He was versatile enough to do folk songs, blues, covers of old-time Rock n' roll songs, and some original material, all of them in his own unique style. Rivers's greatest success came in the mid and late 1960s with a string of hit songs (including "Seventh Son," "Poor Side of Town" and "Secret Agent Man") but he has continued to record and perform to the present.
In 1960, Rivers met fellow Louisianan, James Burton, the guitar player for Ricky Nelson. Burton later recommended one of Rivers's songs to Nelson, who went on to record it. In 1961, Rivers went to Los Angeles to meet Nelson, and ended up relocating there, working as a song writer and studio musician. In 1963, Rivers's big break came when he temporarily filled in for a jazz combo at Bill Gazzari's night club; the temporary gig became long-term due to positive customer response.
In 1964, Elmer Valentine then gave Rivers a one-year contract to open his new club, Whisky a Go Go, on Sunset Strip in West Hollywood. The Whisky opened three days before The Beatles released "I Want To Hold Your Hand" and the British Invasion knocked almost every American artist off the top of the charts. But Rivers was so popular, producer Lou Adler decided to issue Johnny Rivers Live At The Whiskey A Go Go. The live album reached #12 on the charts and the single "Memphis" (a Chuck Berry cover) reached #2. Rivers made the successful transition from nightclub entertainer to chart-busting pop singer and had created the Go Go sound, part of a scene which included Go-Go dancers.
Into 1965, Rivers continued to record mostly live, Go Go style records including "Maybellene" (another Berry cover), which he followed "Mountain of Love", "Midnight Special", "Seventh Son" (written by Willie Dixon) e "Where Have All The Flowers Gone" (with Pete Seeger's), all of which were hits.
Rivers wanted to try something different and adopted a more idiosyncratic approach as from 1966. Characterized by his smooth, soulful voice, he produced hit portrayals as "Poor Side Of Town", which would be his biggest hit ever and his only number one record. Into another hit was "Secret Agent Man", the theme from Secret Agent television series (written by P.F. Sloan and Steve Barri). He also started own record company, Soul City Records, where he won a Grammy Award as the producer of the 5th Dimension, which eventually recorded "Aquarius/Let The Sun Shine In" and "Wedding Bell Blues", two number one hits on Rivers' label. Johnny is also credited with giving songwriter Jimmy Webb a major break when they recorded Webb's song "Up, Up, and Away". James Hendricks, one of the artists of that signed with Soul City, wrote "Summer Rain", a song that Rivers recorded and turned a hit.
Johnny Rivers continued to record more hits, including "Baby I Need Your Lovin'" and "The Tracks of My Tears" (cover of The Miracles), both top 10 in 1967. In 1968, Rivers released what many fans consider his best album, Realization, a number five album on the LP charts. The album was evocative of the psychedelic influences of the time and marked a subtle change in his musical direction, with more thoughtful types of songs, included such ballads as "Going Back to Big Sur".
In the 1970s, Rivers continued to record more songs and albums which were a success with music critics, but did not sell as well as some of his earlier hits. One of these albums, "L.A. Reggae" in 1972, reached the LP charts as a result of the top 10 "Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu" (a cover of Huey Smith & the Clowns). Anothers hits that time were "Blue Suede Shoes" (a cover of Carl Perkins), in 1973, which would reach the top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100, and "Help Me Rhonda", in 1975 - a cover of The Beach Boys on which Brian Wilson helped with backup vocals. His last entry on the charts was "Swayin' to the Music (Slow Dancing)", a top ten hit in 1977.
1980's until nowadays
Rivers continued recording into the '80's, although his recording career wound down somewhat. In spite of his music hasn't reached the best seller charts for quite a while, Rivers is still touring, doing 50 to 60 shows a year, increasingly returning to the blues that inspired him initially.
In 1998], Rivers reactivated his Soul City imprint and released Last Train to Memphis, his first new studio album in 15 years.
In early 2000, Johnny recorded with Eric Clapton, Tom Petty, and Paul McCartney on a tribute album dedicated to Buddy Holly's backup band, "The Crickets".
In all, Rivers had 9 top ten hits on the Billboard Hot 100 and 17 in the top 40 from 1964 to 1977. In total, he has sold well over 25 million records.
