Released October 1975 | Format 7" 45 RPM | |
B-side "I Love Music (Part II)" Genre R&B, Philadelphia soul, disco Length 3:37 (radio/45 edit)
6:51 (full version) Label Philadelphia International | ||
"I Love Music" is a disco song written by Gamble and Huff and recorded by The O'Jays. It appeared on the group's 1975 album Family Reunion. The single version went to number one on the soul singles chart and reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100. In the UK, the song peaked at number 13 in the Top 40 singles charts, in March 1976. The single was most successful on the US Disco File Top 20 chart, where it spent eight weeks at number one.
Contents
Cover versions
In 1976, a live cover version appears on the album LIVE performed by 3M Productions, also known as Major Harris, Blue Magic and Margie Joseph, recorded at the Latin Casino. In 1990, Chicago House music vocalist Darryl Pandy released a version of the song on Warner Bros. Records remaining faithful to the original version. The track featured a prominent keyboard riff, brass, and a driving House beat. In 1993 the Zambian-born singer Rozalla covered "I Love Music" on her album Look No Further. Her version of the song also appeared on the soundtrack to the film Carlito's Way.
Commercial performance
Rozalla's recording of "I Love Music" reached number one on the Hot Dance Club Play chart. It also dented the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 76 and got to number 18 on the UK Singles Chart in 1994, marking something of a comeback after various earlier singles had failed to crack the top 40 (this was still 5 places lower than the original version by The O'Jays had reached however). In the rest of the world the song made little chart impression.
Trivia
The solo bongo-drum intro to this song was performed by Bill Cosby, while the "Get-it-on" chorus was sung by actor Cleavon Little, both long-time friends and admirers of the O'Jays. "I Love Music" was the first of a series of cover versions Rozalla was to record over the years. It was also her first "new" song to be released on Sony Records, as her earlier release had all been released by British indie label Pulse 8 first.
Usage in film
The song appears in the 1993 film Carlito's Way and in the 2007 film Pride.