Forget Me Nots Explained

Forget Me Nots
Cover:	Forget Me Nots single.jpg
Type:	single
Artist:	Patrice Rushen
Album:	Straight from the Heart
B-Side:	"(She Will) Take You Down to Love" (U.S.)^[1]
Released:	April 2, 1982
Recorded:	1982
Length:	4:05 (Single Version) 3:58 (UK Edit) 4:10 (Video Version) 4:42 (Album Version) 7:11 (Special Dance Mix)
Label:	Elektra
Producer:	Patrice Rushen
Prev Title:	Never Gonna Give You Up
Prev Year:	1981
Next Title:	Breakout!
Next Year:	1982

"Forget Me Nots" is a 1982 song by the American R&B musician Patrice Rushen. It appears on her seventh album, Straight from the Heart. It has been sampled and interpolated in several songs, including "Men in Black" (1997) by Will Smith and "Fastlove" (1996) by George Michael.

Background

The bassline is particularly recognizable, and was performed on the record by session bass player Freddie Washington. The tenor saxophone solo was played by Los Angeles session player and recording artist Gerald Albright, who also appears in the music video of the song.

The lyrics are from the point of view of one professing her longing for a rekindling with an ex-lover. In one part of the music video, the girlfriend of the ex turns her attention to another man. As the singer reunites with the ex, they vacate the premises, leaving the now-ex-girlfriend forlorn. She ruminates on the romance's end and sends the lover forget-me-nots, a flower that since medieval times has been given and worn to symbolize enduring love despite absence or separation.

Critical reception

Brandon Ousley from Albumism wrote in his review of Straight from the Heart,

Chart performance

In the US, "Forget Me Nots" was originally deemed by record label executives as a "flop". The single had a respectable chart performance in the United States. The song debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 90 on May 1, 1982. It peaked at No. 23 on July 3, 1982.^{[2] [3]} the song became a Top 40 pop (#23), Top 5 R&B (#4), and Top 5 dance (#2) hit on the Billboard charts and is the hit for which she is best known. Rushen had a number of songs on the R&B and Dance charts but "Forget Me Nots" was her only top 40 pop hit in the U.S.

Around the world, the song was also popular. In Ireland, the single charted on May 16, 1982, and peaked at No. 19.^[4] The song debuted on the United Kingdom chart at No. 72 on April 24, 1982, before peaking at No. 8 on May 29.^[5] In New Zealand, the song debuted at No. 45 on August 1, 1982, and peaked at No. 8 on September 26, 1982.^[6]

Charts

Chart (1982–83)	Peak position
Australia (KMR Singles Chart)^[7]	29
Ireland (IRMA)^[8]	19
Netherlands (Single Top 100)^[9]	24
New Zealand (RIANZ)^[10]	8
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)^[11]	8
US Billboard Hot 100	23
US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs	4
US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play	2

Impact and legacy

The single's success culminated in Rushen's scoring her first nomination for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance at the 1983 Grammy Awards. VH1 listed "Forget Me Nots" at number 34 in its list of the 100 Greatest Dance Songs in 2000 and ranked the song number 85 in its list of the 100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders of the 1980s in 2009.^[12]

Cover versions and sampling

The song has been covered directly by several artists.

• In 1991, electronic band Tongue 'n' Cheek recorded a dance version of "Forget Me Nots", which reached #26 on the UK Singles Chart.^[13]
• In 1995, Eurodance/dance-pop duo French: [[La Bouche]]|italic=no covered it on their debut album Sweet Dreams. It was included on their remix album All Mixed Up.
• In 2006, jazz guitarist Lee Ritenour collaborated with Patrice Rushen and South African singer Zamajobe on a cover version of the song for his album, Smoke 'n Mirrors. Zamajobe sang the lead vocal, with Rushen on background vocals, Rhodes piano, and an organ solo. The version featured a brief African rhythm interlude.^{[14] [15]}

The song has been sampled frequently, these include:

• George Michael in "Fastlove" (1996), which interpolates the song near the end.^[16]
• It is also sampled by Will Smith's 1997 hit "Men in Black" from the soundtrack to the film of the same name.
• Australian satirist Simon Hunt, under the name Pauline Pantsdown, sampled the song for his 1997 track Backdoor Man.^[17]

External links

• Freddie Washington, biography
• Gerald Albright, biography

Notes and References

1. Web site: Patrice Rushen - Forget Me Nots. .
2. Web site: Music: Top 100 Songs | Billboard Hot 100 Chart . Billboard.com . May 1, 1982 . July 12, 2015.
3. Web site: Music: Top 100 Songs | Billboard Hot 100 Chart . Billboard.com . July 3, 1982 . July 12, 2015.
4. Web site: The Irish Charts - All there is to know . Irishcharts.ie . July 12, 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110721125210/http://irishcharts.ie/search/placement . July 21, 2011 .
5. Web site: forget+me+nots | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company . Officialcharts.com . July 12, 2015.
6. Web site: Steffen . Hung . Patrice Rushen - Forget Me Nots . charts.nz . July 12, 2015.
7. Web site: Steffen . Hung . Australian charts portal . australian-charts.com . January 10, 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080527184204/http://australian-charts.com/ . May 27, 2008 .
8. Web site: Jaclyn. Ward. The Irish Charts - All there is to know . Irishcharts.ie . October 1, 1962 . January 10, 2012.
9. Web site: Steffen . Hung . Dutch charts portal . dutchcharts.nl . January 10, 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140328195045/http://dutchcharts.nl//jaaroverzichten.asp?year=2013&cat=s . March 28, 2014 .
10. Web site: Steffen . Hung . New Zealand charts portal . charts.nz . January 10, 2012 .
11. Web site: The Official Charts Company - Forget Me Nots by Patrice Rushen Search . May 2, 2014. The Official Charts Company.
12. Web site: 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders of the 80s. https://web.archive.org/web/20220628182745/https://www.vh1.com/news/58qjan/100-greatest-one-hit-wonders-of-the-80s. live. June 28, 2022. Ali. Rahsheeda. May 2, 2013. VH1. October 8, 2018.
13. Web site: Forget Me Nots by Patrice Rushen Songfacts . Songfacts.com . July 12, 2015.
14. http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=25882 Smoke 'n' Mirrors
15. Web site: [{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r845840|pure_url=yes}} Smoke 'N Mirrors overview]. Allmusic.com.
16. Web site: BBC - Top of the Pops - Features - Will Smith Samples! . August 18, 2023 . www.bbc.co.uk.
17. Web site: Backdoor Man MP3 . December 20, 2023 . pandora.nla.gov.au . https://web.archive.org/web/20190701225634/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/10296/20010907-0000/www.dot.net.au/_galconv/back%20door%20man.mp3 . 2019-07-01 . bot: unknown .