“Invisible”
by Alison Moyet
from Singles (1995)
MP3 is no longer available for download
4.7 MB download; 4:08 running time; lyrics
“Love Is Not Lost”
by Leslie Phillips (later known as Sam Phillips)
from The Turning (1985)
MP3 is no longer available for download
5.9 MB download; 3:14 running time; lyrics
Spring has sprung, and it’s time for a couple pop tunes.
Alison Moyet is probably best known for her work as half of the duo known variously as Yaz (in the U.S.) and Yazoo, who had a big hit in the early ’80s with their album Upstairs At Eric’s. The other half of the team was Vince Clarke, who had previously been a founding member of Depeche Mode. The uneasy combination of Moyet’s sultry R&B vocals and Clarke’s spare synth-pop/dance keyboard parts resulted in some pretty cool music. Although Upstairs At Eric’s and the followup album You and Me Both did very well, particularly in Britain, the two split up after only a year and a half. Clarke went on to form Erasure, while Moyet began a solo career.
Her first outing, Alf (1983), did very well. “Invisible” was a hit for Moyet, even cracking the Top 40 in the U.S., according to the All Music Guide entry for her. She did a total of four albums of new material and then released the Singles greatest-hits CD in 1995. Apparently she hasn’t been heard from since. I found a used copy of Singles in a local record store, excited because it included a version of “Ode To Boy” from You and Me Both, an album I only have on beat-up vinyl. Alas, the version on the CD was a remake from her 1994 Essex album, so I’ll have to try to rescue the vinyl version in Pro Tools.
I had forgotten what great fun Moyet’s songs were, and what a powerful, soulful voice she had. “Invisible” is one of those songs just made to crank up on the car stereo while driving around on a spring day.
Leslie Phillips was, from all accounts, a darling of the Christian music scene in the early ’80s. Behind the facade of her popularity, though, she was increasingly disgusted by the hypocrisy of those around her. Things came to a head when she began to work with producer T Bone Burnett on her 1985 album The Turning. The album turned out to be too secular for her label; she left the Christian music scene behind and began a relationship with T Bone Burnett that continues to this day (they were married a few years ago). She was subsequently signed to Virgin Records America, changed her stage name to Sam Phillips, and has put out some of the finest albums of the last 14 years. In my unbiased opinion, anyway.
The Turning, largely because of its troubled genesis, has been a difficult record to find ever since. It was finally re-released in 1997 by the DCC label, and I snatched up a copy since my one and only cassette copy, copied from a friend, was starting to fall apart. The re-issue CD has amazingly bad cover art, btw—I don’t know if it is the same as the original. Sam Phillips has a striking visual presence (she played Jeremy Irons’ terrorist girlfriend in Die Hard 3, if you remember), but these photos make her look beyond frumpy; the typography is certainly bad enough to be from the original label.
I’ll always have a soft spot in my heart for “Love Is Not Lost,” not least because it was one of the songs Elise and I included in the music at our wedding. Another good song to crank while you’re driving around….
what quality do you want "you & me both" ripped to? Heh. Seriously, I broke down and bought the CD a couple years ago (after the fatal heat wave put the tape to rest for good)
Hi, Amber! Since you don't have email I haven't been able to tell you how glad I am you're blogging again (at www.ambereden.com). That's assuming I have the right Amber, of course....
Since you asked, I usually set my encoding as High Quality VBR, joint stereo. If you can't do VBR, how about 192 K?
I would gladly buy the CD if it were available, but it's not and the Greatest Hits CD got lousy reviews. So, thanks, Amber! and feel free to contact me by email if there's any more info you need.
thanks for coming back Amber
I love Sam Phillips... and I was in high school when she was hugely famous in the Christian music industry. I have all of her Christian LPs... Anyway, I think it's funny what you said about the artwork for The Turning... You're so right! Interestingly, the original packaging was far superior... She looked good and the typography was MUCH better. Don't know what the new label was thinking.
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