"Thinkin' Back" is an
R&B and
Pop song by American music group
Color Me Badd
''Color'' Me Badd is an American contemporary R&B group that was formed in 1985 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma by lead singer Bryan Abrams (born November 16, 1969), tenor Mark Calderon (born September 27, 1970), second tenor Sam Watters (born July 23 ...
from their debut album, ''
C.M.B.
''C.M.B.'' is the debut album by American recording act Color Me Badd, released July 23, 1991, on Giant Records. It was produced by several record producers, including Dr. Freeze, Nick Mundy, and Howie Tee.
The album received mixed reviews ...
'' (1991). It was released as the fifth single (fourth in North America) in January 1992. The song is about a deteriorating relationship, and while the protagonist's partner did them wrong, they are still lonely, and want to turn back time to go back to when their relationship was in a good place.
"Thinkin' Back" was another successful single, but did not perform as well as its 3 preceding songs (all which were top 2 hits, and performed strongly worldwide). On the US ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
''
Hot 100
The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online streaming ...
, the song reached number #16 on April 4, 1992, and lasted 20 weeks on the chart. It also peaked at #31 on
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...
chart lasting 9 weeks on the chart, and #35 in Canada, while not charting anywhere else internationally.
Music Video
The music video was directed by Marcus Nispel, and was filmed/produced by Portfolio Artists Network. It was shot in black and white, and was edited to coincide with the conceptual theme in the video regarding the passage of time, as each edit aligned with the beats of the music. It received strong recurring play and support on MTV, and to a lesser extent BET, which helped the performance of the song.
Critical reception
Larry Flick from Billboard wrote, "Those Badd boys show no sign of cooling off, thanks to this lush, R&B-powered ballad. Spotlight is on group's tightly woven harmonies and song's romantic lyrics. Another multiformat hit from the "C.M.B." album."
Track listings
US Vinyl, 12, Promo"
*A1 Thinkin' Back (Radio Edit) 3:49
*A2 Thinkin' Back (XXX Version) 4:39
*B1 Thinkin' Back (Album Version) 5:22
*B2 Thinkin' Back (A Cappella) 5:22
US Vinyl, 7"
*1 Thinkin' Back (Album Version) 5:23
*2 Thinkin' Back (XXX Version) 4:39
US CD, Single, Promo"
*1 Thinkin' Back (Radio Edit) 3:49
*2 Thinkin' Back (XXX Version) 4:39
*3 Thinkin' Back (More Radio Edit) 3:44
US CD, Single, Promo"
*1 Thinkin' Back (Edited Master) 3:56
*2 Thinkin' Back (A Cappella) 4:08
*3 Thinkin' Back (Album Version) 5:26
*4 Thinkin' Back (Pop Mix With Piano) 6:54
US Cassette, Single"
*A Thinkin' Back (Album Version) 5:22
*B Thinkin' Back (XXX Version) 4:39
Personnel
*Producer – Hamza Lee, Royal Bayyan
*Written-By – Color Me Badd, Hamza Lee, Troy Taylor (9)(10)
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
References
{{Color Me Badd
1992 songs
1992 singles
Color Me Badd songs
Giant Records (Warner) singles
Songs written by Sam Watters