Loose Ends (band)

Last updated

Loose Ends
CARL-MCINTOSH-PHOTO.jpg
Carl McIntosh in 2018
Background information
Also known asLoose End
Origin London, England, United Kingdom
Genres
Years active1980–1990, 1998, 2005, 2020–present
Labels
Members
Past members
  • Steve Nichol
  • Jane Eugene

Loose Ends (also known as Loose End) are a British R&B band that achieved several hit records throughout the 1980s and into the 1990s. The trio was formed in London in 1980, initially comprising vocalist and guitarist Carl McIntosh, vocalist Jane Eugene, and keyboard player and vocalist Steve Nichol. [1]

Contents

Despite enjoying success throughout the 1980s, both Nichol and Eugene left the group in 1989 due to personal differences.

Career

Loose Ends signed with Virgin Records in 1981 under the name 'Loose End'. [2] Some of their debut material was written for them by Chris Amoo and Eddie Amoo, who had achieved UK Singles Chart success in the 1970s with their group The Real Thing. [2] The trio changed their name to Loose Ends in 1983 and continued to record for Virgin. They were distributed in the U.S. by MCA Records. [2]

The group was founded by Steve Nichol after he left the London Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Nichol went on to tour with The Jam in 1982 as a trumpet, trombone, and keyboard player. Together, the trio achieved their first success with "Hangin' on a String (Contemplating)" in 1985, which reached No. 13 in the British chart. [3] "Hangin' on a String" also reached No. 1 on the US Billboard R&B chart, making Loose Ends the first African-British band to top that chart. [4] They reached No. 16 with the single "Magic Touch" in the same year. [3] The disc was produced in the US, as was their 1986 hit "Slow Down" (later used as the theme music for Canadian MuchMusic's Soul in the City programme). At this time, Carl McIntosh also arranged and played on a number of tracks from Five Star's debut album, including the single "Let Me Be The One," which reached No. 2 in the same listings later in 1986. In spite of subsequent falling sales, the trio notched their final transatlantic hit in 1988 with "Watching You (Watching Me)."

The group's line-up changed in 1990 [1] due to differences in its proposed musical direction. Eugene and Nichol decided to leave and were replaced by Linda Carriere and Sunay Suleyman. Look How Long [1] 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). [2] McIntosh went on to work behind the recording desk with the new members and has continued to do so to this day. He has since produced several artists' work, most notably that of Caron Wheeler, Ruth Joy, and Kwesi. [1]

The original line-up of Carl McIntosh, Jane Eugene, and Steve Nichol briefly reunited in 1998 for a guest appearance on "Take Your Time", a song from Pete Rock's debut solo album, Soul Survivor , which was released as a single the following year. All three also appeared in the music video for the song. [5]

2015–present

During 2015, McIntosh was interviewed by Daniel Falconer of the celebrity magazine Female First to speak about his top 10 career moments. [6] Also in the same year, he participated in a charity fundraising event in Glasgow, Scotland, in aid of supporting Gambia. [7] In 2016, leading Toronto newspaper Now interviewed McIntosh about his role in introducing Toronto to UK soul music in the 1980s and 1990s. [8] In 2017, McIntosh was asked by Red Bull Music Academy in Melbourne, Australia, to speak about how he had previously produced Loose Ends' songs. [9] During 2020, Smooth Radio presenter Angie Greaves interviewed McIntosh about how he continued with Loose Ends after the departure of former members, explaining how the group did not break up when two members left. [10]

Soon after, McIntosh was asked by Roland Corporation music to discuss and demonstrate how he produced the drum programming using the legendary Roland TR-808 drum machine for the hit song "Hangin' on a String (Contemplating)". McIntosh went into great detail explaining how it was produced. [11]

McIntosh continues to perform and write new songs under the name Loose Ends with the 1990 line-up of Linda Carriere and Sunay Suleyman. [12] In 2021, Loose Ends signed a new record deal with the British hip hop label Digital Jukebox Records to release new singles and albums.

