Songoftheday 9/7/20 - Well I tried to tell you so but I guess you didn't know, as I said the story goes baby now I got the flow...
"Return Of The Mack" - Mark Morrison
from the album Return Of The Mack (1996 UK/1997 US)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #2 (one week)
Weeks in the Top-40: 33
Today's song of the day comes from British R&B singer Mark Morrison, who grew up in London, with a small stint in the U.S. before returning to the UK. In 1995, Mark released his first major-label single "Crazy", which went to #19 on the British singles chart. A second single, "Let's Get Down", scored a second British top-40 hit at #39. But it was the third release, coinciding with the release of his debut album of the same name that would give Morrison his biggest success. "Return Of The Mack", a slick bit of R&B written by Morrison, who produced the track with Cutfather & Joe, took the best of the soul scene in his country and adapted it to be relatable to audiences around the world, and they reacted quite positively. He was able to make the coolest song about being hurt by an unfaithful lover that I know of...
"Return Of The Mack" climbed all the way to the runner-up position on the American pop chart in June of 1997. The song also made it to #4 on Billboard magazine's R&B chart as well. Internationally, the single topped the British chart for two weeks, and reached the top ten in Australia (#2), Ireland (#2), Sweden (#2), New Zealand (#3), Norway (#4), Germany (#5), Denmark (#5), the Netherlands (#6), Austria (#7), Belgium (#7W/#12F), and Switzerland (#7). It also peaked at #12 in France, #14 in Iceland, and #17 in Canada. The Return Of The Mack album climbed to #76 in the U.S. Billboard 200 sales chart, while going as high as #30 on the R&B Albums list, while in his home of Britain it crested at #4.
The next single would be a revamp of "Crazy", which this time got to #6 in the UK, #18 in Australia, and #22 in New Zealand; however in the States the track stiffed, missing the Hot 100 pop chart (bubbling under at #102), while popping on the R&B chart at #67. While "Return Of The Mack" was waiting for its success in the States, Morrison scored two more top ten hits in England with "Trippin'" (#8) and "Horny" (#5). "Moan and Groan", which made it to #7 in the UK, was sent out as the third single in America, where it became his second and final Hot 100 hit at #76, and #50 on the R&B list.
Apart from a single, "Who's The Mack", got to #13 in the UK, Morrison was more known for his legal troubles at the time which sidelined any promotion in the US while "Return Of The Mack" was hitting big. By the time he returned later in 1997 with his second album Only God Can Judge Me, which was passed over in the States while only getting to #50 in Britain with no other singles released.
After a two year break, Morrison re-emerged with his third effort, Innocent Man, in 2006, seven years after the lead single from the set, "Best Friend" with Gabrielle and Connor Reeves, was put out and was his most recent top-40 UK hit at #23. The title track from the set, featuring rapper DMX, was his last chart hit there so far at #46 in 2006. The most recent music he's released was an EP, I Am What I Am, in 2014.
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Next up, at the BRIT AWARDS in 1997...
In 2011, American hip-hop artist Mann released an interpolation of "Return Of The Mack" as "The Mack", which featured Snoop Dogg and singer Iyaz. The result hit the top-40 in the UK (#28) and Belgium (#25F/#38W)...
Five years later, Swedish DJ/producer Nevada took samples from the original "Return Of The Mack" record and added verses from rapper Fetty Wap for his own "The Mack", which reached the top-10 in Belgium (#5F/#22W), New Zealand (#7), and Australia (#9), and got to #14 in the UK, while scaling to #4 on Billboard's American Dance Club Play chart...
and finally, here's Mark being interviewed for a TV show TFI Friday and performing the song...
Up tomorrow: DC rapper is a bit hoarse.
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