I Didn't Know I Was Looking for Love

For other songs with similar titles, see Looking for Love.
"I Didn't Know I Was Looking for Love"
Single by Everything but the Girl
from the EP I Didn't Know I Was Looking for Love
Released7 June 1993 (1993-06-07)[1]
Length3:51
LabelBlanco y Negro
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Phil Ramone
Everything but the Girl singles chronology
"The Only Living Boy in New York"
(1993) 		"I Didn't Know I Was Looking for Love"
(1993) 		"Rollercoaster"
(1994)

"I Didn't Know I Was Looking for Love" is a song written by Ben Watt and Tracey Thorn of Everything but the Girl. The band originally released the song in June 1993 as a track on their extended play (EP) of the same name, which reached number 72 on the UK Singles Chart.[2] It was covered by English singer Karen Ramirez in 1998, whose version became a chart hit in several countries.

Karen Ramirez version

"Looking for Love"
Single by Karen Ramirez
from the album Distant Dreams
Released15 June 1998 (1998-06-15)[3]
Genre
Length3:56
LabelManifesto
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Souled Out
Karen Ramirez singles chronology
"Troubled Girl"
(1998) 		"Looking for Love"
(1998) 		"If We Try"
(1999)

The song was covered by British singer Karen Ramirez and released as her second single from her album Distant Dreams in 1998, with the shorter title of "Looking for Love". This version peaked at number eight on the UK Singles Chart in June 1998 and topped the US Hot Dance Club Play chart in 2001. It additionally peaked at number five in Hungary and number 10 in Italy. On the Eurochart Hot 100, "Looking for Love" reached number 45 in August 1998. Ramirez's version of the song was well received and garnered mainly positive reviews from critics.

Critical reception

Daily Record called "Looking for Love" a "strong R&B hit".[4] Richard Wallace from Daily Mirror stated that "the hypnotic cover" of Everything But The Girl's "I Didn't Know I Was Looking for Love" "was a beguiling introduction to the talents of Ms Ramirez".[5] Music & Media wrote that "this English soul singer first really made her mark as a lead vocalist for Italian dance production team Souled Out. After the project was finished, all involved concluded that the collaboration had been successful to such an extent that it deserved some kind of follow up. Work on Ramirez' debut album Distant Dreams accordingly began soon after. The first single Troubled Girl was reasonably successful and expectations for this underrated gem written by Everything but the Girl are justifiably high."[6] Smash Hits said that this remix could do for Karen Ramirez what Fatboy Slim's mix of "Brimful Of Asha" did for Cornershop. They added, "These housey beats increase the funk factor ten-fold without losing the delicious vocals or hummable tune. A rare dance choon that sounds just as good off the dancefloor as on it. Bangin'!"[7]

Music video

In addition to extensive dance club and radio airplay, the music video for the song (which featured Ramirez walking around a house on a continuous loop, each time seeing previous versions of herself walking around the house) experienced heavy rotation on both MTV and VH-1 throughout the summer of 1998.[citation needed]

Charts

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[27] Silver 200,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. 5 June 1993. p. 19.
  2. ^ "Everything but the Girl". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  3. ^ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 13 June 1998. p. 31. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  4. ^ "Chart Slot". Daily Record. 10 July 1998. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
  5. ^ Wallace, Richard (24 July 1998). "Out This Week. ALBUM". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
  6. ^ "Airborne" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 15, no. 26. 27 June 1998. p. 16. Retrieved 23 December 2019.
  7. ^ "Review: New Singles". Smash Hits. No. 509. 17 June 1998. p. 47. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
  8. ^ "Karen Ramirez – Looking for Love". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  9. ^ "Karen Ramirez – Looking for Love" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  10. ^ "Karen Ramirez – Looking for Love" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  11. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 15, no. 31. 1 August 1998. p. 11. Retrieved 20 June 2018.
  12. ^ "Karen Ramirez – Looking for Love" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  13. ^ "Karen Ramirez – Looking for Love" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  14. ^ "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 15, no. 39. 26 September 1998. p. 12. Retrieved 20 June 2018.
  15. ^ "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (NR. 289 Vikuna 10.9. – 17.9. 1998)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 11 September 1998. p. 10. Retrieved 10 July 2018.
  16. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Looking for Love". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  17. ^ "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 15, no. 34. 22 August 1998. p. 9. Retrieved 20 June 2018.
  18. ^ "Karen Ramirez – Looking for Love" (in Dutch). top40.nl. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
  19. ^ "Karen Ramirez – Looking for Love" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  20. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  21. ^ "Karen Ramirez – Looking for Love". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  22. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  23. ^ "Dance Club Songs". Billboard. 21 April 2001. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  24. ^ "Best Sellers of 1998 – Singles Top 100". Music Week. 16 January 1999. p. 7.
  25. ^ "Najlepsze single na UK Top 40–1998 wg sprzedaży" (in Polish). Archived from the original on 4 June 2015. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
  26. ^ "The Year in Music 2001: Hot Dance Club-Play Singles". Billboard. Vol. 113, no. 52. 29 December 2001. p. YE-48.
  27. ^ "British single certifications – Karen Ramirez – Looking for Love". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 7 May 2020.