name at the end, but only in the unedited or album version. The song fades out early in the radio edit because the disc jockeys felt that the repeated "Maya" was being overdone and that it would be misunderstood as a religious chant. Instrumentation The original single version released to radio contained only Riperton's vocals, accompanied by electric piano and acoustic guitar. As with the rest of the album, the piano backing is played by Wonder. Rudolph played acoustic guitar for the track. After the single became popular, an alternative single version was created which added effects from an Arp string synth, likely in an effort to increase the complexity and depth of the otherwise simple-sounding song. This alternate 7" single version was released on the 2017 re-issue of the album, as Perfect Angel: Deluxe Edition. "Lovin' You" was one of the first songs to top the US Billboard Hot 100 without the help of a percussion instrument. The song is especially known for Riperton's use of the high whistle register in the song's bridge, and for the chirping songbirds heard throughout. Riperton stated that during the recording of the song's demo, the bird chirping was recorded accidentally. She said that it was kept in the song since it "seemed to work", and was included on the song's final version. Release Rudolph and Riperton wanted Epic to release "Lovin' You" as a single, after seeing the song's effect on people while on tour to promote the album. Rudolph recalled: "We found ourselves performing in Portland one night during a huge blizzard. We look around and see that people are putting their arms around each other and having a great time as we're playing ‘Lovin' You.’". Epic initially refused, because they had planned to market Riperton as an R&B singer. However, Rudolph and Riperton prevailed, rejecting the R&B label and insisting that "[Riperton is] a singer, period". The song was released on March 14, 1975, as the fourth single from Perfect Angel. It went on to become the album's most successful track, and Riperton's biggest hit. With "Lovin' You", Riperton became the first female artist on the Epic label with a debut song that reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Chart performance In the US, "Lovin' You" made its debut on the Billboard Hot 100 on January 18, 1975; twelve weeks later, on April 5, 1975, it peaked at