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. 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. This was the group's biggest hit in four years, but was also their last top 40 hit.
The song was written by Mike Myers and Tony Gibber and was produced by Myers along with the group's regular producer Andy Hill.
"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. The recording was only released as a 12" single.
The song is a song of hope where the narrator talks about building a happier world. 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.
"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. The song remains among the group's most highly regarded work.
| Country | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK | 8 |
| Ireland | 11 |
| The Netherlands | 32 |