Jimmy Mack

"Jimmy Mack" is a 1967 (see 1967 in music) pop/soul single recorded by Martha and the Vandellas for Motown Records' Gordy imprint. Written and produced by Motown's main creative team, Holland-Dozier-Holland, "Jimmy Mack" was the final Top 10 hit for the Vandellas in the United States, peaking at number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1967 and at number-one on the Billboard R&B Singles chart.

1 History
2 Credits
3 Trivia
4 Sample
5 Notes
6 See also

[edit] History

The song, with lead vocal by Vandellas' lead singer Martha Reeves, is narrated by a woman who longs for her boyfriend, named "Jimmy Mack", to return to her. The narrator is being courted by another suitor, whom she notes "talks just as sweet as" her long-gone Jimmy, and hopes for him to return before her resistance is worn down.

"Jimmy Mack" was originally recorded in 1964, but was shelved because the Motown Quality Control team felt the recording was not suitable for release with the Vietnam War going on. Like Smokey Robinson & the Miracles' later hit, "The Tears of a Clown", "Jimmy Mack" was pulled from the vault two years later and released as a single in early 1967. By that time, the Vietnam War had become a highly debated issue among the American public. Thus, Reeves' sentiment that her "Jimmy Mack" return took on a different meaning for many listeners, particularly those stationed overseas.^[1]

"Jimmy Mack" was a success, peaking at number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 and becoming the second and final Vandellas single to top the Billboard R&B chart. The song had been included on the Vandellas' LP Watchout!, issued a month before the single release. For nearly forty years, "Jimmy Mack" was presented in either monaural sound or in a mix culled from an alternate take. A true stereo mix of the original single master was not done until 2006, for the compilation Martha & the Vandellas: Gold.

Sheena Easton's cover version of "Jimmy Mack" reached #65 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1986.

[edit] Credits

Lead vocals by Martha Reeves
Background vocals by Rosalind Ashford and Betty Kelley
Additional (harmony) background vocals by The Andantes: Marlene Barrow, Jackie Hicks and Louvain Demps
Instrumentation by The Funk Brothers

[edit] Trivia

British comedy duo Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders used the song in their television programme in a sketch which parodied British girl group Bananarama. Lananeeneenoonoo (the name of the fictitious group in the sketch which featured Kathy Burke as the third member) were shown recording a cover version of and making a video for "Jimmy Mack" in the style of Bananarama, who had previously covered the Motown songs "He Was Really Sayin' Somethin'" and "Nathan Jones".

[edit] Sample

"Jimmy Mack"

from the album Watchout!

Problems listening to the file? See media help.

[edit] Notes

^ Mariscal, Jorge (Mar. 22, 2003). "Johnny Mack, When Are You Coming Back?" . Counter Punch. Retrieved from http://www.counterpunch.org/mariscal03222003.html on July 30, 2006.