Cry for You (Jodeci song)

Last updated
"Cry for You"
JodeciCryforYouSingle.jpg
Single by Jodeci
from the album Diary of a Mad Band
ReleasedNovember 23, 1993
Recorded1993
Genre
Length5:01
Label Uptown/MCA
Songwriter(s) Donald DeGrate, Jr.
Producer(s) DeVante Swing
Jodeci singles chronology
"Lately"
(1993)
"Cry for You"
(1993)
"Feenin'"
(1994)
Music video
"Cry for You" on YouTube

"Cry for You" is a song by American R&B group Jodeci recorded for their second album, Diary of a Mad Band (1993). The song was released as the album's lead single in November 1993 by Uptown/MCA. It peaked at numbers fifteen and nineteen on the US Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box Top 100. The song also spent four weeks at number one on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop songs chart (the last of five Jodeci songs to hit number one on that chart), and number one on the Billboard Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop airplay chart. It was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America for sales in excess of 500,000 units.

Contents

Critical reception

Alan Jones from Music Week gave the song three out of five, writing, "An excellent dead slow, soul drenched ballad in much the same style as that purveyed by Boyz II Men. So slow, even in remixes, that club support is minimal, but specialist radio will love it." [1] John Mulvey from NME commented, "So Jodeci come all over all sultry and lonesome, look like rejects from the Dogg Pound and sound about as mean as Luther Vandross." [2]

Track listings

  1. "Cry for You" (Extended Version) - 4:58
  2. "Cry for You" (Radio Version) - 4:27
  3. "Cry for You" (Instrumental) - 4:27
  4. "Cry for You" (Acapella) - 4:58
  1. "Cry for You" (Radio Version) - 4:27
  2. "Cry for You" (Extended Version) - 4:27
  3. "Cry for You" (Acapella) - 4:28

Personnel

Information taken from Discogs. [3]

Charts

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [11] Gold500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Cover and sample versions

The song was later sampled by hip hop artist Bun B for his 2008 single "You're Everything." [12]

The song was covered by J Valentine, Tank, Bobby Cash, & T. Nelson under the title "Cry 4 U". The song is available on the J Valentine mixtape "Love & Other Drugs".

The Isley Brothers interpolated the song on the cover version of the track "Warm Summer Night" from the 2001 album, Eternal .

Drake mentions the song in the chorus of his 2016 single, "Controlla".

Gerald Levert re-sung the song on the track "Hang in There" from his 2007 posthumous album, In My Songs .

Diddy references the song and the group on his 2010 single Hello Good Morning with the line "Your baby momma cry for me like Jodeci".

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jodeci</span> American R&B Band

Jodeci is an American R&B quartet consisting of members DeVanté Swing, Mr. Dalvin, K-Ci, and JoJo. Formed in 1988 in Charlotte, North Carolina, Jodeci began as a duo of DeVanté Swing and JoJo but later each added their brothers. After signing with Uptown Records in 1990, the group finished work on their debut album, Forever My Lady (1991), which brought them mainstream success with three straight Billboard R&B No. 1 hit singles: the album's titular track, "Stay" and "Come and Talk to Me".

<i>Forever My Lady</i> 1991 studio album by Jodeci

Forever My Lady is the debut studio album by American R&B quartet Jodeci, released May 28, 1991, by Uptown Records and MCA Records.

<i>Diary of a Mad Band</i> 1993 studio album by Jodeci

Diary of a Mad Band is the second studio album from American R&B group Jodeci, released December 21, 1993, on Uptown Records and distributed through MCA Records. The album also featured the first-ever album appearances from Timbaland & Magoo, S.B.I, Missy Elliott and Sista, two years before the latter group became known in the music industry. New Jersey rapper Redman also makes a guest appearance on the album. It was Jodeci's second album to reach number one on the R&B album chart, where it stayed for two weeks. It spawned the number 1 R&B hit "Cry for You"; the number 2 R&B hit "Feenin'", and the Top 15 R&B hit "What About Us". Despite not being released as a single, the album's opening track, "My Heart Belongs To U", was also an urban radio hit with it peaking at #55 & charting for 20 weeks on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart. To date, the album has sold over four million copies in the United States and six million worldwide.

