"Computer Love" is a song performed by American funk band Zapp, issued as the fourth and final single from their fourth studio album The New Zapp IV U. Featuring vocals by Shirley Murdock and Charlie Wilson and written by Murdock, Zapp Band leader Roger Troutman and his brother Larry Troutman,[1] the single peaked at number 8 on the Billboard R&B chart in 1986.[2]
| "Computer Love" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Zapp featuring Shirley Murdock and Charlie Wilson | ||||
| from the album The New Zapp IV U | ||||
| Released | 1986 | |||
| Recorded | 1985 | |||
| Genre | R&B, synth-pop, electro | |||
| Length | 4:44 | |||
| Label | Warner Bros. | |||
| Songwriter(s) |
| |||
| Producer(s) | Roger Troutman | |||
| Zapp singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Computer Love" on YouTube | ||||
Background
editIn an interview with Wilson, the song's idea was presented to him by Troutman, during a particular phone call around 3 am. A music video was also discussed between Roger and Charlie for the single. However, this did not come to fruition, due to opposition from the label that Wilson was signed to at the time.[3] The fact that both singers were from rival bands played a hand in the opposition as well. However, the two maintained their close friendship, and would perform often the song together on stage.[4]
Chart positions
edit| Chart (1986)[2] | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales (Billboard) | 13 |
| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks (Billboard) | 8 |
| UK Singles Chart (Official Singles Chart)[5] | 64 |
Cover versions
editIn 1989, Janet Kay did a cover of this song on her third album, Sweet Surrender.
In 2024, Kamasi Washington did a cover of this song on his fifth album, Fearless Movement.
Samples
edit“Computer Love” has been sampled and interpolated approximately on one hundred tracks by major artists, earning the recognition as one of the most sampled tracks in popular music.[6] Some of the songs that sampled "Computer Love" are Notorious B.I.G.'s "Me & My Bitch", Jay-Z's "Your Love", Redman's "Blow Your Mind", Mario's "Music for Love", Fat Joe's "So Much More", Tech N9ne's "Twisted", Chris Brown's "Party Hard", Lil' Kim's "Download", Wiz Khalifa's “Something New” and Ne-Yo's "U 2 Luv".[7]
References
edit- ^ a b Elias, Jason. "All the Greatest Hits - Roger,Zapp - Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards - AllMusic". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved November 5, 2014.
- ^ a b "Zapp - Awards - AllMusic". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved November 5, 2014.
- ^ Jerry L. Barrow (March 24, 2011). "Charlie Wilson Remembers Rivalry With Roger Troutman, Making "Computer Love"". www.theurbandaily.com.
We had problems with the label when they found out I was singing with Roger... They said it wasn't going to be a hit...
- ^ Michael A. Gonzales (June 6, 2013). "Charlie Wilson's Lifetime Achievement [INTERVIEW]". www.ebony.com.
Nobody could make records that grooved the way George Clinton, Bernie Worrell and Bootsy Collins did. P-Funk were the best. Also, [Roger Troutman's] Zapp and Gap was real rivals, but Roger and me became very close. He used to bring me out onstage with him to sing 'Computer Love.' It made my brother mad, but I did it anyway.
- ^ "ZAPP | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Retrieved April 16, 2020.
- ^ https://hiphopcanada.com/sample-selector-computer-love/
- ^ https://hiphopcanada.com/sample-selector-computer-love/
External links
edit- "Computer Love" at AllMusic
- "Computer Love" at Discogs (list of releases)
- Computer Love: How Charlie Wilson & Roger Troutman created the idea and it became a reality
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