| London Beat | |
|---|---|
| Origin | United Kingdom and United States |
| Genres | R&B, Dance |
| Years active | 1988–present |
| Labels | Anxious Records |
| Members | |
| Jimmy Helms Jimmy Chambers Myles Kayne |
|
| Past members | |
| George Chandler William Henshall Marc Goldschmitz |
|
Londonbeat was originally a British and American R&B and Dance band who scored a number of pop and dance hits in the early 1990s.
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Londonbeat's career started in the Netherlands where "There's a Beat Going On" reached the Top 10, and then "9 A.M (The Comfort Zone)" 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 #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the Hot Dance Music/Club Play charts in 1991, and for their close harmonies. Original Management Hyperkinetics Ltd London UK
A demo of "I've Been Thinking About You" surfaced on audio cassettes and circulated amongst record companies around the time Londonbeat released their debut 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 the internet's attention in a link to a Londonbeat on a German message board in 2006. German magazines, however, reported on the song just as Speak was being released in 1988.
In 1995, Londonbeat entered the UK heats of the Eurovision Song Contest with "I'm Just Your Puppet on a ... (String)", however they were not selected to go to the main contest (losing out to rap group Love City Groove) and the single stalled at Number 55 in the UK Singles Chart.
In 2003, Londonbeat re-grouped with a new line up and signed to German record label Coconut. An album called Back in the Hi-Life featured re-recordings of "A Better Love" and "I've Been Thinkin' About You" amongst the new tracks.
Marc Goldschmitz left the band in 2004. Living in Berlin now, he currently plays guitar in the band "Leash".[1]
In 2011 Londonbeat were featured on two tracks on The Crossing (Expansion Records) by Brazilian pianist Eumir Deodato, the title track (with guest percussionist Paco Sery) and No Getting Over You.
Band members include Americans Jimmy Helms (who also had a successful solo career and sang radio jingles for the likes of Radio Hallam[2] and Hereward Radio in the UK [3]) and George Chandler (formerly a founding member and frontman of The Olympic Runners); with Jimmy Chambers (born 20 January 1946), from Trinidad, and multi-instrumentalist William Henshall UK born (credited as Willy M). Their follow-up single "A Better Love" became a Billboard Hot 100 Top 20 hit, and they returned to #1 on the dance chart with "Come Back" (Hot 100 #62).