Loose Ends (band)
Encyclopedia
Loose Ends was a successful British
R&B
band
that had several urban contemporary
hits
. The trio
was formed in London
in 1980, initially comprising vocalist
and guitarist
Carl McIntosh, vocalist Jane Eugene, and keyboard
player, writer and founder Steve Nichol. The latter two left the group in 1989, bringing an end to the band's most successful phase.
in 1981. Their debut material was written for them by Chris Amoo and Eddie Amoo, who had achieved UK Singles Chart
success of their own in the 1970s, with their group The Real Thing. The trio changed its name to Loose Ends in 1983 and continued to record for Virgin. They were distributed in the United States by MCA Records
.
The group was founded by Steve Nichol after he left the London Guildhall School of Music and Drama
where he received extensive classical training. Nichol received 'The Young Musician Of The Year Award' at the age of just 16 which lead him into great success. Nichol went on to tour with The Jam
in 1982 as a Trumpet, Trombone and Keyboard player. He was also a composer for: Rakim
, Carl Cox
, Phyllis Hyman
and other various artists. Most of the band's material was also written and supplied by Nichol. Nichol auditioned McIntosh at a bar in Central London and found Eugene through a college fashion show.
They achieved their first success with "Hangin' on a String (Contemplating)" in 1985, which reached #13 in the UK
chart
. "Hangin' on a String" also reached #1 on the U.S. Billboard R&B chart
, making Loose Ends the first British band ever to top that chart. They reached #16 with the single "Magic Touch" in the same year. The disc
was produced
in the U.S.
, as was their 1986 hit "Slow Down" (later used as the theme music
for MuchMusic
's Soul in The City program). Later that year, a track they had written and produced for Five Star
, "Let Me Be The One," reached number two in the same listings. Subsequent falling sales saw the threesome notch up their final transatlantic hit in 1988 with "Watching You (Watching Me)."
The group's lineup changed in 1990 due to differences in its proposed musical direction, with Eugene and Nichol wanting to maintain the group's sound and McIntosh wanting to be more experimental. Eugene and Nichol decided to leave, and were replaced by Linda Carriere and Sunay Suleyman. Look How Long turned out to be the final studio
album released under the Loose Ends name, and featured their final hit single, "Don't Be A Fool" (1990). McIntosh himself went on to work behind the recording desk following the group's peak popularity, but the new trio soon disbanded. He has since produced several artists' work, most notably that of Caron Wheeler
and Ruth Joy.
In 1998, the group reunited to appear on a single by Pete Rock
called "Take Your Time." They also appeared in the music video
for the track.
"Hangin' on a String (Contemplating)" is featured in the popular video game Grand Theft Auto IV
's fictional Soul/R&B radio station The Vibe 98.8.
Carl McIntosh recently appeared at Club1 In Ascot, UK doing a live PA and announced that a new album is being released in 2010. It was the first time in over 10 years that McIntosh has sung live.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
that had several urban contemporary
Urban contemporary
Urban contemporary is a music radio format. The term was coined by the late New York DJ Frankie Crocker in the mid 1970s. Urban contemporary radio stations feature a playlist made up entirely of hip hop/rap, contemporary R&B, pop, electronica such as dubstep and drum and bass and Caribbean music...
hits
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
. The trio
Trio (music)
Trio is generally used in any of the following ways:* A group of three musicians playing the same or different musical instrument.* The performance of a piece of music by three people.* The contrasting section of a piece in ternary form...
was formed in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1980, initially comprising vocalist
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
and guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
Carl McIntosh, vocalist Jane Eugene, and keyboard
Electronic keyboard
An electronic keyboard is an electronic or digital keyboard instrument.The major components of a typical modern electronic keyboard are:...
player, writer and founder Steve Nichol. The latter two left the group in 1989, bringing an end to the band's most successful phase.
Career
The group was originally called Loose End, and signed with Virgin RecordsVirgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
in 1981. Their debut material was written for them by Chris Amoo and Eddie Amoo, who had achieved UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
success of their own in the 1970s, with their group The Real Thing. The trio changed its name to Loose Ends in 1983 and continued to record for Virgin. They were distributed in the United States by MCA Records
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
.
The group was founded by Steve Nichol after he left the London Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Guildhall School of Music and Drama is an independent music and dramatic arts school which was founded in 1880 in London, England. Students can pursue courses in Music, Opera, Drama and Technical Theatre Arts.-History:...
where he received extensive classical training. Nichol received 'The Young Musician Of The Year Award' at the age of just 16 which lead him into great success. Nichol went on to tour with The Jam
The Jam
The Jam were an English punk rock/New Wave/mod revival band active during the late 1970s and early 1980s. They were formed in Woking, Surrey. While they shared the "angry young men" outlook and fast tempos of their punk rock contemporaries, The Jam wore smartly tailored suits rather than ripped...
in 1982 as a Trumpet, Trombone and Keyboard player. He was also a composer for: Rakim
Rakim
William Michael Griffin Jr. , known by his stage names Rakim , Rakim Allah, R.A.K.I.M., and The Master, is an American rapper. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential and most skilled emcees of all time. Eric B...
