Love Rendezvous
Encyclopedia
Love Rendezvous
is the fourth single from the album Bizarre Fruit
/Bizarre Fruit II by British band M People
. Written by Mike Pickering
and Paul Heard and Heather Small
. Produced by M People
. It was released on 14 October 1995, after the band’s World Tour. The song peaked at number thirty two on the UK Singles Chart
.
’ Itchycoo Park
. Like Search for the Hero
, the band re-edited the funky Bizarre Fruit
version of Love Rendezvous to create a more radio-friendly pop version with the additional trademark sax ad-lib. This would delay the release of the single which was originally pencilled in for 18th September 1995 but pushed back two weeks. This left them time to prepare for a re-release of the already double platinum album to a deluxe edition called Bizarre Fruit II which would feature the same tracks as before, with new artwork and a the new radio edit of tracks: Search for the Hero
and the new master mixes of Love Rendezvous
and Itchycoo Park
as well as an additional second ‘Live and Remixed’ CD.
; dancey piano chords, pure stomping house beats and layers of synths and bleepery.
Lyrically, Heather sings about the arranged meeting with a lover, away from everything else and sees the band in a much more fun and carefree pop mood, straying away from the usual ‘love yourself, respect yourself’ themes. She also namechecks singers Patti Smith (#“Patti sang horses..”#) and Stevie Wonder (#“…Stevie Got uptight”#).
The newer version of this single also features a funky sax break in the middle eight and also during the choruses. What remains from the original are the underlying keyboard sequences in the bridges up to the choruses. The backing vocals are strong and fun and use the insistent refrain #“Uptight. Outta Sight”# as mentioned on Stevie Wonder’s 1966 song: Uptight (Everything's Alright)
adding to the song’s spirit of fun.
M People
backing vocalist, Paul Johnson also gets a more prominent role singing alongside Snake Davis
’s funky sax ad-lib during the middle eight.
single to climb the chart in its second week, it did break the band’s eight consecutive Top 10 single run. In the third and fourth week it slid down the chart to number 52 and then to 70, spending just 4 weeks on the chart. This was the lowest selling single from the album Bizarre Fruit
and the lowest chart position since Colour My Life
charted at number 35, some three years prior, in 1992.
had become a firm Airplay favourite across Europe, but in The UK, it was still in the lower echelons of Top 75 some four months on.
In the four weeks prior to airplay Love Rendezvous
entered the chart at #75, scaling to number 36 and then moving to number 23 and then to 15. Only after physical release, did the single’s airplay seem to stall and peak at number 9, despite heavy support from Dance stations:
Kiss and Galaxy who were heavily rotating the K-Klass
Klub Mix (Radio Edit)’.
UK Radio Station’s indifference to the song was compounded by the lower Sales chart placing which meant it spent another four weeks falling swiftly out of the chart. It did however continue the band’s run of 9 consecutive Top Ten airplay hits.
single to be available on two CD formats following the success of Open Your Heart earlier that year.
The formats were given a staggered release like Open Your Heart
. CD1 and the cassette were released on 2nd October 1995, CD2 was released on 9th October 1995 and the 12” was released on 16th October 1995.
The two CDs all feature the radio and master mixes of the single. CD1 contains the ‘Uno Clio Dub Mix’ and the U.S. Remix of Search for the Hero
by ‘Dave Jam’ Hall which was released too late to make it onto the last single. CD2 has two further mixes by K-Klass
the ‘Klub Mix’ and ‘Pharmacy Dub’.
concert in 1998 despite appearing on the accompanying The Best of M People
album release in the same year. When released on the second ‘Best of’… compilation: Ultimate Collection (M People album)
was released in 2005, the band still left it off the set list on that year’s tour.
(who had embraced the frequently used Latin sound of the band) on the first day and on the second day of shooting, the band were filmed out together amongst the Rio people and their natural beauty. Mike, Paul and Shovell are photographed together in the sunshine and there are deliberate footballing references and Heather sings separately by day and night amongst some beautiful locations including the Rio Botanical Gardens.
The general theme also features some couples kissing and others running across the city’s streets to meet and embrace. There are also views of other great Rio landmarks including the packed and bright yellow trams and Christ the Redeemer, the world’s largest Art Deco statue.
, Switzerland and then covering America, Australia and the Far East, the band returned home to work on the deluxe issue of the parent Album: Bizarre Fruit, which had already gone double platinum, selling in excess of 600,000 copies. Although the band gave the single limited promotion, support from Music video channels was strong but the release date was pushed from 16th September 1995 back a whole month.
