In an interview with the UK-based Soul singer Doris Troy on Spencer Leigh's On the Beat radio show, Troy said that Stephen Stills was at a party in London and feeling lonesome as his girlfriend was back in the States. Troy got talking to him and said "Love the one you're with, Sugar!" Stills loved the expression and asked if she minded if he used it in a song. She readily agreed.
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Suggestion credit: Bill - Liverpool, England
John Sebastian, Rita Coolidge, Priscilla Jones, David Crosby and Graham Nash provided the backing vocals on this track.
An Isley Brothers cover in 1971 (#18 US) transformed this from a song with a free love ethos into one about a Higher Love. Other notable versions include ones by Aretha Franklin on her 1971 Live At Filmore West album, British pop act Bucks Fizz, who peaked at #47 in 1986 with their cover and UK Pop Idol winner Will Young on his 2003 album Friday's Child.
Photographer Henry Diltz, who photographed the album sleeve for Stephen Stills, wrote in his California Dreaming: Memories And Visions Of LA 1966-1975 about the story behind the LP cover: "After Deja Vu, CSN went on a bit of a hiatus and Stephen invited me to join him in Colorado. Gold Hill was way up in the Colorado mountains. While we were there Stephen received word that Jimi Hendrix had passed away so everybody was very sad. We sat up the whole night talking, telling stories and remembering him. When dawn came up the next morning it had snowed overnight and everything was blanketed in white. I grabbed my camera and Stephen grabbed his guitar, we ran outside and I started taking pictures of him sitting on a chair in the middle of the snow. Some time later this (session) was chosen for his first album cover."
In the 2012 movie Prometheus, which is set in the year 2093, the spaceship's captain, portrayed by Idris Elba, sings a bit of this song after revealing that the accordion he had been playing once belonged to Stephen Stills.
Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn June 13th 1971, "Love the One You're With" by the Isley Brothers entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #72; and on August 8th it peaked at #18 (for 1 week) and spent 11 weeks on the Top 100... It reached #3 on Billboard's R&B Singles chart... Earlier in 1971 on January 24th Stephen Stills' original version peaked at #14 (for 2 weeks) on the Top 100... In 1994 it was covered by Luther Vandross, his version reached #28 on Billboard's R&B Singles chart.
Tony from Delran, NjOne of Stills' best!!!
Gary from Seattle, WaIsley Brothers were also on various instruments during this album and project.
Be safe, Crowski KZOK Seattle, WA
Tony from Chicago, IlLove the harmony and the message behind the song, Wonderful song!!
Bill from Liverpool, EnglandStephen Stills was at a party in London and feeling lonesome as his g/f was back in the States. Doris Troy, UK-based soul singer (tremendous voice), got talking to him and said "Love the one you're with, Sugar!". Stills loved the expression and asked if she minded if he used it in a song. She readily agreed. (Source: interview with Doris Troy on Spencer Leigh's 'On the Beat' radio show.)
