"Ain't Nobody" is a song by American

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...

band Rufus and American singer

Chaka Khan Yvette Marie Stevens (born March 23, 1953), better known by her stage name Chaka Khan (), is an American singer. Her career has spanned more than five decades, beginning in the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the funk band Rufus. Known as the " Qu ...

. It was released on November 4, 1983 by Warner Bros., as one of four studio tracks included on their

live Live may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Live!'' (2007 film), 2007 American film * ''Live'' (2014 film), a 2014 Japanese film *'' ''Live'' (Apocalyptica DVD) Music *Live (band), American alternative rock band * List of albums ...

album, '' Stompin' at the Savoy'' (1983). "Ain't Nobody" quickly gathered popularity, and reached number one on the US ''Billboard'' R&B chart and number 22 on the US ''Billboard''

Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online streaming ...

. In 1984 at the

26th Annual Grammy Awards The 26th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 28, 1984, at Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, and were broadcast live on American television. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the year 1983. Michael Jackson, who had been recove ...

, "Ain't Nobody" won for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. It has become one of Khan's

signature song A signature (; from la, signare, "to sign") is a Handwriting, handwritten (and often Stylization, stylized) depiction of someone's name, nickname, or even a simple "X" or other mark that a person writes on documents as a proof of identity and ...

s. Rufus keyboardist David "Hawk" Wolinski wrote the song around a repeating

synthesizer A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis and ...

loop backed by a Linn LM-1 drum computer; however,

John "JR" Robinson John Frederick Robinson (born December 29, 1954), known professionally as JR, is an American drummer and session musician who has been called "one of the most recorded drummers in history". He is known for his work with producer Quincy Jones, in ...

, the band's drummer, played real drums for the recording session. The band held a democratic vote, and they decided to include the song in their album repertoire. Once the song was recorded,

Warner Warner can refer to: People * Warner (writer) * Warner (given name) * Warner (surname) Fictional characters * Yakko, Wakko, and Dot Warner, stars of the animated television series ''Animaniacs'' * Aaron Warner, a character in ''Shatter Me s ...

executives wanted to issue another song as the album's first single. Wolinski threatened to give the song to singer Michael Jackson and producer Quincy Jones for Jackson's album ''

Thriller Thriller may refer to: * Thriller (genre), a broad genre of literature, film and television ** Thriller film, a film genre under the general thriller genre Comics * ''Thriller'' (DC Comics), a comic book series published 1983–84 by DC Comics i ...

'' if the song was not the lead-off single. The label relented and "Ain't Nobody" was issued and hit number one on the R&B chart for the week ending October 15, 1983. The song was included on the

soundtrack album A soundtrack album is any album that incorporates music directly recorded from the soundtrack of a particular feature film or television show. The first such album to be commercially released was Walt Disney's ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'' ...

to the 1984 film '' Breakin'''. In 2021, "Ain't Nobody" was ranked number 403 on '' Rolling Stone''s

500 Greatest Songs of All Time "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" is a recurring survey compiled by the American magazine ''Rolling Stone''. It is based on weighted votes from selected musicians, critics, and industry figures. The first list was published in December 2004 in ...

. The song was adopted in the United Kingdom by fans of some of the country's football clubs, with the words: ''Ain't nobody loves (player), makes me happy, makes me feel this way''.

Composition

The song is performed in the key of E minor with a tempo of 104 beats per minute in common time. The bass synth intro however is in 9/8. Khan's vocals span from G₃ to E₅ in the song.

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Certifications

Jaki Graham version

In 1994, British singer-songwriter Jaki Graham released her cover of "Ain't Nobody". It was released in July 1994 by various labels as the first and lead single from her fourth album, '' Real Life'' (1994). Graham's version was produced by Rod Gammons and reached number one on the US ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' Hot Dance Club Play chart for five weeks as well as being in the Top 5 favourite videos for BET (Black Entertainment Charts). The single also reached number 44 in the UK, number 11 in Iceland and number 17 in Australia. The accompanying music video for "Ain't Nobody" was directed by American film director and producer Antoine Fuqua.

