Songfacts®:

• The first version of this song was a 1984 demo by Chicago producer Jamie Principal, which was only made available to DJs on acetates or reel-to-reel tapes. The lyrics came from a poem that Principle wrote for his girlfriend at the time, Lisa Harris. He added the music and recorded the song at home on his four track recorder. Some have cited it as the first ever house track.
• The song was picked by Frankie Knuckles, who played it regularly at his The Power Plant Chicago dance club. Knuckles also helped put the song out as a vinyl 12" single on the small, independent, Chicago label Persona Records in 1986.
• The second commercially released version was produced by and credited to Frankie Knuckles, but still featured Principle on vocals. Initially a 12" release in 1987 on US label Trax Records, it was licensed to UK and Belgian labels in 1989 peaking at #59 on the UK singles chart.
• Following Knuckles' death on March 31, 2014, the song re-entered the UK Singles Chart at #29 - its highest ever chart position.
• In 1991 record producer John Truelove (aka The Source) combined the song with an acapella gospel track Candi Staton had recorded for comedian Dick Gregory. The result was a huge international club hit titled "You Got the Love."
  
  In 2010 English alternative rock act Florence and the Machine charted at #5 in the UK singles chart with a reworked version of "You Got the Love."
• The main synth line was borrowed by Animal Collective for their song "My Girls."
• When Frankie Knuckles moved from New York City to Chicago in 1977, he was invited to play at the Warehouse club. He was a resident DJ there until 1982, when he started his own club, The Power Plant. The term "house music" is thought to have been named after a shortened version of the Warehouse club and Frankie himself is often referred to as The Godfather of House.