His affinity for R&B melded with his own personal style, and he quickly became a local legend. He moved to New York City, where he met George Benson, the guitarist for Jack McDuff's band. Benson and Smith connected on a personal level, and the two formed the George Benson Quartet featuring Lonnie Smith in 1966. After two albums (It's Uptown and Cookbook), Smith recorded his first solo album (Finger Lickin' Good) in 1967, with George Benson on guitar, Ronnie Cuber on baritone sax, Melvin Sparks on guitar and Marion Booker on drums. This combination remained stable for the next five years. In 1967, Smith met Lou Donaldson, who put him in contact with Blue Note Records. Donaldson asked the quartet to record an album for Blue Note, Alligator Boogaloo. Blue Note was so impressed by the album that they signed Smith for the next four albums, all of which are now considered classics of Soul Jazz. This highly influential period produced Think (with Melvin Sparks, Marion Booker, Lee Morgan and David Newman) and Turning Point (with Lee Morgan, Benny Maupin, Melvin Sparks and Idris Muhammed). The latter is largely regarded as his most seminal studio album.
Smith toured the Northeastern United States heavily during this period, proving himself to be one of New York's finest musicians. He concentrated largely on smaller neighborhood venues during this period, playing SRO shows that boosted his credibility and allowed him to develop his style more intimately in front of his audience. His sidemen included Ronnie Cuber, Dave Hubbard, Bill Easley and George Adams on sax, Donald Hahn on trumpet, George Benson and Larry McGee on guitars, and Joe Dukes, Sylvester Goshay, Phillip Terrell, Marion Booker, Jimmy Lovelace, Charles Crosby, Art Gore, Norman Conners and Bobby Durham on drums. Smith's next album Move Your Hand was recorded at the Club Harlem in Atlantic City, New Jersey in August of 1969. This surprise hit spread allowed his reputation to grow beyond the Northeast. He would record another studio album Drives and one more live album Live at Club Mozambique before leaving Blue Note. Live at Club Mozambique was recorded in Detroit on 21 May 1970, and is considered to be his finest live recording.
Dr. Smith continues to tour and produce albums (his latest work is Too Damn Hot, and rumour has it that he is due to release another one this fall), but he still comes back to the Buffalo and Rochester areas to play small venues as a tribute to the area he considers his home. When asked why he calls himself 'Doctor', he calmly states that it is for the same reason why he now wears a turban to all of his shows: "No particular reason." Dr. Smith has been awarded the Organ Keyboardist of the Year award in 2003, 2004 and 2005 by the Jazz Journalist Association.
Smith died on September 28, 2021, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, at the age of 79.
I Need Your Love
Lonnie Smith Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I′m so glad I've found one
You make my life
Such a happy one
Girl, I need your love
I′ve seen so much
I've seen so much in my lifetime
A thousand times
I need your love
I need your love
I think that I have found the one
You make my life a happy one
I need your love
I've seen so much
I′ve seen so much in my lifetime
I would save my love
A thousand times
I need your love
You make me feel just like a king
Uh, kings and castles, ev′rything
And now I can be most assured
La la la la la
La la la la la
La la la la la
La la la la la
I need your love
I've needed you for so long
That′s why I sing this lovers' song
I need your love
You make me feel just like a king
A king that has most ev′rything
And now I can be most assured
(Ooh ooh ooh)
La la, la la la
(Ooh ooh ooh)
La la la la la
(Scatting)
La da ba bum ba
Ba da ba bum bay
Ba da ba bum ba
Ba da ba bum bay
I need you now
I've needed you for oh so long
That′s why I sing this lovers' song
I need your love
The lyrics of Lonnie Smith's song "I Need Your Love" express a deep yearning and dependency on the love of another person. The singer acknowledges that he has experienced much in his life, but despite this, he needs the love of this person to make his life a happy one. The repetition of the phrase "I need your love" emphasizes the urgency and intensity of his desire.
The singer also expresses how this person makes him feel like a king, as if he has everything he could want or need. He is assured by their love and feels complete with their presence in his life. The scatting towards the end of the song adds an improvisational, playful element to a song that is otherwise emotionally charged.
Overall, the lyrics of "I Need Your Love" showcase the vulnerability and human need for love and connection. The song speaks to the universal desire for a deep and meaningful connection with another person, and the joy and fulfillment that comes with finding it.
Line by Line Meaning
I need your love
The singer is expressing his desire for the love of a specific person.
And I?m so glad I've found one
The singer is happy to have found someone he loves.
You make my life Such a happy one
The person the singer loves has a positive impact on his life, making him happier as a result.
Girl, I need your love
The artist is specifically addressing a female he loves and reinforcing his desire for her love.
I?ve seen so much
The artist has had a variety of experiences throughout his life.
I've seen so much in my lifetime
The singer is saying that he has had many different experiences throughout his life.
I would save my love A thousand times
The singer is saying that he would continue to love the person he loves even in the face of difficulty or adversity.
You make me feel just like a king
The person the artist loves makes him feel like he is important and powerful, just like a king.
Uh, kings and castles, ev?rything
The artist is using the metaphor of kings and castles to express how important the person he loves is to him.
And now I can be most assured
The artist is expressing that he feels confident and certain because of the love he has found.
La la la la la
La la la la la
These lines are nonsensical scatting, meant to emphasize the emotional intensity of the song.
I need you now
The artist is emphasizing his need for the person he loves.
That?s why I sing this lovers' song
The singer is using the song itself as a means of expressing his love to the person he loves.
I've needed you for so long
The singer is expressing that he has been in love with the person for a long time.
A king that has most ev?rything
The singer is continuing to use the metaphor of a king to express just how much the person he loves means to him.
(Scatting)
This line is once again nonsensically scatting, meant to express the emotional intensity of the song.
La da ba bum ba
Ba da ba bum bay
Ba da ba bum ba
Ba da ba bum bay
This is more nonsensical scatting that emphasizes the emotion of the song.
I need your love
The song ends with a final reaffirmation of the singer's need for the love of the person he loves.
Writer(s): Lonnie Smith
Contributed by Hailey L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.