BBMak
| Company type | Musical group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1996 in Liverpool, England |
| Headquarters | Liverpool , England |
| Products | Music albums, singles |
BBMak is a British musical trio composed of Mark Barry, Christian Burns, and Stephen McNally. Established in Liverpool in 1996, the group achieved sales exceeding three million albums globally between 1999 and 2003. Their track "Back Here" initially gained traction on Asian radio stations, which led to securing a contract with Hollywood Records in the United States. In 2000, they adapted their debut album, Sooner or Later, for the American audience; it climbed to number 38 on the Billboard 200 chart, with "Back Here" entering the top 20. This success in the U.S. market paved the way for their breakthrough in the UK.
The band's sophomore release, Into Your Head, arrived in 2002 and reached number 25 on the Billboard album rankings. After disbanding in 2003 to explore individual projects, BBMak reunited in 2018 and subsequently released their third studio album, Powerstation (2019).
1996–1998: Formation and early development
Christian Burns, who grew up in Wigan, began learning rhythm guitar at age fourteen; his father had been a guitarist for The Signs, a group that supported The Beatles early on. Stephen McNally, hailing from Liverpool, initially concentrated solely on playing guitar without intending to sing. Mark Barry, originating from Manchester, started his musical journey with bagpipes. The three musicians met while performing across the Northwest England music scene and formed BBMak in 1997. The band’s name was derived by McNally from the first letters of their surnames: Burns, Barry, and McNally.
Following the creation of a demo tape, they traveled to London in pursuit of a recording contract, even performing outside major record label offices to capture attention. These efforts culminated in an acoustic performance in Liverpool that attracted industry interest and ignited a bidding competition among labels. By 1998, BBMak had secured a deal with Telstar Records in the UK, marking the commencement of their professional recording career after years dedicated to songwriting and playing small venues.
1999–2001: Commercial breakthrough and Sooner or Later
The band’s debut single "Back Here" was released in August 1999 within the United Kingdom, initially reaching number 37 on the UK singles chart. Their significant breakthrough occurred with their entry into the North American market. In February 2000, BBMak performed at Walt Disney World's Epcot for an episode of Disney Channel in Concert that aired in April. Their debut album, Sooner or Later, was released in the U.S. on May 16, 2000, peaking at number 38 on the Billboard 200. The single "Back Here" climbed to number 13 on the US Billboard Hot 100 by July 2000 and was reissued in the UK in February 2001, eventually reaching No. 5 on the UK charts and holding No. 1 for eleven weeks on the US adult contemporary chart. The album achieved sales surpassing one million copies.
In May 2000, BBMak made an appearance on ABC's All My Children and served as opening act for Britney Spears during her North American Oops!... I Did It Again Tour. They concluded that year with a sold-out US tour consisting of twenty-six dates and performed during MTV’s Times Square New Year's Eve special for 2001. Their subsequent single, "Still on Your Side", reached No. 8 in the UK and No. 54 in the US charts. In 2001, BBMak released a DVD titled Sooner or Later: Our First Year in America, while their third single "Ghost of You and Me" peaked at No. 8 on the US adult contemporary chart. Additionally, they appeared on Disney Channel’s series Even Stevens.
BBMak supported NSYNC during their extensive PopOdyssey stadium tour across the United States in 2001. In July of that year, their song "Miss You More" was featured on the soundtrack for The Princess Diaries. In October, Christian Burns collaborated alongside NSYNC members Lance Bass and Joey Fatone, Mandy Moore, and True Vibe on "On the Line" for a film soundtrack; BBMak's track "Don't Look Down" was also included. In 2002, BBMak recorded a cover of John Rzeznik’s "Always Know Where You Are" for Disney’s Treasure Planet soundtrack and contributed "Do You Believe in Magic" to Disney’s Return to Never Land.
2002–2003: Into Your Head
In August 2002, BBMak unveiled their sophomore album, Into Your Head, which attained a peak position of No. 25 on the Billboard 200 chart. The album's lead track, "Out of My Heart (Into Your Head)," reached No. 56 on the Hot 100 and climbed to No. 25 on the adult contemporary chart. The following year, "Staring into Space" was issued in select territories. The group amicably parted ways later in 2003.
2018–present: Powerstation
Christian Burns announced BBMak's reunion on 29 March 2018. Soon after, the band posted a video featuring their first hit single "Back Here." By January 2019, BBMak revealed intentions for an international tour along with a forthcoming album. Although postponed, the initial single from their comeback project, "Bullet Train," was released on 3 May 2019. Their album, entitled Powerstation, debuted on 11 October 2019. In 2021, they issued The Lost Tapes, comprising nine previously unreleased B-sides.
In 2023, BBMak participated in the Pop 2000 Tour organized by *NSYNC member Chris Kirkpatrick, performing alongside notable early-2000s acts such as LFO, O-Town, and Ryan Cabrera. The band continued this nostalgic live experience by returning for the 2024 Pop 2000 Tour.
Awards and nominations
| Award | Year | Nominee(s) | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ASCAP Pop Music Awards | 2000 | "Back Here" | Most Performed Song | Template:Won |
Members
- Mark Barry (born 26 October 1978, Manchester, England) – vocals
- Christian Burns (born 18 January 1974, Liverpool, England) – vocals, rhythm guitar
- Stephen McNally (born 4 July 1978, Liverpool, England) – vocals, lead guitar
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions |
Certifications (sales threshold) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK |
US | |||
| Sooner or Later |
|
16 | 38 |
|
| Into Your Head |
|
— | 25 | |
| Powerstation |
|
— | — | |
| "—" indicates albums that did not chart | ||||
Singles
| Title | Year | Highest chart rankings | Album | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | AUS | CAN | IRE | NZ | US | US AC | US Adult | US Pop | |||
| "Back Here" | 1999 | 5 | 47 | 11 | 26 | 18 | 13 | 1 | 12 | 8 | Sooner or Later |
| "Still on Your Side" | 2001 | 8 | — | — | 30 | — | 54 | — | 40 | 14 | |
| "Ghost of You and Me" | 2002 | — | — | — | — | — | 110 | 8 | — | 28 | |
| "Out of My Heart (Into Your Head)" | 36 | 65 | 22 | — | 19 | 56 | 25 | 23 | 20 | Into Your Head | |
| "Staring into Space" | 2003 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Back Here (Acoustic)" | 2018 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album singles |
| "Out of My Heart (Acoustic)" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Bullet Train" | 2019 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Powerstation |
| "So Far Away" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Uncivil War" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Wolves" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Painting Lights" | 2023 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album single |
| "Collide" (BBMak & The Last Arcade) | 2024 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album single |
Music videos
- "Back Here" (UK and US versions) – 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 (available on DVD and VHS)
- 2001 – Sooner or Later: Our First Year in America (DVD/VHS release)
- 2002 – Out of My Heart (Into Your Head) (DVD format)
External links
- Articles with short description
- English pop rock music groups
- Hollywood Records artists
- EMI Records artists
- Telstar Records artists
- Musical groups from Liverpool
- Musical groups established in 1996
- Musical groups disestablished in 2003
- English musical trios
- Musical groups reestablished in 2018
- 1996 establishments in England