston, whose 1987 cover was a radio hit from her Whitney album, Joss Stone, who covered it for her 2001 album, The Soul Sessions and by fellow R&B singers Regina Belle and British soul group Hill St. Soul. The song was even sampled for a 1994 song by Tupac Shakur and his group Thug Life in a song titled "Bury Me a G", with lines saluting the brothers: I'm feeling woozy so I can't sleep/so I'm bumping to the ho's house pumping Isley.

The song topped at the R&B charts at #10 and peaked at #23 on the pop singles chart and was a perfect antithesis for the band's politically-charged funk anthem, "Fight the Power, Pt. 1 & 2" and would be covered by Whitney Houston in 1987 and Hill St. Soul, Joss Stone and Regina Belle in 2004 and has also been covered by several jazz and little-known R&B bands.