For Your Precious Love

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First, the chart history of this tune is superbly chronicled here by my good friend Tertius Louw.

Second, here are a number of different pressing and sleeve variations as released in Southern Africa

Trutone sleeve yellow flower Trutone label
sample sleeve triangle centre
seven single sleeve centre with wide gaps
pink sleeve centre with narrow gaps
brown sleeve raised portion in centre of label
orange sleeve small centre hole, flat label
Trutone sleeve centre removed
Phonogram sleeve blue Trutone label

 


The Lyrics

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This song was originally released in the very late 50's by Jerry Butler and the Impressions. Original copies of the record on the Veejay label are now highly prized collectors items. In 1967 soul artist Oscar Toney Jr. created a cover version of the song with a spoken introduction. This record was released on the Bell label in the USA and Canada and on Stateside in many other territories. Oscar Toney Jr.'s version was beyond a shadow of doubt the blueprint for the Flames version which shot to number one all over Southern Africa in 1968. The spoken introductions are almost identical, as are the swelling brass chord which underpin the sung portion of the song. Finally, Oscar Toney Jr.'s liberties with the sung portion of the song are also precisely copied by the Flames. In all fairness it should be said that the Flames' version is performed with love, conviction and musicality and the recorded sound quality leaves the competition choking in the dust. 

Here are the lyrics of all the versions presently in my collection.
Your additions and corrections to this (lunatic) portion of the Flames website are more than welcome.

Jerry Butler’s original version with the Impressions 1958

(no spoken intro)

Your precious love means more to me than any love could ever be
For when I wanted you I was so lonely and so blue
For that’s what love will do
And darling I was so surprised when I first realised
That you were fooling me
And darling they say that our love won’t grow
And I just want to tell them that they don’t know
For as long as you’re in love with me
Our love will grow wider, deeper than any sea
And of all the things that I want in the whole wide world
It’s just for you to say that you’ll be my girl
And wanting you, wanting you, so lonely and so blue
That’s what love will do

Oscar Toney Jr.'s  version 1967

(spoken intro) 

Into each life a little rain must fall
Every day can't be Sunday
Every smile isn't the smile of happiness
And every tear that's shed is not a tear of joy
I'd like to take a little time to dedicate this song
To everyone who is in the presence of my voice
Especially for those who have loved ones far far away
Maybe he's across the sea
Or maybe she's just in another town
I can imagine when you're all alone
In the wee wee hour of the night
You just might decide to write
Knowing all the time that you just can't find the right words to say
You can't say darling
For your precious love I'd give you the world on a silver cloud
But you know as well as I that that would be a lie
Now if you'll take these few lines from me
The letter you're trying to write will be such a comfort to your loved one
Now listen 
For your precious love I'd climb the highe4st mountain
I'd even go as far as trying to swim the deepest sea
Now listen and maybe this will give you a better understanding of what I'm trying to say

For your precious love
Means more to me than than any love will ever be
Oh I wanted you
I was so lonely and so blue
But oh that's what love will do
Darling here's what some of our so called friends say
They try to say that our love won't grow
But I just want to be the one to tell them
They don't know now
But I love you
As long as you know you're in love with me
Our love will grow wider, deeper than any sea, now
And of all the things
All the things I ever want to hear you say in this whole wide world
My my baby I'm your girl
(?)

Jerry Butler’s live version 1967

(spoken intro)

In every life there’s someone near (Thank you!)
Someone so very close and dear
In every life it seems that someone should sing the words of this song
And I wonder how long has it been since somebody told you that..

Your precious love means more to me than any love could ever be
For when I wanted you I was so lonely and so blue
For that’s what love will do
And darling I was so surprised oh when I first realised
That you were fooling me
And darling they say that our love won’t grow
And I just want to tell them that they don’t know
For as long as you’re in love with me
Our love will grow wider, deeper than any sea
And of all the things that I want in the whole wide world
It’s just for you to say that you’ll be my girl
Now darling I’ve been singing this song for what seems so very long
Wondering, hoping and praying
That you believe in all the words that I’ve said
And if I said darling can’t you hear them say that our love won’t grow
And I wonder why you don’t tell them that they don’t know
For as long as you just say that you’re in love with me
Then truly our love will grow wider, deeper than any sea
And of all the little things that I’ll ever ever want
In this whole wide world, it’s for someone like you to tell me
Why don’t you say that you’ll be my girl
And while I was warning you I began to get so lonely girl
That’s what love, well that’s what love will do

