| This Is for the Lover in You | |
| Cover: | This Is for the Lover in You by Shalamar US vinyl.jpg |
| Caption: | US 7-inch single of the Shalamar recording |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | Shalamar |
| Album: | Three for Love |
| B-Side: | Some Things Never Change |
| Released: | May 25, 1981 |
| Recorded: | 1980 |
| Length: | 5:04 (Album version) 3:58 (Single edit) |
| Label: | SOLAR |
| Producer: | Leon Sylvers III |
| Prev Title: | Make That Move |
| Prev Year: | 1981 |
| Next Title: | Sweeter as the Days Go By |
| Next Year: | 1981 |
"This Is for the Lover in You" is a song written by Howard Hewett, member of the trio Shalamar, and songwriter Dana Meyers. The track was originally recorded by Shalamar and appeared on their 1980 Platinum album, Three for Love.
The song was the third single released from their album, Three for Love. The single peaked at No. 17 on the U.S. R&B chart in 1981.
In 2009, Essence magazine included the song in their list of the "25 Best Slow Jams of All Time".[1]
| This Is for the Lover in You | |
| Cover: | This Is for the Lover in You by Babyface US CD single.jpg |
| Caption: | US CD variant of standard artwork |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | Babyface featuring LL Cool J, Howard Hewett, Jody Watley, and Jeffrey Daniel |
| Album: | The Day |
| Released: | October 5, 1996 |
| Recorded: | 1996 |
| Genre: |
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| Length: | 5:26 |
| Label: | Epic |
| Producer: |
|
| Chronology: | Babyface |
| Prev Title: | Slow Jams |
| Prev Year: | 1996 |
| Next Title: | Talk to Me |
| Next Year: | 1996 |
"This Is for the Lover in You" was later remade by American singer, songwriter, and record producer Babyface for his fourth studio album, The Day (1996). It features LL Cool J and the former members of Shalamar: Howard Hewett, Jody Watley, and Jeffrey Daniel.[2] The Babyface version was a successful hit, reaching #6 on the US Hot 100 chart, #2 on the US R&B chart, and #12 on the UK Singles Chart. The song was considered to be atypical for Babyface when it was released.[3] [4] The song's main melody bears resemblance to Teddy Pendergrass' hit "Close the Door".
Larry Flick from Billboard described Babyface's version as "a smoldering, jeep-fashioned revision" of a Shalamar chestnut that reunites the original members of that act on background vocals. He added, "It's a nice touch, though nothing diverts the ear from Babyface's suave and soulful vocals for longer than a second or two. Added juice is provided by LL Cool J, who freestyles in the background with macho flair—a vibrant contrast to Babyface's performance. No need to speculate on this single's success. Just get used to hearing it on the radio nonstop for the next couple of months."[5]
| Chart (1996) | Position | |
|---|---|---|
| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[7] | 74 | |
| Chart (1997) | Position | |
| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[8] | 61 |
In 1994, saxophonist Gerald Albright released a rendition from the album Smooth.[9]
The song was also sampled by British singer Ella Mai for her 2022 single This Is.
The song was sampled by rapper A+ for his song "All I See", recorded for his 1996 debut album The Latch-Key Child.