"I Didn't Mean to Turn You On" is the debut single written by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and originally performed by American singer Cherrelle in 1984. In the song, the singer is attempting to rebuff unwanted sexual advances following a date, including pressure to have a one-night stand.[3] In 1986, "I Didn't Mean to Turn You On" was covered by English singer Robert Palmer. Palmer's cover fared better on the pop chart while Cherrelle's version was a hit on the R&B chart.
Original Cherrelle version
The song was released as Cherrelle's debut single and was her first hit, peaking at number 8 on the soul chart and number 79 on the Hot 100.[4] On the US dance chart, "I Didn't Mean to Turn You On" went to number 6.[5] A slightly altered version of the song is featured in the 2015 N.W.A biopic Straight Outta Compton.[6]
English rock singer Robert Palmer recorded a cover version one year later, and it was released as the fifth single from his eighth studio album Riptide (1985). The single hit No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1986, behind "Amanda" by Boston. Palmer loved the song musically, but he found the lyrics distasteful and sexist because they were written by older men to be sung by a young woman.[9] Palmer recorded it in part as a joke, thinking it would be an ironic role reversal to have the lyrics coming from a nearly 40-year-old man.[10][11] The music video which was directed by Terence Donovan and storyboarded by concept developer Andrew Trovaioli, featured women like the ones featured in "Addicted to Love"; it hit No. 1 on MTV on October 17, 1986.[12]
