"Water Runs Dry" is a 1995 single by
Boyz II Men for the
Motown label, written and produced by
Babyface Babyface or Baby Face can refer to:
Nicknames
* Lester Joseph Gillis a.k.a. Baby Face Nelson, an infamous 1930s bank robber
* Roosevelt "Baby Face" Willette (1933–1971), an American hard bop and soul-jazz musician
* "Baby Face", Jimmy McLarnin ...
. The single, the fourth released from the album ''
II'', reached number two in the United States and number four in the Canada. It also contains a version of the group's previous number one hit from the same album, "
I'll Make Love to You
"I'll Make Love to You" is a 1994 number-one hit single by American R&B group Boyz II Men for the Motown label. The song, which was written by Babyface, was the lead single from their second album, '' II'' (1994). It was a commercial success, ...
". A Spanish version, "No dejemos que muera el amor", was also recorded and peaked at number 10 on the US
Latin Pop Airplay
Latin Pop Airplay (also referred to as Latin Pop Songs) is a record chart published on ''Billboard'' magazine and a subchart of the Latin Airplay chart. The chart focuses on Latin pop music, namely Spanish-language pop music. It was established ...
chart.
Music video
In a 2019 interview with the
Grammys
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
,
Nathan Morris
Nathan Bartholomew Morris (born June 18, 1971) is an American baritenor, singer, businessman, and the founding member of American band Boyz II Men. He was the host of the show Hit Properties on the DIY Network where he bought and renovated a ...
said the music video was one of his two favourites out of all the videos the group had ever made. Directed by
Wayne Isham
Wayne Isham (born December 2, 1958) is an American film director and music video director who has directed films and music videos of many popular artists.
Early life and education
Isham was born in December 2, 1958. He attended the Univers ...
, it was filmed at
White Sands National Park in New Mexico.
Synopsis
The music video features a woman (played by
Tyra Banks
Tyra Lynne Banks (born December 4, 1973), also known as BanX, is an American television personality, model, producer, writer, and actress. Born in Inglewood, California, she began her career as a model at the age of 15, and was the first Africa ...
) walking through a desert setting and holding a glass ball. The camera zooms in on the ball to reveal an aerial view, from a helicopter, of Boyz II Men standing atop a sand dune inside the ball. Shots of a string orchestra and guitarist playing along are interspersed throughout as the group sings the song. Clips of both the woman and the group walking and running across the dunes are also shown. Some scenes feature a rippling effect that mimics water. The video ends with the woman holding the glass ball once again and the camera panning out to show her watching the group walk away inside it.
Reception
In a brief throwback-to-1995 piece, ''
Essence
Essence ( la, essentia) is a polysemic term, used in philosophy and theology as a designation for the property or set of properties that make an entity or substance what it fundamentally is, and which it has by necessity, and without which it ...
'' magazine jokingly commented that the video "has more white-on-white sets than, well, the Essence Festival", but also said that it was "full of more 90s goodness" and concluded with "We love it". Pop culture website ''
Vulture
A vulture is a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. There are 23 extant species of vulture (including Condors). Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia; New World vultures are restricted to North and ...
'' listed the outfits worn in the video by Boyz II Men as one of the forty "matchiest" of their careers, stating that the group's clothes, like their music, were "always harmonious".
The music video received two
MTV VMA
The MTV Video Music Awards (commonly abbreviated as the VMAs) is an award show presented by the cable channel MTV to honour the best in the music video medium. Originally conceived as an alternative to the Grammy Awards (in the video category) ...
nominations for
Best Cinematography and
Best R&B Video
The MTV Video Music Award for Best R&B was first awarded in 1993 under the name of Best R&B Video, and it was given every year until 2006, as the following year MTV revamped the VMAs and eliminated all the genre categories. The following year, thou ...
at the
1995 MTV Video Music Awards
The 1995 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on September 7, 1995, honoring the best music videos from June 16, 1994, to June 15, 1995. The show was hosted by Dennis Miller at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. David Sandlin was commissioned to ...
but did not win. It was additionally nominated for
Best R&B/Soul Single – Group, Band or Duo at the
1996 Soul Train Music Awards, but lost to
TLC
TLC may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Television
* ''TLC'' (TV series), a 2002 British situational comedy television series that aired on BBC2
* TLC (TV network), formerly the Learning Channel, an American cable TV network
** TLC (Asia), an A ...
's "
Waterfalls
A waterfall is a point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf.
Waterfalls can be formed in several w ...
.
Live performances
Boyz II Men performed an acoustic rendition of "Water Runs Dry" at the
1995 MTV Movie Awards
The 1995 MTV Movie Awards were hosted by Jon Lovitz and Courteney Cox.
Performances
*TLC — "Waterfalls"
*The Ramones — "Best Song from a Movie Medley"
* Boyz II Men — " Water Runs Dry"
* Blues Traveler — " Run-Around"
Presenters
*Val Kil ...
