Hangin' on a String (Contemplating)

"Hangin' on a String (Contemplating) (Frankie Knuckles Remix)"
"Hangin' on a String (Contemplating) (Frankie Knuckles Remix)"
Single by Loose Ends
from the album Tighten Up Volume 1
B-side	"Hangin' on a String (Contemplating)" (Original 7" Mix)
Released	14 June 1992 (UK)
Recorded	1985
Genre	R&B
Length	4:20
Label	Ten Records
Songwriters	Carl McIntosh; Jane Eugene; Steve Nichol;
Producer	Nick Martinelli
Loose Ends singles chronology

"Hangin' on a String"
"Hangin' on a String"
Single by Loose Ends
from the album So Where Are You?; (also on U.S. version of A Little Spice)
B-side	"A Little Spice"
Released	February 23, 1985
Recorded	1984
Genre	R&B; funk;
Length	3:42
Label	Virgin Records
Songwriters	Carl McIntosh, Jane Eugene, Steve Nichol
Producer	Nick Martinelli
Loose Ends singles chronology

"Hangin' on a String (Contemplating)" is the seventh single by British soul band Loose Ends from their second studio album, So Where Are You?, and was released in February 1985 by Virgin Records. In the group's native UK, the single made the top twenty.^[1] Outside the UK, the single went to number one on the US Billboard R&B chart for one week.^[2] This made Loose Ends the first British band ever to top that chart ^[3] It also reached number 43 on the Billboard Hot 100.^[2]

Track listing

7” single: VS748

"Hangin' on a String (Contemplating)" 3.42
"A Little Spice" 5.08

12” single: VS748-12

"Hangin' on a String (Contemplating)" (Extended Dance Mix) 5.58
"A Little Spice" 5.08

2nd 12” single: VS748-13

"Hangin' on a String (Contemplating)" (Extended Dance Mix) 5.58
"Silent Talking" (feat. Tom Browne)
"A Little Spice" 5.08

3rd 12” single: VS748-14

"Hangin' on a String (Contemplating)" (Mastermind Megamix)
"Hangin' on a String (Contemplating)" (Extended Dance Mix) 5.58

3” CD single: released 1989

"Hangin' on a String (Contemplating)" (Extended Dance Mix) 5.58
"A Little Spice" 5.08
"Emergency [Dial 999]" (Extended Remix) 6.42

Charts

Chart (1985)	Peak position
UK Singles (OCC)^[4]	13
US Billboard Hot 100^[5]	43
US Dance (Billboard)^[5]	12
US R&B (Billboard)^[5]	1

Hangin' on a String (Contemplating) 1992

"Hangin' on a String (Contemplating)" was remixed and re-released in 1992. This was a track taken from the forthcoming Loose Ends Remix project "Tighten Up Volume 1".

Track listing

7” single: TEN406

"Hangin' on a String (Contemplating)" (Frankie Knuckles Radio Edit) 4.20
"Hangin' on a String (Contemplating)" (Original 7" Mix) 3.42

12” single: TENX406

"Hangin' on a String (Contemplating)" (Frankie Knuckles Club Mix) 6.28
"Hangin' on a String (Contemplating)" (Original 12" Mix) 5.58
"Hangin' on a String (Contemplating)" (The All Night Mix) 5.50
"Johnny Broadhead" (Part 2)

CD single: TENCD406

"Hangin' on a String (Contemplating)" (Frankie Knuckles Radio Edit) 4.20
"Hangin' on a String (Contemplating)" (Frankie Knuckles Club Mix) 6.28
"Hangin' on a String (Contemplating)" (Original 12" Mix) 5.58
"Hangin' on a String (Contemplating)" (The All Night Mix) 5.50
"Hangin' on a String (Contemplating)" (Frankie Knuckles Classic Club Reprise) 6.08

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1992)	Peak position
UK Singles (OCC)^[4]	25
UK Dance (Music Week)^[6]	7
UK Club Chart (Music Week)^[7]	3

Year-end charts

Chart (1992)	Position
UK Club Chart (Music Week)^[8]	54

In popular culture

In 2008, the song was featured on Grand Theft Auto IV's in-game radio station The Vibe 98.8.
Rapper Wiz Khalifa sampled this song for his song The Kid Frankie from the album Kush & Orange Juice, as did Big Daddy Kane for the remixed version of his 1991 hit The Lover in You
In 2022, the song was featured in the ninth episode of the third season of Atlanta.

References

^ McAleer, Dave; Gregory, Andy; White, Matthew (November 15, 2010). The Virgin Book of British Hit Singles, Volume 2. Random House. p. 284. ISBN 9780753522455. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
^ ^a ^b Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 359.
^ Nick Martinelli at AllMusic
^ ^a ^b "LOOSE ENDS - full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 1 February 2020.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Loose Ends Top Songs / Chart Singles Discography". Music VF. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
^ "Top 60 Dance Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 20 June 1992. p. 20. Retrieved 30 September 2025.
^ "The Record Mirror Club Chart" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). 27 June 1992. p. 6. Retrieved 28 September 2025.
^ "The Record Mirror Club Chart 92" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). 26 December 1992. p. 4. Retrieved 5 September 2025.

External links

Hangin' On A String (Contemplating) at Discogs.

[British_Hit_Singles-1] McAleer, Dave; Gregory, Andy; White, Matthew (November 15, 2010). The Virgin Book of British Hit Singles, Volume 2. Random House. p. 284. ISBN 9780753522455. Retrieved 29 September 2020.

[whitburn-2] Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 359.

[3] Nick Martinelli at AllMusic

[UK-4] "LOOSE ENDS - full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 1 February 2020.

[VF-5] "Loose Ends Top Songs / Chart Singles Discography". Music VF. Retrieved 29 September 2020.

[6] "Top 60 Dance Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 20 June 1992. p. 20. Retrieved 30 September 2025.

[7] "The Record Mirror Club Chart" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). 27 June 1992. p. 6. Retrieved 28 September 2025.

[8] "The Record Mirror Club Chart 92" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). 26 December 1992. p. 4. Retrieved 5 September 2025.

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v t e Loose Ends
Studio albums	A Little Spice So Where Are You? Zagora The Real Chuckeeboo Look How Long
Singles	"Tell Me What You Want" "Emergency (Dial 999)" "Choose Me (Rescue Me)" "Hangin' on a String (Contemplating)" "Magic Touch" "Golden Years" "Stay a Little While, Child" "Slow Down" "Nights of Pleasure" "Ooh, You Make Me Feel" "Watching You" "Don't Be a Fool"

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