"I've Been Loving You" is the 1968 debut single by English musician

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...

with lyrics credited to

Bernie Taupin Bernard John Taupin (born 22 May 1950) is an English songwriter, singer and visual artist. He is best known for his long-term collaboration with musician Elton John, a songwriting partnership that is one of the most successful in history. Tau ...

(although John later admitted that he wrote the song by himself, giving Taupin credit as an effort to earn Taupin his first publishing royalties). The

B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record compan ...

is "Here's to the Next Time", an Elton John composition. "I've Been Loving You" was not originally included on any album and the single was withdrawn shortly after its release. Neither side appeared on any official album release until the 1992 '' Rare Masters''

box set A box set or (its original name) boxed set is a set of items (for example, a compilation of books, musical recordings, films or television programs) traditionally packaged in a box and offered for sale as a single unit. Music Artists and bands ...

(which featured previously unreleased stereo mixes of both). The single is extremely rare. An even rarer 4-song EP, released only in Portugal, contained two additional songs: "Thank You for All Your Loving" (written by John and then bandmate Caleb Quaye) and "Angel Tree" (the first true release of a John/Taupin composition). According to John's YouTube channel, the single's B-side, "Here's to the Next Time", was recorded at DJM studios in late 1967.

Wednesday cover version

In 1976, Canadian band Wednesday covered the song under the title "Loving You Baby". It was a substantial hit in their native country, peaking at No. 6 for two weeks on the Canadian singles chart. It is ranked as the 78th biggest Canadian hit of 1976.

Chart history

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Other cover versions

* On 24 May 1968 (shortly after John's release), Edwin Bee released it as a single, marking the first cover version of an Elton John composition. * Jack Bedient & the Chessmen, a popular party band based in and around California, Nevada, and the Pacific northwest in the 1960s, released a version of the song in 1969. Bedient & the Chessmen recorded and released numerous singles and albums during that time, and disbanded in the early '70s.

References

External links

* * {{authority control 1968 songs 1968 debut singles 1968 debut EPs 1976 singles Elton John songs Songs with lyrics by Bernie Taupin Songs with music by Elton John Philips Records singles Wednesday (Canadian band) songs