The Main Ingredient, Just Don’t Want To Be Lonely | Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶

In the 185th edition of Throwback Vibez (2024), we recollect and reflect on “Just Don’t Want To Be Lonely” by The Main Ingredient. 

The vibes, the vibes, those Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶! Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 is a column that celebrates awesome songs from the past.  The records that grace this column are older, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re ancient – no fossils 🦴! All genres of music are welcome. In the 185^th edition of Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 (2024), we recollect and reflect on “Just Don’t Want To Be Lonely” performed by The Main Ingredient.

“I don’t mind when you say / That you’re going away / I just don’t wanna be lonely.” Indeed, The Main Ingredient. Later, “Let the stairs find you there / Waiting at the end of the room / I just don’t wanna be lonely.” Noted! “Just Don’t Want To Be Lonely” is one of the soul collective’s most popular songs. It’s the eighth track from the soul collective’s sixth album, Euphrates River, released in 1974. A pop hit, it peaked at no. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. John C. Freeman, Bobby Eli, and Vinnie Barrett penned the oldie, originally recorded by Ronnie Dawson.

The music is delightful on “Just Don’t Want To Be Lonely.” The big bass line is one of the best features of the song. Also, there are terrific guitar riffs and a mean groove established by the drums and percussion.  The rhythm section is tight. In addition to the rhythm section, the orchestra sounds sweet – the strings soar. From a music theory perspective, the harmonic scheme is sweet, too, with some distinct moments that catch the ear.  Beyond the instrumental and technical aspects, Cuba Gooding Sr. excels in his role as frontman.  His vocals are buttery smooth. Even before singing one note, he exhibits plenty of personality in the intro (“Hey, say, wait a minute / Where you going with that suitcase”).  Besides bringing the melodies to life, Gooding Sr. also drops some great vocal ad-libs.  He gets epic support from The Main Ingredient, who lock into celestial vocal harmonies.  The songwriting is electrifying too, as the emphasis is on love and avoiding loneliness.  The chorus is the centerpiece:

“I’d rather be loved and needed
Depended on to give a love
I can’t give when you’re gone
When you’re gone
I just don’t want to be lonely
I’d rather be loved.”

Word. “Just Don’t Want To Be Lonely” is The Main Ingredient at its best.  [Note: After scheduling this post to publish, I realized I had already written about this song. I decided to publish this second entry anyways. 😉]

Appears in 🔻:

• The Main Ingredient, Just Don’t Want to Be Lonely: Covers No. 3 (2024)

The Main Ingredient // Euphrates River // RCA // 1974

The Main Ingredient, Just Don’t Want To Be Lonely: Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 No. 185 (2024) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; RCA; OpenClipart-Vectors, Clker-Free-Vector-Images, Speedy McVroom from Pixabay]