I.O.U. (song)

"I.O.U."
Single by Freeez
from the album I.O.U.
B-side "I Dub U"
"We Got the Jazz"
Released June 17, 1983
Format 7" vinyl, 12" vinyl, CD (1987)
Recorded 1983, Unique Recording Studios, New York City
Genre Synthpop, Freestyle
Length 7:50 (12" version)
Label Beggars Banquet (UK)
Streetwise (US),
Victor Industries (JP),
Virgin (Germany),
Vertigo (Canada),
Criminal (US, 1986),
Citybeat (UK, 1987)
Writer(s) Arthur Baker
Producer Arthur Baker
Freeez singles chronology
"One to One"
(1982)		 "I.O.U."
(1983)		 "Pop Goes My Love"/"Scratch Goes My Dub"
(1983)
Freeez singles chronology
"Train of Thoughts"
(1985)		 "I.O.U."
(remix)
(1987)		 "Southern Freeez"
(remix)
(1987)

"I.O.U." is a song from 1983 by British musical group Freeez, their most successful hit.

The song scored #2 in the UK Singles Chart[1] earlier in 1983 before reaching the top of the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart in the U.S.[2], giving them their only chart-topping single on any chart in America. It then became the 20th best-selling single of 1983 in the United Kingdom. "I.O.U." was used for the 1984 breakdance movie, Beat Street. The chorus is often erroneously sung by listeners as "A-E, A-E I-O-U and sometimes Y", referring to the vowels of the alphabet. It is actually "A-E, A-E, I-O-U I sometimes cry".

During 1986 a 12" single was released in the US by the Criminal Records company, with new remixes. Some of these remixes were given a re-release during 1987 in the UK for the Citybeat label as "I.O.U. (The Ultimate Mixes '87)", however, it only scored #23 in the UK Singles Chart this time.[3]

Contents

Samples

The song has been sampled (imitated) several times. Cutfather and Joe used a sample for their remix of Brandy's 2002 single "Full Moon" as does Cheryl Cole for the song "Let's Get Down" from her 2010 album Messy Little Raindrops.

Track listings

1983 releases

7" vinyl
Side one
No. Title Length
1. "I.O.U."   3:48
Side two
No. Title Length
1. "I Dub U"   4:38
Side one
No. Title Length
1. "I.O.U."    
Side two
No. Title Length
1. "Pop Goes My Love"    
12" vinyl
Side one
No. Title Length
1. "I.O.U." (Megamix) 8:43
Side two
No. Title Length
1. "I Dub U"   7:37
2. "We Got the Jazz"   4:04
Side one
No. Title Length
1. "I.O.U." (Megamix) 8:43
Side two
No. Title Length
1. "I.O.U." (Accapella Mix) 4:03
2. "We Got the Jazz"   4:04
Side one
No. Title Length
1. "I.O.U."   7:50
Side two
No. Title Length
1. "I. Dub. U."   7:49
2. "Acapella U." (not on all releases) 2:50

1986 releases

12" vinyl
Side one
No. Title Length
1. "I.O.U." (Ultimate Club, Vocal Mix) 8:00
2. "I.O.U." (Ultimate Drumapella) 4:10
Side two
No. Title Length
1. "I.O.U." (Ultimate Shakedown Gogo, Vocal Mix) 6:37
2. "I.O.U." (Ultimate Club, Dub Mix) 6:50

1987 releases

7" vinyl
Side one
No. Title Length
1. "I.O.U." (Club Vocal Edit) 3:55
Side two
No. Title Length
1. "I.O.U." (Shakedown Vocal Edit) 3:55
Side one
No. Title Length
1. "I.O.U." (Shakedown) 3:55
Side two
No. Title Length
1. "I.O.U." (Club) 4:00
12" vinyl
Side one
No. Title Length
1. "I.O.U." (Ultimate Club Dub Mix) 6:32
2. "I.O.U." (Ultimate Club Vocal Mix) 6:02
Side two
No. Title Length
1. "I.O.U." (Ultimate Shakedown Vocal Mix) 6:37
2. "I.O.U." (Ultimate Shakedown Instrumental Mix) 5:18
Side one
No. Title Length
1. "I.O.U." (Ultimate Shakedown Vocal Mix) 6:40
2. "I.O.U." (Ultimate Shakedown Instrumental Mix) 5:25
Side two
No. Title Length
1. "I.O.U." (Ultimate Club Vocal Mix) 6:10
2. "I.O.U." (Ultimate Club Dub Mix) 6:35

Chart performance

Chart (1983) Peak
position
UK Singles Chart[1] 2
Dutch GfK chart[4] 2
Dutch Top 40[5] 2
Irish Singles Chart[6] 6
Swedish Singles Chart[7] 12
Swiss Singles Chart[8] 5
US Billboard Black Singles[2] 13
US Billboard Club Play Singles[2] 1
Chart (1987) Peak
position
UK Singles Chart[3] 23
Irish Singles Chart[6] 26
US Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales[2] 37
US Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play[2] 18
Preceded by
"(Keep Feeling) Fascination" by The Human League		 Billboard Hot Dance Club Play number-one single
16 July 1983 - 23 July 1983		 Succeeded by
"State Farm" / "Nobody's Diary" by Yazoo

Personnel

additional personnel for 1986/87 versions

References

  1. ^ a b "Chart Stats - Freeez - IOU". http://www.chartstats.com/songinfo.php?id=10750. Retrieved 31 July 2009 (2009-07-31). 
  2. ^ a b c d e "Freeez > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles". allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p17700/charts-awards. Retrieved 31 July 2009 (2009-07-31). 
  3. ^ a b "Chart Stats - Freeez - IOU {1987}". http://www.chartstats.com/songinfo.php?id=13989. Retrieved 31 July 2009 (2009-07-31). 
  4. ^ "dutchcharts.nl - Freeez - I. O. U. (Dutch)". http://dutchcharts.nl/showitem.asp?interpret=Freeez&titel=I.+O.+U.&cat=s. Retrieved 31 July 2009 (2009-07-31). 
  5. ^ "De Nederlandse Top 40 - week 33, 1983 (Dutch)". http://www.top40.nl/index.aspx?week=33&jaar=1983. Retrieved 31 July 2009 (2009-07-31). 
  6. ^ a b "irishcharts.ie search results". http://www.irishcharts.ie/search/placement. Retrieved 31 July 2009 (2009-07-31). 
  7. ^ "swedishcharts.com - Freeez - I. O. U.". http://swedishcharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Freeez&titel=I.+O.+U.&cat=s. Retrieved 31 July 2009 (2009-07-31). 
  8. ^ "Freeez - I. O. U. - hitparade.ch (German)". http://hitparade.ch/showitem.asp?interpret=Freeez&titel=I.+O.+U.&cat=s. Retrieved 31 July 2009 (2009-07-31). 
Freeez
Studio albums
Southern Freeez (1981)  · Gonna Get You (1983) · Idle Vice (1985)
"Best of" albums"
Freeez Frame! (The Best Of) (1993) · The Best Of Freeez - The Ultimate Collection (1996)
Singles
"Keep In Touch" · "Southern Freeez" · "Flying High" · One To One" · "I.O.U." · "Pop Goes My Love"/"Scratch Goes My Dub" · "Love's Gonna Get You" · "That Beats My Patience" · "Train of Thoughts" · "I.O.U. (remix)" · "Southern Freeez (remix)"
Production
Related articles
Discography · IOU