K-Ci & JoJo is an American R&B duo, consisting of brothers Cedric "K-Ci" Hailey and Joel "JoJo" Hailey. Natives of Charlotte, North Carolina, they are also the lead singers of the chart-topping R&B group Jodeci with the DeGrate brothers—Donald and Mr. Dalvin. They are known for the 1998 smash hit "All My Life" which was the No.1 song on the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks and received multiple Grammy nominations. They were also featured artists on another No.1 Billboard Hot 100 hit single, 2Pac’s 1996 song "How Do U Want It", which also received a Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group Grammy nomination in 1997. K-Ci & JoJo also achieved mainstream success with the 1999 hit "Tell Me It's Real", which peaked at No.2 on the Billboard Hot 100. Their 2001 song "Crazy" was included on the Save the Last Dance soundtrack and peaked at No.11 on the Billboard Hot 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Can U Get wit It</span> 1994 single by Usher

"Can U Get wit It" is the first single from American recording artist Usher's self-titled debut album, Usher (1994). Written and produced by DeVante Swing of Jodeci, the single peaked at number 59 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 87 on the UK Singles Chart.

"Forever My Lady" is a song by American R&B group Jodeci from their debut album of the same name (1991). The song was the second single released in promotion for the album in August 1991. "Forever My Lady" was the first of five number one R&B hits for the group, spending two weeks at number one on the US R&B chart and also peaked at number 25 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was written and produced by member DeVante Swing and singer/producer Al B. Sure!. The song was dedicated to Al B. Sure!'s then girlfriend Kim Porter, as well as their newborn son Quincy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lately (Stevie Wonder song)</span> 1981 single by Stevie Wonder

"Lately" is a song by American singer, songwriter and musician Stevie Wonder, recorded for his nineteenth studio album, Hotter than July (1980). The song was released in 1981 by Tamla, reaching number three on the UK Singles Chart and number 64 on the US Billboard Hot 100. It was later covered by American R&B group Jodeci and released as a promotional single for the live album Uptown MTV Unplugged in June 1993, which reached number one on the Billboard R&B chart and the top-5 on the Billboard Hot 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Come and Talk to Me</span> 1992 single by Jodeci

"Come and Talk to Me" is a song by American R&B group Jodeci from their debut album Forever My Lady (1991). The song was the fourth single released in promotion for the album in March 1992. As the third number one R&B hit for Jodeci, "Come and Talk to Me" spent number 1 on the R&B chart for two weeks and peaked at 11 on the Hot 100. The song also topped the R&B year-end chart for 1992.

"Stay" is a song by American group Jodeci from their debut album Forever My Lady (1991). The song was the third single released in promotion for the album in December 1991. "Stay" was the group's second number one R&B hit, spending two weeks at number-one on the US R&B chart and peaked at number forty-one on the Billboard Hot 100.

<i>Love Always</i> 1997 studio album by K-Ci & JoJo

Love Always is the debut album of American R&B duo K-Ci & JoJo, released on June 17, 1997, by MCA Records. It was recorded at various studios in New York and the Los Angeles area in 1996 and 1997. It was produced by JoJo and several others, including DeVante Swing, Jon-John Robinson, James Mtume, and Jeff Redd. The duo were originally a part of Jodeci before this album.

