In My House

"In My House" is a song produced, written and arranged by American musician Rick James and recorded by his protégées, the Mary Jane Girls, for their second studio album Only Four You (1985). It was released as the album's lead single in October 1984, by Gordy Records. In the United States, the single went to number one on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart in April 1985 and remained atop the chart for two weeks.[1] It was also a top-ten hit on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, peaking at number seven on the Hot 100 in June 1985 and remained in the Top 40 for 12 weeks.[2] It is the group's biggest hit and their only Top 40 hit, although they have had other singles succeed on both the R&B and Dance singles charts.

"In My House"
Standard artwork (American 7" vinyl pictured)
Single by Mary Jane Girls
from the album Only Four You
Released	October 1984
Recorded	1984
Studio	The Joint Studios (Buffalo, New York)
Genre	Dance-pop post-disco funk
Length	5:01 (album version) 3:58 (single version)
Label	Gordy Motown
Songwriter(s)	Rick James
Producer(s)	Rick James
Mary Jane Girls singles chronology
"Boys" (1983) "In My House" (1984) "Wild and Crazy Love" (1985)

In 1984, the Parents Music Resource Center was organized in the United States to draw attention to music which the group believed contained inappropriate content for children. "In My House" was chosen on the group's "Filthy Fifteen" list due to its alleged sexual innuendo. However, during the VH1 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders of the 80s program, the group went on record as saying the song is not about sex, but about love.[3] The group's follow-up single, "Wild and Crazy Love", was even more suggestive in its lyrical content, but the PMRC was not known to have attacked it as openly as it condemned "In My House".

In 2009, VH1 ranked "In My House" number 52 on its program 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders of the 80s.

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1985)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[4]	19
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[5]	6
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[6]	6
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[7]	6
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)	77
US Billboard Hot 100	7
US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)	1
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)	3

Year-end chart (1985)	Rank
US Top Pop Singles (Billboard)[8]	63

In popular culture

• This song was heard in the background in an episode of the American daytime television soap opera Days of Our Lives from July 9, 1985.
• Used in the opening sequence of the pilot episode of Pose in 2018.

See also

• List of number-one dance singles of 1985 (U.S.)

References

1. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Hot Dance/Disco 1974-2003, (Record Research Inc.), page 168.
2. Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 8th Edition (Billboard Publications), p. 403.
3. "The PMRC Filthy Fifteen" nndb.com. Retrieved 1 May 2009.
4. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
5. ultratop (Retrieved December 3, 2014)
6. dutchcharts.nl (Retrieved December 3, 2014)
7. charts.org.nz (Retrieved December 3, 2014)
8. "1985 The Year in Music & Video: Top Pop Singles". Billboard. Vol. 97 no. 52. December 28, 1985. p. T-21.