, Carl Cox
Carl Cox
Carl Cox is a British techno and house music DJ.-Biography:Cox grew up in Oldham, Lancashire, before attending Glastonbury High Boys secondary modern school on Glastonbury Road in Morden. Cox began his career as a hardcore and rave DJ in the mid 1980s...
, Phyllis Hyman
Phyllis Hyman
Phyllis Linda Hyman was an American soul singer and actress.-Early years:Phyllis Hyman was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and grew up in the St. Clair Village, the South Hills section of Pittsburgh...
and other various artists. Most of the band's material was also written and supplied by Nichol. Nichol auditioned McIntosh at a bar in Central London and found Eugene through a college fashion show.
They achieved their first success with "Hangin' on a String (Contemplating)" in 1985, which reached #13 in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
. "Hangin' on a String" also reached #1 on the U.S. Billboard R&B chart
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
, making Loose Ends the first British band ever to top that chart. They reached #16 with the single "Magic Touch" in the same year. The disc
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
was produced
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
in the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, as was their 1986 hit "Slow Down" (later used as the theme music
Theme music
Theme music is a piece that is often written specifically for a radio program, television program, video game or movie, and usually played during the title sequence and/or end credits...
for MuchMusic
MuchMusic
MuchMusic is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel owned by Bell Media. MuchMusic is dedicated to music-related programs, pop and youth culture.-History:...
's Soul in The City program). Later that year, a track they had written and produced for Five Star
Five Star
Five Star are a British pop / R&B group, formed in 1983. Comprising siblings Stedman, Lorraine, Denise, Doris and Delroy Pearson, they were known for their flamboyant image, matching costumes and heavily choreographed dance routines...
, "Let Me Be The One," reached number two in the same listings. Subsequent falling sales saw the threesome notch up their final transatlantic hit in 1988 with "Watching You (Watching Me)."
The group's lineup changed in 1990 due to differences in its proposed musical direction, with Eugene and Nichol wanting to maintain the group's sound and McIntosh wanting to be more experimental. Eugene and Nichol decided to leave, and were replaced by Linda Carriere and Sunay Suleyman. Look How Long turned out to be the final studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
album released under the Loose Ends name, and featured their final hit single, "Don't Be A Fool" (1990). McIntosh himself went on to work behind the recording desk following the group's peak popularity, but the new trio soon disbanded. He has since produced several artists' work, most notably that of Caron Wheeler
Caron Wheeler
Caron Wheeler is a two-time Grammy Award winning British R&B/soul singer, who gained fame by writing and singing the lead vocals on the two biggest hits for Soul II Soul Caron Wheeler (19 January 1963) is a two-time Grammy Award winning British R&B/soul singer, who gained fame by writing and...
and Ruth Joy.
In 1998, the group reunited to appear on a single by Pete Rock
Pete Rock
Peter Phillips , better known by his stage name Pete Rock, is an American record producer, DJ and rapper. He rose to prominence in the early 1990s as one half of the critically acclaimed group Pete Rock & CL Smooth...
called "Take Your Time." They also appeared in the music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for the track.
"Hangin' on a String (Contemplating)" is featured in the popular video game Grand Theft Auto IV
Grand Theft Auto IV
Grand Theft Auto IV is a 2008 open world action video game published by Rockstar Games, and developed by British games developer Rockstar North. It has been released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 video game consoles, and for the Windows operating system...
's fictional Soul/R&B radio station The Vibe 98.8.
Carl McIntosh recently appeared at Club1 In Ascot, UK doing a live PA and announced that a new album is being released in 2010. It was the first time in over 10 years that McIntosh has sung live.
