What You Won't Do for Love (song)
Encyclopedia
"What You Won't Do for Love" is a popular quiet storm
single written by Alfons Kettner along with musician and singer Bobby Caldwell
which he recorded for his debut album of the same name, released in 1978 on the TK Records
label.
president Henry Stone signed Caldwell to an exclusive contract with TK Records in 1978. Heading to the studio, Caldwell recorded his first album, which was given a redo after Stone felt the album was good but "didn't have a hit". Caldwell returned to the studio and came up with the final product, which included "What You Won't Do for Love".
audience. However, when Caldwell began making performances live on stage, it only increased demand. The song would become Caldwell's most successful single and also his signature song
reaching number nine on the Billboard Hot 100
and number six on the Hot Selling Soul Singles
chart.
Quiet storm
Quiet storm is a late-night radio format, featuring soulful slow jams, pioneered in the mid-1970s by then-station-intern Melvin Lindsey at WHUR-FM, in Washington, D.C. Smokey Robinson's like-titled hit single, released in 1975 as the title track to his third solo album, lent its name to the format...
single written by Alfons Kettner along with musician and singer Bobby Caldwell
Bobby Caldwell
Bobby Caldwell is an American singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who, despite a prolific musical output over his 30-year career, is still best known for his 1978 hit single "What You Won't Do for Love". While he has always maintained a devoted fan base in the United States, a legendary...
which he recorded for his debut album of the same name, released in 1978 on the TK Records
TK Records
TK Records was an American record label started by record distributor, Henry Stone in Miami, Florida, one of several labels that he founded in the 1960s and 1970s...
label.
Recording
After gaining a reputation in Miami clubs as a talented musician, TK RecordsTK Records
TK Records was an American record label started by record distributor, Henry Stone in Miami, Florida, one of several labels that he founded in the 1960s and 1970s...
president Henry Stone signed Caldwell to an exclusive contract with TK Records in 1978. Heading to the studio, Caldwell recorded his first album, which was given a redo after Stone felt the album was good but "didn't have a hit". Caldwell returned to the studio and came up with the final product, which included "What You Won't Do for Love".
Release
Caldwell wanted the song to be the sixth track on the album since he figured the song's second track, "My Flame", which featured him playing guitar, would be the hit. However, TK Records felt confident that "What You Won't Do for Love" would be the breakout hit. When it was released to R&B radio, TK Records did its best to shield Caldwell's identity hoping not to alienate its predominantly blackAfrican American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
audience. However, when Caldwell began making performances live on stage, it only increased demand. The song would become Caldwell's most successful single and also his signature song
Signature song
A signature song is the one song that a popular and well-established singer or band is most closely identified with or best known for, even if they have had success with a variety of songs...
reaching number nine on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
and number six on the Hot Selling Soul Singles
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
chart.
Popular culture
- Caldwell's recording of the song was featured in the film Donnie BrascoDonnie Brasco (film)Donnie Brasco is a 1997 crime drama film directed by Mike Newell, starring Al Pacino, Johnny Depp and Michael Madsen. It is loosely based on the real-life events of Joseph D. Pistone, an FBI agent who infiltrated the Bonanno crime family, one of the Mafia's Five Families based in New York City...
(1997).
Covers and samples
Since its release, the song has been often frequently covered by R&B, pop and jazz artists alike and has also been an oft-sampled song in hip-hop and house circles.- Phyllis HymanPhyllis HymanPhyllis Linda Hyman was an American soul singer and actress.-Early years:Phyllis Hyman was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and grew up in the St. Clair Village, the South Hills section of Pittsburgh...
- "What You Won't Do for Love" - AaliyahAaliyahAaliyah Dana Haughton , who performed under the mononym Aaliyah , was an American R&B recording artist, actress and model. She was born in Brooklyn, New York, and was raised in Detroit, Michigan. At the age of 10, she appeared on the television show Star Search and performed in concert alongside...
- "Age Ain't Nothing but a NumberAge Ain't Nothing but a NumberAge Ain't Nothing But a Number received generally favorable reviews from music critics. Some writers noted that Aaliyah's "silky vocals" and "sultry voice" blended with Kelly's new jack swing helped define R&B in the 1990s. Her sound was also compared to that of female quartet En Vogue...
" - Alfonzo Blackwell - "Love No Limit"
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- "24/724/724/7 is an abbreviation which stands for "24 hours a day, 7 days a week", usually referring to a business or service available at all times without interruption...
" - GoldieGoldieClifford Joseph Price, better known as Goldie is an English electronic music artist, disc jockey, visual artist and actor. He is well known for his innovations in the jungle and drum and bass music genres, having previously gained exposure for his work as a graffiti artist...
- "What You Won't Do For Love (Radio Edit)" - GoldmineGoldmineGoldmine may refer to:* Gold mining, the extraction of gold, usually from rock or sediment* Gold Mine , a tile-laying board game* Goldmine , a music collectables magazine* GoldMine, a customer relationship management software package...
- "Mic Love" - Go WestGo West (band)Go West is an English pop duo, formed in 1982 by lead vocalist and drummer Peter Cox ; and guitarist and vocalist Richard Drummie...
