What You Wo n't Do for Love ( song ) - wikipedia What You Wo n't Do for Love ( song ) This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( March 2016 ) `` What You Wo n't Do for Love '' U.S. red heart - shaped vinyl limited edition Single by Bobby Caldwell from the album Bobby Caldwell B - side `` Love Wo n't Wait '' Released December 1978 Recorded 1978 Genre Blue - eyed soul smooth jazz R&B quiet storm Length 4 : 45 Label Clouds ( U.S. ) TK ( international ) Songwriter ( s ) Bobby Caldwell, Alfons Kettner Producer ( s ) Ann Holloway Bobby Caldwell singles chronology `` What You Wo n't Do for Love '' ( 1978 ) `` My Flame '' ( 1979 ) `` What You Wo n't Do for Love '' ( 1978 ) `` My Flame '' ( 1979 ) `` What You Wo n't Do for Love '' is a blue - eyed soul - styled single written by Bobby Caldwell with Alfons Kettner, which Caldwell recorded for his eponymous debut album, released in 1978 by Clouds Records domestically and by TK Records internationally. Contents 1 Recording 2 Release 3 Personnel 4 Chart history 4.1 Weekly charts 4.2 Year - end charts 5 Covers 5.1 Go West 5.2 Boyz II Men 5.3 Other cover versions 6 Samples 7 Interpolations 8 Soundtrack appearances 9 References 10 External links Recording 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 `` did n't have a hit ''. Caldwell returned to the studio and came up with the final product, which included `` What You Wo n't Do for Love ''. The song 's horn arrangement was written and recorded by Miami arranger Mike Lewis. Release Caldwell wanted the song to be the sixth track on the album since he figured the song 's second track, `` My Flame '', which featured him playing guitar, would be the hit. However, TK Records felt confident that `` What You Wo n't Do for Love '' would be the breakout hit. When it was released to R&B radio, TK Records did its best to shield Caldwell 's identity ( Caucasian ) hoping not to alienate its predominantly black audience. However, when Caldwell began making performances live on stage, it only increased demand. The song would become Caldwell 's most successful single and also his signature song, reaching number 9 on the Billboard Hot 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 # 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. The single was also available on standard round vinyl as well. Personnel Bobby Caldwell -- lead and backing vocals, keyboards Benny Latimore -- keyboards Steve Mealy -- guitar Richie Valesquez -- bass guitar Harold Seay -- drums Chart history Weekly charts Chart ( 1978 -- 79 ) Peak position Canada RPM Top Singles 16 Canada RPM Adult Contemporary 24 UK ( OCC ) 15 US Billboard Hot 100 9 US Billboard Adult Contemporary 10 US Billboard R&B 6 US Cash Box Top 100 10 Year - end charts Chart ( 1979 ) Rank Canada 128 US Billboard Hot 100 59 US Cash Box 88 Covers Go West Go West recorded a version on their 1992 album Indian Summer that was released as a single. Year Song UK Singles chart US Billboard AC `` What You Wo n't Do For Love '' 15 Year - end charts Chart ( 1993 ) Position Canada Top Singles ( RPM ) 100 Boyz II Men The vocal group Boyz II Men released a cover of the song on their 2004 album Throwback, Vol. 1, featuring rapper MC Lyte. Year Song Hot R&B Singles `` What You Wo n't Do For Love '' 60 Other cover versions Peabo Bryson and Natalie Cole, on We 're the Best of Friends ( 1979 ) Roy Ayers, on No Stranger to Love ( 1980 ) Phyllis Hyman, on Living All Alone ( 1986 ) Peter Mann ( 1992 ) ( as `` Do For Love '' ) Luciano, on Do n't Get Crazy ( 1994 ) ( as `` Got A Thing For You '' ) Montell