Studio albums
| Year | Album | Chart positions | Record label | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
US R&B Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999... |
||||
| 1984 | A Little Spice A Little Spice A Little Spice is the debut album released by the English R&B band Loose Ends. The original UK version was released in 1984 .... |
46 | 46 | 5 | MCA MCA Records MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003... |
|
| 1985 | So Where Are You? So where are you? So Where Are You? is the second album released by the English R&B band Loose Ends. It reached number 13 in the UK in 1985. It features the hits, "Magic Touch" and a cover of David Bowie's "Golden Years". The hit single "Hangin' on a String ", which had appeared on the U.S. edition of the previous... |
13 | — | — | Virgin | |
| 1986 | Zagora Zagora (Loose Ends album) Zagora is the third studio album by British R&B band Loose Ends, released in 1986 by MCA Records. The album spawned the hits "Slow Down", "Stay a Little While, Child" and two others, all of which were hits on the U.S... |
15 | 59 | 7 | MCA | |
| 1988 | The Real Chuckeeboo The Real Chuckeeboo The Real Chuckeeboo is the fourth album by British soul group Loose Ends. It is the last album to feature all three original members; Carl McIntosh, Jane Eugene and Steve Nichol... |
52 | 80 | 16 | ||
| 1990 | Look How Long | 19 | 124 | 28 | ||
| "—" denotes the album failed to chart | ||||||
Compilation albums
| Year | Album | Chart positions | Record label | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
US R&B Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999... |
||||
| 1992 | Tighten Up, Vol. 1 | 40 | — | — | EMI EMI Records EMI Records is the flagship record label founded by the EMI company in 1972 and launched in January 1973 as the successor to its Columbia label. The EMI label was launched worldwide... |
|
| 2003 | The Best of Loose Ends | — | — | — | ||
| "—" denotes the album failed to chart | ||||||
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart positions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
US Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
US R&B Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
US Dance Hot Dance Club Play The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs... |
|||
| 1982 | "We've Arrived" | — | — | — | — | |
| "In the Sky" | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1983 | "Don't Hold Back Your Love" | — | — | — | — | |
| 1984 | "Tell Me What You Want Tell Me What You Want "Tell Me What You Want" is the first single by English R&B band Loose Ends from their first studio album, A Little Spice, and was released in February 1984 by Virgin Records... " |
74 | — | — | 29 | |
| "Emergency (Dial 999) Emergency (Dial 999) "Emergency " is the second single by English R&B band Loose Ends from their first studio album, A Little Spice, and was released in April 1984 by Virgin Records. The 7" and 12" Version were remixed versions from the forthcoming album "A Little Spice"... " |
41 | — | — | — | ||
| "Choose Me (Rescue Me) Choose Me (Rescue Me) "Choose Me " is the third single by English R&B band Loose Ends from their first studio album, A Little Spice, and was released in July 1984 by Virgin Records... " |
59 | — | 47 | 25 | ||
| 1985 | "Hangin' on a String (Contemplating)" | 13 | 43 | 1 | 12 | |
| "Magic Touch Magic Touch (Loose Ends song) "Magic Touch " is the fifth single by English R&B band Loose Ends from their second studio album, So Where Are You?, and was released in May 1985 by Virgin Records... " |
16 | — | — | — | ||
| "Golden Years Golden Years (song) An updated single for "Golden Years" was released in 2011 to coincide with the re-release of Station to Station. 4 new remixes were provided by DJs from radio station KCRW in California.-Track listing:# "Golden Years " - 3:27... " |
59 | — | — | — | ||
| 1986 | "Stay a Little While, Child Stay a Little While, Child "Stay A Little While, Child" is the seventh single by English R&B band Loose Ends from their third studio album, Zagora, and was released in June 1986 by Virgin Records... " |
52 | — | 18 | 49 | |
| "Slow Down Slow Down (Loose Ends song) "Slow Down" is the 8th single by English R&B band Loose Ends from their third studio album, Zagora. It was released in September 1986 by MCA Records and produced by Loose Ends' long time collaborator Nick Martinelli... " |
27 | — | 1 | 42 | ||
| "Nights of Pleasure Nights of Pleasure "Nights of Pleasure" is the ninth single by English R&B band, Loose Ends, from their third studio album, Zagora. It was released in November 1986 by Virgin Records and was produced by Loose Ends' long time collaborator Nick Martinelli.-Track listing:... " |
42 | — | 58 | — | ||
| 1987 | "Ooh, You Make Me Feel" | 77 | — | — | — | |
| "You Can't Stop the Rain" | — | — | 32 | — | ||
| 1988 | "Mr. Bachelor" | 50 | — | 11 | — | |
| "Watching You Watching You (Loose Ends song) "Watching You" was the first single release from the 1988 album The Real Chuckeeboo by British soul group Loose Ends.It was written as most of their songs were by Carl McIntosh, Jane Eugene and Steve Nichol; it was co- produced by Loose Ends and long time collaborator Nick Martinelli.It reached... " |
83 | — | 2 | — | ||
| 1989 | "Life" | — | — | 32 | — | |
| 1990 | "Don't Be a Fool" | 13 | — | 10 | 50 | |
| "Love's Got Me" | 40 | — | 76 | — | ||
| 1991 | "Cheap Talk" | 92 | — | 28 | — | |
| "Time Is Ticking" | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1992 | "Hangin' on a String (Contemplating)" (remix) | 25 | — | — | — | |
| "Magic Touch" (remix) | 75 | — | — | — | ||
| 1993 | "My Way" | — | — | — | — | |
| "—" denotes the single failed to chart | ||||||
External links
- Loose Ends Official website
- Carl McIntosh at Red Bull Music AcademyRed Bull Music AcademyThe Red Bull Music Academy is an annual international music event where up and coming producers, singers, arrangers, DJs and musicians get the opportunity to learn from top industry professionals.- History :...