# Love T.K.O. > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Love_T.K.O. > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Love_T.K.O..md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_T.K.O. > Source revision: 1340349280 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{short description|1980 single by David Oliver}} {{More citations needed|date=January 2017}} {{Infobox song | name = Love T.K.O. | image = Love tko by teddy pendergrass side-a.png | caption = Side A of the US single | type = single | artist = [Teddy Pendergrass](/source/Teddy_Pendergrass) | album = [TP](/source/TP_(Teddy_Pendergrass_album)) | B-side = I Just Called to Say | released = November 1980 | recorded = 1980 | genre = [Soul](/source/Soul_(music)) | length = 4:58
3:39 (single version) | label = [Philadelphia International Records](/source/Philadelphia_International_Records) | writer = [Cecil Womack](/source/Cecil_Womack)
Gip Noble, Jr. | producer = [Dexter Wansel](/source/Dexter_Wansel), Cecil Womack, Cynthia Biggs | prev_title = Can't We Try | prev_year = 1980 | next_title = [Two Hearts](/source/Two_Hearts_(Stephanie_Mills_song)) | next_year = 1981 }} {{Infobox song | name = Love T.K.O. | cover = | caption = David Oliver's version preceded Teddy Pendergrass in 1980. | type = single | artist = [David Oliver](/source/David_Oliver_(singer)) | album = [Here's To You](/source/Here's_to_You_(David_Oliver_album)) | A-side = My Lady | released = 1980 | recorded = 1980 | genre = [Soul](/source/Soul_(music)) | length = 4:36 | label = [Mercury](/source/Mercury_Records) (45-76067) | writer = [Cecil Womack](/source/Cecil_Womack)
Gip Noble, Jr. | producer = [Wayne Henderson](/source/Wayne_Henderson_(musician)) | prev_title = Summer Love | prev_year = 1979 }} "'''Love T.K.O.'''" is a song written by [Cecil Womack](/source/Cecil_Womack) and Gip Noble, Jr.{{cite web|title=secondhandsongs.com|url=https://www.https://secondhandsongs.com/work/21494|website=secondhandsongs.com|accessdate=January 7, 2021}} Standing for [technical knockout](/source/Knockout), it was written for soul singer [David Oliver](/source/David_Oliver_(singer)), and appeared first on his album ''[Here's to You](/source/Here's_to_You_(David_Oliver_album))'' in 1980. Cecil and Linda Womack recorded the song themselves as [Womack & Womack](/source/Womack_%26_Womack) and it appeared simply as "T.K.O." on their debut album ''[Love Wars](/source/Love_Wars)'' in 1983.{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r22182|pure_url=yes}} ==Teddy Pendergrass recording== "Love T.K.O." is mainly associated with [R&B](/source/R%26B) and [soul](/source/Soul_music) artist [Teddy Pendergrass](/source/Teddy_Pendergrass), who recorded the song for his 1980 album ''[TP](/source/TP_(Teddy_Pendergrass_album))'', releasing it as a single the same year. Arranged by Dexter Wansel, it reached No. 2 on the Billboard R&B chart and No. 44 on the [''Billboard'' Hot 100](/source/Billboard_Hot_100).{{cite book |title= Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004|last=Whitburn |first=Joel |authorlink=Joel Whitburn |year=2004 |publisher=Record Research |page=455}} ==Charts== ===Teddy Pendergrass version=== {|class="wikitable sortable" |- !Chart (1980) !Peak
position |- |[US Billboard R&B](/source/Billboard_R%26B_chart) |align="center"|2 |- |[US Billboard Hot 100](/source/US_Billboard_Hot_100)[https://www.musicvf.com/song.php?title=Love+T.K.O.+by+Teddy+Pendergrass&id=40646 US Charts]. ''MusicVF.com''. Retrieved March 3, 2020 |align="center"|44 |} ===Regina Belle version=== [Regina Belle](/source/Regina_Belle) recorded and released her version in 1995 and included on her [Reachin' Back](/source/Reachin'_Back) LP. {|class="wikitable sortable" |- !Chart (1995) !Peak
position |- |[US Billboard R&B](/source/Billboard_R%26B_chart){{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/regina-belle/chart-history/bsi/|title=Regina Belle US chart history|publisher=Billboard.com|accessdate=March 3, 2020}} |align="center"|29 |} ==Other recordings== "Love TKO" has been covered by several artists, including: *[Deborah Harry](/source/Deborah_Harry) *[Hall & Oates](/source/Hall_%26_Oates) *[Bette Midler](/source/Bette_Midler) *[Boz Scaggs](/source/Boz_Scaggs) *[Lambchop](/source/Lambchop_(band)) *[Michael McDonald](/source/Michael_McDonald_(singer)) *[Seal](/source/Seal_(musician)) *[Fourplay](/source/Fourplay) *[Womack & Womack](/source/Womack_%26_Womack) (as just "T.K.O.") on their 1983 album ''[Love Wars](/source/Love_Wars)'' *Modern Man (Pittsburgh R&B/dance/cover band){{Cite web |url=https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=love+tko&btnG=Google+Search |title=Google Search |access-date=2008-11-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020813214541/http://www.google.com/search?hl=en |archive-date=2002-08-13 |url-status=dead }} *[Tatsuro Yamashita](/source/Tatsuro_Yamashita) on his 1999 album ''[On the Street Corner 3](/source/On_the_Street_Corner_3)'' ==Samples== *In 1994, American rapper [Ahmad](/source/Ahmad_(rapper)) sampled it for his hit single “[Back in the Day](/source/Back_in_the_Day_(Ahmad_song)) ”. *In 1995, R&B group Xscape sampled it for their remix of "[Who Can I Run To](/source/Who_Can_I_Run_To)". *In 1996, the song was sampled by [Kenny Lattimore](/source/Kenny_Lattimore) on "I Won't Let You Down". *[Total](/source/Total_(group)) as well as featured in the 2015 motion picture ''[Concussion](/source/Concussion_(2015_film))''. ==Popular culture== *In 2006, Pendergrass' version of the song was featured in the popular video game ''[Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories](/source/Grand_Theft_Auto%3A_Vice_City_Stories)'' on fictional radio station [VCFL](/source/Grand_Theft_Auto%3A_Vice_City_Stories_soundtrack). *It was used in 2005 video game ''[Fahrenheit](/source/Fahrenheit_(2005_video_game))'' (a.k.a. ''Indigo Prophecy''). *[DJ Spooky](/source/DJ_Spooky) referenced the song in his essay titled "Groove Theory" in ''[URB](/source/URB_(magazine))''. *Artist Ahmad Lewis used the melody for a remix of his 1994 song "[Back in the Day](/source/Back_in_the_Day_(Ahmad_song))" from his self-titled album ''[Ahmad](/source/Ahmad_(album))''. *In 2025, Pendergrass’ version was used in an [Air Jordan](/source/Air_Jordan) commercial about [Jalen Hurts](/source/Jalen_Hurts) after the [Philadelphia Eagles](/source/Philadelphia_Eagles)’ victory in [Super Bowl LIX](/source/Super_Bowl_LIX). ==References== {{reflist}} {{Teddy Pendergrass}} {{Regina Belle}} {{authority control}} Category:1980 singles Category:Philadelphia International Records singles Category:Songs written by Cecil Womack Category:Teddy Pendergrass songs Category:1980 songs Category:Mercury Records singles Category:Regina Belle songs --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Love T.K.O.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_T.K.O.) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_T.K.O.?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.