Every Kinda People by Robert Palmer

Album: Double Fun (1978)

Charted: 53 16

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In this song, Robert Palmer celebrates the rich cultural differences that make the world so interesting. In many respects we're all alike - everyone is looking to get by, and we're all looking for love - but it takes all types to make the world go 'round.

"I get a lot of letters about this song from religious organizations who always tell me it's very positive," Palmer wrote in the liner notes to his Addictions, Volume 1 compilation. "I suppose it is."
"Every Kinda People" was written by Palmer's Island Records labelmate Andy Fraser, the original bass player for the rock band Free. "In 'Every Kinda People' the riff that you hear was actually done on the bass, and Robert Palmer just transposed it to other instruments," Fraser told the online magazine Pennyblackmusic in 2013.
According to Palmer, the original lyric written by Andy Fraser was more political. Palmer changed it to make the song more about human connection.
This came at a time when Palmer was experimenting with different sounds. The song has a definite Caribbean influence, which isn't surprising: he was living in Nassau at the time. A few years earlier, Palmer did a poplar cover of the Calypso song "Man Smart (Woman Smarter)."
"Every Kinda People" was the biggest hit for Palmer to this point. Signed to Island Records, he was slowly building a following and gaining respect for his adventurous musical palette. He made a lot of music with drum machines and synthesizers in the early '80s before landing a huge hit with "Addicted To Love" in 1985.
This plays in the 2009 Breaking Bad episode "Over" in a scene where Walt is plying his son with tequila.
A 1992 remix for Palmer's album Addictions: Volume 2 was released as a single and went to #43 in the UK. This version got a music video showing folks from all walks of life.

Comments: 12

Howard L. from PaNot sure if I told this story here, but one day back in 2003, I heard Palmer 's own "Give Me An Inch" on the radio. Right then, my appreciation was that he made much of his bread doing what good music fans should do: Pick up good songs other people, by and large, have missed. Eerily, about a week later, Palmer was dead.
Bill from Usoh yeah, is that not a great album cover?!
Bill from UsWhere I live the Sneakin Sally trilogy was Mr. Palmer's first "hit".
This one had a kinda Gino Vaneli vibe, which is cool.
Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn May 13th 1978, Robert Palmer performed "Every Kinda People" on the ABC-TV program 'American Bandstand'...
At the time the song was at #35 on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart; six weeks later on June 18th, 1978 it would peak at #16 {for 2 weeks} and it spent 18 weeks on the Top 100...
It made the Top 10 on the French National Singles chart, where it peaked at #6…
Between 1977 and 1991 he had eighteen Top 100 records; five made the Top 10 with one reaching #1, "Addicted to Love" for one week on April 27th, 1986...
He just missed having three #1 records when "I Didn't Mean to Turn You On" and "Simply Irresistible" both peaked at #2 on the Top 100...
Sadly, Robert Allen Palmer passed away on September 26th, 2003 at the young age of 54...
May he R.I.P.
Thomas Leonard from Pittsburgh, PaIn the US, the "Every Kinda People" single and subsequent Double Fun album were released in 1978, a full year before the "Bad Case Of Loving" single and Secrets album. Palmer had been recording with various bands as early as the late 1960's and had been going solo with some minor hit albums starting in 1973 (Sneaking Sally Through The Alley). Double Fun was his fourth full length solo LP.
Camille from Toronto, OhI've got a pretty good idea which artists sing which songs, but can still be surprised with new info. First, I had no idea Robert Palmer sung this song. I always thought his claim to fame began with the MTV videos "Addicted to Love" and "Simply Irresistable". I didn't know he'd been around for a decade before that! I don't think I really ever gave it a thought who this song was by. The other day it played on the radio and the DJ said it was Robert Palmer. Second surprise: You're tellin' me he sang "Bad Case of Lovin' You"??? For some reason, I always thought that was Eddy Money!!! Robert Palmer was always super sexy, in his song selection and voice as well as his looks. He looked like a business man who sang rock music on the side.But it was sexy. He died way too soon of a heart attack at age 54 in 2003.
Bill from Kota Kinabalu, MalaysiaEKP was released 1978, reaching 16 in the Hot 100, and 'Bad case of lovin' you' was 1979 reaching 14.
William from Bardstown, Ky"Bad Case of Loving You (Doctor, Doctor)" is a 1978 song recorded by Robert Palmer and written by Moon Martin. The song appeared on Palmer's 1979 album Secrets and was a hit. I think Every Kinda People was released before Bad Case of Loving You. If you look at RP's singles you can see EKP comes before technically making it his first hit. I great tune all the way. It's like his What's Goin On.
Dodge from Casper, WyThis song was written by Andy Fraser, a bass player for the rock band Free. He also wrote "All Right Now", which made vocalist Paul Rodgers (famous for Bad Company, now with Queen) a star.
Andy from B'ham, AlI think this is the only Caribbean instance. Robert Palmer does, however, go all out! "Pride" and "What's It Take?" sound very Pacific, from islands I can't specify for sure. Hawaii? Samoa? Something like that.
"Woke Up Laughing" is not so much a tropical island sound as it is a submarinal Disney Pixar sound. I think "Finding Nemo" should've taken "Woke Up Laughing" as a theme song, if not already!
The Beach Boys make astounding "Sounds of Summer", but not like Robert Palmer! "Kokomo" is about their only match. A "Beach Boy" summer is oriented at the coastline of urban continents like Europe & North America. A "Robert Palmer" summer is oriented around islands like Hawaii, Jamaica, etc.
Mchael from Winston-salem, Nc'Bad Case of Loving You' was recorded and released prior to this and I would say 'Bad Case' was his first big hit, not this song. However, this is an excellent song. I have a copy of the DVD/show 'Midnight Special' in which Palmer performs it and it is very good. Good message.
Reuben from Amsterdam, NetherlandsA lovely flowing song. To me this sounds like a tribute to the political oriented soul of eg Marvin Gaye.

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