Critical reception

Larry Flick Larry Flick is an American journalist, former dance music columnist, single reviewer, and Senior Talent Editor for ''Billboard'' magazine, where he worked for 14 years. Now he produces and hosts Sirius XM radio shows. Flick started in the music ...

from ''

'' called the song "smashing", and stated that Graham "returns with a grand reading of a Rufus

pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop!, a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Albums * ''Pop'' (G ...

/ soulnugget. Track is the latest in an onslaught of competitive versions of the song by various divas. This one, however, is the real deal, thanks to Graham's considerable charm as well as a plethora of mixes that range from peppy NRG to muscular

house A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...

. A sure-fire club hit, don't be surprised if crossover radio beckons." English '' Reading Evening Post'' commented, "This is one of those covers that doesn't really improve on the original. But the

song is a soul classic and Jaki Graham gives it a good shot, even if her voice doesn't seem quite powerful enough for its bitter-sweet melodrama. A hard one not to sing along with."

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Diana King version

In 1995, Jamaican singer-songwriter Diana King recorded a cover single of "Ain't Nobody". It was released in October 1995 by

Columbia Columbia may refer to: * Columbia (personification), the historical female national personification of the United States, and a poetic name for America Places North America Natural features * Columbia Plateau, a geologic and geographic region in ...

and Work Group as the third single from their debut album, '' Tougher Than Love'' (1995). The song was produced by Handel Tucker and recorded in Bob Marley's recording studio Tuff Gong in

Kingston Kingston may refer to: Places * List of places called Kingston, including the five most populated: ** Kingston, Jamaica ** Kingston upon Hull, England ** City of Kingston, Victoria, Australia ** Kingston, Ontario, Canada ** Kingston upon Thames, ...

, Jamaica. It peaked at number 95 on the US ''

, number four on the ''Billboard'' Hot Dance Club Play chart and number 13 on the UK Singles Chart.

Critical reception

from ''

'' complimented the song as a "sexy hip hop interpretation" and "irresistible", complimenting King's "assured performance". M.R. Martinez from ''

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', was an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...

'' described it as a "bumpin' cover".

James Masterton James Masterton (born 2 September 1973) is a music writer and columnist, his work focusing on the UK Singles Chart having been an online fixture on various sites since the 1990s. Masterton is also a producer for talkSPORT, and has worked on air ...

for '' Dotmusic'' said, "Now it is the turn of Diana King's soft reggaefied version to crash into the charts, give inganother hit and prolong the life of a quite brilliant pop song." Pan-European magazine ''

Music & Media ''Music & Media'' was a pan-European magazine for radio, music and entertainment. It was published for the first time in 1984 as ''Eurotipsheet'', but in 1986 it changed name to ''Music & Media''. It was originally based in Amsterdam, but later ...

'' noted that the follow-up to "

Shy Guy "Shy Guy" is a song by Jamaican recording artist and songwriter Diana King for the movie soundtrack album '' Bad Boys''. It also appeared on King's debut studio album, '' Tougher Than Love'' (1995). The song was written by King, Kingsley Gardn ...

" sees the Jamaican vocalist "lose some of ing'srough

dancehall Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially, dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s.Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2004) "The Rou ...

edges in favour of a smoother R&B sound", adding that the chorus is "pure, uplifting modern soul." A reviewer from '' Music Week'' rated it three out of five, writing, "A fairly standard cover of the

classic, with strong production. ingmight just convert some more fans."

Dele Fadele Ayodele Fadele (8 August 1962 – March 2018) was an English musician and music journalist who was active from the mid-1980s. He wrote for the '' NME'' in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and was one of the first music critics to introduce then em ...

from '' NME'' felt the atmosphere in Bob Marley's old

Tuff Gong Studios Tuff Gong is the brand name associated with a number of businesses started by Bob Marley and the Marley family. 'Tuff Gong' comes from Marley's nickname, which was in turn an echo of that given to founder of the Rastafari movement, Leonard " ...

