| "Mama Used to Say" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Junior | ||||
| from the album Ji | ||||
| Released | 1981 | |||
| Recorded | 1981 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 6:40 (Album Version) 3:35 (American Remix) | |||
| Label | Mercury | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Junior Giscombe, Bob Carter [2] | |||
| Producer(s) | Bob Carter | |||
| Junior singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Mama Used to Say" is the debut single release by the British R&B recording artist Junior, taken from his debut studio album Ji.
"Mama Used to Say" was released in 1981 and reached the UK Singles Chart top 10 in June 1982, where it remained at #7 for two weeks. [3] It was also a Top 40 hit and in the United States, earning Junior a Best Newcomer award from Billboard magazine. [4] The song was ranked at #6 among the top 10 tracks of the year for 1981 by NME . [5]
| Chart (1982) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) [6] | 29 |
| Canada [7] | 48 |
| France (SNEP) | 56 |
| Ireland (IRMA) [8] | 15 |
| South Africa (Springbok Radio) [9] | 11 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) [10] | 49 |
| UK Singles (OCC) [11] | 7 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 [12] | 30 |
| U.S. Billboard Disco Top 80 [13] | 4 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Soul Singles [14] | 2 |
| "Mama Used to Say" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Beverley Knight | ||||
| from the album Soul UK | ||||
| Released | 27 June 2011 | |||
| Recorded | 2010 | |||
| Genre | R&B, soul | |||
| Length | 3:51(Album Version) 3:01 (Radio Version) | |||
| Label | Hurricane Records | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Junior Giscombe, Bob Carter | |||
| Producer(s) | Martin Terefe | |||
| Beverley Knight singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
British singer-songwriter Beverley Knight released "Mama Used to Say" on 27 June 2011 [15] as the first single release from her seventh studio album, Soul UK , a tribute to UK soul artists.
Knight said of the song, "I think this was everyone's favourite track at the time and is still played on every 'club classics' radio show in the country. It's still so fresh and just brings a smile whenever I sing it. It was an obvious choice for the album and a no-brainer for the choice of first single." [16]
The music video for "Mama Used to Say" premiered on Knight's YouTube page on 23 May 2011. The video features both performance and behind-the-scenes footage from her April 2011 album launch show at London's Porchester Hall, soundtracked to the album version of the song. [18] The video features cameos by Junior, Jaki Graham, Rod Temperton and Jazzie B. [19]
| Region | Date | Format |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 27 June 2011 [15] | Digital download |
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Ji is the debut studio album by English singer Junior, released in May 1982 by Mercury Records. The album was recorded with producer Bob Carter after the pair initiated their collaboration with the single "Mama Used to Say" (1981), which was remixed for Ji and became a transatlantic hit. A Britfunk record, the album mixes styles of soul and funk, with expansive synthesised production and a funk backing group. Giscombe and Carter's lyrics were based on realist stories. Music critics compared the singer's voice and melodic style to Stevie Wonder.
...a London kid catching the world's ear with the effervescent soul electro-zip of "Mama Used to Say
