Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever

1966 song by the Four Tops

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"Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever"

Dutch picture sleeve

Single by Four Tops

from the album On Top

B-side

"I Like Everything About You"

Released

May 9, 1966 (1966-05-09)

Recorded

April 5, 1966 (1966-04-05)

Venue

Hitsville U.S.A., Detroit

Soul, pop

Ivy Jo Hunter, Stevie Wonder

Producer(s)

Ivy Jo Hunter

Four Tops singles chronology

"Shake Me, Wake Me (When It's Over)"
(1966)

"Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever"
(1966)

"Reach Out I'll Be There"
(1966)

"Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever" is a song written by Ivy Jo Hunter and Stevie Wonder, originally released in 1966 by the Four Tops via the Motown label. In addition to co-writing the song, Wonder also instrumentally contributed drums to the track.

Cash Box described the song as a "hard-pounding, rhythmic, pop-R&B romancer all about a lucky guy who has finally found the gal that he’s always dreamed about." Record World described it as a "teen beat love ode."

Credits

Lead vocals by Levi Stubbs
Background vocals by Abdul "Duke" Fakir, Renaldo "Obie" Benson & Lawrence Payton
Instrumentation by the Funk Brothers
Drums by Stevie Wonder

Chart performance

The song peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Hot Rhythm & Blues Singles chart and number 45 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Cover versions

Nick Kamen released a version in 1987, where it went to number 16 on the UK Singles Chart. Lola Borg of Smash Hits panned the song she described as an "outrage" to the original version and a "shocking business", adding it was "murdered" by Kamen who "reduce it to utter mush".
The Band covered the song on the bonus disc of their 1972 concert album Rock of Ages.
Kiki Dee and Elton John did a duet cover on Dee's 1981 album Perfect Timing.
Susan Tedeschi covered it on her 2005 album Hope and Desire.

References

^ Hughes, Keith (2018). "Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever". Don't Forget the Motor City. Ritchie Hardin. Archived from the original on December 8, 2023. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
"Four Tops – Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever / I Like Everything About You". Discogs. discogs.com. 9 May 1966. Retrieved 29 April 2016.
"CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. May 28, 1966. p. 14. Retrieved 2022-01-12.
"Singles Reviews" (PDF). Record World. May 28, 1966. p. 8. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 212.
Brown, Tony.; Warwick, Neil (2004). The Complete Book of the British Charts. Omnibus Press. p. 426. ISBN 1-84449-058-0.
Borg, Lola (11–24 February 1987). "Singles reviewed by Lola Borg" (PDF). Smash Hits. Vol. 9, no. 3. p. 62. ISSN 0260-3004. Retrieved 20 November 2023 – via World Radio History.
"Perfect Timing". Record Collector Magazine. 31 May 2008. Retrieved 23 September 2023.

External links

List of "Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever" recordings

v t e Four Tops
Ronnie McNeir Lawrence "Roquel" Payton, Jr. Alexander Morris Michael Brock Harold Bonhart Levi Stubbs Renaldo "Obie" Benson Lawrence Payton Theo Peoples Abdul "Duke" Fakir
Studio albums	Four Tops Four Tops Second Album On Top On Broadway Reach Out Yesterday's Dreams Four Tops Now! Soul Spin Still Waters Run Deep Changing Times Keeper of the Castle Main Street People Meeting of the Minds Night Lights Harmony Catfish The Show Must Go On At the Top Tonight! One More Mountain Back Where I Belong Magic Indestructible Christmas Here with You
Albums with The Supremes	The Magnificent 7 The Return of the Magnificent Seven Dynamite
Compilations and live albums	Four Tops Live! The Four Tops Greatest Hits Live & in Concert The Ultimate Collection
Singles	"Baby I Need Your Loving" "Without the One You Love (Life's Not Worth While)" "Ask the Lonely" "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)" "It's the Same Old Song" "Something About You" "Shake Me, Wake Me (When It's Over)" "Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever" "Reach Out I'll Be There" "Standing in the Shadows of Love" "Bernadette" "7 Rooms of Gloom" "Walk Away Renée" "If I Were a Carpenter" "Yesterday's Dreams" "I'm in a Different World" "It's All in the Game" "Still Water (Love)" "A Simple Game" "Keeper of the Castle" "Ain't No Woman (Like the One I've Got)" "When She Was My Girl" "Loco in Acapulco"
Related topics	Discography The Andantes Holland–Dozier–Holland The Supremes

