You Know I Love You (B.B. King song)
"You Know I Love You" is a song written and recorded by B.B. King. Released on RPM Records in 1952, it was King's second No. 1 single on the Billboard R&B chart.[1][2] King's friend and collaborator Ike Turner played piano on the original recording.[3] A version of "You Know I Love You" was included on King's debut album Singin' The Blues in 1956.
| "You Know I Love You" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by B.B. King and his Orchestra | ||||
| from the album Singin' the Blues | ||||
| B-side | "You Didn't Want Me" | |||
| Released | September 1952 | |||
| Genre | Blues | |||
| Label | RPM Records | |||
| Songwriter(s) | B.B. King | |||
| B.B. King and his Orchestra singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"You Know I Love You" is noted for being the song that 17-year-old Tina Turner sang for Ike Turner at the East St. Louis nightclub Manhattan Club in 1957, which convinced him to let her sing in his band the Kings of Rhythm.[4]
Composition and release
"You Know I Love You" was one of B.B. King's favorite "blues love ballads."[5] King recorded the original recording with his orchestra, featuring prominent use horns and Ike Turner on piano.[3] According to King and Joe Bihari, Turner had introduced King to the Bihari brothers while he was a talent scout at Modern Records.[6] "You Know I Love You" was released on Modern's subsidiary label RPM in 1952.
The single was released in September 1952 and reached No. 1 on the Billboard R&B chart in November 1952;[7][8] spending 18 weeks on the charts. It ranked No. 12 on Billboard's list of 1952's Top R&B Records according to retail sales and No. 7 according to juke box plays.[9]
Cover versions
Tina Turner recorded a version of song for the 1993 soundtrack album What's Love Got to Do with It. This rendition is different than the original version she sang in front of Ike Turner in 1957.
Chart performance
| Chart (1952) | Peak
position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard R&B National Best Sellers[8] | 1 |
| US Billboard R&B Most Played In Juke Boxes[8] | 2 |
References
- "B.B. King's Top 10 Billboard Hot 100 Hits". Billboard. May 15, 2015.
- Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 324.
- McGee, David (2005). B.B. King: There is Always One More Time. San Francisco: Backbeat Books. p. 86. ISBN 0879308435. OCLC 60393501.
- Turner, Tina. (1986). I, Tina: My Life Story. Loder, Kurt. (1st ed.). New York: Avon Books. ISBN 0380700972. OCLC 16513221.
- "BB King's 25 best songs". The Telegraph. May 14, 2016.
- Farley, Charles (2011). Soul of the Man: Bobby "Blue" Bland. Jackson, Miss.: University Press of Mississippi. p. 31. ISBN 9781604739206. OCLC 708067743.
- "Best Selling Rhythm & Blues Records" (PDF). Billboard: 93. September 17, 1952.
- "Top Rhythm & Blues Records: National Best Sellers/Most Played In Juke Boxes" (PDF). Billboard: 46. November 29, 1952.
- "1952's Top R&B Records" (PDF). Billboard: 19. December 27, 1952.