There's Nothing Like This

Omar recorded the track as a self-made debut single, cutting it on an eight-track setup and finishing the first version in a small basement studio in southwest London in about ten days. It was produced by Omar and The Family, with Omar handling the core instrumentation and Phil Hudson on guitar. It first appeared in 1990 on Omar’s independent Kongo Dance label before being reissued in 1991 by Talkin’ Loud, where it became his breakthrough hit. The song drew strong praise at the time for its laidback, jazz-tinged soul sound and helped establish Omar as one of the key young British soul artists of the period. It remains Omar’s best-known song and his signature recording, regularly cited in retrospectives of British soul and modern jazz-inflected pop. The track has also been covered by Maxi Priest and Beverley Knight, extending its reach beyond Omar’s original audience.