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Thompson Twins: Out of the Squat and Into The Gap

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Dave Amitri on Thompson Twins

Most of us remember the Thompson Twins from their mid 80s pomp. Big hair, cartoon image, percussive excess, out of context whoops, wails and whizzes, drum machines, synths and generally everything you either love or hate about the music of that period. In the recent podcast I subconsciously picked Thompson Twins as the band I would choose as an example of just how far I would go to defend the honour of 80’s music. In that moment had I  suggested that they were indefensible such was their total eightiesness? I thought long and hard about that comment and decided to revisit, reassess and reappraise Thompson Twins (not THE Thompson Twins as I learned) this is that story….

I need to go back first, back to April 1983 when I was on a train from Staines to Ashford clutching my WH Smith’s bag and inside was the 12 inch version of “We Are Detective”. I’d chosen what I thought was an empty carriage but no, there behind a seat I heard voices of two post punk lads who I’d known but  avoided at school. They spotted me. “What’s in the bag?” they snarled. I shyly answered “Thompson Twins single but I prefer their earlier stuff”. In that moment again I’d dismissed the band even though I loved the song. Thankfully they shook their heads, laughed at me and didn’t ask any more questions as their “earlier stuff” to me began and ended with “Love On Your Side” the previous single. I played “We Are Detective To Death” but chose not to share this information with my cool Bunnymen, Associates, Orange Juice loving friends. More on “We Are Detective” later….

Fast forward to December last year and the days following the podcast. I thought about that throw away comment and began my research into Thompson Twins after a near 35 year period of barely giving them a thought. As I’ve already mentioned I quickly discovered they were just Thompson Twins no “The” required. Most shockingly to me I  also found out that “We Are Detective” was on “Quick Step and Sidekick” and not the monster that was “Into The Gap” as I was certain it was. I learned watching a YouTube interview with Tom Bailey that they chose the name because the characters from Tin Tin were bumbling half wits who made mistakes but always got there in the end. I found this endearing and at odds with the perceived arrogance of Tom Bailey in particular. A first positive step on the road to reappraisal.

Bailey was born in Halifax in 1956 and arrived in Clapham in 1977 with 2 mates who formed the original band in search of fame and fortune. Squatting, “borrowing” electricity and stealing instruments completely at odds with the final polished article they later became. In 1981 this rabble including Bailey and Joe Leeway managed to put together a bunch of songs for release on their own label called “A Product Of…”.  It’s a post punk mix that to be honest sounds dated but there are hints at inventiveness and originality among the Joy Division bass lines and an Adam and The Ants feel to some of the songs to make it a decent enough first effort. So we can definitely put Thompson Twins in the bracket of plucky triers following a punk ethic and making music any way they could in that early 80’s way. Clearly learning their craft the hard way and “A Product Of…” deserves it’s place in any post punk collection. This reappraisal is looking promising as their audience participation live shows along with the album created enough of a stir for them to sign with Arista and set out recording the next album…

Alannah Currie who Bailey had met living in the same street when squatting had been involved in the first album with no acknowledgement but now became a full band member. Bailey began to take over the synthesizers while Leeway took on some vocals but the band at this time in 1982 was a 7 piece. “Set” neared completion but as Bailey explains in an interview they were short of songs when he decided to write a filler using just drum machines and synths. The album was complete and the filler “In The Name Of Love “ became their breakthrough moment. Minor recognition in the UK was eclipsed when the song went to number 1 in the US dance charts. “Set” was another post punk effort more synth heavy than the first album with contributions from  Thomas Dolby but still mostly unrecognisable from a Thompson Twins sound we recognise today. The success of “In The Name Of Love” convinced everyone that a more pop synth led sound was the way forward. The record company recommended them becoming a 3 piece and everything was in place for the big push. I really love “Set” it’s clear they were looking for a more mainstream sound with songs like “Living In Europe” and “Bouncing” but luck and necessity brought the sound they were looking for. I wholeheartedly recommend giving “Set” a listen. I’ll even suggest especially if you like the idea of a slightly wilder upbeat Joy Division or New Order. There I’ve said it….The next step  to redemption complete.  Now for a “Quick Step and Sidekick”…

Back in 1983 I’d become aware of Thompson Twins through “Love On Your Side” which entered my Top Of The Pops / Radio 1 world and made the UK top 10. It’s upbeat rhythms in contrast to the lyrics which tell of unrequited love. It sounds fresh today and contains that very Thompson Twins moment referencing “In The Name Of Love” in the line “I played you all my favourite  records”  before the synth hook from “In The Name of Love” Perfect 80’s pop. The first single from “Quick Step and Side Kick” “Lies” didn’t quite crack the charts but is another quality single that showed they had finally left their post punk roots and were now ready to embrace the world of video, image and selling bucketloads. It’s my favourite Thompson Twins album a bona fide pop classic drawing on many influences while being unmistakably Thompson Twins. “Kamikaze” is Bailey channelling David Sylvian to magical effect and songs like “Love Lies Bleeding” mean there is no filler. “We Are Detective” cemented them in the public consciousness with it’s cartoon feel and impossibly catchy hooks. I’ve learned to love it again. I think it’s a piece of pop art. Evoking a time and a place and a style. Whether with the comedy “wooahs”, Alannah’s Marlene  Dietrich vocal or the accordion that puts you on the streets of Paris in an adventure. It’s a unique song that couldn’t have worked at any other time. Surprisingly “Watching” the single that followed only reached the lower reaches of the chart and the Twins knew they had to up their game to make the next level. The next album “Into The Gap” surely exceeded even their expectations.

