The Beloved

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This article is about the British electronic music group. For the American Christian metalcore/post-hardcore band, see Beloved (band).

The Beloved are a British electronic dance music group. In 1983, Jon Marsh placed an advert in the music press which read as follows:

I am Jon Marsh, founder member of the Beloved. Should you too wish to do something gorgeous, meet me in exactly three year's time at exactly 11am in Diana's Diner, or site thereof, Covent Garden, London, WC2.

At the meeting in 1986, Cambridge graduate Steve Waddington was present and the two formed the core, with Tim Havard and Guy Gausden completing the lineup. The band originally had a guitar orientated sound, but soon began using drum machines and dance elements. They sounded at times like New Order, and a summation of this stage of their career can be found on the compilation "Where It Is". After slimming down to a two piece consisting of Marsh and Waddington, they began to embrace a dance sound more wholeheartedly, and in 1988 the single "The Sun Rising" became a club favourite, and crossed over to the pop chart, peaking at #26 in the UK. "The Sun Rising" featured a sample of "O Euchari" by Emily Van Evera, a sample also used by Orbital on their tune "Belfast". This was followed by the album Happiness in 1990, from which the hit single "Hello" was released.

By 1993, Waddington left the group and was replaced by Jon Marsh's wife Helena, who was working as a purchaser for the Parisian fashion house Comme des Garçons, for the album Conscience. The band faced some controversy for the video of the single "Sweet Harmony" which consisted of a naked Marsh among a group of women, also naked (although it was shot and edited so as not to show anything which might cause it to be censored). One of the nude stars of this video is British television presenter Tess Daly. By this time the project had dropped the definite article from its name and was now simply called Beloved. "Sweet Harmony" has since been used in Homebase advertising.

Beloved singles continue to be remixed and the band has not been formally wound up, but Jon Marsh has for some ten years been concentrating on his flourishing career as a club dj, as well as the raising of his young family. Jon has collaborated with Steve Waddington and others on new material although this is still unfinished as of May 2008.

Contents

[edit] Discography

Chart placings are from the UK Singles Chart/UK Albums Chart,[1] except those marked *, which are from the UK Indie Chart.[2]

[edit] Albums

  • Where It Is (Flim Flam, HARPCD2, 1989) #17*
  • Happiness (Atlantic 1990) UK #14, US #154
  • Blissed Out (East West 1990) UK #38
  • Conscience (East West 1993) UK #2
  • X (East West 1996) UK #25
  • Single File (East West 1997)
  • The Sun Rising (WEA 2005)

[edit] Singles

  • "A Hundred Words" (April 1986) #15*
  • "This Means War" (September 1986) #22*
  • "Happy Now" (March 1987) #22*
  • "Surprise Me" / "Forever Dancing" (June 13, 1987) #15*
  • "Loving Feeling" / "Acid Love" (October 1988)
  • "Your Love Takes Me Higher" (January 1989) UK #91
  • "The Sun Rising" (September 1989) UK #26
  • "Hello" (January 5, 1990) UK #19
  • "Your Love Takes Me Higher" (reissue) (1990) UK #39
  • "The Sun Rising" (reissue) (1990)
  • "Time After Time" (1990) UK #46
  • "It's Alright Now" (1990) UK #48
  • "Sweet Harmony" (January 18, 1993) UK #8
  • "Celebrate Your Life" / "You've Got Me Thinking" (March 2, 1993) UK #23
  • "Outer Space Girl" (July 1993) UK #38
  • "Rock to the Rhythm of Love" (1993)
  • "Satellite" (March 16, 1996) UK #19
  • "Deliver Me" (June 30, 1996)
  • "Ease the Pressure" (July 29, 1996) UK #43
  • "The Sun Rising (remix)" (August 1997) UK #31
  • "With You" (2000)
  • "Timeslip" (2000)

[edit] Promos

  • "Up, Up, and Away"
  • "The Remix EP" (1990)
  • "1000 Years From Today" (1990)
  • "Let the Music Take You"
  • "Crystal Wave" (March 1994)
  • "Sampler" (1996)
  • "Physical Love" / "3 Steps to Heaven" (1996)

[edit] References

  1. ^ Strong, Martin C. (1999). The Great Alternative & Indie Discography. Canongate. ISBN 0-86241-913-1. 
  2. ^ Lazell, Barry (1997). Indie Hits 1980-1999. Cherry Red Books. ISBN 0-9517206-9-4. 

[edit] External links