"I Need a Lover" is a rock song written and performed by John Mellencamp and first released under the stage name Johnny Cougar. It appeared on his 1978 album A Biography, which was not released in the United States.[2] After becoming a hit in Australia, the song was later included in his 1979 follow-up album John Cougar[3] and was released as a single, becoming his first Top 40 hit in the U.S. when it reached #28 on the Billboard Hot 100 in late 1979.[4]
| "I Need a Lover" | |
|---|---|
| Song | |
| B-side | "Welcome to Chinatown" |
AllMusic reviewer Stephen Thomas Erlewine described "I Need a Lover" as Mellencamp's "first good song."[2]
Mellencamp has stated that "I Need a Lover" was inspired by The Rolling Stones' 1972 song "Happy."
Hamilton Leithauser (of indie rock band The Walkmen) performed a version of the song in August 2014 for The A.V. Club's A.V. Undercover series.[5]
Cover versions
Pat Benatar version
| "I Need a Lover" | |
|---|---|
| Song | |
| B-side | "No You Don't" |
The song was covered in 1979 by American rock singer Pat Benatar for her debut studio album, In the Heat of the Night (1979). The song became an album-oriented rock radio hit for the singer.
References
- ^ a b c The Best That I Could Do 1978–1988 (CD liner). John Mellencamp. U.S.A.: Mercury Records. 1997. p. 9. 314 536 738-2.
{{cite AV media notes}}: Unknown parameter|titlelink=ignored (|title-link=suggested) (help)CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ a b "John Cougar: A Biography: review". allmusic. Retrieved October 21, 2010.
- ^ Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "John Cougar: A Biography: review". allmusic. Retrieved October 21, 2010.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits (8th Edition). Billboard Books. p. 418. ISBN 0-8230-7499-4.
- ^ Modell, Josh (12 August 2014). "Hamilton Leithauser covers John Cougar (and he's playing A.V. Fest)". The A.V. Club. Onion, Inc. Retrieved 12 August 2014.
External links
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