Another week in and as we’re nearing the end of another year, so too are we nearing the end of my Back to the 80s Challenge. This week, we’re looking at the letter Y and I’ll be focusing on a synthpop duo.
Formed in England in 1981, Yazoo consisted of Alison Moyet on vocals and Vince Clarke on keyboards. Alison placed an ad in the hope of forming a band and it was answered by Vince Clarke, once a member of Depeche Mode.
The song ‘Only You’ was released in 1982 and reached No.2 in the U.K singles charts. The song ‘Don’t Go’ was released the same year and reached No.3. Their first album, Upstairs at Eric’s was also released in 1982 and reached No.2 in the U.K album charts. Yazoo became known in the United States as Yaz and their song ‘Situation’ had become a hit, making it into the Billboard Hot 100.
In 1983, they released the single ‘Nobody’s Diary’, which reached No.3 in the U.K charts. It was not long after the release of the single, that the duo announced they had disbanded due to a clash of personalities and lack of communication between the pair. Despite the split, their second album, You and Me Both, was released later that same year and reached No.1 in the album charts. Alison Moyet has an amazing voice and after Yazoo, she went on to have a successful solo career.
Other bands formed or who had hits in the 1980s starting with the letter Y include:- Yothu Yindi, Yello.
What other bands of the 1980s that begin with the letter Y can you think of?
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I rather liked Yazoo – and Alison Moyet’s subsequent stuff was superb (I can bring ‘All Cried Out’ to mind right now, without thinking too hard…) I saw her a year or two back on the Graham Norton show, so she’s still in the business it seems.
Hi Matthew. It was a shame they were so short lived, but I was glad to see her have a solo career. What a remarkable voice! It’s good to know she’s still going strong. 🙂