Best Of My Love by The Emotions

Album: Best Of My Love: The Best Of The Emotions (1977)

Charted: 4 1

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Songfacts®:

This upbeat disco song was a US #1 hit for five weeks, at the time a record for a female group. It was written by Earth Wind & Fire members Al McKay and Maurice White, and also produced by White. Maurice knew The Emotions (the sisters Wanda, Sheila and Pamela Hutchinson) from his pre-Earth, Wind & Fire days when he regularly drummed for the then-teenage girl group on their gigs in the Chicago area. The Emotions signed to Stax Records, and when that label imploded, White signed the group to his Kalimba Productions. Their first album with White was Flowers in 1976, and for their next one, White and McKay wrote "Best Of My Love" specifically for the group. For White, writing this song was a way of expressing a positive feeling in a style much better suited for The Emotions than for his band. White says he would have never written this song for Earth, Wind & Fire.
You'll hear many elements of Earth, Wind & Fire (get it?) on this song. McKay played guitar, and EW&F members Larry Dunn (synth), Fred White (drums) and Verdine White (bass) all played on the track. Another advantage to working with Maurice White in the '70s was access to the Earth Wind & Fire horn section, which was known as The Phenix Horns. White used them on this track - at the time they were Don Myrick (saxophone), Louis Satterfield (trombone), Rahmlee Davis and Michael Harris (trumpets).

In 1979, White had The Emotions sing on Earth, Wind & Fire's hit "Boogie Wonderland."
That's Wanda Hutchinson going after the big high notes in this song. Maurice White had her sing an octave higher than what she was used to. Said Hutchinson, "When my range got higher, the intensity of my vibrato sharpened a little."
This was featured in the films Boogie Nights (1998) and Summer Of Sam (1999).
This won the 1977 Grammy Award for Best Rhythm & Blues Vocal Performance by a Group.
Songwriter Maurice White sued Mariah Carey and C+C Music Factory for plagiarizing this song for Mariah's 1991 #1 hit "Emotions" (C+C produced the song for Mariah). Said White, "Sampling is one thing, but she took the whole song." The lawsuit was settled out of court.
American rapper/singer Paul Russell sampled "Best of My Love" for his 2023 TikTok viral hit " Lil Boo Thang."

Comments: 6

Esskayess from EarthDoug, that's hilarious! The last time I saw a guy react to a disliked song on a jukebox, he dumped a container full of parmesan cheese into it to make it stop. Didn't work, but it got our entire group thrown out.
Markantney from BiloxeJun 2015,

Doug, yes that's hilarious. He just saw the title and started hitting buttons!!!

I was a young pup in the "Hood" when this was out and it's one of the FEW (Big) songs of the era I don't like. They just played it too much for me, I guess? Odd, I love the many other songs-hits, be they fast/slow/mid-tempo by both groups.

I can still hear (ALL) the young girls I grew up with singing that song all out of key and loud:):)

Since Disco was big at the time and bridge Club R&B with Pop; you just couldn't escape this song.
Barry from Sauquoit, NyHere's a debate; 'Best of My Love' was #1 for 5 weeks and in the Top 100 for 23 weeks, while 'I Just Want to Be Your Everything' was #1 for 4 weeks but in the Top 100 for 31 weeks... When Billboard did it's Year-End chart for the Top 100 Songs of 1977, Gibb's song was #2 and The Emotions' at #3... {I think The Emotions should have gotten #2 because they bumped Gibb twice out of the No. 1 spot} Copy & paste: http://www.musicoutfitters.com/topsongs/1977.htm
Barry from Sauquoit, NyThis song had a strange run at #1... On July 30th, 1977 "I Just Want to Be Your Everything" by Andy Gibb reached #1 & stayed there for 3 weeks, then "Best of My Love" became #1 for 4 weeks. But Andy Gibb reclaimed #1 for a week, and then "Best of My Love" for the 2nd time knocked him out of the top spot for another week at #1!!! {That's five total weeks at #1 and 23 weeks in the Top 100}
Doug from Oakland, CaI have a funny story to tell about this song.
I was in a pizza parlor in the Summer of 1977 when this young white kid went to the jukebox and Best of My Love by The Emotions came on son after he put the coins in.
The kid then started cussing and banging on the jukebox.Evidently he thought he was going to hear The Eagles doing You Get the Best of My Love!
Caitlin from Upper Township, NjVonzell Soloman did i really good version of this on American Idol 4.

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