Discography

Studio albums

YearAlbum detailsPeak chart positions Certifications
UK
[13]
NLD
[14]
NZ
[15]
US
[16]
US R&B
[16]
1984 A Little Spice
  • First studio album
  • Release date: 25 May 1984
  • Label: Virgin, MCA
46465
1985 So Where Are You?
  • Second studio album
  • Release date: 10 August 1985
  • Label: Virgin
1333
1986 Zagora
  • Third studio album
  • Release date: 7 May 1986
  • Label: Virgin, MCA
15597
1988 The Real Chuckeeboo
  • Fourth studio album
  • Release date: 18 June 1988
  • Label: Virgin, MCA
52668016
1990 Look How Long
  • Fifth studio album
  • Release date: 16 September 1990
  • Label: 10, MCA
1912428
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

Compilation albums

YearAlbum detailsPeaks
UK
[13]
1992Tighten Up Vol. 1
  • First compilation album
  • Release date: 7 September 1992
  • Label: 10
40
2003The Best of Loose Ends
  • Second compilation album
  • Release date: 27 May 2003
  • Label: EMI
"—" denotes releases that did not chart.

Singles

YearSinglePeak chart positionsAlbum
UK
[13]
IRE
[20]
NLD
[14]
NZ
[15]
US
[16]
US R&B
[16]
US Dance
[16]
1982"In the Sky"N/A
"We've Arrived"
1983"Don't Hold Back Your Love"
1984"Tell Me What You Want"7429A Little Spice
"Emergency (Dial 999)"41
"Choose Me (Rescue Me)"594725
1985"Hangin' on a String (Contemplating)"1326331243112A Little Spice / So Where Are You?
"Magic Touch"1623So Where Are You?
"Golden Years"59
1986"Stay a Little While, Child"521849Zagora
"Slow Down"27142
"Nights of Pleasure"4258
1987"Ooh, You Make Me Feel"77
"You Can't Stop the Rain"32So Where Are You? / Zagora
1988"Mr. Bachelor"5011The Real Chuckeeboo
"Watching You"832
1989"Life"32
1990"Don't Be a Fool"131050Look How Long
"Love's Got Me"4076
1991"Cheap Talk"9228
"Time Is Ticking"
1992"Hangin' on a String" (Frankie Knuckles Remix)25Tighten Up Vol. 1
"Magic Touch" (Remix)75
1993"My Way"align=left rowspan="1" N/A
2021"Gonna Make You Mine (Forever More)"align=left rowspan="1" N/A
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You Keep Me Hangin' On</span> 1966 single by the Supremes

"You Keep Me Hangin' On" is a song written and composed by Holland–Dozier–Holland. It was first recorded in 1966 by American Motown group the Supremes, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angie Stone</span> American singer and actress (born 1961)

Angela Laverne Brown, known professionally as Angie Stone, is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. She rose to fame in the late 1970s as member of the hip hop trio the Sequence. In the early 1990s, she became a member of the R&B trio Vertical Hold. Stone then signed with Arista Records to release her debut solo album Black Diamond (1999), which received gold certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and spawned the single "No More Rain ".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kung Fu Fighting</span> 1974 single by Carl Douglas

"Kung Fu Fighting" is a disco song by Jamaican vocalist Carl Douglas, written by Douglas and produced by British-Indian musician Biddu. It was released in 1974 as the first single from his debut album, Kung Fu Fighting and Other Great Love Songs (1974), on the cusp of a chopsocky film craze and rose to the top of the British, Australian, Canadian, and American charts, in addition to reaching the top of the Soul Singles chart. It received a Gold certification from the RIAA in 1974 and popularized disco music. It eventually went on to sell eleven million records worldwide, making it one of the best-selling singles of all time. The song uses the Oriental riff, a short musical phrase that is used to signify Chinese culture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jackson (song)</span> Song recorded by Wheeler

"Jackson" is a song written in 1963 by Billy Edd Wheeler and Jerry Leiber. It was recorded in 1963 by the Kingston Trio, Wheeler, and Flatt and Scruggs. It achieved its most notable popularity with two 1967 releases: a country hit single by Johnny Cash and June Carter, which reached No. 2 on the Billboard Country Singles chart, and a pop hit single by Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood, which reached No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 39 on Easy Listening.

<i>Human</i> (Rod Stewart album) 2001 studio album by Rod Stewart

Human is the nineteenth studio album by Rod Stewart released on 12 March 2001. It was Stewart's first, and only release on Atlantic Records. It produced the singles "Run Back Into Your Arms", "I Can't Deny It", "Soul On Soul" and "Don't Come Around Here" with "I Can't Deny It" became a moderate hit, peaking at number 26 in the United Kingdom, Stewart's most recent Top 40 to date in that chart. The album was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry. Human was also his first album not to feature an original Stewart track. On the third track, "Don’t Come Around Here", Stewart is joined by Helicopter Girl.

