Love You Down

"Love You Down" is the title of an R&B song written by Melvin Riley Jr. Riley's former band, Ready for the World, originally recorded the song in 1986 and released it as the lead single from their second album, Long Time Coming produced by Gary Spaniola. A slow jam, "Love You Down" was a hit on the Billboard pop and R&B charts, spending two weeks atop the R&B chart in December 1986 and peaking at #9 on the pop chart in early 1987. This was Ready for the World's second R&B chart-topper, following the success of "Oh Sheila" in 1985. It also reached #24 on the Billboard adult contemporary chart. The song charted in the United Kingdom at #60 on the UK Singles Chart. The song has been covered by artists such as R&B singer INOJ and neo soul musician Me'shell Ndegeocello.

Charts

INOJ version

Female R&B vocalist INOJ recorded a cover version of "Love You Down" in 1997 with the assistance of producer Charles "The Mixologist" Roane. Featuring a faster beat and more percussion than the original version, INOJ's cover was initially featured on So So Def Recordings' So So Def Bass All-Stars Vol. 2 compilation album. Shortly after the compilation's release in late June 1997, the song began amassing airplay, entering Billboard's Hot 100 Airplay chart on the issue dated August 2, 1997; it would go on to spend 45 weeks on that chart, becoming especially popular on rhythmic radio. A music video, directed by Eric Haywood and Rubin Whitmore in Atlanta, premiered in August. A physical single, also containing Lathun's "Freak It" from the same So So Def compilation, was later released in January 1998, making the song eligible for the Hot 100. The song ultimately reached #25 on that chart. "Love You Down" was later included on INOJ's debut album, incidentally titled Ready for the World, released by So So Def/Columbia in summer 1999.

INOJ

Ayanna Porter (born November 27, 1976), better known by her stage name INOJ, is an American singer-songwriter. She was born and raised in Madison, Wisconsin. During college in Baltimore, Maryland, she was in a group called Spellbound.

In 1997, she released her debut single, "Love You Down", a cover of Ready for the World's 1986 hit that reached #25 in the United States. Her debut album was also named Ready for the World. INOJ released a cover version of Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time" under Columbia Records in 1998, which was a Top 10 hit in the United States (#6), Canada (#7), and New Zealand (#10). In 1998, she released her debut album, Ready for the World. She also released a cover version of "Ring My Bell" as a single, though it did not receive much exposure.

She has released new music since her last internet release of "Baby You" in 2008.

She is often mistakenly credited for the track "My Boo", performed by the Ghost Town DJ's which had vocals by singer Virgo (who also had several songs on the So So Def Bass All-Stars compilations).