Conscience (The Beloved album)

Conscience
Studio album by The Beloved
Released	8 February 1993 (album) 1992 (EP)
Recorded	by Ren Swan and Paul Wright @Sarm West Studios + Wolf Studio and Abbey Road in March–July 1992
Genre	Electronic dance, pop rock
Length	57:06
Label	EastWest Records (album) Atlantic (EP and U.S. album)
Producer	Jon Marsh and Helena Marsh
The Beloved chronology
Blissed Out (1991) Conscience (1993) X (1996)

Professional ratings
Review scores
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Conscience is a 1993 album by British pop band The Beloved. The album reached #2 on the UK Albums Chart on its release and includes "Sweet Harmony", the first single taken from it, being the first single from the band which entered the UK Top Ten, peaking at Number 8. Both are the highest positions ever reached by The Beloved in the UK with an album and with a single release.

Album information

The band faced some controversy for the video of the first single, "Sweet Harmony," which consisted of singer Jon Marsh naked among a group of women who were also naked (although it was shot and edited so as not to show anything which might cause it to be censored). One of the nude stars of this video was British model Tess Daly, who went on to become a television presenter. By this time, the project had dropped the definite article from its name, and was now simply called Beloved. Still a duo, Jon had fired former member Steve Waddington, and recruited his wife Helena instead, after 1991 remix album Blissed Out. Jon and Helena in fact composed all songs on the new studio album, but Helena rarely appeared at live promotional gigs, though she did feature on some videos for the new singles, but not on "Sweet Harmony." This song, which was originally used to promote the second season of the popular American primetime soap opera Melrose Place in some European countries, including Italy, has since been used in Homebase advertising too.

The album produced other singles too, but none of them were as successful as "Sweet Harmony" which went on to become their biggest hit in the UK, reaching Number 8 in January 1993. The other four singles taken from the album were a double A-side of "Celebrate Your Life" and "You've Got Me Thinking", which peaked at Number 23, "Outerspace Girl", which reached Number 38 and the final single, "Rock to the Rhythm of Love," which failed to chart. The latter song was performed live at the London Gay Pride in 1994 during the afternoon hours of a concert which was then closed by Boy George late at night. Both Boy George with his project Jesus Loves You and Jon Marsh with his Beloved are regarded amongst the first acts to have started the so-called 'dance revolution' of the early 1990s. Many musicians who participated in the Jesus Loves You project are also featured on Conscience, such as keyboardist Richard Cottle and, most notably, guitarist John Themis, who authored much of Boy George's solo works after the Jesus Loves You project.

Track listing

All songs by Jon Marsh and Helena Marsh.

1. "Spirit" – 4:44
2. "Sweet Harmony" – 5:00
3. "Outerspace Girl" – 4:46
4. "Lose Yourself in Me" – 4:32
5. "Paradise Found" – 7:16
6. "You've Got Me Thinking" – 4:07
7. "Celebrate Your Life" – 5:31
8. "Rock to the Rhythm of Love" – 4:30
9. "Let the Music Take You" – 5:01
10. "1000 Years from Today" – 5:17
11. "Dream On" – 6:22

EP "Sweet Harmony"

1. "Sweet Harmony" («Conscience» Radio Edit)
2. "Sweet Harmony" («Live the Dream» Mix)
3. "Sweet Harmony" («Come Together and Consolidate» Radio Edit) *
4. "Sweet Harmony" («Come Together and Consolidate» Extended Mix) *
5. "Sweet Harmony" («Sweet Sensation» Mix) +
6. "Sweet Harmony" («Tout de Suite» Dub Mix) +
7. "Dream On" (LP version)

Singles from the album

• 18 January 1993 – "Sweet Harmony" (UK #8)
• 2 March 1993 – "Celebrate Your Life"/"You've Got Me Thinking" [double A-side single] (UK #23)
• July 1993 – "Outerspace Girl" (UK #38)
• 1993 – "Rock to the Rhythm of Love" (UK -)

Credits

Band

• Jon Marsh: keyboards, vocals, programming, music, lyrics, production; production and mixing on EP
• Helena Marsh: music, lyrics, production; production and mixing on EP

Musicians

• Miles Bould: percussion on #1, 5, 6, 9, 11
• Dave Clayton: piano on #6, 10, fx keyboards on #2, 8, additional keyboards on #10
• Richard Cottle: Hammond Organ on # 1, 5, fx keyboards on #2, additional keyboards on #9
• Nigel Hitchcock: saxophone on #2
• Ed Shearmur: string arrangements on #1, 6, additional keyboards on #6
• Tony Smith: guitar on #7
• Neil Taylor: guitar on #1, 4, 9, 10, 11
• John Themis: acoustic guitar on #6, lute on #2, additional guitar on #1, 9
• Paul Waller: drum programming on #5, 6, additional drum programming on #1, 3, 4, 7, 9, 11
• Gavyn Wright: orchestra leader on #1, 6
• Derek Green, Beverley Skeete: background vocals on #1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 10
• Linda Lewis, Paul Lewis, Shirley Lewis: background vocals on #3, 8, 9, 11
• Sylvia Mason-James: ad-lib vocals on #7, background vocals on #1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 10

Recording and production

• Ren Swan: recording and mixing engineer; engineer on +
• Paul Wright: recording engineer
• Matt Ellard: assistant engineer
• Steve Fitzmaurice, Dominique Brethes, Steve McLaughlin: additional recording
• Sarm West Studios: main recording studios (March–July 1992
• Wolf Studio, Abbey Road: additional recording studios
• Mark Pistel, Philip Steir for Mindless Productions: post-production on *
• Craig Silvey: engineer on *
• PRIO: digital engineer on *
• Adam & Eve, Peace Bisquit: additional productione on +

Other staff

• Bob Linney: artwork
• Me Company: layout
• Chris Morrison / CMO: management (UK)
• Bill Coleman / Peace Bisquit: management (U.S.)
• EMI/Virgin Music Ltd/Warner Music Ltd: publishers
• EastWest, Atlantic, EMI/Virgin Music, CMO, Sarm West, Sharon Addison, Bill Coleman, Andy Delaney, Matt Ellard, Marc Fox, Bob Linney, Chris Morrison, Martyn Phillips, Ren Swan, Lola Weidner, Monty Whitebloom, Paul Wright: special thanks

Charts

Release details

Album

EP