The discography of Jodeci, an American R&B group, consists of four studio albums, three compilation albums, thirteen singles, and thirteen music videos. The group was signed by Uptown Records after submitting a demo tape during a trip to New York. In 1991, they released their debut album, Forever My Lady, which peaked at number eighteen on the Billboard 200, and topped the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart in the United States. On April 28, 1995, the album was certified triple-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The album produced five singles, three of which topped the US R&B/Hip-Hop Songs: "Forever My Lady", "Stay", and "Come and Talk to Me". The last of these was certified gold by the RIAA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Feenin'</span> 1994 single by Jodeci

"Feenin'" is a song by American R&B group Jodeci, recorded for their second album, Diary of a Mad Band (1993). It was released as the second single from the album in March 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gotta Love</span> 1991 single by Jodeci

"Gotta Love" is the debut single by American R&B group Jodeci. It is from their debut album Forever My Lady. The song was released on February 24, 1991. The music video uses the "New R&B Edit" version of the song instead of the album version.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'm Still Waiting (Jodeci song)</span> 1992 single by Jodeci

"I'm Still Waiting" is a song by American R&B group Jodeci from their debut album Forever My Lady (1991). The song was the fifth and last single released in promotion for the album in August 1992. The "Swing Hip Hop Mix" version is the version of the song used in the music video instead of the album version.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Let's Go Through the Motions</span> 1993 single by Jodeci

"Let's Go Through the Motions" is a song written and produced by DeVante Swing and performed by American R&B group Jodeci. It was released on April 6, 1993 through Uptown/MCA Records as the lead single off the original motion picture soundtrack of Ted Demme's film Who's the Man?

"What About Us" is a song by American R&B group Jodeci recorded for their second album Diary of a Mad Band (1993). The song was released as the third and final single for the album in August 1994.

"Freek'n You" is a song by American R&B group Jodeci recorded for their third album, The Show, the After Party, the Hotel (1995). The song, released as the album's first single, peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1995. Listed by Billboard magazine as one of the best selling singles of 1995, it was certified gold by the RIAA for sales in excess of 600,000 units.

"Love U 4 Life" is a song by American R&B group Jodeci recorded for their third album, The Show, the After Party, the Hotel (1995). The song was released as the second single for the album on Halloween 1995, and peaked at number 31 on the Billboard Hot 100.

"Get on Up" is a song by American R&B group Jodeci recorded for their third album, The Show, the After Party, the Hotel (1995). The song was released as the third and final single for the album in 1996. "Get on Up" contains the sample of the 1981 song from Quincy Jones featuring Toots Thielemans' "Velas". Produced by Mr. Dalvin and written by Mr. Dalvin and K-Ci & JoJo, it is the only Jodeci single to date that was not produced or written by group leader DeVante Swing. It was also the last Jodeci single released in 18 years before the group returned in 2014 with the single "Nobody Wins". The group performed the song when they guest starred in a season one episode of the UPN sitcom Moesha.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lisa Baby</span> 1991 single by Father MC featuring Jodeci

"Lisa Baby" is a song by American hip hop artist Father MC, recorded for his debut album Father's Day. The single version of the song, which features R&B group Jodeci, was released in January 1991.

References

  1. Jones, Alan (December 4, 1993). "Market Preview: Mainstream - Singles" (PDF). Music Week . p. 12. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  2. Mulvey, John (January 21, 1995). "Singles". NME . p. 41. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
  3. "Jodeci - Cry For You (CD, Promo) at Discogs". Discogs . Retrieved April 17, 2010.
  4. "Dance Singles" (PDF). Music Week . December 11, 1993. p. 22. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
  5. "Jodeci Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  6. "Jodeci Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard.
  7. "Jodeci Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard.
  8. "Top 100 Pop Singles" (PDF). Cash Box . Vol. LVII, no. 17. December 18, 1993. p. 10. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  9. "Billboard Top 100 - 1994". Archived from the original on March 1, 2009. Retrieved August 27, 2010.
  10. "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 1994". Billboard. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
  11. "American single certifications – Jodeci – Cry for You". Recording Industry Association of America. January 26, 1994. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
  12. "Bun B Set Track List For Return To 'Trill'". Billboard.com . Retrieved April 17, 2010.