I Need to Be in Love

"I Need to Be in Love" is a song written by Richard Carpenter, Albert Hammond and John Bettis. It was released as a single on May 21, 1976. It was featured on the A Kind of Hush album, which was released on June 11 of the same year.

"I Need to Be in Love"
Single picture sleeve
Single by Carpenters
from the album A Kind of Hush
B-side	"Sandy"
Released	May 21, 1976
Recorded	1976
Genre	Pop
Length	3:25 (single version) 3:49 (album version)
Label	A&M
Songwriter(s)	Richard Carpenter John Bettis Albert Hammond
Producer(s)	Richard Carpenter
Carpenters singles chronology
"There's a Kind of Hush (All Over the World)" (1976) "I Need to Be in Love" (1976) "Goofus" (1976)
A Kind of Hush track listing
10 tracks "There's a Kind of Hush" "You" "Sandy" "Goofus" "Can't Smile Without You" Side two "I Need to Be in Love" "One More Time" "Boat to Sail" "I Have You" "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do"

Background

The single featured a version without the piano lead-in and starts immediately with a flute introduction by David Shostac.^[1] Richard recalled that it was Karen's favorite Carpenters song.^[2]

Reception

Cash Box said that it starts with a "beautiful string introduction" and that "Karen Carpenter's voice slips in with a sweet ballad melody."^[3]

Personnel

• Karen Carpenter - lead vocals
• Richard Carpenter - piano, Fender Rhodes electric piano, harpsichord, Hammond organ, orchestration
• Joe Osborn - bass
• Tony Peluso - electric guitar
• Jim Gordon - drums
• Earle Dumler - English horn
• Gayle Levant - harp
• David Shostac - flute
• The O.K. Chorale - backing vocals

Chart performance

The song entered the Billboard Hot 100 on June 12 at number 55,^[4] and peaked at number 25.^[5] It peaked at number 36 on the UK charts.^[6] In 1995, it was released as a CD single in Japan, after being chosen for the theme song of the drama Miseinen. It was taken from the best-selling compilation 22 Hits of the Carpenters (promoted as a double A-side with "Top of the World"). On his website, Richard Carpenter wrote that "It became one of the biggest sellers of 1995, ultimately going quadruple platinum. In more ways than one, Karen would have loved that!"^[2] "I Need to Be in Love" was also the Carpenters' fourteenth number one on the Easy Listening chart.^[7]

Chart (1976)	Peak position
US Billboard Hot 100	25
US Billboard Easy Listening	1
Canada RPM Top Singles	31
Canada RPM Adult Contemporary[8]	1
Ireland	14
Japanese Singles Chart (Oricon)	62
UK Singles Chart	36
Australia (Kent Music Report)[9]	47
US Cash Box Top 100[10]	31
Chart (1995)	Peak position
Japan (Oricon)	5

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Japan (RIAJ)[11] I Need to Be in Love / Top of the World	4× Platinum	450,000[12]
Japan (RIAJ)[13] Digital	Gold	100,000*
* Sales figures based on certification alone.

See also

• List of number-one adult contemporary singles of 1976 (U.S.)