This Is for the Lover in You
1981 single by Shalamar
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"This Is for the Lover in You" is a song written by Howard Hewett, member of American R&B and soul music vocal group Shalamar, and songwriter Dana Meyers. The track appeared on Shalamar's 1980 Gold album, Three for Love. The song was the third single released from the album and peaked at No. 17 on the US Billboard 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]
- 5:04 (album version)
- 3:58 (single edit)
| "This Is for the Lover in You" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
US 7-inch single of the Shalamar recording | ||||
| Single by Shalamar | ||||
| from the album Three for Love | ||||
| B-side | "Some Things Never Change" | |||
| Released | May 25, 1981 | |||
| Recorded | 1980 | |||
| Length |
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| Label | SOLAR | |||
| Songwriters |
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| Producer | Leon Sylvers III | |||
| Shalamar singles chronology | ||||
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The song's main melody bears resemblance to Teddy Pendergrass' hit "Close the Door" (1978) and Michael Jackson's hit "Rock with You" (1979).
Charts
| Chart (1981) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Hot Soul Singles (Billboard) | 17 |
Babyface version
| "This Is for the Lover in You" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 US CD variant of standard artwork | ||||
| Single by Babyface featuring LL Cool J, Howard Hewett, Jody Watley, and Jeffrey Daniel | ||||
| from the album The Day | ||||
| Released | October 5, 1996 | |||
| Recorded | 1996 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 5:26 | |||
| Label | Epic | |||
| Songwriters |
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| Producers |
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| Babyface singles chronology | ||||
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| LL Cool J singles chronology | ||||
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| Jody Watley singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "This is for the Lover in You" on YouTube | ||||
"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".
Critical reception
Larry Flick from Billboard magazine 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]
Charts and certifications
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[19] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
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^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
Other versions
In 1994, saxophonist Gerald Albright released a rendition from the album Smooth.[20]
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.
