For the Love of You (Earth, Wind & Fire song)

"For the Love of You"
Single by Earth, Wind & Fire featuring MC Hammer
from the album Heritage
B-side	"Motor"
Released	May 1990
Genre	R&B
Length	4:27
Label	Columbia
Songwriter(s)	Maurice White Robert Brookins Stephanie Mills MC Hammer
Producer(s)	Maurice White, Robert Brookins
Earth, Wind & Fire singles chronology
"Heritage" (1990) "For the Love of You" (1990) "Wanna Be the Man" (1990)
MC Hammer singles chronology
"Have You Seen Her" (1990) "For the Love of You" (1990) "Pray" (1990)

"For the Love of You" is a song recorded by the American band Earth, Wind & Fire (EWF) featuring MC Hammer for EWF's 1990 studio album Heritage.^[1] It was released as a single in May 1990 by Columbia Records, peaking at No. 19 on the Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart and No. 12 on the Cashbox Top R&B Singles chart.

Overview

"For the Love of You" was produced by Earth, Wind & Fire leader Maurice White and Robert Brookins, and written by White, Brookins, Stephanie Mills and MC Hammer. With a duration of four minutes and twenty seven seconds, the song has a tempo of 106 bpm.^[1][2]

Critical reception

John Milward of Rolling Stone said For the Love of You is "spun on a skeletal rhythm suggestive of Cameo".^[3] Andy Gill of The Independent said "Fortunately, the sinuous funk workouts like 'For the Love of You', 'King of Groove' and 'Gotta Find Out' are as good as ever."^[4] Mitchell May of the Chicago Tribune wrote "Hammer`s clipped delivery meshes so well with EWF's leaner sound that they might want to consider hiring him full-time".^[5] James T. Jones IV of USA Today found "EWF smartly gets help from MC Hammer on the hard edged.. (For) The Love of You."^[6]

Credits

• Featuring: MC Hammer
• Producer: Robert Brookins & Maurice White
• Composer: Maurice White, Stephanie Mills, MC Hammer & Robert Brookins
• Additional keyboards: Lestley R. Pierce
• Drum programming: Robert Brookins
• Synthesizer programming: Robert Brookins
• Synthesizers: Robert Brookins
• Keyboards: Robert Brookins
• Guitar: Sheldon Reynolds
• Background vocals: Robert Brookins, Jeanette Hawes, Philip Bailey & Maurice White
• Lead vocals: Maurice White
• Arranger: Robert Brookins^[7]

Charts

Chart (1990)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot R&B Singles[8]	19
U.S. Cashbox Top R&B Singles[9]	12

References

1. Earth, Wind & Fire: For The Love Of You. Columbia Records. May 1990.
2. "Earth, Wind & Fire: For the Love of You". getsongbpm.com.
3. Milward, John (22 March 1990). "Heritage". Rolling Stone.
4. Gill, Andy (2 March 1990). "Style elements". The Independent. pp. 15–16. Gale FQ4201233567.
5. "Earth, Wind & Fire: Heritage". Chicago Tribune. 22 February 1990.
6. Jones, James T (18 January 1990). "Listen Up!". USA Today. p. 4D. ProQuest 306292404.
7. "Earth, Wind & Fire (Ft. MC Hammer) – For the Love of You", Genius.com, retrieved 2023-08-11
8. "Earth, Wind & Fire: For The Love Of You (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard.
9. "CASH BOX Top R&B Singles". Cashbox. June 30, 1990.