I remember hearing this song for the first time on the way to a baseball game that I was set to pitch. It was the best game I ever pitched. The song was released in 1980 on Delbert’s album “The Jealous Kind.” Giving It Up for Your Love peaked at #8 on the Billboard 100.
Delbert has performed for years but this is his only Billboard top forty hit. He did reach #5 in the Country charts with Tanya Tucker with the song “Tell Me About It.” McClinton also won a Grammy in 1992 on a duet with Bonnie Raitt with a song called “Good Man, Good Woman.”
Some trivia about Delbert… he played the harmonica on Bruce Channel’s hit “Hey Baby.” Bruce Channel with Delbert had the Beatles supporting them during a few shows during the Love Me Do era. There was a rumor that Delbert gave John harmonica lessons…Delbert has said that John already knew how to play…he just gave him a few tips.
McClinton
“These things are getting romanticized by everyone,” he says. “They [The Beatles] were just another group of guys. They hadn’t yet changed the world. [But] we were all going to change the world, every one of us. And there was no doubt about it.”
“Givin’ It Up For Your Love”
Givin’ it up for your love right now
Givin’ it up for your love – I said everything
Givin’ it up for your love right now, right now My heart is aching for you, I can’t stand it
I need your lovin’, am I so demanding? I’m givin’ it up for your love – everything
I’m givin’ it up for your love right now
I’m givin’ it up for your love – everything
I’m givin’ it up for your love right nowWell, I thought about it
You know I’m not playing
You better listen to me
Every word I been saying Hot is cold and cold is hot
I’m a little mixed up
But I’ll give it everything I’ve got Don’t want your money, baby, don’t need your car
I’m doing all right, doing all right so farI’m givin’ it up for your love – everything
I’m givin’ it up for your love right now
Givin’ it up for your love – everything
Givin’ it up for your love somehow
I know you told me
That you’d always love me
And I believed it was true
So I saved the best and I’m ready
My love only just for you
Come back here, come back real quick
My heart is aching and my body is feeling weak
I’ll be all right, yes, I’ll be OK
Come on now baby, listen to what I say
Don’t want your money, baby, don’t need your car
Been doing all right, doing all right so far
I’m givin’ it up for your love – everything
I’m givin’ it up for your love right now
I’m givin’ it up for your love – everything
I’m givin’ it up for your love somehow
I’m givin’ it up for your love – I said everything
I’m givin’ it up for your love right now
I’m givin’ it up for your love – everything
I’m givin’ it up for your love somehow
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That was a fluky hit- I forgot it went that high- i remember it being in the Top 40.. his only top 40 hit. … did you listen to that song before every game you pitched after having your best game after hearing it? [like Wade Boggs eating chicken before every game?}
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No, I didn’t! I should have. It was heartbreaking. I pitched a one-hitter and lost on an unearned run. I never pitched that well again…I should have got that single and listened lol.
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No offensive support!! or defensive…I remember the only game my brother ever pitched- he hit 5 batters in a row and they took him out…he had a no-no going!
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He sure did! I remember some of those games were just walk after walk.. Control is hard when you are that young.
I only hit one person in all the times I pitched….and guess what? It was a girl. I felt so bad.
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You had pretty good control only one hits batsman…In the year after I was out of little league they first let girls play and the girl was probably the second best player in the league. …
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We had some good girl players also…I learned not to pitch as fast as I could or it would go everywhere. I would slow it down. I had a great time…and just playing with friends. Just as long as I was playing.
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I agree- same here- my last year in little league we only won 2 games but I had a blast. It wasn’t about winning…and we were so bad that year when we finally won a game- i think we were like 0-10 when we won it was like we won the championship.
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It really wasn’t about winning. We were doing what our heros did but just on a smaller scale… I still remember that ball coming out of that guys glove to allow the unearned run. I have memories that I will never forget of that time.
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Good times indeed… I had easy going coaches [except he would get frustrated with his son } he let us have fun. I remember he had his nephews on the team and they were the two worst ballplayers i ever seen- neither ever got a hit- i mean- never put the ball in play.. i do recall one of the boys- i was pitching and a fly ball went out to right field where Jimmy [one of the nephews} was playing.. I thought oh no… and he caught it somehow for the third out– when he came into the dugout he was shaking… in practice you got 5 hits and a bunt- those two boys would be up for 15 minutes and still have no hits- and they’d finally give them 5 more swings.. we’d be laying down in the field…
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You would feel bad for them and inside a little impatient like come on! I’m sure Jimmy remembers that to this day of catching the ball.
It’s funny I have trouble remembering last week at times but those days are so clear.
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That is funny- I could write a book on the memories of playing Little League and its closing on 50 years ago- but you are right– last week is a little hazy!. Yes I bet he still remembers catching the ball… I remember once pitching and the hitter squared away to bunt- and it somehow shocked me and as I was about to throw the ball hung on to it- everyone yelled “Balk” but there are no balks in Little League.. the next pitch he squares away bunts- I field it and throw him out- I was ready for it lol..
