Londonbeat

Londonbeat is an American R&B and Dance band who scored a number of pop and dance hits in the early 1990s.

History

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.

Band members include Americans Jimmy Helms (who also had a successful solo career and sang radio jingles) 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 (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).

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.^[1]

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, for his German indie-pop project, die Unerklärlichen.^[2]

Members

1980s and 1990s

• Jimmy Helms
• Jimmy Chambers
• George Chandler
• William Henshall (Willy M)

2000s

• Jimmy Helms
• Jimmy Chambers
• Charles Pierre
• Myles Kayne
• Marc Goldschmitz

Trivia

Lists of miscellaneous information should be avoided. Please relocate any relevant information into appropriate sections or articles. (February 2009)

• Helms, Chandler and Chambers performed backing vocals on "Good Thing", "Tell Me What" and "It's OK (It's Alright)" on Fine Young Cannibals 1988 album The Raw and The Cooked.

• Londonbeat was signed to David A. Stewart's Anxious Records label.

• Chambers and Chandler performed backing vocals on Paul Young's albums The Secret of Association (1985) and Other Voices (1990, where Jimmy Helms performed as well).

• The group performed backing vocals on Deacon Blue's "When Will You Make My Telephone Ring" (1987).

• Three members of the band, Chandler, Helms and Chambers, performed backing vocals on Godley & Creme's album Goodbye Blue Sky (1988).

• The group performed backing vocals on the title track of Shakespears Sister's debut album Sacred Heart (1989).

• The group performed backing vocals on the title track of Dead or Alive's album Fan the Flame (Part 1) (1990).

• Helms had a solo UK Top 10 hit in 1973 with "Gonna Make You an Offer You Can't Refuse".

• Chambers sang backing vocals for Elkie Brooks.

Discography

Albums

Singles

See also

• List of number-one hits (United States)
• List of artists who reached number one on the Hot 100 (U.S.)
• List of number-one dance hits (United States)
• List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance chart

References