"Send Me a Lover" is a song by American singer-songwriter and actress Taylor Dayne. It was written by Rick Hahn and George Thatcher, and released on September 6, 1993 by Arista Records, as the second single from her third album, Soul Dancing (1993). In the United States, it peaked at numbers 50 and 44 on the Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box Top 100, and number 19 on the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks. In Canada, "Send Me a Lover" reached number 24 on the Top Singles chart and number eight on the Adult Contemporary chart. The song was originally recorded by Canadian singer Celine Dion in 1992, but her version remained unreleased until 1994.
Critical reception
Jose F. Promis from AllMusic felt that the song "stands as one of Dayne's finest moments".[1]Larry Flick from Billboard declared it as "a heartbroken power ballad that will connect with anyone who has suffered from unrequited love. Bombastic production builds from soft to earth-shaking in the blink of an eye, and Taylor matches the arrangement with a performance that might shatter a glass or two. A better radio bet than the previous 'Can't Get Enough of Your Love'."[2] Mike Joyce from The Washington Post stated that one listen to ballads like "Send Me a Lover", "with stirring choruses, modulations, and melismatic twists, is enough to convince you that Dayne knows the ins and outs of the idiom."[3]
Canadian singer Celine Dion recorded "Send Me a Lover" in 1992, but her version remained unreleased until 1994. The song was recorded during the Celine Dion album sessions, and produced by Humberto Gatica.[12]
Background and release
Dion's recording, with heavily revised verses and slightly altered chorus lyrics, was offered to various benefit collections, mostly for women's causes. First it was released on the Kumbaya Album Nineteen Ninety Four (1994).[12] All proceeds from this CD went to support AIDS awareness and services. It also appeared on the In Between Dances (1995) (of which profits were given to research on breast cancer), The Power of Peace (1996) (to celebrate the 50 years of CARA), and Women for Women, Vol. 2 (1996) (another album to get funds for the research on breast cancer). "Send Me a Lover" was played on the adult contemporary radio since September 1996,[13] as an album cut from The Power of Peace, without an official single release.[14]
Commercial performance
"Send Me a Lover" entered the US Radio & Records's Adult Contemporary chart in November 1996[15] and peaked at number 16 in January 1997.[16] It also entered the Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart in January 1997 and peaked at number 23 in the same month.[17]
Critical reception
Larry Flick from Billboard wrote, "Here's a wonderful song that Dion has contributed to The Power of Peace, a fine 13-track compilation designed to raise money for CARE. Sharp ears will remember Taylor Dayne's hit version of this forlorn power ballad, which Dion dives into with white-knuckled power. AC listeners who cannot get enough of the Canadian diva will feast on this treat".[14]
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