"What You Won't Do for Love" is a blue-eyed soul-styled song by American singer-songwriter Bobby Caldwell. It was released in September 1978 as the lead single from his eponymous debut album, Bobby Caldwell. It was written by Caldwell and Alfons Kettner, and produced by Ann Holloway.
Background and release
After gaining a reputation in Miami clubs as a talented musician, Caldwell was signed to an exclusive contract with TK Records in 1978 by TK Records president Henry Stone. Heading to the studio, Caldwell recorded his first album, which was given a redo after Stone felt the album was good but "didn't have a hit". Caldwell returned to the studio and came up with the final product, which included "What You Won't Do for Love". The song's horn arrangement was written and recorded by Miami arranger Mike Lewis. The song is in the key of F-sharp minor. Caldwell wanted the song to be the sixth track on the album since he figured his debut album's second track, "My Flame", which featured him playing guitar, would be the hit. However, TK Records felt confident that "What You Won't Do for Love" would be the breakout hit. When it was released to R&B radio, TK Records did their best to hide Caldwell's racial identity, hoping not to alienate their predominantly Black audience. However, when Caldwell began making performances live on stage, demand only increased.
Chart performance
The song would become Caldwell's most successful single and also his signature song, reaching number 9 on the BillboardHot 100, number 6 on the Hot Selling Soul Singles chart, and number 10 on the Easy Listening chart. According to the broadcast of American Top 40 for the week ending February 3, 1979, the week in which the song debuted at No. 38 on the Top 40, a heart-shaped pressing of the single was the most expensive single up to that point. The heart-shaped single was originally released as a promotional item only, but public demand led to 50,000 copies being pressed in time for Valentine's Day 1979 with a retail price of $7.98—about the price of a full LP album at the time.
R&B songbird Aaliyah samples the lyric "I got a thing for you & I can't let go" on her song "Age Ain't Nothing but a Number " from her 1994 debut album of the same title, Age Ain't Nothing but a Number.
Actress and singer Tatyana Ali's song "Boy You Knock Me Out" from her 1998 debut album Kiss the Sky samples the song.
Rapper 2Pac sampled the song "Heaven Ain't Hard 2 Find" from his 1996 album All Eyez on Me and again on the song "Do for Love" from his 1997 album, R U Still Down? , which was posthumously released after his death, a year earlier.