<i>A Little Spice</i> 1984 studio album by Loose Ends

A Little Spice is the debut album released by the English R&B band Loose Ends. The original UK version was released in 1984.

<i>Last Man Standing</i> (MC Eiht album) 1997 studio album by MC Eiht

Last Man Standing is the third studio album by American rapper MC Eiht. It was released on November 11, 1997, through Epic Street. Recording sessions took place at X Factor Studios, Echo Sound, Half Oz. Studios, Skip Saylor Recording, and Track Record in California. Production was handled by MC Eiht, DJ Slip, DJ Muggs, Massive and Daz Dillinger. It features guest appearances from Boom Bam, Big Nasty, B-Real, Da Foe, Daz Dillinger, Hie Tiimes, Lil' Hawk and Mon-Diggi. The album peaked at number 64 on the Billboard 200 and at number 13 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart in the United States.

"Watching You" is the second single release from the 1988 album The Real Chuckeeboo by British 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 longtime collaborator Nick Martinelli. The song reached number #2 on the Billboard R&B Chart; noted among Loose Ends fans as one of their finest efforts it was also one of their biggest hits.

<i>The Real Chuckeeboo</i> 1988 studio album by Loose Ends

The Real Chuckeeboo is the fourth album by British R&B group Loose Ends. It is the last album to feature all three original members; Carl McIntosh, Jane Eugene and Steve Nichol. Mainly written and produced by Loose Ends and co-produced by longtime collaborator Nick Martinelli, it also features contributions from Leon Ware and Caron Wheeler.

<i>So Where Are You?</i> 1985 studio album by Loose Ends

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 (Contemplating)", which had appeared on the U.S. edition of the previous album, A Little Spice, is also featured here. It also makes an appearance in popular video game Grand Theft Auto IV's fictional Soul/R&B radio station The Vibe 98.8. The album was not released in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nick Martinelli</span> American R&B and pop record producer (born 1952)

Nicholas J. Martinelli is an American R&B and pop record producer. During the 1980s he worked with many R&B and pop music artists, some of them based in the UK. Acts he has worked with include Loose Ends, Phyllis Hyman, Five Star, Stephanie Mills and Regina Belle.

<i>Zagora</i> (album) 1986 studio album by Loose Ends

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. R&B charts, with "Slow Down" reaching number one on the chart. Between the years 1991-2009 the album sold an additional 303,000 copies in the United States according to Nielsen Soundscan 5 years after its initial release, the album remains uncertified with overall sales unknown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hangin' on a String (Contemplating)</span> 1985 single by Loose Ends

"Hangin' on a String (Contemplating)" is the seventh single by British soul band Loose Ends from their second studio album, So Where Are You?, and was released in February 1985 by Virgin Records. In the group's native UK, the single made the top twenty. Outside the UK, the single went to number one on the U.S. Billboard R&B chart for one week. This made Loose Ends the first British band ever to top that chart It also reached number 43 on the Billboard Hot 100.

"Nights of Pleasure" is the 12th 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' longtime collaborator Nick Martinelli.

British soul, Brit soul, or the British soul invasion, is soul music performed by British artists. Soul has been a major influence on British popular music since the 1960s, and American soul was extremely popular among some youth subcultures, such as mods, skinheads, and the Northern soul movement. In the 1970s, soul gained more mainstream popularity in the UK during the disco era.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angie Stone discography</span>

American singer and songwriter Angie Stone has released ten studio albums, one compilation album, and more than two dozen singles. She has sold near five million records as a solo artist, including over 1.4 million albums in the United States. Stone's career began as a member of the hip hop trio The Sequence in the late 1970s. In 1999, she released her first solo album, Black Diamond on Arista Records. It debuted at number 46 on the US Billboard 200 and peaked at number nine on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, eventually selling more than 750,000 copies. Black Diamond was awarded gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), and produced the singles "No More Rain ", "Life Story" and "Everyday", the former of which became a number-one hit on the Adult R&B Songs chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Real Thing (British band)</span> British soul group