The video was premiered exclusively and in full on ITV
’s The Chart Show on Saturday 30th September 1995.
CD 1 Maxi
CD 2 Maxi
12" Maxi
Love Rendezvous
Love Rendezvous is the fourth single from the album Bizarre Fruit/Bizarre Fruit II by British band M People. Written by Mike Pickering and Paul Heard and Heather Small. Produced by M People. It was released on 14 October 1995, after the band’s World Tour...
is the fourth single from the album Bizarre Fruit
Bizarre Fruit
- Release history :...
/Bizarre Fruit II by British band M People
M People
M People are a British house music act from Manchester, who formed in 1990 and achieved success throughout most of the 1990s. The name M People is from the initials of Mike Pickering, who formed the group.-Career:...
. Written by Mike Pickering
Mike Pickering
Michael "Duncan" Pickering has DJed at The Haçienda's infamous "Nude" and "Hot" nights and later "Shine". He worked for Factory Records where he signed Happy Mondays, To Hell With Burgundy and James amongst others...
and Paul Heard and Heather Small
Heather Small
Heather Small is a British soul singer, best known for being the lead singer in the Manchester based band M People. Her debut solo album was Proud in 2000...
. Produced by M People
M People
M People are a British house music act from Manchester, who formed in 1990 and achieved success throughout most of the 1990s. The name M People is from the initials of Mike Pickering, who formed the group.-Career:...
. It was released on 14 October 1995, after the band’s World Tour. The song peaked at number thirty two on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
.
Background
Since the release of the last single four months previously, the band had relentlessly continued a World Tour, played to sell-out Summer festivals in the UK, in Belgium and Sweden. They then created a new radio and master mix for this, their fourth single and a new track (the band’s live favourite) a cover of The Small FacesThe Small Faces
The Small Faces were an English rock and roll band from East London, heavily influenced by American rhythm and blues. The group was founded in 1965 by members Steve Marriott, Ronnie Lane, Kenney Jones, and Jimmy Winston, although by 1966 Winston was replaced by Ian McLagan as the band's...
’ Itchycoo Park
Itchycoo Park
"Itchycoo Park" is a psychedelic pop song written by Steve Marriott and Ronnie Lane, first recorded by their group, the Small Faces. The song reached number three in the UK Singles Chart, 1967.-Song profile:...
. Like Search for the Hero
Search for the Hero
Search for the Hero is the third single from Bizarre Fruit , the multi-platinum selling album from M People Written by Mike Pickering and Paul Heard. Produced by M People. It was released on 12th June 1995...
, the band re-edited the funky Bizarre Fruit
Bizarre Fruit
- Release history :...
version of Love Rendezvous to create a more radio-friendly pop version with the additional trademark sax ad-lib. This would delay the release of the single which was originally pencilled in for 18th September 1995 but pushed back two weeks. This left them time to prepare for a re-release of the already double platinum album to a deluxe edition called Bizarre Fruit II which would feature the same tracks as before, with new artwork and a the new radio edit of tracks: Search for the Hero
Search for the Hero
Search for the Hero is the third single from Bizarre Fruit , the multi-platinum selling album from M People Written by Mike Pickering and Paul Heard. Produced by M People. It was released on 12th June 1995...
and the new master mixes of Love Rendezvous
Love Rendezvous
Love Rendezvous is the fourth single from the album Bizarre Fruit/Bizarre Fruit II by British band M People. Written by Mike Pickering and Paul Heard and Heather Small. Produced by M People. It was released on 14 October 1995, after the band’s World Tour...
and Itchycoo Park
Itchycoo Park
"Itchycoo Park" is a psychedelic pop song written by Steve Marriott and Ronnie Lane, first recorded by their group, the Small Faces. The song reached number three in the UK Singles Chart, 1967.-Song profile:...
as well as an additional second ‘Live and Remixed’ CD.
Composition
The new version of the song very much captured the signature M People dance sound and a return to form from the softer more serious side of the band as heard on Search for the HeroSearch for the Hero
Search for the Hero is the third single from Bizarre Fruit , the multi-platinum selling album from M People Written by Mike Pickering and Paul Heard. Produced by M People. It was released on 12th June 1995...
; dancey piano chords, pure stomping house beats and layers of synths and bleepery.
