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Ain't Nobody

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Wikipedia article




{{Infobox song

| name = Ain't Nobody

| image = Ain't Nobody by Rufus and Chaka Khan US side-A.png

| caption = Side A of the US single

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Rufus and Chaka Khan

| album = Stompin' at the Savoy

| B-side = Sweet Thing

| released = November 4, 1983

| recorded =

| studio =

| venue =

| genre =

| length =

| label = Warner Bros.

| writer = David "Hawk" Wolinski

| producer = Russ Titelman

| prev_title = Got to Be There

| prev_year = 1983

| next_title = One Million Kisses

| next_year = 1983

| misc =

}}

"'Ain't Nobody'" is a song by American funk band Rufus and American singer Chaka Khan. It was released on November 4, 1983, as one of four studio tracks included on their live album, 'Stompin' at the Savoy' (1983). "Ain't Nobody" quickly gathered popularity, and reached number one on the US 'Billboard' R&B chart and number 22 on the US 'Billboard' Hot 100. It has become one of Khan's signature songs.

Rufus keyboardist David "Hawk" Wolinski wrote the song around a repeating synthesizer loop backed by a Linn LM-1 drum computer; however, John "JR" Robinson, the band's drummer, played real drums for the recording session. The band held a democratic vote, and they decided to include the song in their album repertoire. Once the song was recorded, Warner executives wanted to issue another song as the album's first single. Wolinski threatened to give the song to singer Michael Jackson and producer Quincy Jones for Jackson's album 'Thriller' if the song was not the lead-off single. The label relented and "Ain't Nobody" was issued and hit number one on the R&B chart for the week ending October 15, 1983.The Billboard Book of #1 R&B Hits by Adam White and Fred Bronson

The song was included on the soundtrack album to the 1984 film 'Breakin'. In 2021, "Ain't Nobody" was ranked number 403 on 'Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. The song was adopted in the United Kingdom by fans of some of the country's football clubs, with the words: 'Ain't nobody loves (player), makes me happy, makes me feel this way'.

Composition



The song is performed in the key of E minor with a tempo of 104 beats per minute in common time. Khan's vocals span from G3 to E5 in the song.

Charts and certifications



Weekly charts



Year-end charts



Certifications



Jaki Graham version



{{Infobox song

| name = Ain't Nobody

| cover = Jaki_Graham_-_Ain't_Nobody.jpg

| alt =

| caption = Widely used variant of the standard artwork

| type = single

| artist = Jaki Graham

| album = Real Life

| released = July 1994

| recorded =

| studio = Metropolis, London

| venue =

| genre = *Dance

*house

| length =

| label = *Pulse-8 Records

*Critique

*Cutting Edge

*Festival Records

*Scandinavian Records

*Avex-Critique

| writer = Hawk Wolinski

| producer = Rod Gammons

| prev_title = Round and Around

| prev_year = 1985

| next_title = Absolute E-Sensual

| next_year = 1995

| misc =

}}

In 1994, British singer-songwriter Jaki Graham released her cover of "'Ain't Nobody'". It was released as the first and lead single from her fourth and last album, 'Real Life' (1994). Graham's version reached number one on the US 'Billboard' Hot Dance Club Play chart for five weeks as well as being in the Top 5 favourite videos for BET (Black Entertainment Charts). The single also reached number 44 in the UK, number 11 in Iceland and number 17 in Australia.

Critical reception

Larry Flick from 'Billboard' called the song "smashing", and stated that Graham "returns with a grand reading of a Rufus pop/soulnugget. Track is the latest in an onslaught of competitive versions of the song by various divas. This one, however, is the real deal, thanks to Graham's considerable charm as well as a plethora of mixes that range from peppy NRG to muscular house. A sure-fire club hit, don't be surprised if crossover radio beckons." English newspaper 'Reading Evening Post' commented, "This is one of those covers that doesn't really improve on the original. But the Chaka Khan song is a soul classic and Jaki Graham gives it a good shot, even if her voice doesn't seem quite powerful enough for its bitter-sweet melodrama. A hard one not to sing along with."'Reading Evening Post'. June 17, 1994. p. 52. Retrieved November 28, 2020.

Music video

The music video for "Ain't Nobody" was directed by American film director and producer Antoine Fuqua.

Track listings



Charts



Weekly charts



Year-end charts



Diana King version



{{Infobox song

| name = Ain't Nobody

| cover = Diana_King-Ain't_Nobody.jpg

| alt =

| caption =

| type = single

| artist = Diana King

| album = Tougher Than Love

| B-side = Remix

| released = 1995

| recorded = Kingston, Jamaica

| studio =

| venue =

| genre = Pop

| length = 3:44

| label = *Work

*Columbia

*Sony

| writer = Hawk Wolinski

| producer = Handel Tucker

| prev_title = Shy Guy

| prev_year = 1994

| next_title = I Say a Little Prayer

| next_year = 1997

| misc =

}}

In 1995, Jamaican singer-songwriter Diana King recorded a cover single of "'Ain't Nobody'", released as the third single from their debut album, 'Tougher Than Love' (1995). It peaked at number 95 on the 'Billboard' Hot 100, number four on the 'Billboard' Hot Dance Club Play chart and number 13 on the UK Singles Chart.

