The group was formed in Harlem, New York City in 1964 as a trio called the Poets, composed of lead singer Donald McPherson, Luther Simmons, Jr., and Panama-born Tony Silvester. They made their first recordings for Leiber & Stoller's Red Bird label, but soon changed their name to the Insiders and signed with RCA Records. In 1968, after a couple of singles, they changed their name once again, this time permanently, to the Main Ingredient. The name came from a Coke bottle.
They then teamed up with record producer/arranger Bert DeCoteaux. Under his direction, the Main Ingredient reached the R&B Top 30 for the first time in 1970 with "You've Been My Inspiration". A cover of The Impressions' "I'm So Proud" broke the Top 20, and "Spinning Around (I Must Be Falling in Love)" went into the Top 10. In 1971, they scored again, with the McPherson-penned black-power anthem "Black Seeds Keep on Growing," but tragedy struck that year. Don McPherson, who had suddenly taken ill with leukemia, died unexpectedly. Stunned, Tony Silvester and Luther Simmons re-grouped with new lead singer Cuba Gooding, Sr., who had served as a backing vocalist on some of their previous recordings and had filled in on tour during McPherson's brief illness.
The Gooding era began auspiciously with the million-selling smash "Everybody Plays the Fool", which hit number two R&B and number three pop to become the group's biggest hit. It sold over one million copies and was awarded a gold disc by the R.I.A.A. in September 1972. The accompanying album, Bitter Sweet, became their first to hit the Top 10 on the R&B album chart; its follow-up, 1973's Afrodisiac, featured several songs written or co-written by Stevie Wonder, although it did not produce any huge successes on the singles charts. They peaked at number eight on the R&B chart in 1974 with "Just Don't Want to Be Lonely", which sold over a million copies,and also reached number ten on the Billboard Hot 100. The track peaked at number twenty-seven in the UK Singles Chart in July 1974, although it was their only chart presence in the UK. In 1975, the group recorded several songs co-written by Leon Ware, including the R&B Top Ten "Rolling Down a Mountainside". By this point, however, Tony Silvester was harboring other ambitions; he released a solo album called Magic Touch that year, and left the group to form a production team with DeCoteaux. The two of them scored a Top 10 Pop and R&B smash with their production of Ben E. King's hit "Supernatural Thing" in 1975.
Silvester was replaced by Carl Tompkins, and Gooding departed for a solo career on Motown in 1977, which produced two albums; Simmons, meanwhile, left the music industry to work as a stockbroker. Gooding, Silvester and Simmons reunited as the Main Ingredient in 1979, and recorded two more albums, 1980's Ready for Love and 1981's I Only Have Eyes for You (the latter featured a minor hit in "Evening of Love"). The trio reunited for a second time in 1986, but their Zakia single "Do Me Right" flopped, and Simmons returned to his day job. He was replaced by Jerome Jackson on the 1989 Polydor album I Just Wanna Love You. In the wake of Aaron Neville's Top Ten revival of "Everybody Plays the Fool", Gooding resumed his solo career and issued his third album in 1993. Silvester and Simmons re-formed the Main Ingredient in 1999 with new lead singer Carlton Blount; this line-up recorded Pure Magic in 2001.
Tony Silvester died after a six-year struggle with multiple myeloma on November 27, 2006, at the age of 65, and original member Luther Simmons retired shortly thereafter. Cuba Gooding Sr. was found dead in his car on April 20, 2017. The current line-up of the group consists of Jerome Jackson, and Stanley Alston.
Just Don't Want to Be Lonely
The Main Ingredient Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I just don't want to be lonely
And I don't care if you share only moments a day
I just don't want to be lonely
[Chorus:]
I'd rather be loved and needed
Depended on to give a love I can't give
I just don't want to be lonely
I'd just rather be loved
I don't mind when the time sets the sun to the moon
I just don't want to be lonely
Let the stairs find you there, at the end of the room
I just don't want to be lonely
[Chorus: Repeat 2X]
The Main Ingredient's song Just Don't Want to be Lonely is a soulful ballad that captures the essence of loneliness and the desire for love and connection. The singer expresses that he doesn't mind if his partner leaves for a period, or if they only have brief moments together, but what he cannot bear is the feeling of loneliness. He would rather be loved, needed and depended upon, even if he cannot reciprocate the same love. The singer reinforces his point by saying that he doesn't mind time passing or his partner being at a distance, but the loneliness that follows is a pain that he cannot endure.
The emotions explored in this song are relatable to people from all walks of life. The lyrics are poetic, capturing the mood of the listener effectively. The singer depicts a yearning to be loved and needed, and the desire to share that love with another person. The chorus is especially poignant, as the singer repeats that he just doesn't want to be lonely, rather he would like to be loved.
Overall, the song is a powerful portrayal of a personal struggle that many people can relate to. It exemplifies the pain of loneliness, and how a lack of connection can impact a person's life.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't mind when you say that you're going away
I am okay if you tell me that you're leaving.
I just don't want to be lonely
But I don't want to feel alone.
And I don't care if you share only moments a day
It's fine if we only have a few moments together each day.
I just don't want to be lonely
But I still don't want to feel lonely during the rest of the time.
I'd rather be loved and needed
Ultimately, I want to be loved and depended upon.
Depended on to give a love I can't give
I want to be there for you in a way that only I can, even if it's not perfect.
When you're gone, when you're gone
But if you have to leave, even if just for a little while,
I just don't want to be lonely
I still don't want to feel alone.
I'd just rather be loved
Because love is what I truly crave.
I don't mind when the time sets the sun to the moon
It doesn't bother me when day turns into night.
I just don't want to be lonely
But I don't want to be alone during that time either.
Let the stairs find you there, at the end of the room
So let yourself be found wherever you are, even at the far end of a room.
I just don't want to be lonely
Because even then, I wouldn't want to be lonely.
I'd rather be loved
So I'll always choose love over loneliness.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BOBBY ELI, JOHN C JR FREEMAN, VINNIE BARRETT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind