Londonbeat's most famous composition was I've Been Thinking About You, which in a short time gained such success that it topped the list of the best musical creations in the Hot 100 Billboard and Hot Dance Music / Club.
It was 1991. Critics attribute the popularity of the musicians to the fact that they managed to find a new musical niche, combining the best traditions of soul, pop and R&B with the new trend of technodance.
The audience liked the sound so much that she lifted the Londonbeat group to the very top of popularity. Music never ceases to please lovers of dance compositions.
From time to time hits, tested by time and appreciated by more than one generation of music lovers, hit the tops of the coolest music ratings.
History of creation and members of the group
The American-British band was formed by one of the guitarists in 1988. The soloist was the American Jimmy Helms, familiar to the people of Great Britain with his solo performances on the radio. The composition has changed over time.
But the changes were not very significant. The members of the Londonbeat group were Jimmy Chambers (originally from Trinidad) and George Chandler, who became famous as backing vocalists for Paul Young.
Prior to this, George Chandler was known to fans as the founder of the Olympic Runners. The band also included Charls Pierre, William Henshall (known as Willy M) and guitarist Marc Goldschmitz, who later left the band to play in the German band Leash. Also Miles Kane and Anthony Blaze.
The first steps of the group to popularity
The debut concert of the group, which lasted more than an hour, took place in Holland. The young talented team made an impression on then-famous producer David A. Stewart.
He signed a contract with the guys so that they could release their first album called Speak. The composition Theres a Beat Going On, performed at the concert, became very popular, entering the top 10.
The song I've Been Thinking About You, which became the band's hallmark, was originally planned as part of the first album. But on the advice of the record company, the young artists used their hit as a publicity stunt to get more attention for the Speak album.
Another song "9 AM" appeared around the same time, thanks to which the group was popular.
After the release of the first album, Chambers and Chandler left the band. A holy place is never empty, they were replaced by Anthony Blaze and Charles Pierre. Then came the composition, already recorded in the new line-up, Falling In Love Again.
Fans of the Londonbeat group immediately noticed the change in the sound of the performance in the new work, but, unfortunately, they did not like it. The success of the composition was not at all what the experimenters had hoped for.
Soon the new album In the Blood was released. It included the main hit of all time by the group I've Been Thinking About You, he, as before, topped all European charts.
A year later, the musicians managed to please the audience with new hits: A Better Love, You Bring on the Sun and Bob Marley's composition, performed in a new interpretation, No Woman No Cry.
In 1995, the musicians wished to become participants in the Eurovision Song Contest. But they could not get into the main competition, losing to the rap group Love City Groove. The composition I'm Just Your Puppet On A… (String), which they performed at the qualifying round, took only 55th position in the UK Singles Chart.
In the early 2000s, a new member joined the Londonbeat group, William Upshaw. Upshaw's first album was called Back in the Hi-Life. It incorporates both remixes of songs that have already gained popularity, as well as new works.
The most striking of them were the track J Lo, dedicated to Jennifer Lopez, and the track Spirit of a Child, inspired by a real story that happened in England at the beginning of the XNUMXth century and is associated with the tragic death of girls.
In 2003, the Londonbeat group signed a contract with the German recording company Coconut, under whose label another collection of remixed hits of the group appeared. Among them were, of course, everyone's favorite: A Better Love and I've Been Thinking About You.
In 2004, the team left Marc Goldschmitz to live and work in Germany, in the Leash group.
Londonbeat today
2011 was the year of the appearance of two new tracks: The Crossing, recorded in collaboration with Brazilian pianist Eumir Deodato, and No Getting Over You.
Thanks to the collaboration with the German DJ Klaas in 2019, the Londonbeat group gained a new surge in popularity. A remix of their #1 hit I've Been Thinking About You hit the top 10 on the Billboard Dance Charts.
Jimmy Helms commented on the band's success based on remixes of old hits without a hint of embarrassment. He honestly stated that they have been performing for quite a long time and it is impossible to create works that will appeal to new generations of listeners.
Musicians rely primarily on nostalgic fans, who are still their main audience. There is nothing wrong with the fact that the Londonbeat group is not an idol of young people who have come to replace the already proven "fans".
