#7: I.O.U. by Freeez

City: Montreal, PQ
Radio Station: CKGM
Peak Month: September 1983
Peak Position in Montreal ~ #1
Peak position in Vancouver ~ did not chart
Peak Position on Billboard Hot 100 ~ did not chart
Peak Position on Billboard Hot Dance/Disco Club Play ~ #1
Peak Position on Iceland Singles Chart ~ #1
YouTube: “I.O.U.”
Lyrics: “I.O.U.”

John Rocca was born in London, UK, in 1960. In 1980, while he was still 19-years-old, Rocca formed the jazz-funk-dance band Freeez. Other members of the band included Jean-Paul “Bluey” Maunick (born in 1957 in Mauritius), Maunick had formed the band Incognito in 1979 when Rocca invited him to join Freeez. As well, there was Andy Stennett (keyboards), Peter Maas (bass guitar) and Paul Morgan (drums). In 1980, the band released “Keep in Touch” which peaked at #49 in the UK Pop singles chart.

Rocca, Stennett and Maas co-wrote “Southern Freeez” with guest singer Ingrid Mansfield Allman providing vocals. In 1981, the single reached #8 in the UK. A followup instrumental, “Flying High” cracked the Top 40 in the UK. The album, Southern Freeez included both singles.

By 1983, Everton McCalla (formerly with Light of the World) had replaced Paul Morgan on drums.

Everton McCalla

In June of that year the band released their second studio album titled Gonna Get You. The debut single was “I.O.U.”.

“I.O.U.” was written and produced by Arthur Baker. He was born in 1955 in Boston. In the early 70s, he began working as a DJ in dance clubs in Boston. In 1981, he wrote and produced “Happy Days” and recorded it with a credit to North End, featuring vocals from Michelle Wallace. The single made the Top Ten on Billboard’s Top 80 Disco chart. The following year he has success producing Africa Bambaataa and Soul Sonic Force single “Planet Rock”. He also produced “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” for Cyndi Lauper, “Born In the USA”, “Cover Me” and “Dancing In the Dark” for Bruce Springsteen; And “Out of Touch”, “Method of Modern Love”, and “Some Things Are Better Left Unsaid” for Hall & Oates. In 1986, he did the remix of “Suburbia” for the Pet Shop Boys. He also produced “Confusion” for New Order, and signed New Edition to a record contract and subsequently had success with their Top Ten hit “Candy Girl”.

In 1985, Arthur Baker helped organize and produce the anti-apartheid anthem “Sun City” by Artists United Against Apartheid. Baker was later honored by the United Nations Special Committee against Apartheid for “high valuable contribution to the international campaign for the elimination of apartheid and the establishment of a non-racial and democratic society in South Africa. That year Arthur Baker was the mixer for Bob Dylan’s Empire Burlesque album. In 1988, Baker mixed Neneh Cherry’s “Buffalo Stance”. In 1996, he mixed Tina Turner’s international Top Ten hit “Whatever You Want”.

Arthur Baker was also the music supervisor of the films Fried Green Tomatoes and Listen Up – The Lives of Quincy Jones. In addition he released several studio albums credited to Arthur Baker and the Backbeat Disciples. After a break from producing and mixing, Baker moved to London, UK. He established a chain of successful bars—The Elbow Rooms—across the city. He also owns the Tiny Robot restaurant and The Starland Social Club members bar in London, located in Nottingham Hill. He continues to work as a DJ and music producer and recently produced “Part-A” for the genre-busting London Electro Metal band Monsta.

“I.O.U.” is a song about a relationship where one partner sends mixed signals. When they’re alone together, the female tells her guy she loves him. But when they’re out with friends, she treats him badly and he feels “like second best.”

“I.O.U.” climbed to #1 in Montreal, and Sherbrooke (PQ), #3 in Miami, #4 in Fort Lauderdale, #5 in Los Angeles, #8 in San Francisco, #10 in Huntsville (AL), and #13 in New York City.

Internationally, “I.O.U.” peaked at #1 in Iceland, #2 in the Netherlands and the UK, #3 in Australia, Belgium and South Africa, #4 in France and New Zealand, #5 in Ireland and Switzerland, #8 in West Germany, #12 in Sweden and #13 in Finland. Though the single did not chart on the Billboard Hot 100, it topped the Billboard Hot Dance/Disco Club Play chart.

In the winter of 1983-84, Freeez released “Pop Goes My Love”/”Scratch Goes My Dub” which climbed to #5 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart, and #26 on the UK pop chart.

In 1984, John Rocca released a solo dance hit, “I Want It to Be Real”, which topped the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart. He repeated his chart-topping feat on the same dance chart in 1993 with “Shine” under the pseudonym Midi Rain.

Freeez reformed during 1984 without Rocca or any of the other original members, other than Peter Maas. With a new style and almost a new group altogether, Maas worked with Louis Smith who assumed the duties of keyboard player, co-writer and programmer with Billy Crichton as songwriter and guitarist. The new Freeez then recorded an album, Idle Vice (1985), at Studio number 2 at Abbey Road Studios in the same room where the Beatles made their recordings. “That Beats My Patience” was the first single from the album. It was released in the UK and France, but got little notice.

Rocca and Stennett also recorded under other pseudonyms such Pictures and Pink Rhythm during 1985.

Louis Smith later became a session keyboard player and toured with rock band the Escape Club who had a U.S. number one song with “Wild, Wild West” and several other U.S. top 10 successes. He also recorded as one half of Bass Kruncher with main guitarist John Holliday from the Escape Club.

Later in 1993–94, Maas and Paul Morgan took the Freeez format again and reformed as the Dazzling Urbanites adding Poly Koutrouzas (vocals) and Max Rutherford (guitar) to the lineup. Despite extensive preparation and rehearsals, the original success was never achieved.

July 18, 2025
Ray McGinnis

References:
Andy Kellman, “Freeez,” AllMusic.com.
Freeez, “Southern Freeez“, Vineyard Studios, 1981.
“American,” Guardian, April 7, 2007.

CKGM 980-AM Montreal Top Ten | October 12, 1983