I.O.U. (Freeez song)

"I.O.U."
Single by Freeez
from the album Gonna Get You
B-side	"I Dub U" "We Got the Jazz"
Released	June 17, 1983
Format	7" vinyl, 12" vinyl, CD (1987)
Recorded	1983, Unique Recording Studios, New York City
Genre	Electro synthpop post-disco
Length	7:50 (12" version) 3:49 (7" version)
Label	Beggars Banquet (UK) Streetwise (US), Victor Industries (JP), Virgin (Germany), Vertigo (Canada), Criminal (US, 1986), Citybeat (UK, 1987)
Writer(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" (1983)
Freeez singles chronology "Train of Thoughts" (1985) "I.O.U." (remix) (1987) "Southern Freeez" (remix) (1987)

"I.O.U." is a song from 1983 by British musical group Freeez, their most successful hit.

The song 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 I sometimes cry" and "A-E, A-E, I-O-U I sometimes lie". The music video for "I.O.U." featured on the video version of Now 1 but the song itself did not appear on the album version.

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 Club 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.

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.	Title	Length
1.	"I.O.U."	3:48

Side two
No.	Title	Length
1.	"I Dub U"	4:38

• Japan: Victor / VIPX-1742

Side one
No.	Title	Length
1.	"I.O.U."

Side two
No.	Title	Length
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.	Title	Length
1.	"I.O.U." (Megamix)	8:43

Side two
No.	Title	Length
1.	"I Dub U"	7:37
2.	"We Got the Jazz"	4:04

• UK: Beggars Banquet / BEG 96TA

Side one
No.	Title	Length
1.	"I.O.U." (Megamix)	8:43

Side two
No.	Title	Length
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.	Title	Length
1.	"I.O.U."	7:50

Side two
No.	Title	Length
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.	Title	Length
1.	"I.O.U." (Ultimate Club, Vocal Mix)	8:00
2.	"I.O.U." (Ultimate Drumapella)	4:10

Side two
No.	Title	Length
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.	Title	Length
1.	"I.O.U." (Club Vocal Edit)	3:55

Side two
No.	Title	Length
1.	"I.O.U." (Shakedown Vocal Edit)	3:55

• Sweden: City Beat / BB 7105

Side one
No.	Title	Length
1.	"I.O.U." (Shakedown)	3:55

Side two
No.	Title	Length
1.	"I.O.U." (Club)	4:00

12" vinyl

• UK: City Beat / CBE 1209
• France: Virgin / 80291
• Germany: Virgin / 608 897

Side one
No.	Title	Length
1.	"I.O.U." (Ultimate Club Dub Mix)	6:32
2.	"I.O.U." (Ultimate Club Vocal Mix)	6:02

Side two
No.	Title	Length
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.	Title	Length
1.	"I.O.U." (Ultimate Shakedown Vocal Mix)	6:40
2.	"I.O.U." (Ultimate Shakedown Instrumental Mix)	5:25

Side two
No.	Title	Length
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
Swedish Singles Chart[8]	12
Swiss Singles Chart[9]	5
US Billboard Black Singles[2]	13
US Billboard Club Play Singles[2]	1
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

• John Rocca – vocals, hand percussion, bongos, congas
• Everton McCalla – drums, vocals
• Tina B – vocals
• Andy Stennett – piano
• Fred Zarr – piano
• Cosa – bongos, congas
• Arthur Baker – music and lyrics, production, mix, remix
• John "Jellybean" Benitez – mix
• John Robie – mix, remix

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

References

1. "Chart Stats - Freeez - IOU". Retrieved 31 July 2009.
2. "Freeez > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles". allmusic. Retrieved 31 July 2009. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
3. "Chart Stats - Freeez - IOU {1987}". Retrieved 31 July 2009. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
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". Retrieved 31 July 2009.
8. "swedishcharts.com - Freeez - I. O. U.". Retrieved 31 July 2009.
9. "Freeez - I. O. U. - hitparade.ch" (in German). Retrieved 31 July 2009.