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BBMak
BBMAK, 2002. L-R: Christian Burns, Mark Barry and Stephen McNally
Background information
Origin	Liverpool, England
Genres	Pop pop rock
Years active	1996–2003 2018–present
Labels	Telstar Hollywood Triple Jet Music Topanga Creek Records
Members	Mark Barry Christian Burns Stephen McNally
Website	bbmak.com

BBMak are a British band consisting of Mark Barry, Christian Burns and Stephen McNally. Formed in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1996, they sold over three million albums worldwide between 1999 and 2003. The band first achieved success when their single "Back Here" gained popularity in radio stations in Asia and they later signed with Hollywood Records in the U.S. The band reworked their debut album Sooner or Later for an American release in 2000, and the album charted at number 38 on the Billboard 200 chart with "Back Here" becoming a top 20 hit. BBMak's success in the American market helped the band finally break through in their home country.

In 2002, the group released their second album Into Your Head which charted at number 25 on the Billboard albums chart. In 2003, the group dissolved as each member went on to pursue solo careers. BBMak reunited in 2018 after a 15-year absence. They recorded and released a third studio album, Powerstation (2019).

Career

1996–1998: Formation and debut

Christian Burns, who was raised in Wigan, learned to play rhythm guitar when he was fourteen years old. Burns's father had been a guitarist for the band The Signs, which opened for the Beatles in their early years. Stephen McNally, of Liverpool, aspired to be a guitarist and initially had no ambitions to sing. Mark Barry, of Manchester, got his musical start playing the bagpipes as a kid. The trio met each other while playing with different bands on the Northwest England music circuit and began performing as a group in 1997. McNally came up with the group's band name, which is a combination of the first letters of the band's surnames Burns, Barry, and McNally.

After the group recorded a demo, they traveled to London in the hopes of securing a record deal. The trio would sing outside the offices of major record companies. Once they generated enough industry buzz, BBMak put on a five-song, acoustic showcase in Liverpool. The show drew the attention of record label executives and sparked a bidding war for the band. The band secured a record deal with Telstar Records in the UK in 1998.

1999–2001: Breakthrough and Sooner or Later

The group's debut single "Back Here" was initially released in August 1999 in the United Kingdom, reaching only number 37 on the UK singles chart that month. The group did not achieve breakthrough success until their debut in North America. The group performed live at Walt Disney World's Epcot park in February 2000; their performance was recorded for an episode of Disney Channel in Concert which focused on both BBMak and M2M and aired on 29 April on Disney Channel. BBMak's debut album, Sooner or Later, was released in the United States on 16 May 2000, peaking at number 38 on the Billboard 200. "Back Here" reached number 13 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in July 2000. "Back Here" was subsequently re-released as a single in the UK on 12 February 2001, and the single eventually climbed to No. 5 on the UK singles chart and No. 1 for 11 weeks on the US adult contemporary chart. The album would eventually go on to sell over one million copies.

The band appeared in episodes of the ABC show All My Children in May 2000 and opened for Britney Spears on the North American leg of her Oops!... I Did It Again Tour tour. BBMak closed out the year with a sold out 26-date US concert tour and a live performance on MTV's Times Square New Year's Eve 2001 special. The band's next single, "Still on Your Side", was released in 2001 and reached No. 8 in the UK and No. 54 in the US, respectively. That year, BBMak released a DVD called Sooner or Later: Our First Year in America. The band released their third single, "Ghost of You and Me", on 11 May 2001; it peaked at No. 8 on the US adult contemporary chart. The band also appeared on an episode of Disney Channel series Even Stevens. BBMak continued to tour U.S. stadiums in 2001 as a supporting act for NSYNC on the PopOdyssey tour.

In July 2001, the group's track "Miss You More" was featured on the soundtrack to The Princess Diaries. In October of that year, Christian Burns' vocals were featured along with those of NSYNC's Lance Bass and Joey Fatone, Mandy Moore and True Vibe on the single "On the Line" for the film of the same name; the group's song "Don't Look Down" was also featured on the soundtrack. In 2002, the band covered the song "Always Know Where You Are" by John Rzeznik of the Goo Goo Dolls for Disney's Treasure Planet soundtrack. BBMak also covered the song "Do You Believe in Magic" for Disney's Peter Pan sequel, Return to Never Land.

