"The Lovers" is a song written by

Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis James Samuel "Jimmy Jam" Harris III (born June 6, 1959) and Terry Steven Lewis (born November 24, 1956) are an American R&B/pop songwriting and record production team. They have enjoyed great success since the 1980s with various artists, most ...

and recorded by American recording artist

Alexander O'Neal Alexander O'Neal (born November 15, 1953) is an American R&B singer, songwriter and arranger from Natchez, Mississippi. O'Neal came to prominence in the mid-1980s as a solo artist, with eleven Top 40 singles on the US R&B chart, three of whic ...

. It is the fourth single from the singer's second solo album, ''

Hearsay Hearsay evidence, in a legal forum, is testimony from an under-oath witness who is reciting an out-of-court statement, the content of which is being offered to prove the truth of the matter asserted. In most courts, hearsay evidence is inadmiss ...

'' (1987). The song's distinctive backing vocals were performed by

Cherrelle Cheryl Anne Norton (born October 13, 1958), better known by her stage name Cherrelle, is an American R&B singer and songwriter who gained fame in the mid-1980s. Her signature hits include "I Didn't Mean to Turn You On", "Where Do I Run To", "Eve ...

and

Lisa Keith Lisa Keith (born 1960) is an American contemporary/ pop singer, probably best known for her work as a backing vocalist for other artists and lead vocalist on Herb Alpert's hit single from 1987, " Making Love in the Rain". In 1993 she released her ...

. Following the successful chart performances of the ''Hearsay'' singles " Fake", " Criticize", and "

Never Knew Love Like This "Never Knew Love Like This" is a top ten US R&B hit, and a top ten UK hit song duetted by American R&B singers Cherrelle and Alexander O'Neal; released in 1988. The song peaked at #2 in the US R&B chart, #26 in the UK and #28 in the ''Billboar ...

", "The Lovers" was released as the album's fourth single.

Release

's 10th hit single and it reached #28 in the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

. In the United States, the single reached #41 on Billboard's

Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by ''Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 p ...

Track listing

* 12" Maxi (Tabu 4Z9 07812) #"The Lovers (Extended Version)" – 7:02 #"The Lovers (A Cappella)" – 5:16 #"The Lovers (Radio Edit)" – 5:16 #"The Lovers (Instrumental)" – 7:02 * 7" Single (Tabu ZS4 07795) #"The Lovers" – 3:50 #"The Lovers (Instrumental)" – 3:50 * CD Single (Tabu 651595 2) #"The Lovers (Extended Version)" – 7:02 #"The Lovers (Bonus Beats)" – 5:00 #"The Lovers (Instrumental)" – 7:02

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes. *

– lead vocals * Jimmy Jam – drum and keyboard programming, keyboards, percussion, handclaps * Terry Lewis – percussion, backing vocals * Steve Hodge – percussion *

, Randy Ran,

– backing vocals *

Jellybean Johnson Garry George "Jellybean" Johnson (born November 19, 1956) is an American drummer, guitarist, songwriter, producer and musician based out of Minneapolis, Minnesota. A member and drummer of The Time who worked along with famed producers Jimmy Ja ...

, James 'Popeye' Greer, Kelli Anderson – handclaps

Sales chart performance

Peak positions

References

External links

* 1988 singles Alexander O'Neal songs 1986 songs Tabu Records singles Songs written by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis Song recordings produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis {{1980s-single-stub