| "(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want to Be Right" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Luther Ingram | ||||
| from the album If Loving You Is Wrong I Don't Want to Be Right | ||||
| Released | 1972 | |||
| Format | 7" | |||
| Genre | Soul | |||
| Length | 3:32 | |||
| Label | KoKo Records | |||
| Writer(s) | Homer Banks, Carl Hampton, Raymond Jackson | |||
| Producer | John Baylor | |||
| Luther Ingram singles chronology | ||||
|
||||
| "(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want to Be Right" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Millie Jackson from the album Caught Up | |
| Released | 1974 |
| Genre | Soul |
| Composer | Homer Banks, Carl Hampton, Raymond Jackson |
| Producer | Brad Shapiro |
"(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want to Be Right" is a soul song written by Stax Records songwriters Homer Banks, Carl Hampton and Raymond Jackson. It has been performed by many singers, most notably by Luther Ingram, whose version topped the R&B chart for four weeks and rose to number three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1972.[1] In 1974 Millie Jackson released her own version of the song which received two Grammy Award nominations,[2][3] and in 1978 Barbara Mandrell's version topped the U.S. country singles charts and reached number 31 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Contents |
The song is about an adulterous love affair, told from the point of view of either the mistress or the cheating husband, depending on the performer. Regardless, both parties involved express their desire to maintain the affair while at the same time acknowledging that the relationship is morally wrong.
Millie Jackson however took a somewhat different approach. On both studio and live recordings her version is typically divided into three parts: "(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want to Be Right", "The Rap", and "(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want to Be Right (Reprise)" which together have a running time of over 11 minutes.[4] The first and third parts include the song more or less as originally written, while the second part was written by Jackson herself. Titled "The Rap", the middle segment is a monologue in which an un-repentant Jackson discusses her status as the "other woman" and why she loves it.[5]
Although it was first recorded by The Emotions and Veda Brown, those recordings were never released. Other notable singers to cover it include country singer Barbara Mandrell, Isaac Hayes, Rod Stewart, Percy Sledge, Bobby "Blue" Bland, David Ruffin, Renée Geyer, Ramsey Lewis, reggae singer Alton Ellis, Tom Jones, Cassandra Wilson and Rania Zeriri.
| Preceded by "Outa-Space" by Billy Preston |
Billboard Best Selling Soul Singles number-one single (Luther Ingram version) July 8–29, 1972 |
Succeeded by "Where Is the Love" by Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway |
| Preceded by "I Just Fall in Love Again" by Anne Murray |
Billboard Hot Country Singles number-one single (Barbara Mandrell version) April 14, 1979 |
Succeeded by "All I Ever Need Is You" by Dottie West and Kenny Rogers |
| Preceded by "Sweet Memories" by Willie Nelson |
RPM Country Tracks number-one single (Barbara Mandrell version) April 28, 1979 |
Succeeded by "Where Do I Put Her Memory" by Charley Pride |