Londonbeat is a British-American dance-pop band who scored a number of pop and dance hits in the early 1990s. Band members are American Jimmy Helms ; Jimmy Chambers, from Trinidad, and Charles Pierre. Former members include multi-instrumentalist William Henshall ; George Chandler ; Marc Goldschmitz and Myles Kayne.
History
Londonbeat's career started in the Netherlands where "There's a Beat Going On" reached the Top 10, and then "9 A.M " which subsequently became a modest success in the United Kingdom. They are best known for their song "I've Been Thinking About You", which hit Number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the Hot Dance Music/Club Playcharts in 1991, and for their close harmonies. Their follow-up single, "A Better Love", became a Billboard Hot 100 Top 20 hit, and they returned to Number 1 on the dance chart with "Come Back".
Demos
A demo of "I've Been Thinking About You" surfaced on audio cassettes and circulated amongst record companies around the time Londonbeat released their début in 1988. "I've Been Thinking About You" was originally intended for release on Speak. However, record labels advised the band to hold off releasing the song on their debut LP so that the band could, as labels said, "...find its footing; develop an audience". The demo recording, originally completed in late 1987, is currently circulating on the Internet, and originally brought to public attention in a link on a German message board in 2006. German magazines, however, reported on the song just as Speak was being released in 1988.
Comeback
In 1995, Londonbeat entered the UK heats of the Eurovision Song Contest with "I'm Just Your Puppet on a... ". However, they were not selected to enter the main contest and the single stalled at Number 55 on the UK Singles Chart. In 2003, Londonbeat re-grouped with a new lineup and signed to German record labelCoconut. An album called Back in the Hi-Life featured re-recordings of "A Better Love" and "I've Been Thinking About You" among the new tracks. Marc Goldschmitz left the band in 2004. Currently living in Berlin, he now plays guitar in the band Leash. In 2011, Londonbeat were featured on two tracks on The Crossing by Brazilian pianist Eumir Deodato, the title track and "No Getting Over You". In 2019, Londonbeat collaborated with German DJ, Klaas, who remixed Londonbeat's number one hit "I've Been Thinking About You". The remix reached Top 10 in the Billboard Dance Charts.
Other information
Chambers and Chandler were backing vocalists for Paul Young's 1985 albumThe Secret Of Association. Jimmy Helms, George Chandler & Jimmy Chambers were also backing vocals on the Deacon Blue single "When Will You Make My Telephone Ring" and Fine Young Cannibals album The Raw and the Cooked on three songs: "Good Thing", "Tell Me What" and "It's OK ". Chandler, Chambers and Helms were also backing vocals on the Godley & Creme single "A Little Piece of Heaven", and the 1988 album "Goodbye Blue Sky".