Lyrically, Heather sings about the arranged meeting with a lover, away from everything else and sees the band in a much more fun and carefree pop mood, straying away from the usual ‘love yourself, respect yourself’ themes. She also namechecks singers Patti Smith (#“Patti sang horses..”#) and Stevie Wonder (#“…Stevie Got uptight”#).
The newer version of this single also features a funky sax break in the middle eight and also during the choruses. What remains from the original are the underlying keyboard sequences in the bridges up to the choruses. The backing vocals are strong and fun and use the insistent refrain #“Uptight. Outta Sight”# as mentioned on Stevie Wonder’s 1966 song: Uptight (Everything's Alright)
Uptight (Everything's Alright)
"Uptight " is a 1966 hit single recorded by Stevie Wonder for the Tamla label. One of his most popular early singles, "Uptight " was the first Stevie Wonder single to be co-written by the artist....
adding to the song’s spirit of fun.
M People
M People
M People are a British house music act from Manchester, who formed in 1990 and achieved success throughout most of the 1990s. The name M People is from the initials of Mike Pickering, who formed the group.-Career:...
backing vocalist, Paul Johnson also gets a more prominent role singing alongside Snake Davis
Snake Davis
Snake Davis is a session musician who has played with some of the worlds biggest artists. In the 1980s he fronted York band Zoot and the Roots....
’s funky sax ad-lib during the middle eight.
Chart Performance
There was an aura of mild disappointment when the single showed no sign of entering the Top 30 in its week of release. It entered the chart at a lowly number 33 with sales of 21,000 copies in its first week to 23,000 copies in its second, causing it to climb one place to peak at number 32. Although, it was the fourth consecutive M PeopleM People
M People are a British house music act from Manchester, who formed in 1990 and achieved success throughout most of the 1990s. The name M People is from the initials of Mike Pickering, who formed the group.-Career:...
single to climb the chart in its second week, it did break the band’s eight consecutive Top 10 single run. In the third and fourth week it slid down the chart to number 52 and then to 70, spending just 4 weeks on the chart. This was the lowest selling single from the album Bizarre Fruit
Bizarre Fruit
- Release history :...
and the lowest chart position since Colour My Life
Colour My Life
"Colour My Life" is the second single from British band M People from their first album Northern Soul. It was written by Mike Pickering and Paul Heard. The single was originally released in May 1991 as a vinyl only release and was given a full release on 24th February 1992...
charted at number 35, some three years prior, in 1992.
Airplay
Generally, radio support began typically supportive to the single when it was serviced to radio on 25th September 1995, Search for the HeroSearch for the Hero
Search for the Hero is the third single from Bizarre Fruit , the multi-platinum selling album from M People Written by Mike Pickering and Paul Heard. Produced by M People. It was released on 12th June 1995...
had become a firm Airplay favourite across Europe, but in The UK, it was still in the lower echelons of Top 75 some four months on.
In the four weeks prior to airplay Love Rendezvous
Love Rendezvous
Love Rendezvous is the fourth single from the album Bizarre Fruit/Bizarre Fruit II by British band M People. Written by Mike Pickering and Paul Heard and Heather Small. Produced by M People. It was released on 14 October 1995, after the band’s World Tour...
entered the chart at #75, scaling to number 36 and then moving to number 23 and then to 15. Only after physical release, did the single’s airplay seem to stall and peak at number 9, despite heavy support from Dance stations:
Kiss and Galaxy who were heavily rotating the K-Klass
K-Klass
K-Klass are a house music group from Wrexham, North Wales. The members are Andy Williams, Carl Thomas, Russ Morgan, and Paul Roberts. K-Klass signed with Deconstruction Records, and later to Parlophone.-Career:...
Klub Mix (Radio Edit)’.
UK Radio Station’s indifference to the song was compounded by the lower Sales chart placing which meant it spent another four weeks falling swiftly out of the chart. It did however continue the band’s run of 9 consecutive Top Ten airplay hits.
Formats/Remixes
This single was the second M PeopleM People
M People are a British house music act from Manchester, who formed in 1990 and achieved success throughout most of the 1990s. The name M People is from the initials of Mike Pickering, who formed the group.-Career:...
single to be available on two CD formats following the success of Open Your Heart earlier that year.
The formats were given a staggered release like Open Your Heart
Open Your Heart (M People song)
"Open Your Heart" is the eleventh overall single from British band M People. It is the second single from their third album Bizarre Fruit . Written by Mike Pickering, Paul Heard and Heather Small. Produced by M People. It was released on 23 January 1995...
