Loose Ends -

Loose Ends were an Afro-British soul-funk trio that released the 1984–86 Virgin albums A Little Spice, So Where Are You?, and Zagora and charted with “Magic Touch,” “Hangin’ on a String (Contemplating),” “Slow Down,” and “Stay a Little While, Child.” Their 1988–90 albums The Real Chuckeeboo and Look How Long landed further hits with “Mr. Bachelor,” “Watching You (Watching Me),” and “Don’t Be a Fool.”

Members: Carl McIntosh (vocals, guitar), Jane Eugene (vocals), Steve Nichol (keyboards)

Formation

They formed as Loose End (singular) in London in 1980 when keyboardist Steve Nichol teamed with singer Jane Eugene and bassist–singer Carl McIntosh.

Nichol attended the London Guildhall School of Music and Drama. In 1982, he played trumpet and keyboards with The Jam on their farewell tour. In the video to their UK No. 1 hit “Town Called Malice,” he appears behind an organ emblazoned with a light sign of the band’s name.

Virgin Records signed Loose End, which linked with the sound team of brothers Chris and Eddie Amoo, both veterans of seventies Liverpool soul-funksters The Real Thing.

1982–83 Singles

On May 21, 1982, Loose End debuted with “In the Sky,” a Steve Nichol original backed with “Only a Day Away,” a co-write with Jane Eugene (credited as J. Sendell). The Amoo brothers produced both sides, which feature Nichol on trumpet, piano, Fender electric piano.

A. “In the Sky”
B. “Only a Day Away”

Loose End are supplemented here by saxophonist Lloyd Dwyer, synthesist Godfrey Wang, and ex-Real Thing drummer Nigel Martinez. Wang and Martinez also appear on 1982 titles by Billy Ocean and Light of the World. Nigel also plays on one track (“Far Cry”) on Marvin Gaye‘s 1981 album In Out Lifetime. In addition to the standard release, the single appeared as a three-track 12″ with an instrumental version of “In the Sky.”

On subsequent releases, the group identifies as Loose Ends (plural).

In October 1982, Loose Ends released their second single: “We’ve Arrived,” a song co-written and co-produced by James George Hargreaves and Tony Ajagbe (b/w “In the Sky”).

A. “We’ve Arrived” (3:44) also came in two 12″ variants: the US Mix (5:44) and the UK Mix (6:02).

A. “Don’t Hold Back Your Love”
B. “No Stranger to Darkness”

(more to come)

Discography: