1995

My Love Is For Real

Head Over Heels

Overview

Image from the music video.

“My Love Is For Real,” the first single from Paula Abdul’s third studio album “Head Over Heels.” The song was written by Paula Abdul and Rhett Lawrence and released on May 29, 1995.

The song contains a hyptnotic middle-eastern sounding groove, with background vocals provided by popular Israeli singer Ofra Haza.  In a promotional interview for Head Over Heels, Abdul stated that Haza flew to Los Angeles to record her vocals and stayed there for a week.

"My Love Is For Real" was Abdul's first commercial single release in four years, following "Will You Marry Me?" from the Spellbound album in 1992.

The single did not live up to expectations of being a big comeback hit for Abdul. It was Abdul's first single to not reach the Top 20 and was considered the last major hit song in her career with Virgin Records.

It peaked at #28 on the Billboard Hot 100 and did end up becoming a success in clubs with several remixes commissioned, even hitting #1 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart.

Internationally the single fared rather well hitting #3 in Canada, #7 in Australia the top 20 in New Zealand and #28 in the U.K. In other European and Asian countries the single achieved moderate success (mostly charting in the lower parts of the top 50.)

"My Love Is for Real" also charted at number 16 on the U.S. Pop Songs in June 1995.

Image from the music video.

A new unreleased song titled "Didn't I Say I Love You", was included the B-side of the single release. It was written by Elliot Wolff and Stacey Piersa and does not appear on the Head over Heels album although it was considered by Virgin for inclusion on the final album release.

Two versions of “Didn’t I Say I Love You” were produced, one for the U.S. and a slower temp version for the U.K. release of “My Love Is For Real.”

Additionally, "My Love Is For Real" was covered by Strike, a British dance band and included on their album “I Saw The Future” in 1997.  Strike was also responsible for some of the MLIFR single remixes including the “Strike's Pink Wig Dub” and “Strike's Straight Up There Mix” of “My Love Is For Real.”

"Top of the Pops" performance in the UK.

A popular music video filmed in Morocco was directed by Michael Haussman, produced by Lizzie Ross and edited by Mary Ann McClure of The Artists Company, Ltd. It had a Middle Eastern theme to match the tone of the song.

The video was nominated for several MTV Video Music Awards, and like all of her previous music videos, received heavy rotation on MTV. It was shown across the United States before the film Clueless as a promotional gimmick.

The music video was never released commercially on VHS or DVD but it is available for download on iTunes.

Music Video

Official Promotional Video

Music Video: Behind the Scenes Photo

Behind the scenes photo of Paula Abdul on the set of the "My Love Is For Real" music video in Morocco.

Music Video : Behind the Scenes

MTV On Location

Track Lists and Formats

US 12" Record 72438-38493-144-38493:

1. My Love Is For Real - E-Smoove's Fever Mix
2. My Love Is For Real - Strike's Pink Wig Dub
3. My Love Is For Real - Downtempo Club Dub
4. Didn't I Say I Love You

UK 12" Record VUSTDJ 91:

1. My Love Is For Real - Strike's Straight Up There Mix
2. My Love Is For Real - Strike's Pink Wig Dub
3. My Love Is For Real - Picchiotti's Hardhouse Dub
4. My Love Is For Real - E-Smoove Fever Dub

US Double 12" Record Z-38497:

1. My Love Is For Real - Junior Vasquez Club Extended Mix
2. My Love Is For Real - Strike's Straight Up There Mix
3. My Love Is For Real - Junior Vasquez Soundfactory Mix
4. My Love Is For Real - E-Smoove's Fever Edit
5. My Love Is For Real - Uptempo Club Vocal
6. My Love Is For Real - Junior Vasquez Factory Mix
7. My Love Is For Real - Hardhouse Dub
8. My Love Is For Real - R&B Remix
9. Didn't I Say I Love You

US 5" CD V25H 38497:

1. My Love Is For Real - Radio Edit
2. Didn't I Say I love You
3. My Love Is For Real - LP Version
4. My Love Is For Real - R&B Remix

US 5" CD Maxi 7243-8-38497-27:

1. My Love Is For Real - Radio Edit
2. My Love Is For Real - Lawrence/Mokran Edit
3. My Love Is For Real - E-Smoove's Fever Edit
4. My Love Is For Real - Strike's Straight Up There Edit
5. My Love Is For Real - Junior Vasquez Club
6. My Love Is For Real - R&B Remix
7. Didn't I Say I Love You

US CD Promo:

1. My Love Is For Real - Radio Edit
2. My Love Is For Real - Short Intro. Edit
3. My Love Is For Real - R&B Remix
4. My Love Is For Real - LP Version

UK CD Promo:

1. My Love Is For Real - LP Version
2. Didn't I Say I Love You

US Cassette 72438 3849345 4KM-38493:

1. My Love Is For Real - Radio Edit
2. Didn't I Say I Love You
3. My Love Is For Real - LP version
3. My Love Is For Real - R&B Remix

UK 5" CD VUSCD 91:

1. My Love Is For Real - LP Version
2. My Love Is For Real - E-Smoove Fever 7" Edit
3. My Love Is For Real - Strike Straight Up There Mix
4. Didn't I Say I Love You

View All Formats

Lyrics

Promo Ad

Ofra Haza

Ofra Haza

Bat-Sheva Ofra Haza-Ashkenazi was an Israeli vocalist, actress and Grammy Award-nominee recording artist, commonly known as "The Israeli Madonna", or "Madonna of the East". Inspired by a love of her Yemenite Jewish and Hebrew culture, her music quickly spread to a wider Middle Eastern audience.

As her career progressed, Haza was able to switch between traditional and more commercial singing styles without jeopardizing her credibility. Her music fused elements of Eastern and Western instrumentation, orchestration and dance-beat. She became successful in Europe and the Americas; during her singing career, she earned many platinum and gold discs. Ofra Haza died in February, 2000.

Sheet Music

Single Credits

Written by Rhett Lawrence/Paula Abdul

© 1995 BMG Songs, Inc./Rhettrhyme Music. All rights administered by BMG Songs, Inc./P.J.A. Music (ASCAP).

All rights reserved. International copyright secured. Used by permission.

Produced and arranged by Rhett Lawrence. Lead Vocal: Paula Abdul. Additional Featured Vocal: Ofra Haza. Background Vocals: Paula Abdul, Valerie Davis and Marva King. Synthesizers, Drums and Programming: Rhett Lawrence. Sitar and Tamboura: Harihar Rao. Engineers: Thom Russo, Jr., Mike Becker, Rhett Lawrence and Cal Harris, Jr. Computer Tech: Chris Kohler. Mixed by Mick Guzauski at Oakshire Recorders, Los Angeles, CA. Production Coordinator: Laura Grover.

My Love Is For RealCrazy CoolAin't Never Gonna Give You UpHead Over HeelsDiscography
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