Yah Mo B There

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"Yah Mo B There" is an R&B song by James Ingram and Michael McDonald. It was written by Ingram, McDonald, Rod Temperton, and producer Quincy Jones. The song originally appeared on Ingram's 1983 album It's Your Night, released on Jones' Qwest Records label. It was released as a single in late 1983, peaking at #19 on the U.S. charts in 1984, and #12 on the UK charts in 1985, and has subsequently appeared on several of Ingram and McDonald's greatest hits albums as well as various 1980s compilation albums. The performance earned the duo a 1985 Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. It was one of a series of very successful duets involving Ingram.

According to the liner notes on Michael McDonald's greatest hits, the original title and chorus was "Yahweh be there," but they felt that the explicitly religious theme would affect its hit potential so they changed it to "Yah Mo" and let the listeners interpret the meaning for themselves.

[edit] Pop culture references

In the internet television series, Yacht Rock, James Ingram and Michael McDonald wrote this song after misinterpreting Kenny Loggins say "I'll be there" while eating an apple and talking on a cell phone.

The song was also referred to in the 2005 film The 40-Year-Old Virgin. The main characters work in an electronics store in which a Michael McDonald concert DVD has constantly been playing on the TVs for two years. A salesman, David (played by Paul Rudd), has developed an intense hatred for the DVD and tells the manager:

I would rather listen to Fran Drescher for eight hours than have to listen to Michael McDonald. Nothing against him, but if I hear "Yah Mo B There" one more time, I'm going to "yah mo burn" this place to the ground!