"Love or Let Me Be Lonely" is a pop song recorded by the American soul group the Friends of Distinction and released as a single in early 1970. The song was a multi-format success, peaking at number 6 on the US Billboard Hot 100 on May 1, 1970. It also reached number 13 on the Soul Singles chart, and number nine on the Easy Listening singles chart. The song is ranked number 63 on the Hot 100 singles of 1970.
The song was written by Skip Scarborough, Jerry Peters and Anita Poree. The Friends of Distinction version features Charlene Gibson singing the lead vocals. In the lyrics, the singer is unsure of her future with her love interest. She wants a full commitment; either love her fully or she'd rather be lonely. "Part time love, I can find any day," she sings.YouTube.com "Love or Let Me Be Lonely" by The Friends of Distinction. Retrieved Oct. 8, 2024.
Chart performance
Weekly charts Chart (1970) Peakposition U.S. Billboard Hot 1006 U.S. Billboard Adult ContemporaryBillboard Adult Contemporary, April 18, 19709 U.S. R&B Singles13 U.S. Cash Box Top 1008 Australia55 Canadian RPM Top Singles2
Year-end charts Chart (1970) RankU.S. Billboard Hot 10063U.S. Cash Box55Canada35
Paul Davis version
The song returned to the charts in the summer of 1982 in a version by American singer-songwriter Paul Davis. It was the third and final single from his 1981 album Cool Night (Davis' seventh, final, and breakthrough album). As with all of the tracks on Cool Night, Davis' version was co-produced by Davis himself and keyboardist Ed Seay. Davis' version of "Love or Let Me Be Lonely" reached number 40 on the US Hot 100, and number 11 on the Adult Contemporary chart.
This would be Davis' final single as the lead artist and last single overall for five years until he was featured on Marie Osmond's "You're Still New to Me". Davis would retire from music altogether in 1988, and he died in 2008.
Chart performance
Chart (1982)PeakpositionCanada RPM Adult ContemporaryRPM Adult Contemporary, August 28, 198229U.S. Billboard Hot 10040U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary11U.S. Cash Box Top 10041
Sylvie Vartan version (in French)
In August 1970, the song was adapted into French as "La chasse à l'homme" (meaning "the manhunt") by Gilles Thibault and recorded by French pop singer Sylvie Vartan, who released her version as a non-album single, five months after the release of the original Friends of Distinction version. Vartan's version peaked at number 17 on the French Belgian charts on October 24, 1970. Charts Chart (1970)PeakpositionBelgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)17
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