I.O.U. (Freeez song)

"I.O.U."
Single by Freeez
from the album Gonna Get You
B-side	"I Dub U" "We Got the Jazz"
Released	17 June 1983
Studio	Unique (New York City)
Genre	Electro-funk[1]
Length	7:50 (12-inch version) 3:49 (7-inch version)
Label	Beggars Banquet
Songwriter(s)	Arthur Baker
Producer(s)	Arthur Baker
Freeez singles chronology
"One to One" (1982) "I.O.U." (1983) "Pop Goes My Love/Scratch Goes My Dub" (1983)
Freeez singles chronology
"Train of Thoughts" (1985) "I.O.U." (remix) (1987) "Southern Freeez" (remix) (1987)

"I.O.U." is a song by British musical group Freeez, released in 1983. The song was written and produced by Arthur Baker and remixed by Jellybean Benitez and Arthur Baker. The song was an international hit, reaching number two on the UK Singles Chart and topping the US Billboard Dance/Disco Top 80 chart, giving Freeez their only chart-topping single on any Billboard chart. It was the 20th-best-selling single of 1983 in the United Kingdom.^[2]

In the UK, where clubbing culture had become accustomed to sophisticated jazz-funk music, I.O.U. was seen^{[by whom?]} as "dumbing down" for commercial success, cashing in on the fashionable "electro" music scene. The accompanying video featured children with skateboards and BMX bicycles recreating New York hip-hop culture for a young audience unaware of the band's previous music.

In 1986, a 12-inch single was released in the US by the Criminal Records company, with new remixes. Some of these remixes were given a re-release during 1987 in the UK for the Citybeat label as "I.O.U. (The Ultimate Mixes '87)", however, it only reached number 23 on the UK Singles Chart.