"Just Don't Want to Be Lonely" is a song written by Bobby Eli, John Freeman and Vinnie Barrett, originally recorded in 1973 by Ronnie Dyson and popularized internationally by The Main Ingredient. Dyson's version reached No. 60 in the US Pop chart, No. 30 Adult Contemporary, and No. 29 in the US R&B chart. Its flipside was "Point of No Return", a song written by Thom Bell & Linda Creed.
Chart history
Chart (1973–1974)PeakpositionUS Billboard Hot 100Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990 - 60US Billboard Easy Listening30US Billboard Soul Singles29US Cash Box Top 10070
The Main Ingredient cover The Main Ingredient's version of the song was released in 1974 on RCA Victor and reached No.10 in the US, No.8 in US R&B and No.42 in US AC. It reached No.7 in Canada. The recording was arranged by Bert de Coteaux. It became a gold record.
Chart history
Weekly charts Chart (1974)PeakpositionCanadian RPM Top SinglesTop Singles - Volume 21, No. 13, May 18 19747UK (OCC)Official Charts, 29 June 197427US Billboard Hot 100Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990 - 10US Billboard Easy Listening42US Billboard Hot Soul Singles8US Cash Box Top 100Cash Box Top 100 Singles, May 11, 19748
Year-end charts Chart (1974)RankCanada Bac-lac.gc.ca111US Billboard Hot 100Musicoutfitters.com36US Cash Box 55
Other cover versions Freddie McGregor recorded the song in a reggae version and released it in 1987. The track had Robbie Lyn on keyboards, synthesizer and Oberheim DMX programming and Dean Frazer on saxophone. Errol Thompson engineered and it was produced by Donovan Germain. McGregor's version reached No.9 in the UK.UK Official Charts, 20 June 1987 In 1996, Filipino singer Regine Velasquez included it on her album Retro. Other artists who delivered versions include Marlena Shaw, Boz Scaggs, Horace Andy, The Blues Busters, Little John, Marcia Griffiths, Sanchez, Livingston Taylor and Blue Magic. In 2026, the American rock band Bleachers sampled the Blue Magic version of the song on “The Van” from their album Everyone for Ten Minutes.
References