Jordan ( unreleased, played on the soundtrack of New York Undercover ) Intro, on New Life ( 1995 ) Hiram Bullock, on Carrasco ( 1997 ) Tupac Shakur, on `` Do 4 Love '', produced by * Soulshock & Karlin Victor Wooten, on What Did He Say ? ( 1997 ) Goldie, on Ring of Saturn ( 1998 ) Michael Bolton, on Timeless : The Classics Vol. 2 ( 1999 ) Fuel ( 2002 ) ( as `` Do 4 Love '' ) Jay R, on Soul in Love ( 2008 ) Daniel Evans featuring Snake Davis, on No Easy Way ( 2010 ) Jessie Ware, on Devotion ( 2012 ) ( bonus track only ) Lina Nikol, on Your Love ( 2015 ) Junior Boys, on Big Black Coat ( 2016 ) Elliott Yamin also performed the song as a contestant on American Idol Season 5 in 2006. Barry Black also performed the song as a contestant on The Voice Season 5 in 2012. Samples `` What You Wo n't Do for Love '' has been sampled on the following songs, among others : Aaliyah - `` Age Ai n't Nothing but a Number '' ( Vocal Interpolation ) Mona Lisa - `` Just Wanna Please U '' Alfonzo Blackwell - `` Love No Limit '' Charles Hamilton - `` Where I 've Been '' Charles Hamilton - `` Him '' Esham - `` 24 / 7 '' DJ Rashad - Ghetto Tekz Runnin It Guru - `` Something in the Past '' Kool G Rap - `` Blowin ' up in the World '' Luniz - `` Playa Hata '' ( Vocal and Audio Sample ) Mary J. Blige - `` Love No Limit '' ( Uncredited ) Master P - `` If I Could Change '' Tatyana Ali - `` Boy You Knock Me Out '' ( Audio Sample ) 2Pac - `` Do for Love '' ( Vocal Sample ) 2Pac - `` Heaven Ai n't Hard 2 Find '' 2Pac - `` What I Wo n't Do For Love '' ( Unreleased ) Young Zee - `` Everybody Get High '' DJ Jazzy Jeff - `` My Soul 's Not 4 Sale ( feat. Raheem DeVaughn ) '' Sa - Deuce - `` Do n't waste my time '' Foesum - `` In the Wind '' Z - Ro - `` So Much '' Brown Eyed Soul - `` Candy '' Obeth Pacatang - cover version ( Live The Breakout ) Jessie Ware - cover version Interpolations Songs with vocal interpolations of `` What You Wo n't Do For Love '' include the following : Afroman - `` Do for Bud '' Mariah Carey, Da Brat & Elephant Man - `` Got a Thing 4 You '' Max B featuring French Montana - `` Do 4 Drugs '' Soundtrack appearances Caldwell 's recording of the song was featured in the film Donnie Brasco ( 1997 ). The song was featured in a 2014 commercial for the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport. References Jump up ^ Whitburn, Joel ( 2004 ). Top R&B / Hip - Hop Singles : 1942 - 2004. Record Research. p. 97. Jump up ^ `` American Top 40, '' Week Ending February 3, 1979, replayed February 8, 2014, SiriusXM Radio Jump up ^ `` Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada ''. Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 7 April 1979. Retrieved 4 April 2017. Jump up ^ `` Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada ''. Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 4 May 1979. Retrieved 4 November 2017. Jump up ^ Joel Whitburn 's Top Pop Singles 1955 - 1990 - ISBN 0 - 89820 - 089 - X Jump up ^ Cash Box Top 100 Singles, March 24, 1979 Jump up ^ `` Top 100 Singles ( 1979 ) ''. RPM. Retrieved 2017 - 07 - 29. Jump up ^ Musicoutfitters.com Jump up ^ Cash Box Year - End Charts : Top 100 Pop Singles, December 29, 1979 Jump up ^ Whitburn, Joel ( 1993 ). Top Adult Contemporary : 1961 -- 1993. Record Research. p. 100. Jump up ^ `` RPM 100 Hit Tracks of 1993 ''. RPM. Retrieved November 23, 2017. Jump up ^ Video on YouTube Jump up ^ `` Do n't Get Crazy by Luciano Album Listen for Free on Myspace ''. Myspace.com. 1995 - 02 - 07. