James Ingram & Michael McDonald, Yah Mo Be There | Throwback Vibez

In the 53rd edition of Throwback Vibez (2025), we recollect and reflect on “Yah Mo Be There” by James Ingram and Michael McDonald.   

The vibes, the vibes, those Throwback Vibez ! Throwback Vibez is a column that celebrates awesome songs from the past.  The records that grace this column are older, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re ancient – no fossils ! All genres of music are welcome. In the 53^rd edition of Throwback Vibez ️ (2025), we recollect and reflect on “Yah Mo Be There” performed by James Ingram and Michael McDonald.

“Heavenly Father watchin’ us fall / We take from each other and give nothing at all.” James Ingram (1952 – 2019) and Michael McDonald (1952 – ) conjured up some soulful, spiritual magic in their 1983 duet, “Yah Mo Be There”.  “Yah Mo Be There” appears on Ingram’s 1983 album, It’s Your Night. During his lifetime, James was nominated for 14 Grammys, winning two. His second Grammy win, at the 27^th Annual GRAMMY Awards, was for Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal for “Yah Mo B There.”  As for McDonald, he has won five Grammys, earning his fifth win alongside Ingram.  Ingram and McDonald composed this award-winning classic alongside the late, great Rod Temperton (1949 – 2016) and the late, great producer extraordinaire, Quincy Jones (1933 – 2024). A pop hit, “Yah Mo Be There” peaked at number 19 on the Billboard Hot 100.

So, why such an odd title like “Yah Mo Be There?”  With spiritual matters in mind, Yah Mo Be There is a play on Yahweh or God. James Ingram mentions ‘Heavenly Father’ in the excerpted lyrics from the first verse.  He adds, “So if your luck runs low, just reach out and call His name.” ‘His name,’ of course, is Yahweh. In the chorus, Ingram and McDonald sing, “Yah Mo Be there / Whenever you call,” asserting, God will be there with you when you call/petition upon him.  McDonald’s second verse is composed similarly: “‘Cause it’s a long road that leads to a brighter day, hey / Don’t let your heart grow cold, just reach out and call His name.” Both musicians ‘put their foot’ into this classic, showing off the sheer beauty of their instruments.  Speaking of instruments, the musical accompaniment by the instrumentation is top-notch, too, led by an infectious groove and keyboards. Harmonically, the progression stands out, as does the key scheme (verses and chorus are in differing keys). The bridge (“No matter how many dreams slip away / Yah will B there”) also contrasts verses and chorus. Ultimately, Ingram and McDonald deliver a spiritually driven, timeless, and tuneful masterpiece with “Yah Mo Be There”.

James Ingram // It’s Your Night // Qwest // 1983

James Ingram & Michael McDonald, Yah Mo Be There: Throwback Vibez ️ No. 53 (2025) [: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Qwest; AcatXlo, OpenClipart-Vectors, Clker-Free-Vector-Images, Speedy McVroom from Pixabay]