. CD1 and the cassette were released on 2nd October 1995, CD2 was released on 9th October 1995 and the 12” was released on 16th October 1995.
The two CDs all feature the radio and master mixes of the single. CD1 contains the ‘Uno Clio Dub Mix’ and the U.S. Remix of Search for the Hero
Search for the Hero
Search for the Hero is the third single from Bizarre Fruit , the multi-platinum selling album from M People Written by Mike Pickering and Paul Heard. Produced by M People. It was released on 12th June 1995...
by ‘Dave Jam’ Hall which was released too late to make it onto the last single. CD2 has two further mixes by K-Klass
K-Klass
K-Klass are a house music group from Wrexham, North Wales. The members are Andy Williams, Carl Thomas, Russ Morgan, and Paul Roberts. K-Klass signed with Deconstruction Records, and later to Parlophone.-Career:...
the ‘Klub Mix’ and ‘Pharmacy Dub’.
Artwork
The artwork for the single on CD1 is of a bunch of beautiful, colourful and extravagant flowers wrapped in paper enscripted with the band’s name and title of the single. CD2 is simply a close-up view of the wrapping paper for the flowers without them featured. Both are set against a purple background.Live
The band have not performed this single since the Bizarre Fruit Tour and subsequent ‘Summer M Parties’ of 1996, this is the only single to have not been performed since it release and it was also the only single to not be performed at The Best of M PeopleThe Best of M People
- Classic version :...
concert in 1998 despite appearing on the accompanying The Best of M People
The Best of M People
- Classic version :...
album release in the same year. When released on the second ‘Best of’… compilation: Ultimate Collection (M People album)
Ultimate Collection (M People album)
Ultimate Collection is a 2005 release from British pop group M People featuring Heather Small. It includes two of their tracks that weren't featured on the previous The Best of M People album...
was released in 2005, the band still left it off the set list on that year’s tour.
Music Video
The video was filmed over two days on Friday 25th and Saturday 26th August 1995 while the band were on the South American leg of their World tour. Director Matthew Amos and Producer Laura Kanerick and the 'Medialab' crew filmed their live show at Citibank Hall which was then known as the "Arena Metropolitan" in front of 6,500 fans.(who had embraced the frequently used Latin sound of the band) on the first day and on the second day of shooting, the band were filmed out together amongst the Rio people and their natural beauty. Mike, Paul and Shovell are photographed together in the sunshine and there are deliberate footballing references and Heather sings separately by day and night amongst some beautiful locations including the Rio Botanical Gardens.
The general theme also features some couples kissing and others running across the city’s streets to meet and embrace. There are also views of other great Rio landmarks including the packed and bright yellow trams and Christ the Redeemer, the world’s largest Art Deco statue.
Other promotion
After returning from their World Tour which had followed a summer of performing at Festivals in Ireland, Scotland’s T in the ParkT in the Park
T in the Park is a major British music festival that has been held annually since 1994. It is named after its main sponsor, the brewing company Tennents. It was originally held at Strathclyde Park, Lanarkshire but since 1997 has been held at a disused airfield in Balado, Kinross-shire...
, Switzerland and then covering America, Australia and the Far East, the band returned home to work on the deluxe issue of the parent Album: Bizarre Fruit, which had already gone double platinum, selling in excess of 600,000 copies. Although the band gave the single limited promotion, support from Music video channels was strong but the release date was pushed from 16th September 1995 back a whole month.
The video was premiered exclusively and in full on ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
’s The Chart Show on Saturday 30th September 1995.
Tracklisting
CSS- “Love Rendezvous” (Radio mix) 3.48
- “Love Rendezvous” (Master Mix) 3.56
CD 1 Maxi
- “Love Rendezvous” (Radio mix) 3.48
- “Love Rendezvous” (Master mix) 5.53
- “Love Rendezvous” (Uno Clio Dub Vocal mix) 8.11
- “Search for the Hero” (Dave ‘Jam’ Hall – US Remix) 4.14
CD 2 Maxi
- “Love Rendezvous” (Radio mix) 3.48
- “Love Rendezvous” (Master mix) 5.53
- “Love Rendezvous” (K Klass Klub Mix) 7.58
- “Love Rendezvous” (Pharmacy Dub) 7.40
12" Maxi
- “Love Rendezvous” (Master mix) 5.53
- “Love Rendezvous” (Uno Clio Dub Vocal) 8.11
- “Love Rendezvous” (K Klass Klub Mix) 7.58
- “Love Rendezvous” (Pharmacy Dub) 7.40