Single Stories: 112, “Only You”

11 years ago today, the debut single from the R&B group 112 entered the Billboard Hot 100, and it’s somehow appropriate that we should be celebrating the 11th anniversary of that date, since the song actually has 11 writers credited with its composition.

Yes, you read that correctly.

The following names are listed in the songwriting credits:
Sean Combs Steven Jordan Christopher Wallace Mason Betha D.J. Rogers, Jr. Marvin Scandrick Michael Keith Daron Jones Quinnes Parker Harry Wayne Casey Richard Finch

Phew! We’re exhausted just from typing them all out, and we can only imagine that it’s tiring just to read the list, but if you’ve done so, then you’ve probably recognized a couple of familiar names in the mix…and, no, not just Sean Combs, Christopher “The Notorious B.I.G.” Wallace, and Mason “Mase” Betha. Those names are to be expected, since Combs produced the track and both Biggie and Mase appeared on the the remix. But what about Harry Wayne Casey and Richard Finch? Those are the gentlemen behind K.C. and the Sunshine Band, and they also wrote the George McCrae single “I Get Lifted,” which is sampled on “Only You.”

As debut singles go, 112 really couldn’t have asked for a better one than “Only You.” The song hit #1 on Billboard’s Hot Dance Singles Sales chart and Hot R&B / Hip-Hop Airplay chart, made it to #3 on the R&B Singles chart, and even to #13 on the Billboard Hot 100. What was arguably more important, however, was that the group scored a guest spot on Moesha, and if you think we’re being sarcastic, you’re seriously underrating how many people watched that show. Better yet, it was only the start of 112’s success: to date, they’ve scored seven top-10 R&B hits, including the #1 hit “It’s Over Now,” a title which – thankfully – did not prove to be prophetic.