v t e Four Tops singles discography
1960s	1964 "Baby I Need Your Loving" "Without the One You Love (Life's Not Worth While)" 1965 "Ask the Lonely" "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)" "It's the Same Old Song" "Something About You" 1966 "Shake Me, Wake Me (When It's Over)" "Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever" "Reach Out I'll Be There" "Standing in the Shadows of Love" 1967 "Bernadette" "7-Rooms of Gloom" / "I'll Turn to Stone" "You Keep Running Away" 1968 "Walk Away Renée" "If I Were a Carpenter" "Yesterday's Dreams" "I'm in a Different World" 1969 "What Is a Man" "Do What You Gotta Do" "Don't Let Him Take Your Love from Me"
1970s	1970 "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)" (re-issue) "It's All in the Game" "Still Water (Love)" "River Deep – Mountain High" (with The Supremes) 1971 "Just Seven Numbers (Can Straighten Out My Life)" "You Gotta Have Love in Your Heart" (with The Supremes) "In These Changing Times" "MacArthur Park (Part II)" 1972 "A Simple Game" "Bernadette" (re-issue) "Walk with Me, Talk with Me, Darling" "(It's the Way) Nature Planned It" "Keeper of the Castle" 1973 "Ain't No Woman (Like the One I've Got)" "Are You Man Enough" "Sweet Understanding Love" 1974 "I Just Can't Get You Out of My Mind" "One Chain Don't Make No Prison" "Midnight Flower" 1975 "Seven Lonely Nights" "We All Gotta Stick Together" 1976 "Catfish" "I'm Glad You Walked into My Life"
1980s	1981 "When She Was My Girl" "Don't Walk Away" 1982 "Let Me Set You Free" "Back to School Again" "Sad Hearts" "Tonight I'm Gonna Love You All Over" 1983 "I Believe in You and Me" "I Just Can't Walk Away" 1985 "Sexy Ways" 1988 "Reach Out I'll Be There" (re-issue) "If Ever a Love There Was" (with Aretha Franklin) "Indestructible" "Loco in Acapulco" 1989 "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine"

Four Tops singles discography

1960s

1964: "Baby I Need Your Loving"; "Without the One You Love (Life's Not Worth While)"

1965: "Ask the Lonely"; "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)"; "It's the Same Old Song"; "Something About You"

1966: "Shake Me, Wake Me (When It's Over)"; "Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever"; "Reach Out I'll Be There"; "Standing in the Shadows of Love"

1967: "Bernadette"; "7-Rooms of Gloom" / "I'll Turn to Stone"; "You Keep Running Away"

1968: "Walk Away Renée"; "If I Were a Carpenter"; "Yesterday's Dreams"; "I'm in a Different World"

1969: "What Is a Man"; "Do What You Gotta Do"; "Don't Let Him Take Your Love from Me"

1970s

1970: "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)" (re-issue); "It's All in the Game"; "Still Water (Love)"; "River Deep – Mountain High" (with The Supremes)

1971: "Just Seven Numbers (Can Straighten Out My Life)"; "You Gotta Have Love in Your Heart" (with The Supremes); "In These Changing Times"; "MacArthur Park (Part II)"

1972: "A Simple Game"; "Bernadette" (re-issue); "Walk with Me, Talk with Me, Darling"; "(It's the Way) Nature Planned It"; "Keeper of the Castle"

1973: "Ain't No Woman (Like the One I've Got)"; "Are You Man Enough"; "Sweet Understanding Love"

1974: "I Just Can't Get You Out of My Mind"; "One Chain Don't Make No Prison"; "Midnight Flower"

1975: "Seven Lonely Nights"; "We All Gotta Stick Together"

1976: "Catfish"; "I'm Glad You Walked into My Life"

1980s

1981: "When She Was My Girl"; "Don't Walk Away"

1982: "Let Me Set You Free"; "Back to School Again"; "Sad Hearts"; "Tonight I'm Gonna Love You All Over"

1983: "I Believe in You and Me"; "I Just Can't Walk Away"

1985: "Sexy Ways"

1988: "Reach Out I'll Be There" (re-issue); "If Ever a Love There Was" (with Aretha Franklin); "Indestructible"; "Loco in Acapulco"

1989: "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine"

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