Having contributed to reshaping soul music of the mid 1960s and early 1970s via other recording artists (notably Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell, Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross, Chaka Khan, The 5th Dimension), Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson were a long established song-writing success before expanding on this as a recording duo in 1973. Following on from their surprisingly low-key Warner Bros. debut GIMME SOMETHING REAL, their sophomore release I WANNA BE SELFISH saw Ashford & Simpson reintegrating their trademark smooth, and joyous soul sound into the quieter moods of their debut.