Just for You (M People song)
Encyclopedia
Just for You is the fifteenth overall single from British band M People
. It is the lead single single from their fourth album Fresco
(1997). Written by Mike Pickering
, Paul Heard and Heather Small
. Produced by M People
. It was released on 22 September 1997. The song peaked at number eight on the UK Singles Chart
.
"Just for You" is a love song with Heather singing about the exultations of love and the lengths that she would go to always be there; to support, to sacrifice and to guide singing the insistent refrain at the end of every line of the verses: "Just for You".
Radio stations all over the country were quick to play the single and it received the Highest New Entry to the chart in its first week. This was due to enormous support from nationwide stations: Capital Radio Group, BBC Radio 2
, Atlantic 252
and The Galaxy Network
, to name but a few. It entered the Airplay chart straight in at number 38, the highest ever new entry for any M People
single.
The single made a rapid chart trajectory as more or less every pop and chart music station in the country added the single to their playlist. And the remixes, particularly the Frankie Knuckles
mix were being heavily rotated on Dance Stations. In the second week, the single climbed to 29, moving to 15 to 11 and swiftly to number 4 the week before release. This then made "Just for You" the highest charting M People
single before physical release. In the actual week of release, the single climbed to number 1, with in excess of 100,000 plays in one week on UK radio equalling the airplay success of their biggest selling single "Moving on Up
". This was then surpassed in its second sales week after another Top 10 sales chart placing with over 150,000 plays, making "Just for You" the most successful airplay single for the band.
Radio support for the song continued despite its number 8 sales chart peak to remain atop the airplay chart for one more week with 90,000 plays far outplaying the number two single: Dario G
’s Sunchyme
and Will Smith
’s Men in Black
at number 3. It stayed in the Top ten for a further five weeks not leaving the Top 75 until the beginning of December after a total of 15 weeks on the chart.
The single became their 15th consecutive Top 40 Airplay hit and their 10th consecutive Top 10 Airplay Hit, it also became their fifth Airplay number 1.
on 25 September.
The band themselves first performed the song live on Chris Evans’s Channel 4 show TFI Friday
on Friday 19th September and GMTV
on the day of release. They also made their fourteenth promotional appearance on Top of the Pops
on Friday 26th September and the video was played in full on The Chart Show
the next day.
While the band and orchestra play along to the music various creatures are also present: frogs sit on various instruments, crickets climb the face of the flutist, butterflies perch on the violins and worms move through the mixing desk controls adding to the organic nature of the song.
Heather is the focus of the video and her eye contact is very much enhanced by her unwavering gaze as she sings and repositions herself on the couch. The cameras, camera men, microphone booms and lighting are all also seen as the video progresses as well as sound monitors and tape recorders are all working away.
, a remix by Manchester boys Rae & Christian
, London’s own premiere Producers C-Swing and Bristol’s DJ’s and Producers: Way Out West (musicians). Also included on the single are the radio edit and album versions.
They never perform the album version of the song with the longer second verse, but they do extend the song by creating a "false" ending after what sounds like of the final chorus, only to launch back into the song with an exhilarating and soaring 60 second proclamation as the backing vocalists chant: "Highest mountain, reach the top. Highest mountain, never stop",
and Heather belting out "People keep climbing!!"
Finally, Heather launches into a call and response:
Heather - "I wanna take you..."
Audience/backing vocalists - "...Higher!"
CSS
12" Maxi
CD Maxi
M People
M People are a British house music act from Manchester, who formed in 1990 and achieved success throughout most of the 1990s. The name M People is from the initials of Mike Pickering, who formed the group.-Career:...
. It is the lead single single from their fourth album Fresco
Fresco
Fresco is any of several related mural painting types, executed on plaster on walls or ceilings. The word fresco comes from the Greek word affresca which derives from the Latin word for "fresh". Frescoes first developed in the ancient world and continued to be popular through the Renaissance...
(1997). Written by Mike Pickering
Mike Pickering
Michael "Duncan" Pickering has DJed at The Haçienda's infamous "Nude" and "Hot" nights and later "Shine". He worked for Factory Records where he signed Happy Mondays, To Hell With Burgundy and James amongst others...
, Paul Heard and Heather Small
Heather Small
Heather Small is a British soul singer, best known for being the lead singer in the Manchester based band M People. Her debut solo album was Proud in 2000...
