Hello (The Beloved song)


"Hello" is a single by The Beloved released as the second single from their album Happiness. By peaking at no. 19 in the UK, on 17 February 1990, it was, at the time, their highest-charting single, a record it held for almost exactly 3 years, until "Sweet Harmony", the first single taken from the Conscience album, reached Number 8, on 18 January 1993, this way becoming the band's new highest-charting single, a record it still holds.
At least three additional remixes were exclusive to other formats: "Hello " and "Hello " appeared on the 12-inch vinyl version, and "Hello " appeared on both the cassette and 7-inch versions. In addition, a Razormaid! remix of the song appeared on the Razormaid! Anniversary 9.0 compilation album. As for "Hello " and "Hello," two of the five remixes of the main title on the CD single release, they would both later resurface on the following Blissed Out remix album, the sister release to Happiness, the second remix only featuring on the CD and MC editions of the work, but not on the vinyl LP, which only contained the first. The MC edition only of Blissed Out also included "Paradise," representing then previously unreleased sixth track on the "Hello" CD single.
The music video was inspired by the film Altered States

Names

As well as the names of some of the band members' friends, the song mentions a number of famous people, chosen to loosely fit a "saints and sinners" theme.
In alphabetical order, the people listed in the song are: Jeffrey Archer, Fred Astaire, Bobby Ball, Charlie Brown, Tommy Cannon, Billy Corkhill, Leslie Crowther, "Freddie" Flintstone, Paris Grey, Brian Hayes, Vince Hilaire, Barry Humphries, The LSO, Kym Mazelle, Mork and Mindy, Little Nell, Friedrich Nietzsche, Charlie Parker, André Previn, Little Richard, Salman Rushdie, Jean-Paul Sartre, The Supremes, William Tell, Sir Bufton Tufton, Desmond Tutu, Willy Wonka, Zippy and Bungle. There are also references to "Peter" and "Paul", presumably the Christian apostles Saint Peter and Saint Paul. "Chris and Do" are friends of the band while "Steve and Claire" are guitarist Steve Waddington and his girlfriend.
In lyrical order, the names mentioned are as follows: Peter, Paul, Tommy Cannon, Bobby Ball, Little Richard, Little Nell, Willy Wonka, William Tell, Salman Rushdie, Kym Mazelle, Mork & Mindy, Bryan Hayes, Barry Humphries, Paris Grey, Little Nietzsche, Chris, Do, Billy Corkhill, Vince Hilaire, Freddy Flintstone, Fred Astaire, Desmond Tutu, Steve, Claire, Charlie Parker, Charlie Brown, Leslie Crowther, Mary Wilson, Di and Flo, Sir Bufton Tufton, Jean-Paul Sartre, Zippy, Bungle, Jeffrey Archer, André Previn and LSO.
Kym Mazelle, mentioned in the song, sings backing vocals.

CD track listing

  1. "Hello " - 4:17
  2. "Hello " - 6:16
  3. "Hello " - 5:19
  4. "Hello " - 4:35
  5. "Hello " - 4:23
  6. "Paradise "

    12" single track listing (WEA UK release YZ426T and Atlantic US release 0-86235)

  7. "Hello " - 6:16
  8. "Hello " - 4:17
  9. "Hello " - 6:26

    Chart

Chart Peak
position
UK Singles Chart19
US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play4
US Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks6
US Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales22
Australian ARIA Singles Chart94