SOUNDTRACK4LIFE: THE B-SIDES: Rewind: 1984 - "Alf"

Thursday, 5 November 2015

Rewind: 1984 - "Alf" - Alison Moyet

I've often been asked the question with regard to music, "What's your guilty pleasure?" My answer to that is I don't feel guilty about any of the music I listen to because if it's good music, performed by a good artist then there's nothing to feel guilty about when listening to it. And so that brings me to Alison Moyet. I haven't written about her on the blog before so I feel seeing that it's the 31st anniversary of the release or her debut album I should rectify that omission. I've always had a soft spot for her voice, going back to Yazoo and she's done some great solo stuff down through the years and to this day her voice is still a force to be reckoned with.

After disbanding Yazoo in 1983 it was only a matter of time before lead vocalist Alison Moyet found success out on her own. Earlier in 1984 she had a TopTen hit with Love Resurrection. The single would be released a year later in the US reaching #82. All Cried Out would be yet another hit (#8 in the UK and when released in the spring of 1985 in the US she hit #31 on the Billboard Chart) and the forerunner to the Debut Album.

There's loads of links on this post so just click on them to hear more music from Alison Moyet.

"Alf" - Alyson Moyet

CBS

Produced by Steve Jolley and Tony Swain

Released 5th November 1984

UK Chart #1

US Chart #45

Personnel
    Alison Moyet – lead and backing vocal
    Steve Jolley – backing vocal, guitars on "Invisible"
    Tony Swain – keyboards
    Tim Goldsmith – drums

Track listing
All tracks written by Steve Jolley, Alison Moyet and Tony Swain (Copyright Control/Rondor Music Ltd.-London/J&S Music) unless otherwise noted.

Side A:
    "Love Resurrection" – 3:52
    "Honey for the Bees" – 4:12
    "For You Only" – 4:06
    "Invisible" (Lamont Dozier; Copyright Warner Bros Music Ltd./All Boys Music Ltd.) – 4:00
    "Steal Me Blind" – 3:18

Side B:
    "All Cried Out" – 6:50
    "Money Mile" – 3:44
    "Twisting the Knife" – 3:28
    "Where Hides Sleep" – 4:17

Forward Wind

Alison has continued recording and releasing music, though after the release of 1994's Essex album she was at loggerheads with Sony as they wanted her to produce what they considered to be "more commercial music" and so she didn't release a new album for 8 years!

After being released by Sony in 2002 she signed for Sanctuary Records and released Hometime (which much to the annoyance of Sony sold over in excess of a quarter of a million copies and saw the album peak at #18 in the UK Charts). She was one of the top 5 bestselling female artists of 2002 and was nominated for both The Mercury Prize and a The Brits Award.

2004's Voice album (Cover versions) peaked at #7 in the UK. The Turn (2007) reached #21. After an absence of 6 years (she was busy with other stuff and not hidden in a cave somewhere) a new album The Minutes (#5 UK Chart) appeared with many critics giving it a thumbs up as one of her best releases ever! And last year a live document of the The Minutes Tour was released as Minutes and Seconds - Live.

In September of this year she performed at London Fashion Week in for Burberry and two days later a Digital EP was issued entitled Live For Burberry that includes All Cried Out, When I Was Your Girl, Whsipering Your Name and the Yazoo song Only You.