, where 'Ain't Nobody' was recorded, was "sprinkling a little spiritual dust on an off-kilter rhythm that defies gravity and Diana's big ole show-off of a voice." Ralph Tee from the '' Record Mirror'' Dance Update stated, "'Shy Guy' turned out to be an international smash and this follow-up has similar crossover opportunities."

Music video

A music video was produced to promote the single, directed by American film, television, commercial and music video director Kevin Bray. It features King performing with their band in a bright white room. Other scenes show the singer lying in an indoor pool with water. The video was later made available on King's official YouTube channel in 2009, and had generated more than 2,3 million views as of early 2024.

Track listings

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LL Cool J version

Rapper

LL Cool J James Todd Smith (born January 14, 1968), known professionally as LL Cool J (short for Ladies Love Cool James), is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He is one of the earliest rappers to achieve commercial success, along ...

recorded an interpolation of the song for the soundtrack to the 1996 film '' Beavis and Butt-Head Do America'', based on the adult animated series ''

Beavis and Butt-Head ''Beavis and Butt-Head'' is an American adult animated series created by Mike Judge. The series follows Beavis and Butt-Head, both voiced by Judge, a pair of teenage slackers characterized by their apathy, lack of intelligence, lowbrow humor, ...

''. Released by Geffen Records as the soundtrack's second single, the song peaked at number 46 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, number four on the Hot Rap Singles Chart and number 27 on the ''

'' Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Outside of the United States, the song topped the charts in the United Kingdom, where the song was also a hit for Gwen Dickey and KWS (reaching number 21), and The Course (number eight).

Critical reception

from ''

'' described LL Cool J's version as a "

juiced hip-hop ditty." He added, "The rap vet playfully unfurls his patented love-talk on top of an insinuating classic-funk bassline. The hip-grinding verses lead to a chantable chorus that re-creates the best portions of the timeless Rufus nugget . Programmers starved for something sexy and immediately appealing need look no further." Alan Jones from '' Music Week'' felt that "LL Cool J's comeback with "Ain't Nobody" is more workmanlike than inspired, with all the lyrical dexterity we expect from him." He noted that "it includes an un-named femme who takes over to sing the chorus though this simply draws attention to what a good vocalist

is. A surefire hit, and quite a big one at that, though not one of LL's best."

Music video

The accompanying music video of this version, directed by Michael Martin, produced by Jonathan Heuer, and cinematography by Martin Coppen, was partially filmed at

Mount Hood Mount Hood is a potentially active stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc. It was formed by a subduction zone on the Pacific coast and rests in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located about east-southeast of Portlan ...

of Oregon. It also shows a pool party filled with guests, including Maia Campbell, Brian McKnight, Alfonso Ribeiro, Tichina Arnold, Cedric the Entertainer, Martin Lawrence, John Salley, and John Witherspoon.

Charts

Certifications

Richard X vs. Liberty X version

In 2003, English-Irish pop group Liberty X released a version of the song titled "Being Nobody", produced by Richard X, as the lead single from Richard X's debut studio album, '' Richard X Presents His X-Factor Vol. 1'' (2003), as well as the lead single from Liberty X's second studio album, ''

Being Somebody ''Being Somebody'' is the second studio album by English-Irish pop vocal group Liberty X. It was released on 3 November 2003 via V2 Records. The album was released a year-and-a-half after their debut release, '' Thinking It Over''. The album pea ...

'' (2003). The song is a pseudo-

mashup Mashup may refer to: * Mashup (culture), the rearrangement of spliced parts of musical pieces as part of a subculture * Mashup (education), combining various forms of data and media by a teacher or student in an instructional setting * Mashup (mus ...

, taking the lyrics of "Ain't Nobody" and placing them over an instrumental interpolation of the Human League's "

Being Boiled "Being Boiled" is the debut single by the British synthpop band the Human League. Composed by Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh, with lyrics by Philip Oakey, it has been released several times since 1978, finally becoming a UK top ten hit in 1982. ...

