The Beloved are a British electronic music group best known for the singles "Sweet Harmony", "The Sun Rising", "Hello", "Your Love Takes Me Higher", and "Satellite".
Originally a post-punk/new wave band formed in 1983, they underwent a change of direction in the late 1980s to a house/alternative dance sound and experienced chart success in the UK and elsewhere.
In October of the same year the single "The Sun Rising" was released and became a club favourite, crossing over to the UK top 40,[1] peaking at number 26 in November 1989.
[4] This song's lyrics mostly consist of names of real or fictional people, groups and institutions, representing the band's wide-ranging selection of heroes, villains, and a few of their friends.
Saint Peter and Saint Paul, house music with Kym Mazelle and Paris Grey; literature with Jean Paul Sartre rhymed with the writer and disgraced former politician Jeffrey Archer; talk radio with Brian Hayes and Marsh's childhood hero, Crystal Palace FC football player Vince Hilaire.
[1] Almost all of the songs from the Happiness album were featured on Blissed Out in one or more remixed versions, along with another mix of "It's Alright Now," and some previously exclusively non-album tracks.
By 1991, Waddington had left the group, and they re-emerged in 1993 with Jon's wife Helena involved as co-writer and co-producer for a second studio album, Conscience.
[1] The band received airplay with the video of the first single, "Sweet Harmony," despite the entire cast being naked (shot and edited showing nothing that might cause it to be censored).
[5] "Sweet Harmony", which was originally used to promote the second season of the popular American soap opera Melrose Place in several European countries, has since been used in advertising for British home improvement chain Homebase as well.
[6] While "Sweet Harmony" went on to become their biggest hit in the UK, reaching number 8 in 1993,[4] the other two tracks taken from the Conscience album, did not achieve the former's success.
After X, the compilation Single File followed in 1997, promoted by a re-release of "The Sun Rising" (which reached number 31, only five positions lower than the original 1989 release) which included some new remixes.
Jon also released two further Beloved singles in 2000: "With You", a cover version of Sparks' 1981 song "When I'm with You", which was originally recorded for a tribute album, and "Timeslip".
Marsh has been uploading the band's discography on streaming services such as Spotify throughout the late 2010s, including rare remixes that were previously only available on limited edition 12" records.
Marsh has contributed vocals to tracks from Laid and Luke Solomon, as well as remixing other artists including Depeche Mode.