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Love or Let Me Be Lonely

"Love or Let Me Be Lonely" is a pop song recorded by the soul group The Friends of Distinction and released as a single in early 1970. The song was a multi-format success, peaking at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 on May 1, 1970.[2] It also reached #13 on the R&B chart,[3] and #9 on the Adult Contemporary singles chart.[4] The song is ranked as No. 63 on the Hot 100 singles of 1970.[5]

"Love or Let Me Be Lonely"
Side A of the US single
Single by the Friends of Distinction
from the album Real Friends[1]
B-side"This Generation"
ReleasedMarch 1970
StudioRCA's Music Center of the World, Hollywood, CA, US
GenrePop, R&B
Length3:14
LabelRCA Victor
Songwriter(s)Skip Scarborough, Jerry Peters, Anita Poree
Producer(s)Ray Cork, Jr.
The Friends of Distinction singles chronology
"Going in Circles/Let Yourself Go"
(1969) 		"Love or Let Me Be Lonely"
(1970) 		"Time Waits For No One"
(1970)

The song was written by Skip Scarborough, Jerry Peters and Anita Poree. The Friends of Distinction version features Charlene Gibson singing the lead vocals. In the lyrics, the singer is unsure of her future with her love interest. She wants a full commitment; either love her fully or she'd rather be lonely. "Part time love, I can find any day," she sings.[6]

Chart performance

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Paul Davis version

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"Love or Let Me Be Lonely"
 
Single by Paul Davis
from the album Cool Night
B-side"Oriental Eyes"
ReleasedJuly 13, 1982
Recorded1980–1981
StudioWeb IV Studios, Atlanta, GA, US
GenreSoft rock
Length3:28
LabelArista
Songwriter(s)Skip Scarborough, Jerry Peters, Anita Poree
Producer(s)Ed Seay, Paul Davis
Paul Davis singles chronology
"'65 Love Affair"
(1982) 		"Love or Let Me Be Lonely"
(1982) 		"You're Still New to Me"
(1986)

The song returned to the charts in the summer of 1982 in a version by American singer-songwriter Paul Davis. It was the third and final single from his 1981 album Cool Night (Davis' seventh, final, and breakthrough album). Davis' version of "Love or Let Me Be Loneley" reached number 40 on the Hot 100.[13] It hit number 11 on the U.S. Adult Contemporary chart.

This would be Davis' final single as the lead artist and last single overall for five years until he was featured on Marie Osmond's "You're Still New to Me", Davis would retire from music altogether in 1988 and died in 2008.[14] As with all tracks on Cool Night, Davis' version was co-produced by Davis himself and keyboardist Ed Seay.

Chart performance

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Chart (1982) Peak
position
Canada RPM Adult Contemporary[15] 29
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[16] 40
U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary 11
U.S. Cash Box Top 100 41

Sylvie Vartan version (in French)

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"La chasse à l'homme"
 
Single by Sylvie Vartan
LanguageFrench
English titleThe manhunt
B-side"J’ai deux mains"
ReleasedAugust 1970
RecordedEarly–mid 1970
GenrePop, R&B
Length3:07
LabelRCA
Songwriter(s)Skip Scarborough, Jerry Peters, Anita Poree, Gilles Thibault
Sylvie Vartan singles chronology
"Aime-moi"
(1970) 		"La chasse à l'homme"
(1970) 		"Loup"
(1971)

In August 1970, the song was adapted into French as "La chasse à l'homme" (meaning "The manhunt") by Gilles Thibault and recorded by French pop singer Sylvie Vartan, who released her version as a non-album single, 5 months after the release of the original Friends of Distinction version.[17][18] Vartan's version peaked at Number 17 on the French Belgian charts on October 24, 1970.[19]

Charts

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Chart (1970) Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[20] 17

References

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  1. ^ "www.discogs.com". discogs.com. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
  2. ^ Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
  3. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 219.
  4. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 98.
  5. ^ "Top 100 Hits of 1970/Top 100 Songs of 1970". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 2016-02-11.
  6. ^ YouTube.com "Love or Let Me Be Lonely" by The Friends of Distinction. Retrieved Oct. 8, 2024.
  7. ^ Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
  8. ^ Billboard Adult Contemporary, April 18, 1970
  9. ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2016-02-11.
  10. ^ "Top 100 Hits of 1970/Top 100 Songs of 1970". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 2016-02-11.
  11. ^ "Cash Box YE Pop Singles - 1970". cashboxmagazine.com. 1970-12-26. Retrieved 2016-02-11.
  12. ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2016-02-11.
  13. ^ Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
  14. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 72.
  15. ^ RPM Adult Contemporary, August 28, 1982
  16. ^ Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
  17. ^ "45 Tours 70 – Site officiel de Sylvie Vartan" (in French). Retrieved 2024-06-26.
  18. ^ "Sylvie Vartan - La chasse á l'homme - ultratop.be". www.ultratop.be. Retrieved 2024-06-26.
  19. ^ "Sylvie Vartan - La chasse á l'homme - ultratop.be". www.ultratop.be. Retrieved 2024-06-26.
  20. ^ "Sylvie Vartan - La chasse á l'homme - ultratop.be". www.ultratop.be. Retrieved 2024-06-26.
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