Mr Loverman, a 1992 R&B/dancehall-flavoured song by Shabba Ranks, was on Friday, October 10, certified silver in the United Kingdom by the British Phonographic Industry.
The certification was issued after the song surpassed the sales and streaming equivalent of 200,000 units.
Mr Loverman was arguably the biggest hit of Shabba’s career on the international scene. But how did the song come about?
Veteran and respected music producer Augustus “Gussie” Clarke, in an interview with the Jamaica Observer on Friday, spoke candidly about the song’s origins in which he, along with Mikey Bennett and Hopeton Lindo, played a significant role.
“We were working with Greensleeves Records in the UK and we had a great relationship with the label. At the time they had a great UK artiste that they felt we could’ve done something with and so they sent her to Jamaica. That artiste was Deborahe Glasgow,” Clarke recalled.
He continued: “We were working on some projects and the song Champion Lover was written at my home. We recorded it and we felt it was a great song. Deborahe was a darling — still is — in my book, one of the best human beings ever; she was so affectionate.”
Champion Lover was released in 1988 on Clarke’s Anchor Records label and it earned significant airplay locally and within the British reggae scene.
“The song brought Deborahe back to the forefront in Europe and it opened doors for all of us, including Mikey and Hopeton,” Clarke disclosed.
A year later, in 1989, a new version of the song, featuring Shabba Ranks, and with the title Mr Loverman, was released.
“We called in Shabba to do a version called Mr Loverman and he came and added his vocals to her vocals and it took off,” said Clarke.
That version was featured on Shabba’s 1990 album Rappin with the Ladies. But then a newer version of the song, featuring the vocals of Chevelle Franklin and remixed by David Morales, came out in 1992.
Said Clarke: “Later on, Specialist (Clifton Dillon) dem do a re-recording and added Chevelle Franklyn’s vocals and put it out and it became the biggest song Shabba has ever done in his life. It was teamwork.”
Glasgow passed away after a brief illness a year earlier, which explained why her vocals were not included in the re-recorded version of the song.
“When I heard the remix I was glad that another great song went to another level. It did great things for the Jamaican culture and the Jamaican music industry,” said Clarke.
The remix version of Mr Loverman appeared on Shabba’s Rough & Ready Vol 1 album as well as the soundtrack to the film
Deep Cover, which starred Laurence Fishburne and Jeff Goldblum.
Mr Loverman rose to #40 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #2 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs chart. It also made the top 30 in France, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, and Austria.
In the United Kingdom the song initially peaked at #23 but a re-release in 1993 saw the song climbing to anew peak at #3.
Mr Loverman was included on German rock and pop music magazine Spex list of their Best Singles of the Century list in 1999. British pop culture magazine Q magazine featured it in their list of the 1001 Best Songs Ever in 2003.
