For the Love of Money
"For the Love of Money" is a soul, R&B, proto-disco song that was written and composed by Kenneth Gamble, Leon Huff, and Anthony Jackson; it was recorded by Philadelphia soul group The O'Jays for the album Ship Ahoy. Produced by Gamble and Huff for Philadelphia International Records, "For the Love of Money" was issued as a single in late 1973, with "People Keep Tellin' Me" as its B-side. The single peaked at number three on the U.S. Billboard R&B chart, and at No. 9 on Billboard's Pop Singles chart in spring 1974. Though the album version of the song was over seven minutes long, it received substantial radio airplay.
The song's title comes from a well-known Bible verse, 1 Timothy 6:10: "For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." The song was also used as the opening theme song for NBC's The Apprentice as well as Donald Trump's WWE entrance music.
Production
Anthony Jackson played bass guitar on the song. One day during fall 1973, producer/keyboardist Leon Huff was leading the members of the MFSB rhythm section and Jackson through a rehearsal. Sigma Sound Studios owner/engineer Joe Tarsia noticed that Jackson had a wah-wah pedal attached to his Fender Precision Bass. Tarsia decided to run Jackson's bassline through a phaser, giving it a swishing sound and later mixed in echo. During the final mixing of the track, Kenny Gamble impulsively reached over to the echo button and added echo to Jackson's opening riffs.Credits
- Eddie Levert – vocals
- William Powell – vocals
- Walter Williams – vocals
- Leon Isley Brooks – keyboards
- Anthony Jackson – bass, composer, lyricist
- MFSB – orchestra, various instruments
- Lenny Pakula – arranger
- Joe Tarsia – engineer
- Kenny Gamble – producer, composer, lyricist
- Leon Huff – producer, composer, lyricist
Awards and accolades
"For the Love of Money" was nominated for the 1975 Grammy Award for Best R&B Vocal Performance – Duo, Group or Chorus, losing to "Tell Me Something Good" by Rufus.In 2016, "For the Love of Money" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
Cover versions
- The song was covered by Todd Rundgren's band Utopia on their 1982 album Swing to the Right.
- A cover version recorded by Erroll Starr was nominated for the 1987 Juno Award for "Best R&B/Soul Recording".
- It was covered by BulletBoys on their eponymous 1988 album, and a video was made for the song.
- A medley of "For the Love of Money" and Stevie Wonder's "Living for the City" was recorded by Troop, LeVert, and Queen Latifah. The medley is featured prominently in Mario Van Peebles's 1991 film New Jack City, and it appears on the film's soundtrack.