2002–2003: Into Your Head

In August 2002, BBMak released their second album titled Into Your Head. The album reached No. 25 on the Billboard 200. The first single from the album, "Out of My Heart (Into Your Head)," peaked at No. 56 on the Hot 100 chart and No. 25 on the adult contemporary chart. In 2003, the single "Staring into Space" was released in select countries. The band split amicably in 2003.

2018–present: Powerstation

On 29 March 2018, Christian Burns confirmed that the band had reunited. On 1 April 2018, the group uploaded a video to Facebook of a performance of their first single, "Back Here". In January 2019, the band confirmed plans for a worldwide tour and a new album. After numerous delays, the first single from their new album, "Bullet Train", was released on 3 May 2019. The album, titled Powerstation, was released on 11 October 2019. In 2021, BBMak released The Lost Tapes, composed of nine B-sides.

In 2023, BBMak joined the Pop 2000 Tour hosted by *NSYNC band member Chris Kirkpatrick, which featured other best-selling acts from the 2000s including LFO, O-Town, and Ryan Cabrera. The band returned for the 2024 Pop 2000 Tour.

Awards and nominations

Members

• Mark Barry (born on 26 October 1978 in Manchester, England) – vocals
• Christian Burns (born on 18 January 1974 in Liverpool, England) – vocals, rhythm guitar
• Stephen McNally (born on 4 July 1978 in Liverpool, England) – vocals, lead guitar

Discography

Studio albums

Singles

Music videos

• "Back Here" (UK & US version) – directed by Dani Jacobs
• "Still on Your Side" (UK version) – directed by Dani Jacobs
• "Ghost of You and Me" – directed by Nigel Dick
• "Out of My Heart" – directed by Katie Bell
• "Staring into Space" – directed by Katie Bell

DVDs/videos

• 2001 – Music in High Places: Live in Vietnam (DVD/VHS)
• 2001 – Sooner or Later: Our First Year in America (DVD/VHS)
• 2002 – Out of My Heart (Into Your Head) (DVD)

