<P> "Lookin' for a Love" is a song written by J.W. Alexander and Zelda Samuels and was the debut hit of the family group The Valentinos, which featured Bobby Womack . The song was a hit for the Valentinos, climbing to number eight on the R&B chart and crossing over to number 72 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1962, released on Sam Cooke's SAR label . </P> <P> The song originally came off from another song, a gospel hymn, "Couldn't Hear Nobody Pray", recorded and released in 1961 when they were still known as The Womack Brothers . Sam Cooke produced that session as well as the sessions for "Lookin' For a Love". Following the release of "Couldn't Hear Nobody Pray" and convinced that 17 - year - old Bobby Womack would "go places", Cooke hired his staff writers J.W. Alexander and Zelda Samuels to rewrite the song as a doo - wop dance number, basing the song's chord structure on the melodic motif found in "Pray". </P> <P> When the brothers were presented with the song, they protested initially fearing a backlash from their minister father, Friendly Womack . However, Cooke convinced them that the song would be a hit and guarantee the Womacks some financial success as well as commercial . Like "Couldn't Hear Nobody Pray", the song featured Bobby on lead . Prior to its release, Cooke suggested a name change, thinking the change would do wonders for their career as it had done for him . Cooke settled on The Valentinos and released the song that spring . </P> <P> After its success, the group opened for James Brown where they won fans . In 1971, rock band the J. Geils Band covered the song as one of its first releases and the song became a top 40 hit for them, peaking at number thirty - nine . In 1973, Bobby used "Lookin' for a Love" as a warm - up song to help loosen up his vocal cords during a recording session . Womack recorded one take of the song - with his brothers again providing background vocals - but had no plans of putting it out as a single . However, after some convincing, he released the song in early 1974 and the song went on to be his most successful single to date, and was his first number - one single on the Hot Soul Singles chart and his first and only top ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100, where it peaked at #10 . It also reached #8 on the Cash Box Top 100 . The single was later certified gold by the RIAA for sales of one million copies . This resulted in the song later selling more than two million copies . The song's success came bittersweetly, however: the song's background vocalist Harry Womack later died from stab wounds from his girlfriend the week before it hit number - one . </P>

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