I.O.U._(Freeez_song)

I.O.U. (Freeez song)

I.O.U. (Freeez song)

1983 single By Freeez


"I.O.U." is a song by British musical group Freeez, released in 1983. The song was written and produced by Arthur Baker and remixed by Jellybean Benitez and Arthur Baker. The song was an international hit, reaching number two on the UK Singles Chart and topping the US Billboard Dance/Disco Top 80 chart, giving Freeez their only chart-topping single on any Billboard chart. It was the 18th-best-selling single of 1983 in the United Kingdom.

Quick Facts Single by Freeez, from the album Gonna Get You ...

In the UK, where clubbing culture had become accustomed to sophisticated jazz-funk music, I.O.U. was seen[by whom?] as "dumbing down" for commercial success, cashing in on the fashionable "electro" music scene. The accompanying video featured children with skateboards and BMX bicycles recreating New York hip-hop culture for a young audience unaware of the band's previous music.

In 1986, a 12-inch 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 reached number 23 on the UK Singles Chart.

Samples

The song has been sampled multiple times. Cutfather and Joe used a sample for their remix of Brandy's 2002 single "Full Moon"; Cheryl Cole for the song "Let's Get Down" from her 2010 album Messy Little Raindrops as does Wawa for the remix of StoneBridge's 2007 single S.O.S. Jamie xx uses a vocal sample for the song "Girl", which closes his debut solo album In Colour. In 2019, Detroit rapper Babytron of ShittyBoyz used this sample for the song "Jesus Shuttlesworth", the third track of his debut album Bin Reaper. In 2021 the international DJ/Producer Paolo Pellegrino used the sample and the chorus, and had a new song rewritten together with the singer and songwriter Shibui, also changing the title to Destiny.

Track listings

1983 releases

7-inch vinyl

  • UK: Beggars Banquet / BEG 96
  • Germany, Netherlands: Virgin / 105 535
  • US: Streetwise / SWRL-1110
  • Australia: Powderworks / POW 0146
More information No., Title ...
More information No., Title ...
  • Japan: Victor / VIPX-1742
More information No., Title ...
More information No., Title ...

12-inch vinyl

  • UK: Beggars Banquet / BEG 96(T)
  • Germany, France: Virgin / 600 902
  • Australia: Powderworks / POWT 0146
  • Spain: Beggars Banquet / F-600902
  • Canada: Vertigo / SOVX 2327
More information No., Title ...
More information No., Title ...
  • UK: Beggars Banquet / BEG 96TA
More information No., Title ...
More information No., Title ...
  • US: Streetwise / SWRL 2210 (some with second track on side two)
More information No., Title ...
More information No., Title ...

1986 releases

12-inch vinyl

  • US: Criminal / CRIM 00007
More information No., Title ...
More information No., Title ...

1987 releases

7-inch vinyl

  • UK: City Beat / CBE 709
More information No., Title ...
More information No., Title ...
  • Sweden: City Beat / BB 7105
More information No., Title ...
More information No., Title ...

12-inch vinyl

  • UK: City Beat / CBE 1209
  • France: Virgin / 80291
  • Germany: Virgin / 608 897
More information No., Title ...
More information No., Title ...
  • Sweden: City Beat / BB 8105
More information No., Title ...
More information No., Title ...

Personnel

Additional personnel for 1986/87 versions

  • Richard Scher – co-production
  • Graeme Durham – editor
  • Tim Palmer – editor
  • Arthur Baker – remix
  • Jay Burnett – remix
  • John Rocca – remix
  • Latin Rascals – remix
  • Raul Soto – remix

Charts

More information Chart (1983), Peak position ...

Certifications

More information Region, Certification ...

References

  1. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970-1992. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  2. Nyman, Jake (2005). Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN 951-31-2503-3.
  3. "InfoDisc : Les Tubes de chaque artiste commençant par F". Infodisc.fr. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
  4. "Vísir - 175. Tölublað (05.08.1983) - Tímarit.is". timarit.is. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
  5. "SA Charts 1965–March 1989". Retrieved 29 September 2020.
  6. "Jaaroverzichten 1983" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  7. "Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 1983" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  8. "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1983" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  9. "End of Year Charts 1983". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  10. "Top 100 Singles". Music Week. 7 January 1984. p. 6.
  11. "Top 100 Singles–Jahrescharts 1983" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 24 November 2023.

Share this article:

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article I.O.U._(Freeez_song), and is written by contributors. Text is available under a CC BY-SA 4.0 International License; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.