What Cha Gonna Do with My Lovin' (song)

"What Cha Gonna Do with My Lovin'" is a song by American singer and songwriter Stephanie Mills, released in July 1979 as the first single from the album of the same name (1979). It became a hit, reaching No. 22 on the US Billboard Hot 100.[1] It was also a top 10 hit on the Billboard R&B chart, as well as a minor hit in Canada.[2]

"What Cha Gonna Do with My Lovin'"
Single by Stephanie Mills
from the album What Cha Gonna Do with My Lovin'
B-side"Put Your Body in It"
ReleasedJuly 1979
Recorded1978
GenreDisco, funk
Length8:03 (12")
4:06 (7")
Label20th Century-Fox Records
Songwriter(s)Reggie Lucas
James Mtume
Producer(s)James Mtume
Reggie Lucas
Stephanie Mills singles chronology
"This Empty Place"
(1976)
"What Cha Gonna Do with My Lovin'"
(1979)
"You Can Get Over"
(1979)
"What Cha Gonna Do with My Lovin'"
Single by Inner City
from the album Paradise (UK)
Big Fun (US)
B-side"Put Your Body in It"
ReleasedNovember 1989
Recorded1989
GenreDisco, funk
LabelVirgin
Songwriter(s)Reggie Lucas
James Mtume
Inner City singles chronology
"Do You Love What You Feel"
(1989)
"What Cha Gonna Do with My Lovin'"
(1989)
"That Man (He's All Mine)"
(1990)

Charts

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Chart (1979) Peak
position[3]
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[4] 82
US Billboard Hot 100[5] 22
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard) 8

Inner City version

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In 1989, the song was recorded by American dance group Inner City. It was the group's fifth single and their fifth consecutive UK top 20 hit, reaching No. 12. Along with "Good Life", this is the only other Inner City song to make the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at No. 76. While all the group's previous singles had topped the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart in the US, this was the first not to do so, although it still reached No. 8.[6]

Critical reception

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David Stubbs from Melody Maker wrote about the song, "A bit subdued, a bit derivative, a bit like Chaka Kahn feeling a bit faint after a month on the Cambridge diet."[7] Ian McCann from NME felt it "is the usual Kevin Saunderson sound slowed down 15 beats a minute. Paris is in her usual seductive self, but can Inner City hit with an Mtume song at his slack tempo and not theirs?"[8] Chris Heath from Smash Hits remarked that the song "is quite different" from their earlier singles, "and is much more subtle, a bit like Soul II Soul in fact."[9]

Charts

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Chart (1989–90) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[10] 86
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[11] 22
Ireland (IRMA)[12] 24
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[13] 9
Netherlands (Single Top 100) 12
UK Singles (OCC)[14] 12
US Billboard Hot 100[15] 76
US Disco/Dance (Billboard)[16] 8
US Cash Box Top 100[17] 77

References

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  1. ^ Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
  2. ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1979-11-10. Retrieved 2019-08-02.
  3. ^ Stephanie Mills chart history singles.www.billboard.com
  4. ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1979-11-10. Retrieved 2019-08-02.
  5. ^ Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
  6. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Hot Dance/Disco: 1974-2003. Record Research. p. 128.
  7. ^ Stubbs, David (November 11, 1989). "Singles". Melody Maker. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
  8. ^ McCann, Ian (November 18, 1989). "Singles". NME. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
  9. ^ Heath, Chris (November 1, 1989). "Singles". Smash Hits. p. 71. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
  10. ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 137.
  11. ^ Pennanen, Timo (2021). "Inner City". Sisältää hitin - 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021 (PDF) (in Finnish). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 110. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  12. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Whatcha Gonna Do". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved August 1, 2019.
  13. ^ "Inner City – Whatcha Gonna Do With My Lovin'". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  14. ^ "Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. 1989-11-18. Retrieved 2019-08-01.
  15. ^ Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
  16. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Hot Dance/Disco: 1974-2003. Record Research. p. 128.
  17. ^ Cash Box Top 100 Singles, March 31, 1990