". Additional elements from both songs were also used such as the recurring synth line from "Ain't Nobody" and the line "OK, ready? Let's do it." in the intro of the main mix are from the intro of "Being Boiled". Liberty X first performed "Being Nobody" on '' Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway'' on February 8, 2003. They also performed it twice on '' Top of the Pops'', with other performances on ''The National Lottery Wright Ticket'' and '' CD:UK'' before officially released on March 17, 2003. Shortly after that, the 2003 remastered version of the original 1983 hit "Ain't Nobody" was released in April of that year.

Critical reception

The song received mostly positive reviews from music critics. It was deemed "instantly memorable" by RTÉ.ie reviewer Linda McGee, whilst Louis Pattison of '' NME'' believed it was "Truly, a record to get over-excited about." Alexis Kirke of

musicOMH MusicOMH (stylized as musicOMH) is a London-based online music magazine which publishes independent reviews, features and interviews from across all genres including classical, metal, rock and R&B. History MusicOMH was founded and launched by ...

said: "The marriage of the credible dance-bootleg production of Richard X with high profile pop-act Liberty X is not only a perfect career-expanding synergy for both, but also a powerful musical synergy in which the seventies meets the eighties during the noughties." Writing for ukmix.org, Martin P gave the song five stars out of five and called it "It's pure pop perfection with a twist of R&B – one of the best Liberty X singles!"

Track listing

# "Being Nobody" (Main Mix) – 3:37 # "Being Nobody" (Richard X Remix) – 4:25 # "Being Nobody" (X-Strumental) – 3:38

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Scooter version

"It's a Biz (Ain't Nobody)" is a single by German hard dance band Scooter. It was released on March 23, 2012, as the fifth single from their fifteenth studio album, '' The Big Mash Up'' (2011).

Track listings

Charts

Felix Jaehn version

In 2015, German music producer and DJ Felix Jaehn released a remix titled "Ain't Nobody (Loves Me Better)" featuring vocals by British singer Jasmine Thompson. It is the lead single for his eponymous 2016 debut EP, ''Felix Jaehn''. The remix was based on a solo release of the song by Thompson in 2013, when Thompson was 13, which had peaked at number 32 on the UK Singles Chart. However, the Felix Jaehn remix became a far bigger international chart success, peaking at number one or two in a number of European countries (including number two in the United Kingdom) as well as the top 10 in other European countries and Australia.

Track listing

#"Ain't Nobody (Loves Me Better)" – 3:01 #"I Do" – 3:02

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Certifications

References

{{Authority control 1983 songs 1983 singles 1994 singles 1995 singles 1996 singles 1997 singles 2003 singles 2012 singles 2015 singles Chaka Khan songs Diana King songs Felix Jaehn songs Liberty X songs LL Cool J songs KWS (band) songs Jasmine Thompson songs Delilah (musician) songs Scooter (band) songs Dutch Top 40 number-one singles UK singles chart number-one singles Number-one singles in Austria Number-one singles in Germany Number-one singles in Israel Number-one singles in Poland Number-one singles in Romania Songs written by Hawk Wolinski Song recordings produced by Russ Titelman Song recordings produced by Richard X Warner Records singles Avex Group singles Festival Records singles Columbia Records singles Polydor Records singles Pulse 8 singles Island Records singles Sony Music singles Geffen Records singles Virgin Records singles Tropical house songs Synth-pop songs Music videos directed by Antoine Fuqua Music videos directed by Kevin Bray (director)

Composition

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Jaki Graham version

Critical reception

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Diana King version

Critical reception

Music video

Track listings

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LL Cool J version

Critical reception

Music video

Charts

Certifications

Richard X vs. Liberty X version

Critical reception

Track listing

Charts

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Year-end charts

Scooter version

Track listings

Charts

Felix Jaehn version

Track listing

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See also

References