THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

357-James Ingram and Michael McDonald- Yah Mo B There.

1985-Number 12 single.

Best Bit-At 4.12. In the 2005 American romantic film comedy ‘The 40 Year Old Virgin,’ the main character works in an electronic store, in which a Michael McDonald DVD has constantly been playing for two years. A salesman (played by Paul Rudd) has developed an intense hatred of the DVD and tells the manager,’Nothing against Michael McDonald but if I hear Ya Mo B There one more time, I’m gonna Yah Mo burn this place to the ground!’

The original version of ‘Yah Mo B There’ was a duet between James Ingram and Michael McDonald, and released as a single from James Ingram’s debut solo Album ‘It’s Your Night.’ The song reached Number 19 on Billboard in America, while in the UK it stalled at Number 44. In 1985 the song was remixed by John ‘Jellybean’ Benitez, and this time went to Number 12 in the UK.

James Edward Ingram was born on February 16th, 1952, in Los Angeles, California, United States, he did of brain cancer on January 29th, 2019, at the age of 66. In the UK all of his three top 40 hits were duets, his other two were ‘Baby Come to Me,’ with Patti Austin (Number 11) in 1982, and ‘Somewhere Out There,’ with Linda Ronstadt (Number

in 1986. On Billboard, eight of his singles have reached the top 40, including the 1990 Number 1 ‘I Don’t Have the Heart.’

Michael McDonald was born on February 12th, 1952, in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. In 1974 he spent a year as a member of the Steely Dan touring band, and has continued to work with them in the studio, and on the road intermittently down the years. But McDonald will always be best known as a member of The Doobie Brothers from 1975-1982, staying with them for five studio Albums, and nine Billboard top 40 singles, including his co-write of their Number 1 song ‘What a Fool Believes’ in 1979. McDonald has also had a very successful solo career since 1982, and has to date released 11 solo studio Albums.

‘Yah Mo B There’ was co-written by James Ingram, Michael McDonald, Rod Temperton, (1949-2016) (see also best songs 889 and 511) and the legendary Quincy Jones,(see also best songs 1022-889-812-703 and 191) the song was produced by Jones, and was released on his record label ‘Qwest,’ which was partly owned by Warner Brothers. The song is in reference to God, and the power faith can have over difficult times, ‘Yah’ being the shortened ‘Yahweh,’ the Hebrew name for God.

‘Heavenly Father watchin’ us fall, we take from each other, and give nothing at all. Well it’s a doggone shame, but never too late for change.’