Max-A-Million

An early progenitor of the pop-soul/reggae/hip-hop stew that would come to define Top 40 in the early 2000s, Max-A-Million included A'Lisa B., Duran Estevez, and Tommye. Overseen by Chicago producers Charlie "Baby" Rosario and Manfred Mohr (whose 20 Fingers Productions would later score with the cheeky club hit "Short Dick Man"), Max-A-Million's lone release was 1995's Take Your Time. The title track, a cover of the S.O.S. Band's 1980 hit, struck gold again in its updated form, becoming a worldwide dancefloor sensation. Max-A-Million followed up the success of Take Your Time with a cover version of the Marvin Gaye classic "Sexual Healing." The original song's undeniable groove helped Max-A-Million's rather tepid rehash find legs, and Take Your Time was well on its way to platinum status. But as Mohr and Rosario moved on to different performers in their 20 Fingers stable, Max-A-Million was cast adrift, and eventually sunk back into the waves of obscurity.