THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

803-Lobo-I’d Love You to Want Me.

1972-It did not chart in the UK until 1974, when it reached Number 5.

Best Bit-At 0.51. ‘Lobo’ is Spanish for Wolf, but I have no idea why he chose that as his stage name.

‘Lobo’ was born Roland Kent LaVoie, on July 31st, 1943, in Tallahassee, Florida, United States, he is a singer/songwriter, whose music covers the genres of ‘Country Pop,’ ‘Folk Rock,’ and ‘Soft Rock.’ Lobo began his music career in 1961 as a member of a local band called ‘The Rumours,’ whose members included the future music stars Gram Parsons, (1946-1973) and Jim Stafford. In 1964 Lobo, who was still performing under his birth name, first met the music producer Phil Gernhard, (1940-2008) together they would work on five Lobo studio Albums, when he began his solo career, and started calling himself ‘Lobo’ in 1971.

The discography of Lobo includes 16 Albums released between 1971-2022, and 34 singles that have been issued between 1964-1985, there are also 12 official compilation Albums available. Prior to the launch of his solo career, the first three singles he released in 1964, 1966, and 1969, were as ‘The Sugar Beats,’ ‘The Uglies,’ and as ‘Kent LaVoie. In America on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, Lobo has achieved eight top 40 hit singles, with ‘I’d Love You to Want Me,’ peaking the highest at Number 2, while in the UK, he has charted twice, with ‘Me and You and a Dog Named Boo,’ being the other hit, when reaching Number 4 in 1971.

‘I’d Love You to Want Me,’ was the second of three singles released from ‘Of a Simple Man,’ which was the second Album issued by Lobo in October 1972. All of the 12 tracks on the Album, were written by Lobo, and all 12 tracks were produced by Phil Gernhard, who was born Phillip Arnold Gernhard, on February 5th, 1940, in Evanston, Illinois, United States, he died of committing suicide by gunshot on February 22nd, 2008, after years of alcoholism, and drug misuse, at the age of 68. In 1959, Gernhard started a record label, called ‘Cole’ records, with his friend Vince Cole, and he also set up a production company called ‘Briarwood,’ with another of his friends, called Johnny McCullough. Their first big success was signing the American ‘Doo-Wop’/R&B’ vocal group ‘Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs,’ whose song ‘Stay,’ which was produced by Gernhard, became an American Number 1 single on Billboard in 1960, and also reached Number 14 in the UK. Other major successes for Gernhard include, co-writing and co-producing the 1966 Billboard Number 2, and UK Number 8 hit ‘Snoopy vs. The Red Baron,’ for the ‘The Royal Guardsmen,’ and producing the 1969 single ‘Abraham, Martin and John,’ which reached Number 4 on Billboard for the American singer Dion. It was Gernhard, and Lobo who kick started the career of Jim Stafford, and the pair co-produced both of his UK hits ‘Spiders & Snakes,’ and ‘My Girl Bill,’ they also produced his other Billboard top 10 hit ‘Wildwood Weed.’ Another significant production by Gernhard, is the 1976 Billboard Number 1, and UK Number 7 hit,’Let Your Love Flow,’ for ‘The Bellamy Brothers’ (see also best songs 923.)

In the UK ”I’d Love You to Want Me’ failed to chart on it’s initial release in 1972, but after receiving a re-release on Jonathan King’s ‘UK’ record label it finally matched it’s American success. Lobo has spoken about his inspiration for the song,’I wanted to write the big ballad. There was a conscious effort to do that. The premise behind that was what I imagined in school. I had a really pretty art teacher. I was a high school senior, and the teacher was 22, and she looked at me, and I looked at her, and there was a connection. That line, ‘The obligation that you made, for the title that they gave,’ was about that. It was the love you couldn’t have. You know?’

‘When I saw you standing there, about fell out my chair, and when you moved your mouth to speak, I felt the blood go to my feet. Now it took time for me to know, what you tried so not to show, now something in my soul just cries, I see the want in your blue eyes.’