Ain't Nobody

Jaki Graham version

Jaki Graham released her cover of "Ain't Nobody" in July 1994 as the lead single from her fourth album, Real Life. Produced by Rod Gammons, it reached number one on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart for five weeks and was among the top-five favorite videos on BET.

The single also charted at number 44 in the UK, number 11 in Iceland, and number 17 in Australia. The music video was directed by Antoine Fuqua. Larry Flick of Billboard wrote that Graham proves her pipes are in top form and is surrounded by fierce disco/house beats, later calling the track a "grand reading" of the Rufus nugget.

Diana King version

Diana King recorded a cover of "Ain't Nobody" released in October 1995 by Columbia Records and Work Group as the third single from her debut album, Tougher Than Love. Produced by Handel Tucker, it was recorded at Bob Marley's Tuff Gong studio in Kingston, Jamaica. The single peaked at number 95 on the US Billboard Hot 100, number four on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart, and number 13 on the UK Singles Chart. Larry Flick of Billboard described it as a "sexy hip hop interpretation" and "irresistible," praising King's assured performance.

M.R. Martinez of Cash Box called it a "bumpin' cover." James Masterton for Dotmusic noted the reggaefied version gave King another hit. Music & Media observed that the follow-up to "Shy Guy" loses some rough dancehall edges for a smoother R&B sound, with a chorus of pure, uplifting modern soul. Music Week rated it three out of five, calling it a fairly standard cover with strong production.

Dele Fadele of NME felt the atmosphere of Tuff Gong sprinkled spiritual dust on the off-kilter rhythm and King's voice. The music video, directed by Kevin Bray, features King performing with her band in a bright white room and lying in an indoor pool. The video had generated more than 2.3 million views on YouTube as of early 2024.

LL Cool J version

LL Cool J recorded an interpolation of "Ain't Nobody" for the soundtrack of the 1996 film Beavis and Butt-Head Do America, released by Geffen Records as the soundtrack's second single. It peaked at number 46 on the US Billboard Hot 100, number four on the Hot Rap Singles Chart, and number 27 on the Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart. Outside the US, the song topped the charts in the United Kingdom. Larry Flick of Billboard described it as a "pop juiced hip-hop ditty" with LL Cool J's love-talk over a classic-funk bassline and a chantable chorus.

Alan Jones of Music Week felt the comeback was more workmanlike than inspired, noting that an unnamed female singer takes over the chorus, drawing attention to Chaka Khan's vocal ability. The music video, directed by Michael Martin, was partially filmed at Mount Hood in Oregon and shows a pool party with guests including Maia Campbell, Brian McKnight, Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, Ricky Bell, Alfonso Ribeiro, Tichina Arnold, A.J. Johnson, Cedric the Entertainer, Martin Lawrence, Djimon Hounsou, Gerald Levert, Jermaine "Huggy" Hopkins, John Salley, Michael Taliferro, and John Witherspoon.

Richard X vs. Liberty X version

In 2003, Liberty X released a version titled "Being Nobody," produced by Richard X, as the lead single from Richard X's debut album Richard X Presents His X-Factor Vol. 1 and from Liberty X's second album Being Somebody. The song is a pseudo-mashup taking the lyrics of "Ain't Nobody" over an instrumental interpolation of the Human League's "Being Boiled," with additional elements from both songs. Liberty X first performed it on Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway on February 8, 2003, and later on Top of the Pops, The National Lottery Wright Ticket, and CD:UK before its official release on March 17, 2003.

The song received mostly positive reviews; RTÉ.ie's Linda McGee deemed it "instantly memorable," while NME's Louis Pattison called it "a record to get over-excited about." Alexis Kirke of musicOMH said the marriage of Richard X's credible dance-bootleg production with Liberty X created a powerful musical synergy. Martin P of ukmix.org gave it five stars, calling it "pure pop perfection with a twist of R&B." The single included the Main Mix, Richard X Remix, and X-Strumental.

Did You Know?

• Rufus keyboardist David "Hawk" Wolinski wrote the song around a repeating synthesizer loop backed by a Linn LM-1 drum computer, but drummer John "JR" Robinson played real drums for the recording session.
• Wolinski threatened to give the song to Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones for Jackson's album Thriller if Warner Bros. did not issue it as the lead single.
• Felix Jaehn's 2015 remix titled "Ain't Nobody (Loves Me Better)" featuring Jasmine Thompson became a far bigger international success than Thompson's 2013 solo cover.