Today’s almost-forgotten classic song of the day is “For the Love of Him” by Bobbi Martin. Released late in 1969, this single peaked at #13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on Billboard’s Easy Listening chart in March of 1970.
Bobbi Martin wrote “For the Love of Him” with Henry Jerome, an A&R director at United Artist Records. He also produced the record.
“For the Love of Him” has a definite throw-back feel. The lyrics are all about the little housewife doing all she can for her man—making him her reason for living, giving him all the love she can give him, telling him she understands when he’s had a bad day. After all:
He’s a man and a man has to try
Let him run, let him fall, let him cry
His world won’t fall apart
If you take him into your heart
For the love of him
Make him your reason for living
Give all the love you can give him
All the love you can
Yeah, I know.
Bobbi Martin was actually a country artist who grew up in Oslo, Minnesota. She had her first country hit in 1964 with “Don’t Forget I Still Love You” and followed that with a half dozen others on the country charts. She was 31 years old when “For the Love of Him” hit the pop charts, making her just a tad older than the twenty-somethings who ruled the airwaves at the time. She passed away of cancer in 2000, age 60.
