Back Here Explained

Back Here
Cover:BBMak - Back Here (Original UK Single Cover).jpg
Alt:BBMak - Back Here.jpg
Type:single
Artist:BBMak
Album:Sooner or Later
B-Side:Miss You More
Studio:Hollywood (Hollywood, California)
Length:3:39
Label:
Producer:
Next Title:Still on Your Side
Next Year:2000

"Back Here" is the debut single by English pop rock band BBMak. It was written by the three members of the group (Christian Burns, Mark Barry, and Stephen McNally) along with songwriter Phil Thornalley. It was originally released in August 1999 as the lead single from their debut studio album, Sooner or Later (2000), but did not experience commercial success until its American release the following year, when it became a top-20 hit in the United States. The song was then re-released in the United Kingdom and entered the top five of the UK Singles Chart in February 2001. Rolling Stone ranked it as the 63rd-greatest boy band song of all time.[1]

Content

Stephen McNally told Billboard that the song was deceiving due to its uptempo guitar part and the song sounding happy. He went on to say that it was about a "guy and a girl getting together, then the girl leaves the guy and now he can't live without her."[2] Of the song's background, Christian Burns said "['Back Here'] came together really quickly. We were having coffee with Phil [Thornalley] at his flat, and we were just messing around with chords; we wrote the whole song in about 45 minutes'".[3] Burns added, “I remember when we heard that guitar intro for the first time. We flew over to Hollywood to go and work on the record in the Hills with [producers] John Shanks and Oliver Leiber, walked into the studio and the intro was on loop. We all looked at each other and knew something magical was cooking here".[4]

Release

Originally released in the United Kingdom on 16 August 1999, it reached number 37 on the UK Singles Chart that same month.[5] Japanese radio stations eventually began playing the song which resulted in their overseas label Telstar scrambling to get the group to Asia for promotion.[2] The song subsequently topped the charts of several Asian countries.[6]

In the United States, "Back Here" was released on 27 March 2000 and eventually reached number 13 on the US Billboard Hot 100. It became a mainstay on pop radio and on the MTV show Total Request Live in the summer of 2000.[4] The song also charted in Canada, peaking at number 11 on the RPM Top Singles chart. On 12 February 2001, following the song's success in America, the single was re-released in the United Kingdom[7] [8] and made the top 10 this time around, debuting and peaking at number five.

Music videos

There are two versions of the video. The first, made for a UK release, was filmed in Los Angeles and directed by Dani Jacobs.[9] The second version, intended for a US release, was again directed by Jacobs and was filmed in London in March 2000.[6] [10] It features the band performing on the platform of Canary Wharf DLR station and in the London Eye as they try to earn the attention of a girl who passes by and gives them a tip near the end of the video.[11]

Track listings

UK CD1 (1999)[12]

  1. "Back Here"
  2. "Back Here" (extended version)
  3. "Back Here" (video)

UK CD2 (1999)[13]

  1. "Back Here"
  2. "Miss You More"
  3. "More Than Words"

Japanese CD single (1999)[14]

  1. "Back Here"
  2. "Back Here" (extended version)
  3. "Miss You More"

Australian CD single (2000)[15]

  1. "Back Here"
  2. "Back Here" (extended version)
  3. "Miss You More"
  4. "Back Here" (video)

US CD single (2000)[16]

  1. "Back Here" – 3:38
  2. "Miss You More" – 5:08
  3. "I'm Not in Love" / "Next Time" / "I Can Tell" – 2:46

US cassette single (2000)[17]

A1. "Back Here" – 3:38

A2. "I'm Not in Love" / "Next Time" / "I Can Tell" – 2:46

B1. "Miss You More" – 5:06

European CD single (2001)[18]

  1. "Back Here 2001" – 3:41
  2. "Back Here" (acoustic version) – 3:39

UK and Australian CD single (2001)[19] [20]

  1. "Back Here 2001"
  2. "Back Here" (acoustic version)
  3. "More Than Words"
  4. Enhanced CD-ROM

UK cassette single (2001)[21]

  1. "Back Here 2001"
  2. "Back Here" (acoustic version)
  3. "More Than Words"

Credits and personnel

Credits are adapted from the UK CD1 liner notes.[12]

Locations

BBMak

Additional musicians

Other personnel

Charts

Year-end charts

Chart (2000)Position
US Billboard Hot 100[23] 33
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[24] 21
US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[25] 34
US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[26] 24
Chart (2001)Position
Canada Radio (Nielsen BDS)[27] 77
UK Singles (OCC)[28] 110
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[29] 12