Critical reception

Larry Flick from 'Billboard' described the song as a "sexy hip hop interpretation" and "irresistible", complimenting King's "assured performance". James Masterton for Dotmusic said, "Now it is the turn of Diana King's soft reggaefied version to crash into the charts, give [them] another hit and prolong the life of a quite brilliant pop song." Pan-European magazine 'Music & Media' commented that the follow-up to "Shy Guy" sees the Jamaican vocalist "lose some of [their] rough dancehall edges in favour of a smoother R&B sound", adding that the chorus is "pure, uplifting modern soul." A reviewer from 'Music Week' rated it three out of five, writing, "A fairly standard cover of the Chaka Khan classic, with strong production. [They] might just convert some more fans." Ralph Tee from the magazine's 'RM' Dance Update stated, "'Shy Guy' turned out to be an international smash and this follow-up has similar crossover opportunities."

Music video

A music video was produced to promote the single, directed by American film, television, commercial and music video director Kevin Bray. It was later published on King's official YouTube channel in October 2009. The video has amassed more than two million views as of May 2021.

Track listings



Charts



LL Cool J remix



{{Infobox song

| name = Ain't Nobody

| cover = LL Cool J - Ain't Nobody.jpg

| type = single

| artist = LL Cool J

| album = Beavis and Butt-Head Do America: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

| B-side = Come to Butt-head

| released = November 26, 1996

| recorded = 1995

| studio =

| venue =

| genre = * Hip hop

* R&B

| length = 4:37

| label = Geffen

| writer = * James Todd Smith

* Hawk Wolinski

| producer =

| prev_title = Loungin

| prev_year = 1996

| next_title = Hit 'Em High (The Monstars' Anthem)

| next_year = 1997

| misc =

}}

Rapper LL Cool J recorded an interpolation of the song for the soundtrack to the 1996 film 'Beavis and Butt-Head Do America', based on the adult animated series 'Beavis and Butt-Head'. Released as the soundtrack's second single, the song peaked at number 46 on the 'Billboard' Hot 100, number four on the Hot Rap Singles Chart and number 27 on the 'Billboard' Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Outside of the United States, the song topped the charts in the United Kingdom, where the song was also a hit for Gwen Dickey and KWS (reaching number 21) and The Course (number eight).

Critical reception

Alan Jones from 'Music Week' commented, "Spiking Warner Music's proposed release of Rufus & Chaka Khan's original version, LL Cool J's comeback with Ain't Nobody is more workmanlike than inspired, with all the lyrical dexterity we expect from him. Taken from the US box office hit movie 'Beavis & Butthead Do America', it includes an un-named femme who takes over to sing the chorus though this simply draws attention to what a good vocalist Chaka Khan is. A surefire hit, and quite a big one at that, though not one of LL's best."

Music video

The music video of this version, directed by Michael Martin, produced by Jonathan Heuer, and cinematography by Martin Coppen, was partially filmed at Mount Hood of Oregon. It also shows a pool party filled with guests, including Maia Campbell, Brian McKnight, Alfonso Ribeiro, Cedric the Entertainer, John Salley, and John Witherspoon.

Charts



Richard X vs. Liberty X version



In 2003, English-Irish pop group Liberty X released a version of the song titled "'Being Nobody'", produced by Richard X, as the lead single from Richard X's debut studio album, 'Richard X Presents His X-Factor Vol. 1' (2003), as well as the lead single from Liberty X's second studio album, 'Being Somebody' (2003). The song is a pseudo-mashup, taking the lyrics of "Ain't Nobody" and placing them over an instrumental interpolation of the Human League's "Being Boiled". Additional elements from both songs were also used such as the recurring synth line from "Ain't Nobody" and the line "OK, ready? Let's do it." in the intro of the main mix are from the intro of "Being Boiled".

Liberty X first performed "Being Nobody" on 'Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway' on February 8, 2003. They also performed it twice on 'Top of the Pops', with other performances on 'The National Lottery Wright Ticket' and 'CD:UK' before officially released on March 17, 2003. Shortly after that, the 2003 remastered version of the original 1983 hit "Ain't Nobody" was released in April of that year.

Critical reception

The song received mostly positive reviews from music critics. It was deemed "instantly memorable" by RT.ie reviewer Linda McGee, whilst Louis Pattison of 'NME' believed it was "Truly, a record to get over-excited about." Alexis Kirke of musicOMH said: "The marriage of the credible dance-bootleg production of Richard X with high profile pop-act Liberty X is not only a perfect career-expanding synergy for both, but also a powerful musical synergy in which the seventies meets the eighties during the noughties." Writing for ukmix.org, Martin P gave the song five stars out of five and called it "It's pure pop perfection with a twist of R&B one of the best Liberty X singles!"

