[2] However, the song has been described as "A tightly wound and intense plea for love ... quite different from the usual R&B ballad fare".

[3] He provides the vocal, accompanied by Robert "Bubber" Johnson on piano, Mickey Baker on guitar, Milton Hinton on bass, Calvin Shields on drums, Willis Jackson and David Van Dyke on tenor saxes, and Reuben Phillips on baritone sax.

[9] New Orleans R&B and soul blues singer Irma Thomas recorded the song as "I Need Your Love So Bad".

[11] Album liner notes list the songwriter as "H. Dunham";[11] later compilations that include the song, such as Time Is on My Side (1983, Kent Records) show the composer as "John".

Christine McVie played piano on the first take of the song but switched over to organ for all subsequent run-throughs.

[12] According to Vernon, he suggested to group guitarist and vocalist Peter Green that a string section be added to improve the song's commercial viability.

Vernon contacted Mickey Baker, who provided the guitar on John's original version, to write an orchestral score for the song.

[12] In 1995, guitarist and singer Gary Moore recorded the song for Blues for Greeny (1995), a tribute album to Peter Green, who sang and played guitar on Fleetwood Mac's rendition.