Released January 5, 1990 Genre Electronic music Writer(s) Jon Marsh | Recorded 1989 Length 4:17 | |
Format CD single, CD maxi, 7" single | ||
"Hello" is a remix single by The Beloved. "Hello" appears on the Happiness album. By peaking at #19 in the UK, on 5 January 1990, it was, at the time, their highest-charting single, a record it held for almost exactly 3 years, until "Sweet Harmony," the first single taken from the Conscience album, reached Number 8, on 18 January 1993, this way becoming the band's new highest-charting single, a record it still holds.
Contents
At least three additional remixes were exclusive to other formats: "Hello (Boys & Girls)" and "Hello (Uncle Arthur)" appeared on the 12-inch vinyl version, and "Hello (Dolly)" appeared on both the cassette and 7-inch versions. In addition, a Razormaid! remix of the song appeared on the Razormaid! Anniversary 9.0 compilation album. As for "Hello (What's All This Then?)" and "Hello (Honky Tonk)," two of the five remixes of the main title on the CD single release, they would both later resurface on the following Blissed Out remix album, the sister release to Happiness, the second remix only featuring on the CD and MC editions of the work, but not on the vinyl LP, which only contained the first. The MC edition only of Blissed Out also included "Paradise (My Darling, My Angel)," representing then previously unreleased sixth track on the "Hello" CD single.
The videoclip was inspired by the film Altered States
Names
As well as the names of some of the band members' friends, the song mentions a number of famous people (some of them fictional), chosen to loosely fit a "saints and sinners" theme.
In alphabetical order, the people listed in the song are: Jeffrey Archer (politician and novelist), Fred Astaire, Bobby Ball (comedian), Charlie Brown, Tommy Cannon (comedian), Billy Corkhill (soap opera character), Leslie Crowther (TV presenter), "Freddie" Flintstone, Paris Grey (singer), Brian Hayes (broadcaster), Vince Hilaire (footballer), Barry Humphries, The LSO, Kym Mazelle (singer), Mork and Mindy, Little Nell, Friedrich Nietzsche, Charlie Parker, André Previn, Little Richard, Salman Rushdie, Jean-Paul Sartre, The Supremes ("Mary Wilson, Di and Flo"), William Tell, Sir Bufton Tufton, Desmond Tutu, Willy Wonka, Zippy and Bungle (TV characters). There are also references to "Peter" and "Paul", presumably the Christian apostles Saint Peter and Saint Paul.
In lyrical order, the names mentioned are as follows: Peter, Paul, Tommy Cannon, Bobby Ball, Little Richard, Little Nell, Willy Wonka, William Tell, Salmon Rushdie, Kym Mazelle, Mork & Mindy, Bryan Hayes, Barry Humphries, Paris Grey, Little Nietzsche, Christian Doe, Billy Corkhill, Vince Hilaire, Freddy Flintstone, Fred Astaire, Desmond Tutu, Steven Blaire, Charlie Parker, Charlie Brown, Leslie Crowther, Mary Wilson, Di and Flo, Sir Bufton Tufton, Jean-Paul Sartre, Zippy, Bungle, Jeffrey Archer, André Previn and LSO.
Kym Mazelle, mentioned in the song, sings backing vocals.
CD track listing
- "Hello (Single Version)" - 4:17
- "Hello (Honky Tonk Mix)" - 6:16
- "Hello ('Ello, 'Ello Mix)" - 5:19
- "Hello (What's All This Then Mix?)" - 4:35
- "Hello (Godfrey's Tonic Mix)" - 4:23
- "Paradise (My Darling, My Angel)"
12" single track listing (Atlantic US 0-86235)
- "Hello (Honky Tonk)" - 6:16
- "Hello (Single Version)" - 4:17
- "Hello (Uncle Arthur)" - 6:26