The track was produced and co-written by her brother, fellow American singer Michael Jackson, who was credited for background vocals. They originally wrote the song for Donna Summer under the title "Fire Is the Feeling".[1]
Bobby DeBarge of American musical band Switch, La Toya's love interest at the time, wrote the 1980 song "You and I" in response. The song begins: "You know, I was listening to the radio the other day, and I heard the words that you said, that I'm your night time lover."[2]
La Toya performed the song on the November 10, 1980 episode of the Dutch TV program TopPop, and a month later on the December 13 episode of American Bandstand.[3]
Critical reception
In a review for AllMusic, editor Justin Kantor states that "Night Time Lover" is "another primer [...] a softly seductive, simultaneously kinetic number produced by brother Michael."[4]
