New Beginning (Bucks Fizz song)

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"New Beginning (Mamba Seyra)"
Bucks Fizz - New Beginning.jpg
Single by Bucks Fizz
from the album Writing on the Wall
B-side "In Your Eyes"
ReleasedMay 1986
RecordedJanuary - February 1986
Genre Pop
Length4.03
Label Polydor
Songwriter(s) Mike Myers, Tony Gibber
Producer(s) Mike Myers, Andy Hill
Bucks Fizz singles chronology
"Magical"
(1985)
"New Beginning (Mamba Seyra)"
(1986)
"Love the One You're With"
(1986)

"New Beginning (Mamba Seyra)" (often referred to as simply "New Beginning") is a song by UK pop group Bucks Fizz. It was released as a single in 1986 (their first release on Polydor Records) and was a comeback hit, achieving their highest chart placing for four years.

Contents

Overview

Background

The song was written by Mike Myers and Tony Gibber and was produced by Myers along with the group's regular producer Andy Hill. According to the group, the recording of the song took an unusually long time due to the vocal tracks. As well as the group recording their vocals repeatedly, there was also a children's choir and gospel choir used on the track. The musicians in the studio also were used on distant back-up vocals. Member Cheryl Baker remembers one version where Hill instructed them to deliberately sing out of tune, which she found difficult. [1] Many of the vocals were recorded at the newly opened Terminal 24 studios in South London due to its distinctive vocal acoustics. [2] The original mix of the song was completed in February 1986. [3]

"New Beginning" (as it is very often more simply referred) was originally recorded a year earlier by Force 8 - who were actually pop group The Dooleys under an assumed name. [4] The theme of the song is one of hope where the narrator talks about building a happier world, with some parts of the song sung in Swahili and Spanish. [5] The video for the single depicts the group performing the song in a Metropolis-type setting backed by dancers and drummers - due to the heavy drum sound on the track. [6]

Release and reception

The song was released in May 1986 and was seen as a comeback single as it was their first release in eight months and featured new member Shelley Preston who had replaced Jay Aston a year earlier. [7] It was also their first release on new record label, Polydor after their five-year contract with RCA had finished. The song was notable for its full and lavish production and multi-layered vocal work and received much praise from critics as well as becoming very popular on radio. Number One magazine said it was another "pop epic by Andy Hill". [8] The song became a big hit in the Summer of 1986. After entering at No.55, the song rose sharply to No.24 becoming instantly their biggest hit for three years. Two weeks later the single entered the top 10 at number eight where it stayed the following week. The song remained on the charts for 10 weeks and became the 93rd biggest-seller of the year. [9] "New Beginning" achieved their highest chart position for four years, but was also their last top 40 hit. [9] The group promoted the song on several television shows including Top of the Pops , which Preston recalls as being embarrassing as her costume went missing. While the rest of the group wore the clothes from the videos shoot she was given a very slight leotard to wear. Ultimately she covered herself up with a long-tailed jacket borrowed from a friend. [10]

"New Beginning" was followed up by a cover of the Stephen Stills song "Love The One You're With" and featured on the group's final studio album, Writing on the Wall, which was released at the end of the year. Several versions of the song have been released. The album version differed slightly from the 7" mix in that member Bobby G features prominently on backing vocals at the end - a version that was used in the video. As well as this, two 12" singles were released: one with an extended version of the song, the other an extended mix by dance producer Ian Levine. On the Writing on the Wall CD re-issue in 2004, a largely instrumental extended version of the song was included as a bonus track. The song remains among the group's most highly regarded work. [11]

Track listing

7"
  1. "New Beginning (Mamba Seyra)" (4.03)
  2. "In Your Eyes" (4.19)
12"
  1. "New Beginning (Mamba Seyra) (extended version)" (7.30)
  2. "In Your Eyes" (4.19)
  3. "I Need Your Love" (4.40)
2nd 12"
  1. "New Beginning (Mamba Seyra) (as "New") (Ian Levine remix)" (9.24)
  2. "In Your Eyes" (4.19)
  3. "I Need Your Love" (4.40)
3rd 12" [12]
  1. "New Beginning (Mamba Seyra) (Ian Levine remix)" (9.24)
  2. "New Beginning (Mamba Seyra) (Ian Levine remix - Dub version)" (8.23)
  3. "New Beginning (Mamba Seyra)" (4.03)

Charts

CountryPeak
position
UK8
Ireland [13] 11
The Netherlands [14] 24
Belgium [15] 22

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bucks Fizz</span> English pop group (1981–2018)

Bucks Fizz were an English pop group that achieved success in the 1980s, most notably for winning the 1981 Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Making Your Mind Up". The group was formed in January 1981 specifically for the contest and comprised four vocalists: Bobby G, Cheryl Baker, Mike Nolan and Jay Aston. They received attention for the dance routine which accompanied the song, in which the male members of the group ripped the female members' outer skirts off to reveal much shorter mini-skirts beneath. The group went on to have a successful career around the world, but the UK remained their biggest market, where they had three No.1 singles with "Making Your Mind Up" (1981), "The Land of Make Believe" (1981) and "My Camera Never Lies" (1982) and became one of the top-selling groups of the 1980s. They also had UK Top 10 hits with "Now Those Days Are Gone" (1982), "If You Can't Stand the Heat" (1982), "When We Were Young" (1983) and "New Beginning " (1986). Bucks Fizz have sold over 50 million records worldwide.

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References

  1. The Very Best of Bucks Fizz sleeve notes
  2. "On The Flight Deck at Terminal 24 (SOS Oct 86)". www.muzines.co.uk. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
  3. The Lost Masters sleeve notes
  4. "Pop Fantasia - The Dooleys - Discography". Archived from the original on 3 January 2008. Retrieved 10 September 2008.
  5. bucksfizzlyrics.net - New Beginning song lyrics
  6. "bucksfizzearlyyears.co.uk - video shots". Archived from the original on 30 April 2008. Retrieved 8 July 2008.
  7. bbc.co.uk - Bucks Fizz
  8. Kane, Michael (22 December 2012), Page 38 - Number One Magazine - Issue 155 - 7th June 1986 - Communards, Peter Gabriel, AHa , retrieved 5 March 2021
  9. 1 2 "Bucks Fizz - Full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
  10. The Bucks Fizz Story DVD, Glassbeach Productions Ltd. 2010
  11. bucksfizzearlyyears.co.uk - Bucks Fizz top 40 Archived 2007-05-29 at the Wayback Machine
  12. 2nd 12" release
  13. Irishcharts.ie - Irish Chart details
  14. Dutch chart details
  15. Belgian chart details