. Produced by M People
M People
M People are a British house music act from Manchester, who formed in 1990 and achieved success throughout most of the 1990s. The name M People is from the initials of Mike Pickering, who formed the group.-Career:...
. It was released on 22 September 1997. The song peaked at number eight on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
.
Composition
The intro to the song is led by an orchestral string movement, soon combined with a slow strummy guitar and Heather’s vocals."Just for You" is a love song with Heather singing about the exultations of love and the lengths that she would go to always be there; to support, to sacrifice and to guide singing the insistent refrain at the end of every line of the verses: "Just for You".
Airplay
The single was serviced to radio some weeks before the release date on Monday 11th August 1997.Radio stations all over the country were quick to play the single and it received the Highest New Entry to the chart in its first week. This was due to enormous support from nationwide stations: Capital Radio Group, BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
, Atlantic 252
Atlantic 252
Atlantic 252 was a long wave radio station broadcasting to Ireland and the United Kingdom on 252 kHz from its 1988 purpose built transmission site Clarkstown radio transmitter, which provided service to Atlantic 252 from 1989 until 2002. The station's studios were located just 12 km away in...
and The Galaxy Network
The Galaxy Network
The Galaxy Network was a radio station brand owned by Global Radio and broadcast across the British Isles on FM in regional areas of England and Scotland, through the digital platform with Sky and DAB and online respectively. The Galaxy Network included stations: Galaxy Birmingham, Galaxy...
, to name but a few. It entered the Airplay chart straight in at number 38, the highest ever new entry for any M People
M People
M People are a British house music act from Manchester, who formed in 1990 and achieved success throughout most of the 1990s. The name M People is from the initials of Mike Pickering, who formed the group.-Career:...
single.
The single made a rapid chart trajectory as more or less every pop and chart music station in the country added the single to their playlist. And the remixes, particularly the Frankie Knuckles
Frankie Knuckles
Frankie Knuckles is an American DJ, record producer and remix artist. He played an important role in developing house music as a Chicago DJ in the 1980s and he helped to popularize house music in the 1990s, with his work as a producer and remixer...
mix were being heavily rotated on Dance Stations. In the second week, the single climbed to 29, moving to 15 to 11 and swiftly to number 4 the week before release. This then made "Just for You" the highest charting M People
M People
M People are a British house music act from Manchester, who formed in 1990 and achieved success throughout most of the 1990s. The name M People is from the initials of Mike Pickering, who formed the group.-Career:...
single before physical release. In the actual week of release, the single climbed to number 1, with in excess of 100,000 plays in one week on UK radio equalling the airplay success of their biggest selling single "Moving on Up
Moving on Up
Moving on Up is the seventh overall single from British band M People and the second single from their second album Elegant Slumming . Written by Mike Pickering and Paul Heard. Produced by M People. It was released on 13 September 1993...
". This was then surpassed in its second sales week after another Top 10 sales chart placing with over 150,000 plays, making "Just for You" the most successful airplay single for the band.
Radio support for the song continued despite its number 8 sales chart peak to remain atop the airplay chart for one more week with 90,000 plays far outplaying the number two single: Dario G
Dario G
Dario G is the name of a dance music trio from Crewe, Cheshire, England. Despite popular belief the group are not named after the manager of Crewe Alexandra, Dario Gradi but changed their name from Dario to Dario G after being threatened with legal action from an artist of the same name...
’s Sunchyme
Sunchyme
Sunchyme is a song by Dario G. It samples the track Life In A Northern Town by The Dream Academy.The track was released in 1997 and reached the number one or number two position in many European music charts...
and Will Smith
Will Smith
Willard Christopher "Will" Smith, Jr. , also known by his stage name The Fresh Prince, is an American actor, producer, and rapper. He has enjoyed success in television, film and music. In April 2007, Newsweek called him the most powerful actor in Hollywood...
’s Men in Black
Men in Black
Men in Black , in American popular culture and in UFO conspiracy theories, are men dressed in black suits who claim to be government agents who harass or threaten UFO witnesses to keep them quiet about what they have seen. It is sometimes implied that they may be aliens themselves...
at number 3. It stayed in the Top ten for a further five weeks not leaving the Top 75 until the beginning of December after a total of 15 weeks on the chart.
The single became their 15th consecutive Top 40 Airplay hit and their 10th consecutive Top 10 Airplay Hit, it also became their fifth Airplay number 1.