Baby I Need Your Lovin'
Johnny Rivers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Baby I need your lovin'
Although you're never near
Your voice I often hear
Another day, another night
I long to hold you tight
Cause I'm so lonely
[Chorus]
Baby, I need your lovin'
I got to have all your lovin'
Baby, I need your lovin'
Got to have all your lovin'
Some say it's a sign of weakness
For a man to beg
Then weak I'd rather be
If it means havin' you to keep
'Cause lately I've been losin' sleep
[Chorus]
Empty nights
Echo your name
Sometimes I wonder
Will I ever be the same
Oh yeah, when you see me smile
You know
Things have gotten worse
Any smile you might see
Has all been rehearsed
Darlin', I can't go on without you
This emptiness won't let me live without you
This loneliness inside me darlin'
Makes me feel not alive, honey
[Chorus: x2]
The lyrics of Johnny Rivers's song 'Baby I Need Your Lovin'' are about a man who is deeply in love with someone, but cannot be with them. The first stanza describes the distance between the man and his loved one, but how he still hears her voice. The following lines explain that he longs for her presence and needs her love because he is lonely. The chorus repeats these lines, emphasizing the man's desperation for his loved one's affection.
The second stanza begins by addressing the societal expectation that it is a weakness for a man to beg for love. Despite this, he confesses that he would rather be weak and have his loved one than not have her at all. He then admits that his love for her is causing him sleepless nights. The chorus repeats.
The third stanza describes how the man cannot get his loved one out of his mind. He wonders if he will ever be the same. When he smiles, he is pretending that everything is fine, but in reality, his situation is only getting worse. The last lines express how the man cannot continue living without his loved one and how her absence makes him feel like he is not alive. The chorus repeats twice.
Line by Line Meaning
Baby I need your lovin'
The singer expresses his need for the love of someone special.
Although you're never near
Even though the person he desires is not physically present.
Your voice I often hear
He hears the voice of his beloved one frequently in his thoughts.
Another day, another night
There is no respite from his longing for the person he loves.
I long to hold you tight
His desire to be physically close to his love is great.
Cause I'm so lonely
The singer feels the sting of loneliness without his love.
[Chorus]
The repeated chorus reinforces the idea of his need for love.
Some say it's a sign of weakness
The artist acknowledges but rejects societal norms that label men as weak for displaying vulnerability.
For a man to beg
He is aware that society sees begging for love as a weakness in men.
Then weak I'd rather be
He prioritizes his desire to have his love over upholding fragile societal expectations of masculinity.
If it means havin' you to keep
He sees being with his love as a worthwhile trade-off for any perceived weakness on his part.
'Cause lately I've been losin' sleep
His yearning for love has impacted his ability to rest peacefully.
[Chorus]
The chorus repeats to emphasize his insatiable need for love.
Empty nights
His nights feel lonely and unfulfilled without his love.
Echo your name
Thoughts of his love fill every space of his mind.
Sometimes I wonder
He is unsure if he can ever move on without his love.
Will I ever be the same
He believes his love is irreplaceable and wonders if he can ever recover from losing them.
Oh yeah, when you see me smile
He fakes happiness and hides his sadness behind a facade of smiles.
You know
He worries that his love will see through his facade.
Things have gotten worse
His situation has deteriorated since his love's departure.
Any smile you might see
Even when he appears to be smiling, it is all an act.
Has all been rehearsed
His outward expressions have been practiced to mask his inner pain.
Darlin', I can't go on without you
He declares his dependence on his love for survival.
This emptiness won't let me live without you
The artist feels a void within himself that only his love can fill.
This loneliness inside me darlin'
He has a deep sense of loneliness when he's not with his love.
Makes me feel not alive, honey
His love is what keeps him feeling alive and fulfilled.
[Chorus: x2]
The chorus repeats twice more to express the depth of his need for love.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Edward Jr. Holland, Lamont Dozier, Brian Holland
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
John Anthony Gonzales
Why this man and his special sound hasn't been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame baffles me .He is simply one of the Greatest of all time.
spinner357
Because.....this isn't rock and roll? I mean I love this song with a passion but it isn't rock...
Michael Droege
Yes. Yes.
Michael Droege
@spinner357 it was considered rock when it was in the charts.
Marcello Soares Santos
I love Jonny Rivers...show
Christopher Arnett
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is a joke 🤣. Yes Johnny Rivers should have been in the Hall of Fame a hell of along time ago , just like other legendary rockers should have been in the hall of Fame. They are a pathetic so called Hall of Fame, it doesn't carry any reconiction from me period.
meofcourse
Johnny Rivers needs more recognition for such great songs.
Aaron Noah
Hey, this was one of my late wife ❤️ favorite song and it's very painful whenever I think about my heart 😭🤔 it's my pleasure meeting you here. Happy new year to you 2022
poopsie kins
oh absolutely true.
Timothy Smith
I think people for get just how
. Good and great . He is . Maybe if they got to hear his songs .