Emotion (Ain't Nobody)

Album: single release only (2014)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • The song borrows the chorus of Chaka Khan's "Ain't Nobody." Sabre explained to Digital Spy: "I'm a massive funk and R&B fan, so I've always been a Chaka Khan fan. To be honest, it was something that kind of came out of the blue really. I'm a bit of purist myself and normally would think that's kind of, like, blasphemy using Chaka Khan's chorus or anyone else's chorus, and especially such a big tune."

    "But when I was in the studio I had actually another chorus written, and I had a space that I needed to fill just before the end of the studio session," he continued. "We tried out a couple of different melodies on it but none were really working, and the first thing that kind of really stuck with me was that melody... those lyrics came out and it suited what I was writing about."

    "Just for me myself, the most important thing is everything fitting together on a tune and I need to feel right about it," Sabre added. "So when I laid it down, we actually took the chorus that was written already and swapped it over and, to me, it suited it. I tried to write other choruses and I tried to write something in a similar vein, but nothing ever fitted the emotion like that. So we got in contact with Chaka Khan and her team. They were a fan of the tune and wrote back, got her blessing and we went ahead with it."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Have Mercy! It's Wolfman Jack

Have Mercy! It's Wolfman JackSong Writing

The story of the legendary lupine DJ through the songs he inspired.

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: Tarantino Edition

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: Tarantino EditionMusic Quiz

Whether he's splitting ears or burning Nazis, Quentin Tarantino uses memorable music in his films. See if you can match the song to the scene.

Tony Banks of Genesis

Tony Banks of GenesisSongwriter Interviews

Genesis' key-man re-examines his solo career and the early days of music video.

Janis Ian: Married in London, but not in New York

Janis Ian: Married in London, but not in New YorkSong Writing

Can you be married in one country but not another? Only if you're part of a gay couple. One of the first famous singers to come out as a lesbian, Janis wrote a song about it.

Tom Keifer of Cinderella

Tom Keifer of CinderellaSongwriter Interviews

Tom talks about the evolution of Cinderella's songs through their first three albums, and how he writes as a solo artist.

Billy Steinberg - "Like A Virgin"

Billy Steinberg - "Like A Virgin"They're Playing My Song

The first of Billy's five #1 hits was the song that propelled Madonna to stardom. You'd think that would get you a backstage pass, wouldn't you?