Loose Ends

Formed in London in 1980, the British R&B and funk band Loose Ends has been scoring hits all decade long. The trio of Carl McIntosh (vocals, guitar), Jane Eugene (vocals) and Steve Nichol (keyboards) signed to Virgin Records and recorded three singles before enjoying success with the album A Little Spice (1984), featuring three chart-topping tracks including "Hangin' on a String (Contemplating)" (#13 UK, #1 US R&B). The trajectory is maintained in singles sales with "Magic Touch" (no. 16), taken from the album So Where Are You? (1985) or "Slow Down" (no. 27 UK and no. 1 US R&B) and three other songs from Zagora (1986). In 1988, The Real Chuckeeboo came to the fore with "Watching You" (#1 R&B in the U.S.) and its successor, Look How Long (1990), shone the trio's last light with "Don't Be a Fool" (#13 and #10 respectively in the same charts). The band had already split up when DJ Frankie Knuckles remixed "Hangin' on a String" in 1992. McIntosh revived the Loose Ends name in 1998 for a collaboration with Pete Rock, and again in 2021 with the single "Gonna Make You Mine (Forever More)".