Sweet Love

Album: Rapture (1986)
Charted: 13 8
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "Sweet Love" celebrates the joys and intensity of romantic love. The song doesn't delve into deep complexities, instead offering a straightforward and relatable portrayal of love's bliss.
  • Anita Baker wrote "Sweet Love" with:

    Bass guitarist Louis A. Johnson. He was best known for his work with the group the Brothers Johnson, and for playing on Michael Jackson's Thriller album.

    Saxophonist, flutist and composer Gary Bias. He became a member of The Earth, Wind & Fire horn section in 1987.
  • Baker's longtime producer Michael J. Powell helmed the song. The two started working together in 1975 when Baker joined Chapter 8, a band Powell formed the previous year.
  • The musicians are:

    Freddie Washington: bass
    Greg Moore: guitar
    Sir Gant: keyboards
    Ricky Lawson: drums
    Paulinho da Costa: percussion
    Jim Gilstrap: backing vocals
    Bunny Hull: backing vocals
    Daryl Phinnessee: backing vocals
  • Released as the second single from her second studio album, Rapture, "Sweet Love" was Baker's first big hit, peaking at #8 on the Hot 100. She had four more Top 40 hits, including "Giving You The Best That I Got," scoring #1 on both the Adult Contemporary and R&B charts, plus #3 on the Hot 100.
  • "Sweet Love" won the 1987 Grammy Award for Best Rhythm & Blues Song. Also, Rapture won in the category Best Female R&B Vocal performance.
  • The song has charted on two further occasions on the UK Singles chart.

    1994 British jungle musician M-Beat version with Nazlyn on vocals peaked at #18

    2000 Three Degrees-clones Fierce reached #3 with their cover, titled "Sweet Love 2K."
  • The song was used in these movies:

    Dog Days (2018)
    Blockers (2018)

    And in these TV shows:

    Atlanta ("Work Ethic!" - 2022)
    City On A Hill ("Ugly, Like I Said " - 2022)
    Hacks ("On The Market" - 2022)
    I Know This Much Is True ("Three" - 2020)
    Superstore ("Employee App" - 2020)
    Mad For It (Episode 2:5 - 2000)

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Timothy B. Schmit

Timothy B. SchmitSongwriter Interviews

The longtime Eagle talks about soaring back to his solo career, and what he learned about songwriting in the group.

80s Video Director Jay Dubin

80s Video Director Jay DubinSong Writing

Billy Joel and Hall & Oates hated making videos, so they chose a director with similar contempt for the medium. That was Jay Dubin, and he has a lot to say on the subject.

Let Me Be Your Teddy Bear: Teddy Bears and Teddy Boys in Songs

Let Me Be Your Teddy Bear: Teddy Bears and Teddy Boys in SongsSong Writing

Elvis, Little Richard and Cheryl Cole have all sung about Teddy Bears, but there is also a terrifying Teddy song from 1932 and a touching trucker Teddy tune from 1976.

The Truth Is Out There: A History of Alien Songs

The Truth Is Out There: A History of Alien SongsSong Writing

The trail runs from flying saucer songs in the '50s, through Bowie, blink-182 and Katy Perry.

Church Lyrics

Church LyricsMusic Quiz

Here is the church, here is the steeple - see if you can identify these lyrics that reference church.

Don Dokken

Don DokkenSongwriter Interviews

Dokken frontman Don Dokken explains what broke up the band at the height of their success in the late '80s, and talks about the botched surgery that paralyzed his right arm.