References

1. ^ "BBMak". Hollywood Records. Archived from the original on 16 August 2000.
2. "We are BBMAK and we are here to answer all of your questions!". Reddit. 14 August 2019. Archived from the original on 20 August 2021.
3. ^ "BB MAK IS BACK". HITS Daily Double. 22 August 2002. Archived from the original on 9 July 2021. "'We went to Sony Records in London carrying this book with all these record company contact numbers and names. We went in and said we had a meeting with Tommy Mottola. We didn’t realize that he was in New York. And they were like, 'Really?' It was quite funny. I think a lot of record companies admired the cheekiness of us just going and doing it.'"
4. ^ Taylor, Chuck (22 April 2000). "For Hollywood, BBMak's More Than Boy Band" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 112, no. 17. pp. 14, 18.
5. "BBMak – Interview 2002". Hip Online. 2 September 2002. "'It wasn’t an overnight success. The first year we had no money and we played crummy gigs in England. It wasn’t a bed of roses, some hated us and some liked us. But our song writing got better and got more confident. We finally got our record deal in 1998 in the UK. It’s been a long slow road.'"
6. ^ "BBMak Full Official Chart History". Official Charts. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
7. ^ "Pop art". The Guardian. London. 15 February 2008. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014.
8. "M2M and BBMak in Concert (TV Special 2000)". IMDb. Archived from the original on 4 May 2004.
9. ^ "BBMak Album & Song Chart History – Billboard 200". Billboard. Archived from the original on 18 September 2010. Retrieved 19 September 2010.
10. ^ "BBMak Album & Song Chart History – Hot 100". Billboard. Archived from the original on 18 September 2010. Retrieved 19 September 2010.
11. ^ "BBMak Album & Song Chart History – Adult Contemporary". Billboard. Archived from the original on 18 September 2010. Retrieved 19 September 2010.
12. "BB MAK – 'BACK HERE' (TELSTAR)". dotmusic. 11 February 2001. Archived from the original on 18 June 2001.
13. Hay, Carla (15 July 2000). "BBMak Breaks on Hollywood" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 112, no. 29. pp. 13, 113.
14. Mancini, Rob (7 August 2000). "BBMak Arrives With Britney Tour, Hit Single". MTV News. Archived from the original on 18 February 2018.
15. Mancini, Rob (12 September 2000). "BBMak Lines Up Headlining Tour". MTV News. Archived from the original on 24 October 2020.
16. "18 Moments From the BBMak 'Even Stevens' Episode That I Was Not Ready For – VIDEO". Bustle. 16 January 2015. Archived from the original on 20 August 2021.
17. Gelman, Jason (23 May 2001). "'N Sync's PopOdyssey 2001 Tour Kicks Off Today". Yahoo! Music. Archived from the original on 14 February 2008.
18. "Christian Burns". Archived from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 15 February 2020 – via Facebook.
19. "BBMAK". Archived from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 15 February 2020 – via Facebook.
20. Spanos, Brittany (22 January 2019). "BBMak Announce First Tour, Album in 16 Years". Rolling Stone.
21. "The wait is nearly over... the start of the next chapter begins for @bbmakofficial NEXT FRIDAY 3 MAY with the release of our new single Bullet Train. #bbmak #newmusic #bullettrain". BroadwayWorld. 26 April 2019. Archived from the original on 24 December 2021.
22. Graff, Gary (28 May 2019). "BBMak Unveils Reunion Album Title, Track List: Exclusive". Billboard. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
23. "BBMAK Reveal New Album Artwork and Full Track Listing". BroadwayWorld. 28 May 2019. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
24. "BBMak presents 'The Lost Tapes'". Phoenix Music International. 18 June 2021. Archived from the original on 20 August 2021.
25. Santos, Stacy Simons (28 March 2023). "Pop 2000 Tour Announces 2023 Dates With O-Town, LFO, BBMAK, & Ryan Cabrera With Host Chris Kirkpatrick". CelebrityAccess. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
26. Price, Jason (23 January 2024). "POP 2000 TOUR Featuring Chris Kirkpatrick of *NSYNC, O-Town, BBMAK, Ryan Cabrera, and LFO Return With 2024 U.S. Tour!". Icon Vs. Icon. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
27. Bessman, Jim (1 June 2002). "ASCAP Pop Music Award Winners". Billboard.
28. "BBMak | Encyclopedia.com". Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
29. "Chart Log UK: Darren B – David Byrne". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 19 September 2010.
30. "RIAA – Gold & Platinum – September 20, 2010: BBMak certified albums". Recording Industry Association of America. Archived from the original on 25 February 2013. Retrieved 20 September 2010.
31. "BBMak in Australia Charts". australian-charts. Retrieved 6 April 2019.
32. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (pdf ed.). Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 26.
33. "AllMusic ((( BBMak > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles )))". AllMusic. Retrieved 19 September 2010.
34. "irishcharts.com – Discography BBMak". Hung Medien. Archived from the original on 5 November 2013. Retrieved 16 August 2011.
35. "charts.nz – New Zealand charts portal". charts.nz. Retrieved 19 September 2010.
36. "BBMak Album & Song Chart History – Adult Pop Songs". Billboard. Archived from the original on 18 September 2010. Retrieved 19 September 2010.
37. "BBMak Album & Song Chart History – Pop Songs". Billboard. Archived from the original on 18 September 2010. Retrieved 19 September 2010.
38. "Back Here (Acoustic) – Single". Apple Music. Retrieved 9 November 2018.
39. "Out of My Heart (Acoustic) – Single". Apple Music. Retrieved 9 November 2018.

External links

• English pop rock music groups
• Hollywood Records artists
• EMI Records artists
• Telstar Records artists
• Rock music groups from Liverpool
• Musical groups established in 1999
• Musical groups disestablished in 2003
• British musical trios
• Musical groups reestablished in 2018
• 1999 establishments in England