Release history

RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)
United Kingdom16 August 19992× CDTelstar
Japan20 November 1999CDVictor[30]
United States27 March 2000Hollywood[31]
28 March 2000Contemporary hit radio[32]
11 April 2000
United Kingdom (reissue)12 February 2001Telstar

External links

Notes and References

  1. 75 Greatest Boy Band Songs of All Time. Rolling Stone. 24 July 2020. 21 August 2021.
  2. 'Sea of Screams' Greets U.K.'s BBMak as Hit 'Back Here' Catches Fire in U.S.. Taylor. Chuck. Billboard. 112. 28. 76. 8 July 2000. 19 April 2021.
  3. Web site: BBMak Separate The Men From The Boy Bands. https://web.archive.org/web/20170918022411/http://www.mtv.com/news/1121825/bbmak-separate-the-men-from-the-boy-bands/. dead. 18 September 2017. Woodlief. Mark. MTV News. 7 July 2000.
  4. Where Are They Now? Catching Up With 2000 Stars BBMak, Baha Men, Evan & Jaron, Nine Days & 2Gether. Daw. Robbie. Billboard. 27 March 2020. 24 August 2021.
  5. News. Music Week. 3. 7 August 1999. 9 August 2021.
  6. For Hollywood, BBMak's More Than Boy Band. Taylor. Chuck. Chuck Taylor (music journalist). Billboard. 112. 17. 14, 18. 22 April 2000. 6 October 2020.
  7. Airborne. Stavenes Dove. Siri. Music & Media. 18. 11. 10. 10 March 2001. 20 September 2020.
  8. New Releases – For Week Starting February 12, 2001: Singles. Music Week. 25. 10 February 2001. 9 August 2021.
  9. Jacobs, Dani (director). 24 October 2018. BBMak - Back Here (Official Video). Music video. Phoenix Music International. YouTube.
  10. Web site: bbmak > Music Videos > Back Here. MTV Networks. 29 October 2008. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20090116041141/http://www.mtv.com/videos/bbmak/294377/back-here.jhtml. 16 January 2009. 29 October 2008.
  11. Jacobs, Dani (director). 25 September 2020. BBMak - Back Here (London Version). Music video. Phoenix Music International. YouTube.
  12. Back Here. BBMak. 1999. UK CD1 single liner notes. Telstar Records. CDSTAS3053.
  13. Back Here. BBMak. 1999. UK CD2 single liner notes. Telstar Records. CXSTAS3053.
  14. Back Here. BBMak. 1999. Japanese CD single liner notes. Victor. VICP-35038.
  15. Back Here. BBMak. 2000. Australian CD single liner notes. Telstar Records, Shock Records, Velocity Records. ADICT098CD.
  16. Back Here. BBMak. 2000. US CD single liner notes. Hollywood Records. HR-64040-2.
  17. Back Here. BBMak. 2000. US cassette single sleeve. Hollywood Records. HR-64040-4.
  18. Back Here. BBMak. 2001. European CD single liner notes. Telstar Records. 0125966 TST.
  19. Back Here. BBMak. 2001. UK CD single liner notes. Telstar Records. CDSTAS3166.
  20. Back Here. BBMak. 2001. Australian CD single liner notes. Telstar Records, Addiction Records, Velocity Records. ADICT098CDX.
  21. Back Here. BBMak. 2001. UK cassette single sleeve. Telstar Records. CASTAS3166.
  22. Eurochart Hot 100 Singles. Music & Media. 18. 10. 11. 3 March 2001. 22 June 2020.
  23. Web site: Billboard Top 100 – 2000. Billboardtop100of.com. 20 September 2020.
  24. The Year in Music 2000: Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks. Billboard. 112. 53. YE-98. 30 December 2000. 16 December 2023.
  25. Most Played Adult Top 40 Songs of 2000. Airplay Monitor. 8. 51. 48. 22 December 2000.
  26. Most Played Mainstream Top 40 Songs of 2000. Airplay Monitor. 8. 51. 54. 22 December 2000.
  27. Web site: BDS CHART : Top 100 of 2001. Jam!. https://web.archive.org/web/20020726115818/http://jamshowbiz.com/JamMusicCharts/100page2_2001.html. 26 July 2002. 26 March 2022.
  28. Web site: The Official UK Singles Chart 2001. UKChartsPlus. 24 May 2018.
  29. The Year in Music 2001: Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks. Billboard. 113. 52. YE-81. 29 December 2001. 16 December 2023.
  30. Web site: バック・ヒア BBマック. Back Here BBMak. Oricon. ja. 9 October 2023.
  31. BBMak: Back Here. Radio & Records. 1343. 1. 24 March 2000. 24 May 2021.
  32. Impact Dates. Gavin Report. 2297. 8, 20. 24 March 2000.