Recording
LaBelle recorded a dozen songs that didn't make the final track listing of The Spirit's In It. Among those songs was a mid-tempo pop ballad titled "If Only You Knew". Dexter Wansel and co-writer Cynthia Biggs had written lyrics and composition to a song about a woman who was seeking an unsuspecting love interest. During initial recording sessions, LaBelle and Wansel argued over the direction of how to approach the song. While LaBelle had wanted to sing it in a straightforward approach, Wansel wanted the singer to deliver it mid-range and also produce a smile as she sang the verses because "her vocals were clearer when she smiled". LaBelle agreed to a compromise to have her sing the verses in a softer tone while delivering the final chorus with a louder vocal range of her soprano vocals.
The song sat on a shelf for two years and after seeking archival songs to fit the track listing of the singer's upcoming sophomore PIR album, I'm In Love Again, Gamble & Huff chose this particular ballad as part of the album. The song was titled "If Only You Knew" after Gamble settled a dispute between the musical composer Wansel and lyricist Biggs over a lyric line.
Read more about this topic: If Only You Knew
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