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 14. Jump up ^ Video on YouTube Jump up ^ Video on YouTube Jump up ^ Video on YouTube Jump up ^ `` 2014 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport TV Spot, ' New Beauty ' Song Bobby Caldwell ''. iSpot.tv. Retrieved 26 October 2013. External links Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics Boyz II Men Nathan Morris Shawn Stockman Wanya Morris Marc Nelson Michael McCary Studio albums Cooleyhighharmony II Evolution Nathan Michael Shawn Wanya Full Circle Throwback, Vol. 1 The Remedy Motown : Hitsville USA Love Twenty Collide Compilation albums Christmas Interpretations The Remix Collection The Ballad Collection Legacy : The Greatest Hits Collection Winter / Reflections Covered : Winter The Millennium Collection : The Best of Boyz II Men Singles `` Motownphilly '' `` It 's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday '' `` Uhh Ahh '' `` Please Do n't Go '' `` End of the Road '' `` In the Still of the Nite ( I 'll Remember ) '' `` Let It Snow '' `` I 'll Make Love to You '' `` On Bended Knee '' `` Thank You '' `` Water Runs Dry '' `` One Sweet Day '' `` Brokenhearted '' `` Hey Lover '' `` 4 Seasons of Loneliness '' `` A Song for Mama '' `` Doin ' Just Fine '' `` I Will Get There '' `` Pass You By '' `` Thank You in Advance '' `` The Color of Love '' `` Relax Your Mind '' `` What You Wo n't Do for Love '' `` The Tracks of My Tears '' `` Just My Imagination '' `` War '' `` Mercy Mercy Me '' `` I Ca n't Make You Love Me '' `` Iris '' `` If You Leave Me Now '' Related topics Discography Babyface The Package Tour Total Package Tour Book Peabo Bryson Studio albums Peabo ( 1976 ) Reaching for the Sky ( 1977 ) Crosswinds ( 1978 ) We 're the Best of Friends ( 1979 ) Paradise ( 1980 ) I Am Love ( 1981 ) Born to Love ( 1983 ) Straight from the Heart ( 1984 ) Live album Live & More ( 1980 ) with Roberta Flack Singles `` What You Wo n't Do for Love '' ( 1979 ) `` Let the Feeling Flow '' ( 1981 ) `` Tonight, I Celebrate My Love '' ( 1983 ) `` If Ever You 're in My Arms Again '' ( 1984 ) `` Without You '' ( 1987 ) `` Show & Tell '' ( 1989 ) `` Can You Stop the Rain '' ( 1991 ) `` Beauty and the Beast '' ( 1991 ) `` A Whole New World '' ( 1992 ) `` By the Time This Night Is Over '' ( 1993 ) Related articles Discography Book : Peabo Bryson Go West Peter Cox Richard Drummie Studio albums Go West Bangs & Crashes Dancing on the Couch Indian Summer futurenow 3D Singles `` We Close Our Eyes '' `` Call Me '' `` Goodbye Girl '' `` Eye to Eye '' `` Do n't Look Down '' `` True Colours '' `` I Want to Hear It from You '' `` Do n't Look Down -- The Sequel '' `` From Baltimore to Paris '' `` The King Is Dead '' `` King of Wishful Thinking '' `` Faithful '' `` What You Wo n't Do for Love '' `` Still in Love '' `` Tracks of My Tears '' `` We Close Our Eyes '' ( remix ) Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=What_You_Won%27t_Do_for_Love_(song)&oldid=822484567 '' Categories : 1978 singles Debut singles 2004 songs Smooth jazz songs Boyz II Men songs Songs written by Bobby Caldwell 1978 songs 1992 singles Go West ( band ) songs Chrysalis Records singles TK Records singles Blue - eyed soul songs Phyllis Hyman songs Quiet storm songs Hidden categories : Articles needing additional references from March 2016 All articles needing additional references Articles with hAudio microformats Talk Contents About Wikipedia Français Edit links This page was last edited on 26 January 2018, at 17 : 04. 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Question: who made the song what you won't do for love
Answer: written by Bobby Caldwell with Alfons Kettner