John Cougar Mellencamp: I Need A Lover - American Bandstand 1-05-80 (My Stereo Studio Sound Re-Edit)

John Cougar Mellencamp: I Need A Lover - on American Bandstand January 05,1980 (My "Stereo Studio Sound" Re-Edit) w/Dick Clark Interview.

"I Need a Lover" is the debut single by John Mellencamp, first released in 1978 under the stage name "Johnny Cougar". A music video for the song directed by David McMahon was released the same year, also being Mellencamp's first music video. The song was covered by Pat Benatar a year later and also had a hit with it.

The song appeared on his 1978 album A Biography, which was not released in the United States. After becoming a top 10 hit in Australia, the song was later included on his 1979 follow-up album John Cougar to introduce it to U.S. audiences, and was released there as a single, becoming his first U.S. top 40 hit when it reached No. 28 on the Billboard Hot 100 in December 1979.

AllMusic reviewer Stephen Thomas Erlewine described "I Need a Lover" as Mellencamp's "first good song". Cash Box said that "Cougar's gutsy, forthright vocals and lyrics are nicely backed by passionate guitar and a footstomping, hell-raising beat." Record World said that "Cougar's midwestern roots grow into urban urgency on this explosive rocker."

On his inspiration for writing "I Need a Lover", Mellencamp said: "The song's about a friend of mine who goes to Concordia College. When that song was written, he was pretty sad. He was . . . livin’ in his bedroom. I told him, ‘You got to get the hell out of the house!’ He’d say, ‘Man, if I only had a girl, she’d make me forget my problems.’ I just said, ‘Well . . . ’"

Mellencamp has also stated that "I Need a Lover" was inspired by the Rolling Stones' 1972 song "Happy".