Released 1972 Genre R&B, Soul Label UA 50902 | Format 7" 45 RPM Length 3:30 | |
B-side "(If You Don't Want My Love) Give It Back" | ||
"Woman's Gotta Have It" is a song written by Darryl Carter, Bobby Womack and Linda Womack. Released as a single from Bobby's 1972 album Understanding, it reached number one on the R&B chart and peaked at number 60 on the pop chart in the US. The idea for the song came from a marital situation that Darryl Carter knew of where the wife was about to "tip out" on an unresponsive husband. Carter and Linda Womack (the daughter of Sam Cooke and one-time stepdaughter of Bobby who later married Bobby's brother, Cecil) originally wrote the song with Jackie Wilson in mind. The song was recorded at American Sound Studio in Memphis, Tennessee.
The song was later covered by James Taylor and included on Taylor's 1976 album In the Pocket. Rolling Stone critic Kit Rachlis described this version as "listless." It has also been covered by Nona Gaye for the compilation 1-800-NEW FUNK, The Neville Brothers and K-Ci, Taylor Hicks on his 2009 album The Distance, and Calvin Richardson. It was an Australian Top 40 hit for Wendy Matthews in 1991 from her debut album, Émigré.