I.O.U. (Freeez song)

"I.O.U." is a song from 1983 by British musical group Freeez, their most successful hit. The song "IOU", was written & produced by Arthur Baker and remixed by Jellybean Benitez & Arthur Baker.

"I.O.U."
Single by Freeez
from the album Gonna Get You
B-side
  • "I Dub U"
  • "We Got the Jazz"
ReleasedJune 17, 1983
Recorded1983, Unique Recording Studios, New York City
Genre
Length7:50 (12" version)
3:49 (7" version)
LabelBeggars Banquet (UK)
Streetwise (US),
Victor Industries (JP),
Virgin (Germany),
Vertigo (Canada),
Criminal (US, 1986),
Citybeat (UK, 1987)
Songwriter(s)Arthur Baker
Producer(s)Arthur Baker
Freeez singles chronology
"One to One"
(1982)		 "I.O.U."
(1983)		 "[[Pop Goes My Love/Scratch Goes My Dub|Pop Goes My Love next_title = Scratch Goes My Dub]]"
(1983)
Freeez singles chronology
"Train of Thoughts"
(1985)		 ""I.O.U."
(remix)"
(1987)		 ""Southern Freeez"
(remix)"
(1987)

The song was an international hit. The record scored #2 in the UK Singles Chart[1] earlier in 1983 before reaching the top of the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart in the U.S.,[2] giving them their only chart-topping single on any chart in America. It then became the 20th best-selling single of 1983 in the United Kingdom. "I.O.U." was used for the 1984 breakdance movie, Beat Street. The chorus is often erroneously sung by listeners as "A-E, A-E I-O-U, and sometimes Y", referring to the vowels of the alphabet. It is actually "A-E, A-E, I-O-U, U, I sometimes cry" and "A-E, A-E, I-O-U, U, I sometimes lie".

During 1986 a 12" 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 scored #23 in the UK Singles Chart this time.[3]

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.

Pop Culture

A snippet of IOU can be heard in the seventh episode of the third season of the TV show Better Call Saul.

Track listings

1983 releases
7" vinyl
  • UK: Beggars Banquet / BEG 96
  • Germany, Netherlands: Virgin / 105 535
  • US: Streetwise / SWRL-1110
  • Australia: Powderworks / POW 0146
Side one
No.TitleLength
1."I.O.U."3:48
Side two
No.TitleLength
1."I Dub U"4:38
  • Japan: Victor / VIPX-1742
Side one
No.TitleLength
1."I.O.U." 
Side two
No.TitleLength
1."Pop Goes My Love" 
12" 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
Side one
No.TitleLength
1."I.O.U." (Megamix)8:43
Side two
No.TitleLength
1."I Dub U"7:37
2."We Got the Jazz"4:04
  • UK: Beggars Banquet / BEG 96TA
Side one
No.TitleLength
1."I.O.U." (Megamix)8:43
Side two
No.TitleLength
1."I.O.U." (Accapella Mix)4:03
2."We Got the Jazz"4:04
  • US: Streetwise / SWRL 2210 (some with second track on side two)
Side one
No.TitleLength
1."I.O.U."7:50
Side two
No.TitleLength
1."I. Dub. U."7:49
2."Acapella U." (not on all releases)2:50

1986 releases
12" vinyl
  • US: Criminal / CRIM 00007
Side one
No.TitleLength
1."I.O.U." (Ultimate Club, Vocal Mix)8:00
2."I.O.U." (Ultimate Drumapella)4:10
Side two
No.TitleLength
1."I.O.U." (Ultimate Shakedown Gogo, Vocal Mix)6:37
2."I.O.U." (Ultimate Club, Dub Mix)6:50

1987 releases
7" vinyl
  • UK: City Beat / CBE 709
Side one
No.TitleLength
1."I.O.U." (Club Vocal Edit)3:55
Side two
No.TitleLength
1."I.O.U." (Shakedown Vocal Edit)3:55
  • Sweden: City Beat / BB 7105
Side one
No.TitleLength
1."I.O.U." (Shakedown)3:55
Side two
No.TitleLength
1."I.O.U." (Club)4:00
12" vinyl
  • UK: City Beat / CBE 1209
  • France: Virgin / 80291
  • Germany: Virgin / 608 897
Side one
No.TitleLength
1."I.O.U." (Ultimate Club Dub Mix)6:32
2."I.O.U." (Ultimate Club Vocal Mix)6:02
Side two
No.TitleLength
1."I.O.U." (Ultimate Shakedown Vocal Mix)6:37
2."I.O.U." (Ultimate Shakedown Instrumental Mix)5:18
  • Sweden: City Beat / BB 8105
Side one
No.TitleLength
1."I.O.U." (Ultimate Shakedown Vocal Mix)6:40
2."I.O.U." (Ultimate Shakedown Instrumental Mix)5:25
Side two
No.TitleLength
1."I.O.U." (Ultimate Club Vocal Mix)6:10
2."I.O.U." (Ultimate Club Dub Mix)6:35

Chart performance
Chart (1983) Peak
position
Australian Kent Music Report[4] 3
UK Singles Chart[1] 2
Dutch GfK chart[5] 2
Dutch Top 40[6] 2
Irish Singles Chart[7] 5
South African Singles Charts[8] 3
Swedish Singles Chart[9] 12
Swiss Singles Chart[10] 5
US Billboard Black Singles[2] 13
US Billboard Club Play Singles[2] 1
West German Singles Chart[11] 8
Chart (1987) Peak
position
UK Singles Chart[3] 23
Irish Singles Chart[7] 26
US Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales[2] 37
US Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play[2] 18

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
gollark: Yes.
gollark: I'm not sure if it counts as defacement since it's underground.
gollark: <@114827439070248961>
gollark: Anyway, is it against the rules to construct vast underground tunnel networks?
gollark: Endermen can teleport.

References
  1. "The Official Charts Company - Freeez - IOU". Retrieved 31 July 2009.
  2. "Freeez > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles". allmusic. Retrieved 31 July 2009.
  3. "The Official Charts Company - Freeez - IOU 1987". Retrieved 31 July 2009.
  4. Kent, David. Australian Chart Book 1970-1992. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  5. "dutchcharts.nl - Freeez - I. O. U." (in Dutch). Retrieved 31 July 2009.
  6. "De Nederlandse Top 40 - week 33, 1983" (in Dutch). Retrieved 31 July 2009.
  7. "irishcharts.ie search results". Archived from the original on 3 June 2009. Retrieved 31 July 2009.
  9. "swedishcharts.com - Freeez - I. O. U." Retrieved 31 July 2009.
  10. "Freeez - I. O. U. - hitparade.ch" (in German). Retrieved 31 July 2009.
  11. German Top 20 - The Chart of 1983
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