 

James Brown 70’s

(spoken intro)

I’d like to dedicate this song to lovers and the people forget
themselves somewhere along the way.
I want to remind them that a man has to go back to the crossroads
Before he finds himself
I want to know that things go deeper than the skin
It goes to the heart.
I just want to, I want to thank God for the energy
I’d like to say to everybody right here

For your precious love means more to me than any love can ever be
For when I wanted you I was so lonely and so blue
For that’s what love will do
And oh and darling they say that our love won’t grow
And I just want to tell them that they don’t know
And as long as you’re in love with me
Our love will grow stronger, deeper than any sea
And darling all I want is that in this whole wide world
It’s just for you to say that you’ll be my girl
And oh it makes me go way back yeah
Back when the time I used to play the Apollo Theatre
the Regal, the Royal and the Howard in Washington

James Brown then launches into an unintelligible monologue about his artistic career which it is pointless to repeat here

 

Aaron Neville 1985

(no spoken intro)

Oh Your precious love means more to me than any love could ever be
For when I wanted you I was so lonely and so blue
Oh that’s what love will do
And darling I was so surprised when I first realised
That you were fooling me
And darling they say that our love won’t grow
And I just want to tell them that they don’t know
For as long as you’re in love with me
Our love will grow wider, deeper than any sea
And of all the things that I want in the whole wide world
It’s just for you to say that you’ll be my girl
And wanting you, wanting you, so lonely and so blue
That’s what love will do
Oh Your precious love means more to me than any love could ever be
For when I wanted you I was so lonely and so blue
Oh that’s what love will do

 

The Flames
1st version 1967
from the albums That's Enough and Ball of Flame

(no spoken intro)

Your precious love now means more to me
Than any love, than any love could ever be
All that I want is you, oh my, I was so lonely so blue
That’s what love, that’s what love really made me do
And darling oh, oh they keep saying that our love won’t grow
When honey, honey I just want to tell
And I just want to show them how in the world do they know
If only love for as long as you’re in love with me now
I know our love will grow stronger
And so deeper than any other sea
Oh of all the things that I want in the whole wide world
It’s just for you to say, for you to say that you’ll be my girl
And I’m wanting you darling I’m wanting you now
I’m wanting you now, nobody but you, I’m wanting you
Nobody but you, nobody but you
And I just want to tell you just one more time
For you precious love oh it means everything in the world to me
And I would go wild, I’d go wild just to have you right here by me.

 

The Flames
2nd version 1968
from the albums Soulfire and Best of the Flames
and numerous compilations

(spoken intro)

Into each life a little rain must fall
Every day can’t be Sunday
And every smile isn’t a smile of happiness
And every tear that’s shed is not a tear of joy
I’d like to take a little time to dedicate this song
To everyone who is in the presence of my voice
Especially for those who have loved ones far, far away
Maybe she’s across the sea
Or maybe she’s just in another town
I can imagine when you’re all alone
In the wee wee hour of the night
You just might decide to write
Knowing all the time that you just can’t find
The right words to say
You can’t say darling for your precious love
I’d give you the world on a silver cloud
But you know as well as I that that would be a lie
Now if you’ll just take these few lines from me
The letter you’re trying to write
Would be such a comfort to your loved one
Now listen: For your precious love
I’d climb the highest mountain
I’d even go out as far as trying to swim the deepest sea
Now listen and maybe Blondie will give you
A better understanding of what I’m trying to say

Your precious love means more to me than any love could ever be
Oh I wanted you, I was so lonely and so blue
But oh that’s what love can make me do
And darling this is what some of our so-called friends say
They try to say that our love won’t grow
But I just want to be the one to tell them
How in the world do they know
Fall in love, fall in love with you
In love with me
I know our love will grow wider baby
Deeper than any sea now
And of all, all the things I ever want to hear you say
In this whole wide world
My my my my baby all I want is you
Baby Baby, oooo
Baby that’s all I want, want you
Baby baby, baby

 

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