. They later headlined the "Budweiser Superfest" concert series that ran from July through August of that year, and performed the song as part of the setlist for each show. In 2018, the group was one of the opening acts for
Bruno Mars
Peter Gene Hernandez (born October 8, 1985), known professionally as Bruno Mars, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is known for his stage performances, retro showmanship, and for performing in a wide range of musical ...
on five dates (between September–October) of the second North-American leg of his
24K Magic World Tour
The 24K Magic World Tour was the fourth concert tour of American singer-songwriter Bruno Mars that was performed in support of his third studio album '' 24K Magic'' (2016) from March 2017 to December 2018. Anderson .Paak was the opening act f ...
, and performed the song during their appearances.
Track listings
*US Remixes
#"Water Runs Dry" (Strat Mix Edit) – 3:53
#"Water Runs Dry" (Strat Mix) – 4:51
#"Water Runs Dry" (Mood Mix Edit) – 4:10
#"Water Runs Dry" (Mood Mix) – 4:44
#"Water Runs Dry" (LP Version) – 3:21
*US Maxi-CD
#"Water Runs Dry" (LP Version) – 3:21
#"Water Runs Dry" (Mood Mix) – 4:43
#"Water Runs Dry" (Strat Mix) – 4:51
#"Water Runs Dry" (Groove Mix) – 4:30
#"Water Runs Dry" (Bump Mix) – 4:38
*US Vinyl, 12-inch, Promo
:A-side
#"Water Runs Dry" (LP Version) – 3:21
#"Water Runs Dry" (Mood Mix) – 4:43
#"Water Runs Dry" (Instrumental) – 3:21
:B-side
#"Water Runs Dry" (Strat Mix) – 4:51
#"Water Runs Dry" (Groove Mix) – 4:30
#"Water Runs Dry (Acapella) – 3:21
*UK Maxi-CD
#"Water Runs Dry" (Strat Mix Edit) – 4:00
#"Water Runs Dry" (LP Version) – 3:21
#"Water Runs Dry" (Mood Mix) – 4:43
#"I'll Make Love To You" (Pop Edit) – 3:49
*UK Vinyl, 12-inch, Promo
:A-side
#"Water Runs Dry" (Strat Mix) – 3:21
#"Water Runs Dry" (Mood Mix) – 4:43
#"Water Runs Dry" (Bump Mix) – 3:21
:B-side
#"Water Runs Dry" (LP Version) – 4:51
#"Water Runs Dry" (Groove Mix) – 4:30
#"I'll Make Love to You" (I Wanna Make Love to You Version) – 3:21
Credits and personnel
Adapted from
Tidal
Tidal is the adjectival form of tide.
Tidal may also refer to:
* ''Tidal'' (album), a 1996 album by Fiona Apple
* Tidal (king), a king involved in the Battle of the Vale of Siddim
* TidalCycles, a live coding environment for music
* Tidal (servic ...
.
*
Boyz II Menprimary vocals
*
Babyface Babyface or Baby Face can refer to:
Nicknames
* Lester Joseph Gillis a.k.a. Baby Face Nelson, an infamous 1930s bank robber
* Roosevelt "Baby Face" Willette (1933–1971), an American hard bop and soul-jazz musician
* "Baby Face", Jimmy McLarnin ...
songwriting, production
* Colin Heldtimmersive mix engineering
* Reggie Hamiltonstring arrangement
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications
Renditions
In 1998, contemporary jazz guitarist
Chuck Loeb covered the song for his album ''The Moon, the Stars and the Setting Sun''.
American cover band
Boyce Avenue released an acoustic version of the song in 2010.
Contemporary Christian artist
The Katinas
The Katinas are a contemporary Christian music group. They are a family of five brothers. The group's members sang in Assembly of God church as children, and began playing fairs, soon moving up to nationwide slots opening for R. Kelly, Jasmine ...
covered the song for their 2013 album ''Love Chapter''.
American singer
Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Brianne Clarkson (born April 24, 1982) is an American singer, songwriter, author, and television personality. She rose to fame after winning the first season of ''American Idol'' in 2002, which earned her a record deal with RCA. Her debu ...
performed a stripped-down version of the song, accompanied by only a guitarist, on the June 7, 2021 episode of her daytime television
talk show
A talk show (or chat show in British English) is a television programming or radio programming genre structured around the act of spontaneous conversation.Bernard M. Timberg, Robert J. Erler'' (2010Television Talk: A History of the TV Talk Sh ...
''
The Kelly Clarkson Show
''The Kelly Clarkson Show'' is an American daytime television variety talk show hosted by American singer Kelly Clarkson. It is produced and distributed by NBCUniversal Syndication Studios and features Clarkson interviewing celebrities and seg ...
'', during the "Kellyoke" segment.
Notes
References
{{Authority control
1994 songs
1995 singles
Boyz II Men songs
Motown singles
Music videos directed by Wayne Isham
Song recordings produced by Babyface (musician)
Songs written by Babyface (musician)