"Mr. Loverman" is the signature song

Signature song

A signature song is the one song that a popular and well-established singer or band is most closely identified with or best known for, even if they have had success with a variety of songs...

 of Jamaican ragga

Ragga

-Origins:Ragga originated in Jamaica during the 1980s, at the same time that electronic dance music's popularity was increasing globally. One of the reasons for ragga's swift propagation is that it is generally easier and less expensive to produce than reggae performed on traditional musical...

 artist Shabba Ranks

Shabba Ranks

Shabba Ranks is a Jamaican dancehall musician.He was one of the most popular dancehall artists of his generation. He was also one of the first Jamaican deejays to gain worldwide acceptance, and recognition for his 'slack' lyrical expressions and content, when "ridin' di riddim"...

.
The song was written by Hopeton Lindo, Rexton Gordon and Michael Bennett. It was released in 1992 and 1993 as a single.

Origin of song

The song first appeared as "Champion Lover" by Deborahe Glasgow

Deborahe Glasgow

Deborahe Glasgow was an English "Lovers Rock" singer of guyanese parentage who was active from the late 1970s to the beginning of the 90s. Though Glasgow released only one album in her lifetime, 1989's Deborahe Glasgow, she began releasing singles in her adolescence...

. Ranks then versioned "Champion Lover" under the new title "Mr. Loverman" with Deborahe Glasgow the featured female lead. This version appeared on his Rappin' With the Ladies

Rappin' With the Ladies

Rappin' With the Ladies is the first album by dancehall artist and DJ Shabba Ranks, released in 1988. The album contains collaborations with J.C. Lodge and Deborah Glasgow.- Track listing :# Telephone Love Deh Pon Mi Mind – 6:14...

album in 1988. Glasgow's illness and subsequent early death led to the song being re-recorded for release as a single this time with Chevelle Franklyn as the featured singer.

The version featuring Chevelle Franklyn was originally released in 1992 when it charted in a modest position 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 ...

 but after being re-released in 1993, when dancehall

Dancehall

Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s. In the mid-1980s, digital instrumentation became more prevalent, changing the sound considerably,...

 music was starting to enjoy mainstream popularity, the track rose to number three in the UK charts and remains his biggest hit single to date.

It is not his most popular single with his old fans, who think he polished his sound too much to appeal to a pop audience, but this track does feature the first time he used his trademark cry "Shabba!"

Track listings

CD maxi

1. "Mr. Loverman" (radio mix) — 3:36
2. "Mr. Loverman" (D.M. ragga hop mix) — 6:05
3. "Mr. Loverman" (twin city crew mix) — 4:05
4. "Mr. Loverman" (raggamental mix) — 4:24
5. "Ca'an Dunn" — 5:23
6. "The Jam" (back to the bridge) — 4:30

CD maxi - Remixes

1. "Mr Loverman" (D.M. ragga hop mix) — 6:05
2. "Mr Loverman" (radio mix) — 3:36
3. "Mr Loverman" (twin city crew mix) — 4:05
4. "Mr Loverman" (new world mix) — 4:22
5. "Mr Loverman" (raggamental mix) — 4:24

7" single

1. "Mr. Loverman" (radio mix) — 3:36
2. "Mr. Loverman" (twin city crew mix) — 4:05

12" maxi

1. "Mr. Loverman" (D.M. ragga hop mix) — 6:05
2. "Mr. Loverman" (twin city crew mix) — 4:05
3. "Mr. Loverman" (new world mix) — 4:22
4. "Mr. Loverman" (raggamental mix) — 4:24

Charts

Chart (1992)	Peak position
Austrian Singles Chart	22
German Singles Chart	17
Swedish Singles Chart	31
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 ...	23
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...	40
U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...	2
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales	2
Chart (1993)	Peak position
French SNEP Singles Chart	19
Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured...	8
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 ...	3
U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Recurrents	3

In popular culture

The song was used briefly in an episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from September 10, 1990 to May 20, 1996. The show stars Will Smith as a fictionalized version of himself, a street-smart teenager from West Philadelphia who is sent to move in with his aunt and uncle in their...

. It was also featured in the soundtrack of 1992's motion-picture, Deep Cover.
The song was parodied in an episode of In Living Color

In Living Color

In Living Color is an American sketch comedy television series, which originally ran on the Fox Network from April 15, 1990 to May 19, 1994. Brothers Keenen and Damon Wayans created, wrote, and starred in the program. The show was produced by Ivory Way Productions in association with 20th Century...

 entitled "Mr.Ugly Man".
The song used in the James Bond

James Bond

James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...

 film Quantum of Solace