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You werent bothered by the chatter! I remember the coaches made us chatter…batter batter swing. Like that was going to throw someone off.
One of my worst memories was starting an All Star game and my first pitch? Over the complete backstop…I was so nervous. After that. it went ok though. I could have crawled under a rock.
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You were the Ryan Duran of the league- the old Yankee pitcher before both of our time- his first warm up pitch would be to the back stop.. he had these big coke bottle thick glasses and threw hard- did that to scare the batters… I can see where that would have been embarrassing. A little too pumped up!!.. Yes “Lets go let’s go he can’t hit it he can’t hit it”– I remember coaches getting all out of sorts if you weren’t loud with your chatter like that was going to make a difference…. an old one I recall- my grandparents lived near the ballfield and when I was too young to play I’d be down there and the chatter was ” beer beer beer the batters full of beer.”–that had been phased out by my playing days…
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lol I wish I would have known that one. It beat batter batter batter swiiinnngggg.
Yes I can see that would scare batters… Problem is I think I topped out at around 75 so it would not have worked for me…
I wanted to throw it so hard…I did….it went to the trees behind the backstop.
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The thing about Little League was- the mound was so close to the plate- made it seem faster. There was a kid in the league my age who could really bring it. Then when we moved to the next league at 13-and went to 60 feet 6 inches…they were hitting him all over the place his pitches that year weren’t as fast looking. But in Little League the pitches looked like BB’s… I coached a team when I was in my 20’s for seven years- I was always tempted to bring back the ‘beer beer beer” chant but wisely didn’t.
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I remember some guys that threw heat. The ball would rise and you would hear the pitch hissing by… Yes when the mound was back pitchers were more hittable except the ones that threw curves…they work better from the longer mound….I could never hold people on…I had a problem with balking.
Yea you would have gotten some mothers attention bringing that back.
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Yes when the mound moved back- my pitching days ended.. and the thing I recall most is the first time I went to steal a base- at 90 feet second base looked a mile away and I felt like I was running in sand. .. yes the curve ball.. that kid who threw bb’s in little league by age 14 he had the curve ball down and by 15 he was throwing bb’s and had that curve no one could hit…but the 13 year old year he could be hit!
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The slow curve worked really well. Hitters would be swinging off of their heels.
Deadly combination a good curve and heat…especially at that age.
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I can still recall the first great curve ball I saw It was like– is this how being drunk feels? It was an accomplishment that I didn’t fall down.
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That 12 to 6 curve that looks like it’s going to hit you. I don’t see how major league hitters do it.
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Its funny once in a while when you see a major leaguer get fooled – a two strike pitch right down the middle- and the batter doesn’t even move…the ball hits the catchers mitt and he just turns and heads to the bench.. they are human too..
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Yes they are…that is why it’s the toughest game to play…that or swing at a ball in the dirt far away.
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Before I go to sleep I have a quick story of today.
Something interesting happened today. A friend called me and said hey…you are on Webb Wilder’s facebook. I didn’t know what he was talking about because I’m not a social media guy…I’m not on facebook. My son went to Webb’s Facebook page and my Webb Wilder post is posted on his facebook…that was pretty cool…Now if only Paul would do that lol
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Wow that is crazy!
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It took me by surprise that is for sure.
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I recall Delbert on SNL- and it seems to me that the Blues Brothers covered one of his songs? That couldn’t have hurt.
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Belushi demanded McClinton to be on SNL…Lorne wanted someone else but John persisted.
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Belushi and Ackroyd really did a lot of good for a lot of artists- I went out and bought Sam And Dave’s Best Of- after their song was featured in their movie.
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Some of those artists could not get arrested through that time until that movie. They were such fans…especially Ackroyd.
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Not only the artists who they had appear in the movie- but songs that were played while they were in the car etc.. a great thing to see. And the great musicians they had in their band gave them some needed exposure too. And having John Lee Hooker in the movie!!
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Maybe the best blues band going at the time. Full of talent.
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I love this tune. Back in the day it would pack the dance floor. I go for that country soul vibe. Not too many artist can bridge that divide. Billy Swan’s “I Can Help”, Crystal Gayle’s “Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue, The First Edition comes to mind.
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I always have also…other than my pitching a good game lol… I remember him being on SNL in the 70s… He isn’t a big commercial guy just a quality musician.
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Do you know any Webb Wilder music? Since you are in Nashville I didn’t know if you ever heard of him. He had some national play in the late 80s and the 90s
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No. I’ve heard of him of course. I do know Junior Brown. Love him. Fantastic guitarist. He has this hybrid sound of Hendrix, Surf guitar and Hawaiian music. Plus he’s got this homemade guitar…well, you just have to see it.
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I love Junior Brown also…He is fantastic. One of my friends turned me on to him…I’ve never seen him live though. I thought you may like Webb Wilder… I plan to watch Pelham 123 on Sunday. I’m looking forward to it.
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