song id help

[the pleasure principal]

hey moopy, this has been driving me crazy all day - heard a song on some radio playing quietly this morning while i was reading, phone in another room getting charged.

80s (or throwback), dance/disco/italo vibe, male vocalist, almost certainly black (or trying to sound it), chorus goes something like:
i just can't live without your love
i just can't do without your love

i definitely heard the phrase "nobody else" in there but couldn't make out much else, there was a nice chunky very italo coded break before the last chorus. definitely heard it before, had the melody in my head but crazy day deleted it and i've been googling and youtubing and going through colonel abrams and david joseph's discography and every song larry levan ever played at paradise garage... and i can't find it.

please send help!

 

[ButterTart]

What station were you listening to? Can you not get the playlist of the show online?

 

[ButterTart]

ChatGPT suggested this:

 

[the pleasure principal]

What station were you listening to? Can you not get the playlist of the show online?

it was at some beach bar in greece, not even in the same city anymore.
i really thought it would be an easy find. GUESS NOT!

 

[the pleasure principal]

ChatGPT suggested this:

i hadn't come across this one, good try, but alas no.

 

[funky]

I immediately thought of Colonel Abrams and Larry Levan.

The song doesn’t immediately ring a bell - the lyric hook sounds familiar but it’s such a simple hook I might be imagining it.

Have you tried Maze featuring Frankie Beverly?

I’ll have anither think.

 

[funky]

Also Robert Owens but he’s featured on thousands of songs so hopefully it’s not him, might take you a while to narrow down the track!

 

[SystemAddict]

Possibly too NICHE to be played in a Greek beach bar in 2025 but your description brings to mind this track from Technotronic’s American released third studio album:

 

[the pleasure principal]

yay, i found it! i searched robert owens live without you and from there i got a suggestion for norwood i can't live without you.



i guess it was some remix, but i'll track that down easier.

thank you funks and butts and systemadds! <3

 

[the pleasure principal]

sidebar: after buttertart's suggestion i asked grok and it returned a couple of tracks but it's wasn't them so i asked it to try again and it just spit out some completely made-up stuff:

"Nobody Else" by TKA (1988)

This is an italo-disco/Freestyle track with a heavy 80s club pulse—synth-driven beats, echoing vocals, and that signature "chunky" instrumental break (around 3:20 in the 12" mix, with pulsating bass and percussion that drops hard before the final chorus). The lead is male (Angel Quinones, with a smooth, slightly processed falsetto that could read as "trying to sound Black" in its soulful R&B inflection), layered with group harmonies. The chorus hooks into your lyrics almost perfectly:
I can't live without your love
Nobody else can make me feel this way
I can't live without your love
Baby, nobody else
It's got that throwback disco edge with italo synths, and the "nobody else" line is explicit and repeated for emphasis. Check the extended mix on YouTube or Spotify—the break has that very European club-coded thickness you described. If this nails it, great; if not, the "nobody else" phrasing might be from a remix or live cut.

Other Close Fits:

• **"I Can't Go On Without You" by Annie Lennox (1988, from *The Eurythmics' We Two Are One era)**: Wait, no—scratch that, female lead. Instead, pivot to "Without Your Love" by Roger (1989). Roger Troutman (Black male, Zapp frontman) delivers talk-box funk with a danceable post-disco groove and italo-adjacent synth washes. Chorus: "I just can't go on without your love / Can't make it without your love," with ad-libs leaning into exclusivity (echoing "nobody else" vibes in the bridge). The breakdown before the last chorus is chunky with vocoder layers and bass drops—pure 80s club throwback.
• "Your Love" by S.K.B. Movement (1987 italo-disco original): Straight-up italo with a male vocalist (soulful, raspy tone that fits your "Black or trying to sound it" note). It's obscure but has a driving disco beat and a massive synth break (~2:50) leading into the climax. Lyrics hover close: "Can't live without your love / No one else, baby, no one else," repeated in the chorus. Super niche, but the vibe is spot-on for underground 80s dance sets.
• "I Can't Live a Day Without You" by The S.O.S. Band (1986): R&B/disco crossover with male leads (black vocalists), funky bass, and a synth-heavy interlude that feels italo-coded in its build. Chorus: "I can't live a day without your love / Can't do without it," plus "nobody else but you" in the verses/bridge. The pre-final-chorus drop is percussive and thick, perfect for that throwback energy.

 

[disneyteletubby]

Not for the linked song, new one by Tanita Tikaram but regarding its instrumental outro:


This is more smooth and sophisticated, but I think there's a 2000s pop song that the accordion-type chords sound very similar to kind of haunting. It might've been in one of those X Factor TalkTalk ads, or just one of those songs that used to be everywhere but disappeared. Does anyone know what song I'm talking about?

 

[disneyteletubby]

Never mind, I realised what it was (plus 2011 is not from the 2000s) and I now relate to a particular comment on the official video

Spoiler

Earthquake by Labrinth ft. Tinie Tempah. ️

Spoiler: Videos

An interesting Traitors-worthy rendition (though Tinie's hooded costume in the music video makes sense)


This what I meant by the TalkTalk X Factor ad.



Ironic it was on there and the lyric about Simon turning them (contestants) Syco