Monday, February 20, 2012

I've Been Thinking About You - Londonbeat

ALL TIME GREATEST SINGLES - #973
I'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT YOU
Londonbeat
(J. Chambers, J. Helms, G. Chandler, W. Henshall)

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Chart Entry: 13th January, 1991
Highest Position: #1
Accreditation: Platinum
Points: 103,544
From the album "In The Blood".


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"I've Been Thinking About You" was all ready to go for Londonbeat's debut album, Speak, released in 1988. The band was advised by various record companies to hold off the singles' release in favour of establishing themselves in the industry and find their target audience, so it was a two year wait before the band could enjoy their worldwide hit when it finally surfaced on 1990's In The Blood.

Londonbeat were deceptively named as only multi-instrumentalist, William Henshall, can lay claim to the British tag. Americans Jimmy Helms and George Chandler joined the line-up while Jimmy Chambers, from Trinidad, added a third layer to the multi-culteral band. And just to further confuse everyone, Londonbeat actually started their career in The Netherlands where their first hit, "There's A Beat Going On", hit the Top Ten.

"I've Been Thinking About You" returned some much needed pop to the top of the Australian charts early 1991, after a run of rap, 60's nostalgia and Aussie rock tied up the #1 position for three months. And it was a welcome return, Londonbeat enjoying a four week run at the top which also spread throughout Europe in The Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, Austria and Germany. But the crowning glory of Londonbeat's success was a solitary week on top of the US Billboard charts during April 1991, also converting to a top spot berth on their Dance Club Play charts.

With all their success, Londonbeat became more and more established in England, eventually vying to represent the country in the 1995 Eurovision Song Contest. They didn't quite make it through the heats, but the guys enjoyed a nice consolation with a comeback to the Australian charts with the aptly named, "Come Back", hitting our Top 20 and accredited Gold by the end of 1995.

"I've Been Thinking About You" came out of the 90's as one the best pop delights from a decade that saw almost every genre of music top the charts. After almost a decade out of the limelight, Londonbeat re-grouped in 2003 to release Back In The Hi-Life featuring re-recordings of their #1 hit and the follow-up, "A Better Love". Another album came the following year in the form of Gravity which rounded off Londonbeat's release schedule, however, members of the band have popped up here and there on various releases since.

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Chart Run: 43.13.6.3.2.1.1.1.1.2.5.7.9.13.18.28.37.61.68.93 (20 weeks)
(ARIA Top 100)

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