- "What You Won't Do for Love" - GuruGuru (rapper)Keith Edward Elam , better known by his stage name Guru, was an American emcee and member of the hip-hop duo Gang Starr, along with DJ Premier. He was born in Roxbury, Massachusetts...
- "Something in the Past" - Intro - "What You Won't Do For Love"
- Kool G RapKool G RapNathaniel Thomas Wilson , better known by his stage names Kool G Rap , Kool G. Rap, and Giancana , is an American rapper, from the Corona neighborhood of Queens, New York. He began his career in the mid-1980s as one half of the group Kool G Rap & DJ Polo and as a member of the Juice Crew...
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- "Playa Hata" (Vocal and Audio Sample) - Mary J. BligeMary J. BligeMary Jane Blige is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and occasional actress. She is a recipient of nine Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards, and has recorded eight multi-platinum albums. She is the only artist with Grammy Award wins in Pop, Rap, Gospel, and R&B. Blige has...
- "Love No Limit" - Master PMaster PPercy Robert Miller , better known by his stage name Master P or his business name P. Miller, is an American rapper, actor, entrepreneur, investor, and producer. He is the founder of the popular label No Limit Records, which went bankrupt and was relaunched as New No Limit Records through Koch...
- "If I Could Change" - Max B and French Montana - "Do 4 Drugs"
- Michael BoltonMichael BoltonMichael Bolton is an American singer and songwriter. Bolton originally performed in the hard rock and heavy metal genres from the mid 1970s to the mid 1980s, both on his early solo albums and those recorded as the frontman of the band Blackjack...
- "What You Won't Do for Love" - Pride & Politix - "What You Won't Do for Love"
- Tatyana AliTatyana AliTatyana Marisol Ali is an American actress and R&B singer, best known for her childhood role as Ashley Banks on the NBC sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air...
- "Boy You Knock Me Out" (Audio Sample) - Boyz II MenBoyz II MenBoyz II Men is an American R&B vocal group best known for emotional ballads and a cappella harmonies. They are the most successful R&B group of all time, having sold more than albums worldwide. In the 1990s, Boyz II Men found fame on Motown Records as a quartet, but original member Michael McCary...
- "What You Won't Do for Love" featuring MC LyteMC LyteMC Lyte is an American rapper who first gained fame in the late-1980s becoming the first solo female rapper to release a full album with 1988's critically acclaimed Lyte as a Rock.-Early life:...
from the album Throwback, Vol. 1Throwback, Vol. 1Throwback, Vol. 1 is a 2004 covers album by R&B group Boyz II Men, released by Koch Records, and featuring covers of classic R&B songs from such artists as Teddy Pendergrass, The Isley Brothers and Michael Jackson...
. - 2Pac - "Do for LoveDo for Love"Do for Love" was the second posthumously released single by Tupac Shakur from his second posthumous album R U Still Down? . The vocal sample is from "What You Won't Do for Love" by Bobby Caldwell. It charted at #21 on the Billboard Hot 100, and #12 in the UK...
" (Vocal Sample) - 2Pac - "Heaven Ain't Hard to Find"
- 2Pac - Sucka 4 Love
- 2Pac - What You Won't Do For Love
- Young Zee - "Everybody Get High"
- Central Avenue featuring Simon Green - "Do for Love"
- The Candy Dealers - "Stepping Out"
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- "My Soul's Not 4 Sale (feat. Raheem DeVaughnRaheem DeVaughnRaheem DeVaughn is an American singer and songwriter. His debut album, The Love Experience , reached No. 46 on the Billboard 200 album chart. It featured the singles "Guess Who Loves You More" and "You". His second album Love Behind the Melody was released in January 2008...
)" - Elliott YaminElliott YaminElliott Yamin , born Efraym Elliott Yamin, is an American singer known for his hit single "Wait for You" and placing third on the fifth season of American Idol....
sang this as Paula AbdulPaula AbdulPaula Julie Abdul is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, choreographer, actress and television personality.In the 1980s, Abdul rose from cheerleader for the Los Angeles Lakers to highly sought-after choreographer at the height of the music video era before scoring a string of pop music-R&B hits...
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. - Fuel - "Do 4 Love"
- Chocolat & Akito- "What You Won't Do for Love"
- Roy AyersRoy AyersRoy Ayers is an American funk, soul, and jazz composer and vibraphone player. Ayers began his career as a post-bop jazz artist, releasing several albums with Atlantic Records, before his tenure at Polydor Records beginning in the 1970s, during which he helped pioneer jazz-funk .- Biography :Ayers...
- "What You Won't Do for Love" - Victor WootenVictor WootenVictor Lemonte Wooten is an American bass player, composer, author, and producer, and has been the recipient of five Grammy Awards....
- "What You Won't Do for Love" - FoesumFoesumFoesum is an American hip hop group whose members included T-Dubb, MNMsta, DJ Glaze and Wayniac from the Twinz. They eventually went their separate ways and Foesum was last to do their debut album, Perfection. Perfection was released October 22, 1996.-History:...
- "In the Wind" - Mariah CareyMariah CareyMariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
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& Elephant Man - "Got a Thing 4 You"
Chart position of Boyz II Men's cover version
| Year | Song | Hot R&B Singles Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | "What You Won't Do for Love" | 60 |