I’m Gonna Make You Love Me

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I’m Gonna Make You Love Me (Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff, Jerry Ross)*

The song was introduced by Dee Dee Warwick in 1966. Other early recordings include those by Jerry Butler, Madeline Bell, Aesop’s Fables, Diana Ross & the Supremes and The Temptations, and Jay & the Techniques.

lyric: genius.com, lyricsfreak.com

The first section** of the lyric in the Dee Warwick version goes:

I’m gonna do all the things for you
A man wants a girl to do
Oh baby (oh baby)
I’ll sacrifice for you
I’ll even do wrong too
Oh baby

Dee Dee Warwick with back vocals by Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson — issued in November 1966 on the single Mercury 72638***, c/w “Yours Until Tomorrow” (Goffin & King) — produced by Jerry Ross, arranged by Jimmy Wisner — US singles chart success: #13 R&B, #88 Hot 100 in December 1966

On the corresponding UK single, the sides are reversed. The single (UK) Mercury MF 953, issued in December 1966, features “Yours Until Tomorrow” as the A-side and “I’m Gonna Make You Love Me” as the B-side.

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B-side of the single (UK) Mercury MF 953, issued in December 1966, with “Yours Until Tomorrow” as the A-side

Jerry Butler — from the 1967 album Soul Artistry, Mercury Records SR 61105, SR-61105 (Stereo), MG 21105, MG-21105 (Mono)

Madeline Bell — originally released in November 1967 on her album Bell’s A Poppin’, and issued in January 1968 on the single Philips 40517, b/w “Picture Me Gone” (Taylor, Gorgoni) — Billboard Hot 100 singles chart success: #26 Hot 100, #32 R&B in April 1968

Beat Club promo video

Aesop’s Fables — issued in July 1968 on the single Cadet Concept 7005, b/w “They Go Out and Get It” — also released in 1969 on the LP (US, Canada) In Due Time, Cadet Concept LPS-323

discography:
single – 45cat.com, Discogs.com (group credited as “Aesops Fables”)
album – Discogs.com (group credited as “Aesop’s Fables”)

In addition to gender reversal, the words sung in the Aesop’s Fables recording feature a number of other modifications of the original lyric. Among the most noticeable are the following:

original: I’ll sacrifice for you / I’ll even do wrong too**
- Aesop’s Fables: I’ll sacrifice for you / Anything you want me to
original: Every minute, every hour
- AF: Every min, every hour
original: Every night, every day
- AF: It’s not every day (first time)
- AF: Each night, every day (second time)

lip-sync performance, c. 1968

Diana Ross & the Supremes and The Temptations — A recording of “I’m Gonna Make You Love Me” is included on their collaborative album Diana Ross & the Supremes Join the Temptations, which was released on 8 November 1968. Less than two weeks later, a slightly shorter edit (2:56 vs. 3:05 on the album) was issued on the single Motown M 1137 (also M-1137, MOTOWN 1137, etc.), b/w “A Place in the Sun.” Released on 21 November 1968, it became a top ten hit, peaking at #2 for two weeks in December that year.

album version

The Lennon Sisters — originally released on their 1968 album The Lennon Sisters Today!!, Mercury SR 61164, SR-61164

The Temptations — performed live on The Ed Sullivan Show, Season 21, Episode 16 — airdate: 2 February 1969

Stevie Wonder and Diana Ross — live performance taped for the television series The Hollywood Palace, Season 6, Episode 22 — airdate: 8 March 1969

Reuben Wilson — recorded at Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 21 March 1969; released on the 1969 album Love Bug, Blue Note BST 84317

personnel:
Reuben Wilson – organ
Lee Morgan – trumpet
George Coleman – tenor saxophone
Grant Green – guitar
Leo Morris – drums

Count Buffalo & The Jazz Rock Band — from the album Soul & Rock, (Japan) Denon ‎CD-5010, released on 25 July 1969

Peter Nero — originally released on his 1969 album I’ve Gotta Be Me, Columbia CS 9800; album reissued in the UK in 1973 under the title Piano Magic of Peter Nero, Embassy EMB 31008

Roy Meriwether — from his 1969 album Preachin‘, Capitol Records, ST 243, ST-243

Jimmy Riley — from the album Rydim Driven, released in 1981 in Jamaica on the Taxi label, and in the same year on various labels in the US, UK, Germany, and Japan

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See also Songbook’s other Gamble & Huff pages:

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* Although Billboard, on page 18 of its 12 November 1966 issue, and the labels of early recordings credited only “Gamble-Ross” (Kenny Gamble and Jerry Ross) as writers of the song, BMI presently credits Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff, and Jerry Ross as the songwriters. On disagreements regarding the songwriting credits, Wikipedia says:

Most versions of the song credit the songwriting to Jerry Ross and Kenny Gamble, who were the only two writers named on original record labels. Some recordings also credit Jerry Williams as a third writer, although BMI and some other sources credit Leon Huff, rather than Williams.

** The fourth and fifth lines of the first section vary among the vocal recordings included in this page as follows:

Dee Dee Warwick (1966)
- I’ll sacrifice for you
  I’ll even do wrong too
Jerry Butler (1967)
- I’d sacrifice for you
  I’d even do wrong too
Madeline Bell (1967)
- I’ll sacrifice for you
  I’d even do wrong too
Aesop’s Fables (1968)
- I’ll sacrifice for you
  Anything you want me to
Diana Ross & the Supremes and The Temptations (1968)
- I’ll sacrifice for you
  I’ll even do wrong for you
Lennon Sisters (1968)
- I’ll sacrifice for you
  I’ll even string along with you
Temptations (1969)
- I’ll sacrifice for you
  I’ll even do wrong for you
Diana Ross and Stevie Wonder (1969)
- I’ll sacrifice for you
  I’ll even do wrong for you
Peter Nero (1973)
- I’ll sacrifice for you
  I’ll even do wrong too

*** According to 45cat.com, “I’m Gonna Make You Love Me” is on the A-side of the US single Mercury 72638, and “Yours Until Tomorrow” is on the B-side. This order is confirmed in the 12 November 1966 issue of Billboard Magazine, where the single is announced on page 18, in the “Pop Spotlights” column. On the corresponding UK single, Mercury MF 953, the sides are reversed.