In My House Explained

In My House
Cover:In My House single.jpg
Caption:Standard artwork (US 7-inch vinyl pictured)
Type:single
Artist:Mary Jane Girls
Album:Only Four You
Released:October 1984
Recorded:1984
Studio:The Joint (Buffalo, New York)
Genre:
Length:4:28 (Album version)
Label:
Producer:Rick James
Prev Title:Boys
Prev Year:1983
Next Title:Wild and Crazy Love
Next Year:1985

"In My House" is a song produced, written and arranged by American musician Rick James and recorded by his protégées, the Mary Jane Girls, for their second studio album, Only Four You (1985). It was released as the album's lead single in October 1984 by Gordy Records. In the United States, the single topped Billboard Dance Club Songs chart in April 1985 and remained atop the chart for two weeks.[1] It also reached the top 10 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, peaking at number seven on the Hot 100 in June 1985 and remained in the top 40 for 12 weeks.[2] It is the group's highest-peaking single and their only top-40 entry on the Billboard Hot 100, although they have had other singles succeed on both the R&B and dance charts.

In 1984, the Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC) was organized in the United States to draw attention to music which the group believed contained inappropriate content for children. "In My House" was chosen on the group's "Filthy Fifteen" list due to its alleged sexual innuendo. However, during the VH1 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders of the 80s program, the group went on record as saying the song is about love, not sex.[3] The group's follow-up single, "Wild and Crazy Love", was even more suggestive in its lyrical content, but the PMRC was not known to have attacked it as openly as it condemned "In My House".

In 2009, VH1 ranked "In My House" number 52 on its program 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders of the 80s.

Track listings

A. "In My House" – 3:59

B. "In My House" (instrumental) – 5:00

A. "In My House" (12" version) – 5:00

B. "In My House" (instrumental 12" version) – 7:16

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1985)! scope="col"
Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[4] 19
Canada (The Record)[5] 6
US Cash Box Top 100 Singles[6] 5
US Top 100 Black Contemporary Singles (Cash Box)[7] 4

Year-end charts

Chart (1985)! scope="col"
Position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[8] 52
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[9] 64
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[10] 58
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[11] 73
US Billboard Hot 100[12] 63
US Dance Singles Sales (Billboard)[13] 6
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[14] 6
US Cash Box Top 100 Singles[15] 44
US Top 100 Black Contemporary Singles (Cash Box)[16] 10

See also

Notes and References

  1. [Joel Whitburn|Whitburn, Joel]
  2. Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 8th Edition (Billboard Publications), p. 403.
  3. Web site: The PMRC Filthy Fifteen . . May 1, 2009.
  4. Book: Kent, David. David Kent (historian). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, N.S.W.. Australian Chart Book. 1993. 0-646-11917-6.
  5. Book: Lwin, Nanda. Nanda Lwin. Top 40 Hits: The Essential Chart Guide. Music Data Canada. 1999. 1-896594-13-1.
  6. Web site: Cash Box Top 100 Singles – Week ending June 22, 1985. Cash Box. May 26, 2022.
  7. Web site: The Cash Box Top 100 Black Contemporary – Week ending May 4, 1985. Cash Box. May 26, 2022.
  8. Web site: Jaaroverzichten 1985 – Singles. nl. Ultratop. April 17, 2021.
  9. RPM's Top 100 Singles of 1985. RPM. 43. 16. December 28, 1985. 0033-7064. Library and Archives Canada.
  10. Web site: Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1985. nl. Dutch Top 40. April 17, 2021.
  11. Web site: Jaaroverzichten – Single 1985. nl. Dutch Charts. April 17, 2021.
  12. Hot 100 Songs – Year-End 1985. Billboard. May 26, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20191003025828/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1985/hot-100-songs. October 3, 2019.
  13. 1985 The Year in Music & Video – Top Dance Sales Singles/Albums. Billboard. 97. 52. December 28, 2022. T-23. 0006-2510. Google Books.
  14. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 1985. Billboard. April 17, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210419082013/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1985/hot-r-and-and-b-hip-hop-songs. April 19, 2021.
  15. Web site: The Cash Box Year-End Charts: 1985 – Top 100 Pop Singles. Cash Box. December 28, 1985. May 26, 2022.
  16. Web site: The Cash Box Year-End Charts: 1985 – Top 50 Black Contemporary Singles. Cash Box. December 28, 1985. May 26, 2022.