Who Did It Better? I Need A Lover

Who Did It Better?

I Need A Lover

Today's Who Did It Better is a case of you scratch my back and I get to have a career after all!

The song had actually been a hit for Johnny Cougar (as he was then known) back in March of 1978... in Australia! There? It hit #5 and stayed on the charts for four months. But stateside? The song and album wasn't released at all and Cougar was thinking he needed to start looking for a day job. Yes, John Cougar (he would add the Mellencamp later) was at the end of his rope... 

"I was washed up and over by my mid-20s," Mellencamp told Rolling Stone in 2013. "Then two record producers named (Nicky) Chinn and (Mike) Chapman heard I Need a Lover, and they had Pat Benatar sing it."

It's inclusion on her debut album, Heat of the Night, released on August 27, 1979, would give Cougar a much needed lifeline - as in cashflow and label interest.  Due to Benatar's label's interest in the song, Riva, Cougar's label, would include a version of I Need a Lover on his third album, John Cougar, and set its release date a month before Benatar's, releasing it on July 27, 1979. The song was also simultaneously released as the album's lead single and would eventually peak at #28 on Billboard's Hot 100.

Due to Cougar's release of the song, Benatar's label decided to reshuffle it's choice of singles, hitting gold with their second choice, Heartbreaker. They would eventually release I Need A Lover as the fourth single from her debut album  on March 8th 1980, and, while it got FM airplay and brought attention to her album, it failed to chart. 

Cool story, huh? I love slices of pop music history, like this. It shows you how the music business worked and also demonstrates how life just has a way of working out. And now? On to the competition...

The Song: I Need A Lover

The Competitors: Cougar (Mellencamp) vs. Benatar

I Need A Lover - John Cougar (Mellencamp) 

I Need A Lover - Pat Benatar

So, both versions sound terrible because these are the vinyl 45 versions. I chose them because Cougar's album version has the world's longest intro (two minutes worth!) and this was the only posting on YouTube to use the edited version. It then seemed unfair to use the 45 vinyl of his version and the studio version of Benatar's. The sound quality would give an unfair advantage to Benatar. So, sorry about the thin-sounding audio. 

Cougar's edit (this is the U.S. released version) is kind of a mess - you can hear ever slice of the razor blade - and the intro is slashed and stitched into a musical Frankenstein monster. Quite frankly, I am surprised this did as well on the charts as it did. I know he appeared on every damn show he could to promote it (including American Bandstand) and I am thinking the song's popularity had more to do with how cute the singer was than the actual song. As presented in the 45 vinyl version? The song barely makes sense. Check out that breakdown at the 2:40 mark where the wheels nearly fall off the damn bus. But, hey... that's rock n' roll. Cougar dutifully does that 'rock' thing where the more he pushes his voice into his throat the less intelligible his lyrics become. Garbled and strangled, I frequently have no idea what he's saying/singing. I do like his energy. I do find him to be rather authentic. At the time, he was being touted as the Midwest's answer to Bruce Springsteen. So, in light of that comparison / PR gimmick, this song feels right on target.

Benatar's version is straightforward and gets to the heart of the song right away. It proves to be a tiny heart and the song wears out its welcome by the 1:40 mark. Hers is the tighter, more upbeat, cleaner-sounding version, baring the bones of exactly how sleight of a song this is. Benatar is in kewpie doll / Betty Boop mode. Her tough girl stance is effective throughout, however, the song doesn't musically have any emotional expanse - the sort of thing that would allow her to demonstrate the awesome power of her voice. So, in her hands and given it's production, this ends up feeling more like album-filler than a bonafide attempt at a hit single.

The Vedict:

I don't think much of the song. In Cougar's hands it feels stretched to the point of breaking. It's as if he wanted to create an epic statement, but all he had to work with was a single, basic three chord structure. He's swinging for the fences and the song doesn't even get him to the pitcher's mound. That said, his rebel swagger feels authentic and works well here. So, I am going to give it to him. Benatar had already notched two Top 40 hits from her debut album - Heartbreaker and the alien sounding We Live For Love; two songs that showcased her talents wonderfully. I'm glad that this was not released as her lead single. The song itself does not do her justice; she's a much better singer than this is a song.

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And now the fun part... what do you think? Leave your choice and thoughts in the comments section. 

That's all for today. Until next time...

And, as always, thanks for reading!