Promotion
The video was premiered on Friday 12 September 1997 on music channel The Box (UK TV channel), a music show called Good Stuff on 23 September and Videotech on ITVITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
on 25 September.
The band themselves first performed the song live on Chris Evans’s Channel 4 show TFI Friday
TFI Friday
TFI Friday is an entertainment show broadcast on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom from 1996 to 2000. The show produced by Ginger Productions, written by Danny Baker and hosted by Chris Evans, for the first 5 series. The final series was hosted by a number of Guest Presenters. It was broadcast on...
on Friday 19th September and GMTV
GMTV
GMTV was the national Channel 3 breakfast television contractor, broadcasting in the United Kingdom from 1 January 1993 to 3 September 2010. It became a wholly owned subsidiary of ITV plc. in November 2009. Shortly after, ITV plc announced the programme would end...
on the day of release. They also made their fourteenth promotional appearance on Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
on Friday 26th September and the video was played in full on The Chart Show
The Chart Show
The Chart Show is a music video programme which ran in the UK on Channel 4 between 1986 and 1988, then on ITV between 1989 and 1998. The production company was Video Visuals, and was credited as "A Yorkshire Television Presentation" from 1993 and 1998...
the next day.
Music Video
The video was shot overnight in Los Angeles over the weekend of 24/25 August 1997. The four main members of the band featured prominently in a coolly-lit disused warehouse. In the fore, is Heather Small, sat on a blue silk draped sofa on a round stage surrounded by cables on the floor and speakers either side, singing the camera up above wearing a black nightdress. Also on the subtly-lit raised stage, is Shovell on drums, Paul Heard on guitar and Mike Pickering on bass guitar. The band are surrounded by a large orchestra playing in front of them strings and flutes adding to the relaxed tempo of the song, with silhouettes of the backing singers.While the band and orchestra play along to the music various creatures are also present: frogs sit on various instruments, crickets climb the face of the flutist, butterflies perch on the violins and worms move through the mixing desk controls adding to the organic nature of the song.
Heather is the focus of the video and her eye contact is very much enhanced by her unwavering gaze as she sings and repositions herself on the couch. The cameras, camera men, microphone booms and lighting are all also seen as the video progresses as well as sound monitors and tape recorders are all working away.
Remixes
There were four main remixes that appeared on the single. Firstly by the legendary New York DJ Frankie KnucklesFrankie Knuckles
Frankie Knuckles is an American DJ, record producer and remix artist. He played an important role in developing house music as a Chicago DJ in the 1980s and he helped to popularize house music in the 1990s, with his work as a producer and remixer...
, a remix by Manchester boys Rae & Christian
Rae & Christian
Rae & Christian were Grand Central Records' founder Mark Rae and fellow producer and DJ Steve Christian. Their music is broadly classed as Hip-Hop / soulful dance music and features such vocalists as The Jungle Brothers, Jeru The Damaja and The Pharcyde as well as contributions from Bobby Womack...
, London’s own premiere Producers C-Swing and Bristol’s DJ’s and Producers: Way Out West (musicians). Also included on the single are the radio edit and album versions.
Live
When performed live, the song is always performed in the second half of the band’s shows, where Heather normally dedicates this song to her son and all the children in the audience.They never perform the album version of the song with the longer second verse, but they do extend the song by creating a "false" ending after what sounds like of the final chorus, only to launch back into the song with an exhilarating and soaring 60 second proclamation as the backing vocalists chant: "Highest mountain, reach the top. Highest mountain, never stop",
and Heather belting out "People keep climbing!!"
Finally, Heather launches into a call and response:
Heather - "I wanna take you..."
Audience/backing vocalists - "...Higher!"
Track listings
CSS
- Just for You (Radio Edit) 4.01
- Just for You (Rae + Christian Remix) 6.49
12" Maxi
- Just for You (Rae + Christian Remix) 6.49
- Just for You (C-Swing’s Master Mix) 6.45
- Just for You (Knuckles’ Classic Gospel Mix) 9.30
- Just for You (Way Out West Remix) 6.14
CD Maxi
- Just for You (Radio Edit) 4.01
- Just for You (Rae + Christian Remix) 6.49
- Just for You (C-Swing’s Master Mix) 6.45
- Just for You (Knuckles’ Classic Gospel Mix) 9.30
- Just for You (Way Out West Remix) 6.14
- Just for You (Album Version) 6.00