Track listing

# "Being Nobody" (Main Mix) 3:37

# "Being Nobody" (Richard X Remix) 4:25

# "Being Nobody" (X-Strumental) 3:38

Charts



Weekly charts



Year-end charts



Scooter version



{{Infobox song

| name = It's a Biz (Ain't Nobody)

| cover = It's a Biz (Ain't Nobody).jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Scooter

| album = The Big Mash Up

| released = March 23, 2012

| recorded = 20112012

| studio =

| venue =

| genre =

| length = 3:21

| label = Sheffield Tunes

| writer = David "Hawk" Wolinski

| producer = Scooter

| prev_title = C'est Bleu

| prev_year = 2011

| next_title = 4 AM

| next_year = 2012

| misc =

}}

"'It's a Biz (Ain't Nobody)'" is a single by German hard dance band Scooter. It was released on March 23, 2012, as the fifth single from their fifteenth studio album, 'The Big Mash Up' (2011).

Track listings

'CD single (2-track)'

'Download'

Charts



Felix Jaehn version



{{Infobox song

| name = Ain't Nobody (Loves Me Better)

| cover = Aint-Nobody-(Loves-Me-Better)-Felix-Jaehn.jpg

| alt =

| caption =

| type = single

| artist = Felix Jaehn featuring Jasmine Thompson

| album = I

| B-side = "I Do"

| released = April 3, 2015

| recorded =

| studio =

| venue =

| genre =

| length = 4:01

| label =

| writer = Hawk Wolinski

| producer = Felix Jaehn

| chronology = Felix Jaehn

| prev_title = Dance with Me

| prev_year = 2015

| next_title = Eagle Eyes

| next_year = 2015

| misc =

}}

In 2015, German music producer and DJ Felix Jaehn released a remix titled "'Ain't Nobody (Loves Me Better)'" featuring vocals by British singer Jasmine Thompson. It is the lead single for his eponymous 2016 debut EP, 'Felix Jaehn'. The remix was based on a solo release of the song by Thompson in 2013, when Thompson was 13, which had peaked at number 32 on the UK Singles Chart. However, the Felix Jaehn remix became a far bigger international chart success, peaking at number one or two in a number of European countries (including number two in the United Kingdom) as well as the top 10 in other European countries and Australia.

Track listing

#"Ain't Nobody (Loves Me Better)" 3:01

#"I Do" 3:02

Charts



{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+Weekly chart performance for "Ain't Nobody (Loves Me Better)"

! scope="col"| Chart (20152016)

! scope="col"| Peak
position

|-

! scope="row"| Australia (ARIA)

| 6

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|-

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|-

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! scope="row"| Romania (Airplay 100) 'Note: User may scroll down the 'Podcasturi' menu to play or download the respective podcast.'

| 1

|-

|-

|-

! scope="row"| Russia Airplay (Tophit)

| 1

|-

|-

|-

|-

! scope="row"|Slovenia (SloTop50)

| 1

|-

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|}

Certifications



See also



*List of Airplay 100 number ones of the 2010s

* List of number-one R&B singles of 1983 (U.S.)

* List of UK top 10 singles in 1984

* List of UK top 10 singles in 1989

* List of number-one dance singles of 1994 (U.S.)

* List of UK Singles Chart number ones of 1997

* List of UK top 10 singles in 2015

* Mashup (music)

* 'Of the Night' – by Bastille

* 'Rhythm Is a Dancer'

* 'The Rhythm of the Night'

References



Category:1983 songs

Category:1983 singles

Category:1994 singles

Category:1995 singles

Category:1996 singles

Category:1997 singles

Category:2003 singles

Category:2012 singles

Category:2015 singles

Category:Chaka Khan songs

Category:Diana King songs

Category:Felix Jaehn songs

Category:Liberty X songs

Category:LL Cool J songs

Category:KWS (band) songs

Category:Jasmine Thompson songs

Category:Delilah (musician) songs

Category:Scooter (band) songs

Category:Dutch Top 40 number-one singles

Category:UK Singles Chart number-one singles

Category:Number-one singles in Austria

Category:Number-one singles in Germany

Category:Number-one singles in Israel

Category:Number-one singles in Poland

Category:Number-one singles in Romania

Category:Songs written by Hawk Wolinski

Category:Song recordings produced by Russ Titelman

Category:Song recordings produced by Richard X

Category:Warner Records singles

Category:Avex Group singles

Category:Festival Records singles

Category:Columbia Records singles

Category:Polydor Records singles

Category:Pulse 8 singles

Category:Island Records singles

Category:Sony Music singles

Category:Geffen Records singles

Category:Virgin Records singles

Category:Tropical house songs

Category:Synth-pop songs

Category:Music videos directed by Antoine Fuqua

Category:Music videos directed by Kevin Bray (director)

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