New Beginning (Mamba Seyra)

"New Beginning (Mamba Seyra)"
Single by Bucks Fizz
from the album Writing on the Wall
B-side	"In Your Eyes"
Released	May, 1986
Format	7" single, 12" single
Recorded	January - February 1986
Genre	Pop
Length	4.03
Label	Polydor
Writer(s)	Mike Myers, Tony Gibber
Producer	Mike Myers, Andy Hill
Bucks Fizz singles chronology
"Magical" (1985) "New Beginning (Mamba Seyra)" (1986) "Love the One You're With" (1986)

"New Beginning (Mamba Seyra)" (often referred to as simply "New Beginning") is a 1986 single by UK pop group Bucks Fizz. It was a comeback hit, achieving their highest chart placing for four years. It is still one of the group's best remembered songs.

Song history

The song was released in May 1986 and was seen as a comeback single as it was their first release in eight months and featured new member Shelley Preston who had replaced Jay Aston a year earlier.^[1] It was also their first release on new record label, Polydor after their five-year contract with RCA had finished. The song was notable for its full and lavish production and multi-layered vocal work and received much praise from critics as well as becoming very popular on radio. The song became a big hit in the Summer of 1986 and reached the top ten in the UK, becoming a No.8 hit and spending 10 weeks on the chart.^[2] This was the group's biggest hit in four years, but was also their last top 40 hit. ^[3]

The song was written by Mike Myers and Tony Gibber and was produced by Myers along with the group's regular producer Andy Hill. According to the group, the recording of the song took an unusually long time due to the vocal tracks. As well as the group recording their vocals repeatedly, there was also a children's choir and gospel choir used on the track. The musicians in the studio also were used on distant back-up vocals. Member Cheryl Baker remembers one version where Hill instructed them to deliberately sing out of tune, which she found difficult.^[4] The original mix of the song was completed in February 1986.^[5]

"New Beginning" (as it is very often more simply referred) was originally recorded a year earlier by Force 8 - who were actually pop group The Dooleys under an assumed name.^[6] The theme of the song is one of hope where the narrator talks about building a happier world, with some parts of the song sung in Swahili.^[7] The video for the single depicts the group performing the song in a Metropolis-type setting backed by dancers and drummers - due to the heavy drum sound on the track.^[8]

"New Beginning" was followed up by a cover of the Stephen Stills song "Love The One You're With" and featured on the group's final studio album, Writing on the Wall, which was released at the end of the year. Several versions of the song have been released. The album version differed slightly from the 7" mix in that member Bobby G features prominently on backing vocals at the end - a version that was used in the video. As well as this, two 12" singles were released: one with an extended version of the song, the other an extended mix by dance producer Ian Levine. On the Writing on the Wall CD re-issue in 2004, a largely instrumental extended version of the song was included as a bonus track. The song remains among the group's most highly regarded work. ^[9]

Track listing

7"

1. "New Beginning (Mamba Seyra)" (4.03)
2. "In Your Eyes" (4.19)

12"

1. "New Beginning (Mamba Seyra) (extended mix)"
2. "In Your Eyes"
3. "I Need Your Love" (4.40)

2nd 12" ^[10]

1. "New Beginning (Mamba Seyra) (Ian Levine remix)" (9.24)
2. "New Beginning (Mamba Seyra) (Ian Levine remix - Dub version)" (8.23)
3. "New Beginning (Mamba Seyra)"

Chart performance

Country	Peak position
UK	8
Ireland [11]	11
The Netherlands [12]	24
Poland [13]	33

References

1. ^ bbc.co.uk - Bucks Fizz
2. ^ Chartstats.com - UK Chart details
3. ^ Chartstats.com - Bucks Fizz Chart Discography
4. ^ The Very Best of Bucks Fizz sleeve notes
5. ^ The Lost Masters sleeve notes
6. ^ Pop Fantasia - The Dooleys - Discography
7. ^ bucksfizzlyrics.net - New Beginning song lyrics
8. ^ bucksfizzearlyyears.co.uk - video shots
9. ^ bucksfizzearlyyears.co.uk - Bucks Fizz top 40
10. ^ 2nd 12" release
11. ^ Irishcharts.ie - Irish Chart details
12. ^ Dutch chart details
13. ^ Polish chart position - August 1986