| "I've Been Loving You Too Long" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Otis Redding | ||||
| from the album Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul | ||||
| B-side | "I'm Depending on You" | |||
| Released | April 19, 1965 | |||
| Recorded | April 1965[a] | |||
| Genre | Soul | |||
| Length | 2:49 | |||
| Label | Volt (V-126) | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Otis Redding, Jerry Butler | |||
| Producer(s) | Steve Cropper | |||
| Otis Redding singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"I've Been Loving You Too Long" (originally "I've Been Loving You Too Long (To Stop Now)") is a soul music ballad written by Otis Redding and Jerry Butler.[2] Considered by music critics and writers to be one of Redding's finest performances and a soul classic, it is a slow, emotional piece with Redding's pleading vocals backed by producer Steve Cropper's arpeggiated guitar parts and a horn section.[3]
Redding recorded the song in 1965 and when released as a single in April 1965, became his second best selling single. The song was subsequently included on his third album, Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul (1965).[2] The song reached number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 2 on the Billboard Rhythm & Blues chart.[4] Billboard described it as a "winning tender and soulful piece of material and performance by 'Mr. Pitiful' himself."[5] Cash Box described it as "a tender, slow-moving heartfelt lament about a fella whose love for his gal is growing cold."[6]
Notable cover versions include performances by the Rolling Stones, Aretha Franklin, Etta James, Ike & Tina Turner, and a country music version by Barbara Mandrell—her first single.[7] In Australia, Johnny Diesel charted with a cover version in 1993.[8] The song was added to the United States National Recording Registry in 2003.[7] In 2011, the 1965 recording by Redding on Volt Records was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.[9]
- ^ Bowman, Rob (2015). Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul (Liner notes). Otis Redding. Rhino, ATCO. 081227951856.
For the Otis Blue sessions, Redding decided to recut 'I've Been Loving You Too Long' in stereo. The song had undergone substantial change since it was originally recorded in April.
- ^ a b Eder, Bruce. "Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul – Review". AllMusic. Retrieved October 23, 2016.
- ^ Layne, Joslyn. "Otis Redding: I've Been Loving You Too Long – Review". AllMusic. Retrieved October 23, 2016.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Whitburnwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Singles Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. May 8, 1965. p. 37. Retrieved 2021-03-15.
- ^ "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. May 8, 1965. p. 12. Retrieved 2022-01-12.
- ^ a b O'Dell, Cory. "2003 | National Recording Preservation Board". Library of Congress.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
:2was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "GRAMMY Hall Of Fame | Hall of Fame Artists | GRAMMY.com". grammy.com.
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