Poison (Bell Biv DeVoe song)

"Poison" is the debut single of American vocal group Bell Biv DeVoe, released as the first single from their debut album of the same name. The song, in the style of new jack swing, a late-1980s/early-1990s hybrid of R&B, hip hop and swing, was the group's most successful.

"Poison"
Single by Bell Biv DeVoe
from the album Poison
Released	March 6, 1990 (1990-03-06)[1]
Genre	New jack swing[2] funk[3] hip hop[3] R&B[4]
Length	4:21
Label	MCA
Songwriter(s)	Dr. Freeze
Producer(s)	Dr. Freeze
Bell Biv DeVoe singles chronology
"Poison" (1990) "Do Me!" (1990)

Background and information

The song was written and produced by Elliot Straite (Dr. Freeze). Straite had originally planned to feature the song on his own album, but plans changed when the members of Bell Biv DeVoe heard his demo version. "When the guys heard it, they went nuts. I didn't think that record was going to be that big because it was a personal love letter to my ex-girlfriend at the time. It wasn't a song at first. It was a letter. When I wrote it as a song, I let a lot of my friends hear it, and they said it was weird. After that, I put the music together. I was thinking I wasn't going to be on the album because such heavyweights were already on it. I ended up having two songs on the album: 'Poison' and 'She's Dope!'."^[5] Straite cited German electronic group Kraftwerk and Latin musicians Tito Puente and Mongo Santamaria as influences on the song's sound and production.^[5]

Chart performance

On the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, "Poison" rose from number fifty-two to number thirty-eight in the week of April 14, 1990, and eventually peaked at number three for four consecutive weeks, beginning on June 9, 1990. The single also peaked at number one on the Hot Black Singles chart for two weeks.^[6] "Poison" became one of the most successful singles of 1990 (see 1990 in music), and was a staple on MTV and mainstream radio in the summer, spending ten weeks in the Top 10. The single peaked at number seven on the dance charts.^[7] "Poison" was certified platinum by the RIAA on June 1, 1990 for sales of over one million copies.

Music video

The official music video for the song was directed by Lionel C. Martin.^[8] The predominant color is purple. It takes place at a club, an old basketball court and a schoolyard.

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1990) Peak position Australia (ARIA)[9] 64 Canada Top Singles (RPM)[10] 13 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[11] 57 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[12] 30 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[13] 25 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[14] 3 UK Singles (OCC)[15] 19 US Billboard Hot 100[16] 3 US Hot Black Singles (Billboard)[17] 1 US Top 40/Dance (Billboard)[18] 1

Year-end charts Chart (1990) Position New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[19] 32 US Billboard Hot 100[20] 4

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[21]	Silver	200,000‡
United States (RIAA)[1]	Platinum	1,000,000^
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)	Ref.
United States	March 6, 1990	7-inch vinyl 12-inch vinyl CD cassette	MCA	[1]
United Kingdom	May 21, 1990	7-inch vinyl 12-inch vinyl		[22]
Japan	June 10, 1990	Mini-CD		[23]
United Kingdom	June 11, 1990	CD		[24]
	June 18, 1990	Cassette		[25]
	July 2, 1990	12-inch remix vinyl		[26]

See also

• List of number-one R&B singles of 1990 (U.S.)

References

1. "American single certifications – Bell Biv DeVoe – Poison". Recording Industry Association of America.
2. Josephs, Brian (July 20, 2012). "The 25 Best New Jack Swing Songs". Complex. Retrieved July 26, 2016.
3. "Poison - Bell Biv DeVoe | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic.
4. Molanphy, Chris (September 29, 2017). "The Great War Against the Single Edition". Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia (Podcast). Slate. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
5. "Key Tracks: Bell Biv DeVoe's Poison".
6. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 52.
7. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Hot Dance/Disco: 1974-2003. Record Research. p. 32.
8. ""Poison (Remix)" by Bell Biv Devoe | Music Video | VH1.com". VH1. Viacom International. October 15, 2007. Archived from the original on July 1, 2012. Retrieved April 11, 2015.
9. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
10. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 1276." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
11. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 7, no. 33. August 18, 1990. p. V. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
12. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 38, 1990" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
13. "Bell Biv DeVoe – Poison" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
14. "Bell Biv DeVoe – Poison". Top 40 Singles.
15. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
16. "Bell Biv DeVoe Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
17. "Bell Biv DeVoe Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard.
18. "Crossover Radio Airplay: Top 40/Dance". Billboard. Vol. 102, no. 26. June 30, 1990. p. 89.
19. "End of Year Charts 1990". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved December 3, 2017.
20. "1990 The Year in Music & Video: Top Pop Singles". Billboard. Vol. 102, no. 51. December 22, 1990. p. YE-14.
21. "British single certifications – Bell Biv DeVoe – Poison". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved July 19, 2022.
22. "New Singles". Music Week. May 19, 1990. p. 37.
23. "ポイズン | ベル・ビブ・デボー" [Poison | Bell Biv DeVoe] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
24. "New Singles". Music Week. June 9, 1990. p. 33.
25. "New Singles". Music Week. June 16, 1990. p. 31.
26. "New Singles". Music Week. June 30, 1990. p. 29.

External links

• Music video for the remix version of "Poison" on YouTube