The Real Thing is a British soul group formed in the 1970s. The band charted internationally with their song "You to Me Are Everything", which reached No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart. They also had successes with a string of British hits such as "Can't Get By Without You" and "Can You Feel the Force?". They returned to mainstream success in 1986 with the Decade Remix of "You to Me Are Everything". By number of sales, they were the most successful black rock/soul act in England during the 1970s. The journalist, author and founder of Mojo magazine Paul Du Noyer credits them alongside Deaf School with restoring "Liverpool's musical reputation in the 1970s" with their success.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wish I Didn't Miss You</span> 2002 single by Angie Stone

"Wish I Didn't Miss You" is a song by American recording artist Angie Stone. It was written by Ivan Matias and Andrea Martin for Stone's second studio album, Mahogany Soul (2001), while production was helmed by Matias, Martin and Swizz Beatz. The song features a sampled composition of the O'Jays's 1972 record "Back Stabbers" as written by Leon Huff, Gene McFadden, and John Whitehead. It was the last song played at Space nightclub in Ibiza before its initial closing, on October 3, 2016. It was played by Carl Cox.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don't Be a Fool</span> 1990 single by Loose Ends

"Don't Be a Fool" is a song performed by British contemporary R&B group Loose Ends, issued as the lead single from their fifth studio album Look How Long. Produced by band member Carl McIntosh, it is the first single from the band to not feature original members Jane Eugene and Steve Nichol; they both left the band following their previous album The Real Chuckeeboo and were subsequently replaced by Linda Carriere and Sunay Suleyman. Suleyman co-wrote the song with McIntosh.

<i>Look How Long</i> 1990 studio album by Loose Ends

Look How Long is the fifth and final studio album by British contemporary R&B group Loose Ends; released on 13 November 1990 via 10 Records in the United Kingdom and MCA Records in the United States. The album peaked at #124 on the Billboard 200 and #28 on the Billboard R&B chart in 1990. Produced by band member Carl McIntosh, it is the only album from the band to not feature original members Jane Eugene and Steve Nichol; they both left the band following their previous album The Real Chuckeeboo and were subsequently replaced by Linda Carriere and Sunay Suleyman both contributing singers & songwriter on the album.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Wynn, Ron. "Artist Biography". AllMusic . Retrieved 8 November 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Loose Ends Page". Soulwalking.co.uk. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
  3. 1 2 Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 328. ISBN   1-904994-10-5.
  4. Hogan, Ed. "Nick Martinelli Biography". AllMusic.
  5. https://m.imdb.com/title/tt12509702/
  6. Falconer, Daniel (13 November 2015). "Carl McIntosh talks about his top 10 career moments". Female First. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  7. Brenan, Victoria (18 April 2015). "Singer supports Glasgow fundraisers". The Glasgow Evening Times Newspaper. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
  8. Patrick, Ryan B. "How Loose Ends introduced Toronto to UK soul music in the 80s and 90s". Now Toronto Newspaper. Retrieved 8 November 2016.
  9. "Tying Up Some Loose Ends with Carl McIntosh, Hosted by Jeff 'Chairman' Mao" . Retrieved 9 March 2017.
  10. Greaves, Angie. "Angie Speaks to Carl McIntosh". Angie Greaves. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
  11. Rosenscein, Ari. "Sound Behind the Song: 'Hangin' on a String' by Loose Ends". The Roland Music Corporation. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
  12. "Carl McIntosh / Loose Ends (2014) – Soulinterviews.com – The Home of Soul Interviews" . Retrieved 4 January 2019.
  13. 1 2 3 "UK Charts > Loose Ends". Official Charts Company . Retrieved 23 February 2013.
  14. 1 2 "NLD Charts > Loose Ends". MegaCharts . Retrieved 23 February 2013.
  15. 1 2 "NZ Charts > Loose Ends". Recording Industry Association of New Zealand . Retrieved 23 February 2013.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 "US Charts > Loose Ends". Billboard . Archived from the original on 6 June 2012. Retrieved 23 February 2013.
  17. "Loose Ends: So Where Are You?". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 28 May 2013.
  18. "Loose Ends: Zagora". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 28 May 2013.
  19. "Loose Ends: Look How Long". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 28 May 2013.
  20. "IRE Charts Search > Loose Ends". Irish Recorded Music Association . Retrieved 23 February 2013.