#54: Teena Marie 'I Need Your Lovin''

Top 100 Soul/R&B Songs

#54: Teena Marie 'I Need Your Lovin''

ill Mami | 06/03/2008 at 6:00 PM | Comments (9)

A bit of disclosure: Despite the fact that many of you will disagree with me, I actually like Teena Marie's "I Need Your Lovin'" more than party starter "Square Biz." While Miss Teena must have surely known that "Square Biz" would be a hit one year later, it's "I Need Your Lovin'" that features the "ivory queen of soul" and her beautiful musical arrangement of violins in place of background vocals so typical of disco music as well as the refrain "M-O-N-E-Y never takes the place of L-O-V-I-N." Despite much of Teena's career being attributed to the late funkster and lover of hedonistic excess, Rick James, it was Teena's persistence that secured her recording contract with Motown at seventeen years of age, and this same persistence that allowed her to produce this song, the album that features this song, and all of her work after the year this song was released in 1980. And thank heaven she did or else we would not have this song, nor the others that we still know and love up to this day. For me, this song evokes the feeling of being twirled around endlessly on the dance floor by a man who knows how to dance and late springtime breezes. Likely this song evokes similar memories for you.

Teena Marie: "I Need Your Lovin'"

Tags: audio, rick james, teena marie

Comments

What a surprise! That has got to be one of my favorite songs by Lady T. I've been playing it all day since I saw it on this list.

Glad to see Lady T get some shine on your list.

tws392000 | June 5, 2008 8:33 PM | Permalink

I am an unabashed STAN for Lady T, so I will appreciate anything of hers that you post to the Top list. Haven't liked any of her releases in the new millennium, but hey...she's still a legend and mighty mighty talented.

Stephanie Renee | June 5, 2008 9:29 AM | Permalink

OMG!!! I REMEMBER WHEN MY MOTHER COME HOME WITH THAT ALBUM (THANK YOU MAMA)...IT DEFINITELY SHAPE THE WAY I FEEL ABOUT MUSIC TODAY. LADY T. IS DY-NO-MITE!!!!!

Nicole | June 4, 2008 10:45 PM | Permalink

favorite Tenna song EVER

blknite | June 4, 2008 9:39 AM | Permalink

L O V I NNNNNNN!My favorite part of the song.

Sharonda | June 3, 2008 10:59 PM | Permalink

I like them about equally. I actually feel you on the "twirling" imagery! LOL!

I'm patiently waiting for "If I Were A Bell" myself. I think I'm more a fan of Lady T's ballads.

Vivrant Thang | June 3, 2008 8:00 PM | Permalink

In my humble opinion Teena Marie, is the greatest female R&B singer to come out of the 80's. (Whitney was a pop singer.) If you haven't heard the Rick James penned "Deja Vu (I've Been Here Before) off of Teena's debut album take a listen to it.

khalid | June 3, 2008 7:35 PM | Permalink

I like this song, but I still think "Portuguese Love" is one of Teena's most underated classics!

FireMadeFlesh | June 3, 2008 7:12 PM | Permalink

Claude have mercy! I don't think that I've ever heard this extended mix of this. I love everything about this song...the horns, the strings, Miss Teena and her soulful white chocolate self.

Butta | June 3, 2008 6:25 PM | Permalink