Loose Ends (band)

British contemporary R&B group

Loose Ends (also known as Loose End) are a British R&B band that had several hit records throughout the 1980s and into the 1990s. The trio was formed in London in 1980, initially comprising vocalist and guitarist Carl McIntosh, vocalist Jane Eugene, and keyboard player and vocalist Steve Nichol. Despite having seen success throughout the 1980s, both Nichol and Eugene left the group in 1989, bringing an end to the band's most successful phase.

Loose Ends signed with Virgin Records in 1981 under the name 'Loose End'. Some of their debut material was written for them by Chris Amoo and Eddie Amoo, who had achieved UK Singles Chart success of their own in the 1970s, with their group The Real Thing. "Hangin' on a String" also reached No. 1 on the US Billboard R&B chart, making Loose Ends the first African British band ever to top that chart. They reached No. 16 with the single "Magic Touch" in the same year. Also in the same year, he participated in a charity fundraising event in Glasgow, Scotland in aid of supporting Gambia. In 2016, leading Toronto newspaper Now interviewed McIntosh on how he was seen as being responsible for introducing Toronto to UK soul music in the 1980s and 1990s. In 2017, McIntosh was asked by Red Bull Music Academy in the Australian city of Melbourne, to speak about how he previously produced Loose Ends' songs. During 2020, Smooth Radio presenter Angie Greaves interviewed McIntosh on how he continued with Loose Ends without the former members explaining how the group did not break up when two members left. Soon after, McIntosh was asked by Roland Corporation music to discuss and demonstrate how he produced the drum programming using the legendary Roland TR 808 drum machine for the hit song "Hangin' on a String (Contemplating)". McIntosh went into great detail explaining how it was produced. McIntosh continues to perform, writing new songs under the name Loose Ends with the line up from 1990, Linda Carriere and Sunay Suleyman. In 2021, Loose Ends signed a new record deal with the British hip hop label Digital Jukebox Records to release new singles and albums.

Year Album details Peaks UK NLD NZ US US R&B US Dance 1982 "In the Sky" — — — — — — — align=left rowspan="3" "We've Arrived" — — — — — — — 1983 "Don't Hold Back Your Love" — — — — — — — 1984 "Tell Me What You Want" 74 — — — — — 29 A Little Spice "Emergency (Dial 999)" 41 — — — — — — "Choose Me (Rescue Me)" 59 — — — — 47 25 1985 "Hangin' on a String (Contemplating)" 13 26 33 12 43 1 12 A Little Spice / So Where Are You? "Magic Touch" 16 23 — — — — — So Where Are You? "Golden Years" 59 — — — — — — 1986 "Stay a Little While, Child" 52 — — — — 18 49 Zagora "Slow Down" 27 — — — — 1 42 "Nights of Pleasure" 42 — — — — 58 — 1987 "Ooh, You Make Me Feel" 77 — — — — — — "You Can't Stop the Rain" — — — — — 32 — So Where Are You? / Zagora 1988 "Mr. Bachelor" 50 — — — — 11 — The Real Chuckeeboo "Watching You" 83 — — — — 2 — 1989 "Life" — — — — — 32 — 1990 "Don't Be a Fool" 13 — — — — 10 50 Look How Long "Love's Got Me" 40 — — — — 76 — 1991 "Cheap Talk" 92 — — — — 28 — "Time Is Ticking" — — — — — — — 1992 "Hangin' on a String" (Frankie Knuckles Remix) 25 — — — — — — Tighten Up Vol. 1 "Magic Touch" (Remix) 75 — — — — — — 1993 "My Way" — — — — — — — align=left rowspan="1" 2021 "Gonna Make You Mine (Forever More)" — — — — — — — align=left rowspan="1" "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.