“Time After Time” by The Beloved

"Time After Time" was the fifth and final single the Beloved pulled from their second album, Happiness, in 1990, and it's the record's slow exhale. Frontman Jon Marsh wrote words and music, Martyn Phillips produced, and the British electronic group let the vocals sink low beneath dreamy synthesizers and a repetitive melody.

The trade papers weren't sure what to make of it. Music & Media heard something melancholy and thoroughly British and called it a brave pick, while fretting that the tune might be too samey for a single. Music Week's David Giles rated it the best thing on the LP, a rare turn toward soul, and heard the Beloved finally shaking off the last of their indie past. The buyers were less convinced: it stalled at 46 on the UK Singles Chart.

Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.