"Mr. Loverman" is a song by Jamaican

dancehall Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially, dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s.Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2004) "The Rou ...

artist Shabba Ranks. It was written by Ranks, Mikey Bennett and Hopeton Lindon. The song was released in 1992 and 1993 as a single, reaching number 40 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and number three on the UK Singles Chart, as well as the top 20 in France, Germany and Ireland. '' Q Magazine'' ranked "Mr. Loverman" at number 866 in their list of the "1001 Best Songs Ever" in 2003.

Origin of song

The song first appeared as "Champion Lover" by Deborahe Glasgow. Ranks then versioned "Champion Lover" under the new title "Mr. Lover Man", with Deborahe Glasgow the featured female lead. This version appeared on his '' Rappin' with the Ladies'' album in 1988. Glasgow's illness and subsequent early death led to the song being re-recorded for release as a single, this time with

Chevelle Franklyn Chevelle Franklyn (born 4 March 1974) is a Jamaican reggae and gospel reggae singer. Early life and reggae career Born in the Tawes Pen area of Spanish Town in St. Catherine Parish, Franklyn was the fourth in a family of ten children. She was f ...

as the featured singer. The version featuring Chevelle Franklyn was originally released in 1992 with the David Morales remix promoted as the main version, when it charted in a modest position on the UK Singles Chart, but after being re-released in 1993, when

music was starting to enjoy mainstream popularity, the track rose to number three on the UK Singles Chart and remains his biggest hit single to date. This track also features the first time he used his trademark cry "Shabba!", using the sampled vocals of Maxi Priest from the track "Housecall" on Ranks' 1991 album '' As Raw As Ever''.

Critical reception

AllMusic editor Ron Wynn felt that the artist "kept the slack

", noting "his thick, patois-laced delivery" on the song, that "basically defined" the album.

Larry Flick Larry Flick is an American journalist, former dance music columnist, single reviewer, and Senior Talent Editor for ''Billboard'' magazine, where he worked for 14 years. Now he produces and hosts Sirius XM radio shows. Flick started in the music ...

from ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' wrote that "the Shabba Ranks success story will have yet another glowing chapter added once radio programmers get their hands on this deliciously sexy R&B/dancehall gem. A languid, shuffling groove is enhanced by easygoing toasting and sultry femme backing vocals. Yummmm." John Martinucci from the ''

Gavin Report The ''Gavin Report'' was a San Francisco-based radio industry trade publication. The publication was founded by radio performer Bill Gavin in 1958. Its Top 40 listings were used for many years by programmers to decide content of programs. The pu ...

'' stated that the song has hit written all over it". In his UK chart commentary,

James Masterton James Masterton (born 2 September 1973) is a music writer and columnist, his work focusing on the UK Singles Chart having been an online fixture on various sites since the 1990s. Masterton is also a producer for talkSPORT, and has worked on air ...

declared it "a strong contender for No. 1", and "a far cry from the days when he was merely the added novelty on

Scritti Politti Scritti Politti are a British band, originally formed in 1977 in Leeds, England, by Welsh singer-songwriter Green Gartside. He is the only member of the band to have remained throughout the group's history. Beginning as a punk-inspired collect ...

's version of the

Beatles The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developme ...

' " She's A Woman" which represented his first ever chart appearance in this country." A reviewer from ''

Music & Media ''Music & Media'' was a pan-European magazine for radio, music and entertainment. It was published for the first time in 1984 as ''Eurotipsheet'', but in 1986 it changed name to ''Music & Media''. It was originally based in Amsterdam, but later ...

'' commented that "the top man in the ranks of raggamuffin artists knows the tricks to break a relatively unknown musical genre. He keeps it simple and accessible with a very high sing-along factor."

James Hamilton James Hamilton may refer to: Dukes *James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Hamilton (1606–1649), heir to the throne of Scotland * James Hamilton, 4th Duke of Hamilton (1658–1712), Scottish nobleman * James Hamilton, 5th Duke of Hamilton (1703–1743), S ...

from '' Music Weeks ''RM'' Dance Update described the song as a "huskily ragga rapped swayer."

Music video

A music video was produced to promote the single, directed by American visual artist, filmmaker, and hip hop pioneer Fab 5 Freddy.

Track listings

* 7-inch single # "Mr. Loverman" (radio mix) — 3:36 # "Mr. Loverman" (twin city crew mix) — 4:05 * 12-inch maxi # "Mr. Loverman" (D.M. ragga hop mix) — 6:05 # "Mr. Loverman" (twin city crew mix) — 4:05 # "Mr. Loverman" (new world mix) — 4:22 # "Mr. Loverman" (raggamental mix) — 4:24 * CD maxi # "Mr. Loverman" (radio mix) — 3:36 # "Mr. Loverman" ( D.M. ragga hop mix) — 6:05 # "Mr. Loverman" (twin city crew mix) — 4:05 # "Mr. Loverman" (raggamental mix) — 4:24 # "Ca'an Dunn" — 5:23 # "The Jam" (back to the bridge) — 4:30 * CD maxi - Remixes # "Mr Loverman" (D.M. ragga hop mix) — 6:05 # "Mr Loverman" (radio mix) — 3:36 # "Mr Loverman" (twin city crew mix) — 4:05 # "Mr Loverman" (new world mix) — 4:22 # "Mr Loverman" (raggamental mix) — 4:24

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

In popular culture

The song was used briefly in an episode of '' The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air''. It was also featured in the soundtrack of 1992's motion-picture '' Deep Cover''. The song was parodied in an episode of '' In Living Color'' titled "Mr. Ugly Man", where it was performed by actor/comedian

Marlon Wayans Marlon Lamont Wayans (born July 23, 1972) is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer. Wayans began his career portraying a pedestrian in ''I'm Gonna Git You Sucka'' (1988). He went on to regularly collaborate with his brother Shawn Wa ...

. English football club Birmingham City used to sing this song about their striker

Peter Lovenkrands Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a ...

until his retirement in November 2014. The British TV show '' Total Wipeout'' used the song for a contestant named Shabba.

Samples and covers

The drum pattern was sampled by

Alanis Morissette Alanis Nadine Morissette ( ; born June 1, 1974) is a Canadian-American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her emotive mezzo-soprano voice and confessional songwriting, Morissette began her career in Canada in the early 1990s with tw ...

on " You Learn" from her multiplatinum album '' Jagged Little Pill'' (1995).

References

{{authority control 1992 singles 1993 singles Shabba Ranks songs 1991 songs Epic Records singles Reggae fusion songs