“Hold Me Now” was released at the end of 1983 and was a traditional love song drawn from an actual row between Bailey and Currie who were now an item. It’s a heart wrenching story set to a strong melody with those hooks that meant it was a hit all over the world. It made the Top 10 in the UK and the US and the album had a lot to live up to. “Into the Gap” did just that and more. The image was polished as was the production and the song writing and 1984 became the year of the Thompson Twins. They went for it and made it.  Bailey, Currie and Leeway were a visual tour de force. An eclectic mix of gender and race perfect for the MTV revolution. I have to concede that musically “Into The Gap” didn’t match “Quick Step” for me it was a case of style over substance and it’s this Thompson Twins that people remember. I cannot however deny that songs like “Hold Me Now”, “Doctor Doctor” and “You Take Me Up” were perfect pop songs, maybe too perfect but they were exactly what the world wanted. This reappraisal has reminded me that they earned their year in the sun. This was no overnight success it was 9 years of work that peaked in perfect unison with the time and I won’t hold that against them.

 In 1985 they performed at Live Aid in Philadelphia with Madonna. More albums followed with less success. Their time had run out and this reappraisal finishes at “Into The Gap”. I have really enjoyed discovering the first two albums. “Quick Step..” is a real joy that will become a regular listen for me. While “Into The Gap” is the perfect example of just what was possible in 1984 it is also a perfect example of why the era is so divisive. My conclusion is that I don’t expect people to like Thompson Twins but I do hope they are respected. I will just have to find another act to hold up as the pinnacle of 80’s naff that I can defend. Honestly, defending Thompson Twins was easier than I imagined. Howard Jones next? They made the journey from the squat into the gap and deserve kudos for that. Me? I prefer their earlier stuff…

 

 

 

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Comments

  6. Not owning any of their albums or ever seeing the band live. did Alannah Currie actually play a musical instrument apart from conspicuous nebulous percussion or was she a Linda McCartney type member of the band? .Saying that I certainly got the impression that she called the shots as far as the bands image was concerned. My post does read as terribly sexist. I apologise. It is something though I have often pondered when watching their performances on TV.

  8. Top post, Dave – more please!
    Unrequited love is right, though.
    My memory of the Thommos is seeing them for free at a multi-act event alongside a girl I really liked who I hoped was coming round but – probably at this very gig and probably during Love On Your Side – I realised never would.
    To add insult to injury, some sh*t put a lit cigarette in my jacket pocket (which, fortunately, burned right through leaving two holes rather than me in flames, but also melted to unplayability a C90 tape I had in said pocket).
    Two things:
    I think, while 1984 was good for the Thommos, 16 weeks at number one means maybe it was actually Frankie’s year.
    My favourite example of Bailey/Currie’s pop chops is Debbie Harry’s I Want That Man. (In truth – even without the negative connotation – I find the Thommos a bit charmless and wonder whether I wouldn’t like all their songs 20% more if performed by someone else..).

    • Thank you. Howard Jones next it is…

      It’s no wonder TT are a negative for you. You are absolutely right about 1984 being the year of FGTH but I was trying to say it was TT’s best year.

      I think you’re right, I find photos of them irritating. I’ll need to dig out the Debbie Harry track

      • Yeah, sorry Dave I couldn’t resist the phrase 16 weeks at number one and was being silly.
        Viz looking up the song, I Want That Man is from her “call me Deborah” period..

  9. Nice post Saw them live in 1980 supporting The Teardrop Explodes. They were more interesting then (very percussive) than the bland pop group they turned into.

  10. Great post. They are definitely one of those bands that i rejected out of hand in the 80s when I was a teenager, but actually enjoyed the songs on watching the re runs of TOTP.

    One overriding memory (maybe a false one) I have of them is when hit the charts in the 80s there was talk that Tom Bailey used to be a teacher at a school near us in Sheffield – although that doesn’t seem to gel with your history of him being in a squat in Clapham before they were famous…….

  12. Good, detailed post – I enjoyed reading it. Hearing their songs again takes me back to the early 80s and school discos, which is a mixed blessing. They were a great spectacle, from a time of Athena shops and Face magazine when the image and the video as was important as the music and part of the complete pop package.

    The first song that comes to mind, You Take Me Up, apart from being a splendid innuendo, had a glorious, energizing chorus, even if the video is preposterous and the lyrics are very silly “I know what it means to work hard on machines”. Yes, Tom, those synths can be murder for your RSI.

    Hold Me Now is the one that stills holds me now, with its strong bass lines and Bailey’s growly vocals that anticipate the Somerville-like falsetto at the end. Currie grimaces like an android with a basilisk stare, mind. That the song comes from a bust-up between them may point to why, but it also seems to give the song its energy and conviction – unusually for them, the words seem to have real meaning. It’s only spoiled from being perfect pop by having no ending.
    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=H9694K85Xc8

  13. Great post Dave, enjoyed reading it. I’ll hold my head up and say I liked In The Name Of Love and Hold Me Now at the time.
    And you an Ashford lad…we sound about the same age, you didn’t go to Spelthorne College did you?

      • Ah, you left the year before I went there then!
        Apparently it was knocked down in controversial circumstances too, being a listed building or something.
        I’m a long time Sunbury man but as well as going to college in Ashford I lived there for a few years in the nineties.

  15. Tom Bailey produced some quite polished pop songs for NZ band Stellar* – featuring Boh Runga – about 20 years ago.

    I liked reading the OP – there was something a little bit annoying about Thompson Twins but the singles were very strong – even Watching, which wasn’t a big hit but I liked it. There was also a single called “Don’t Mess with Doctor Dream” a bit later on which I think was a birrova comeback single but didn’t quite hit the mark.

    My final memory is my annoying brother who gets song words wrong on purpose used to sing “We are detective – we are selective…”.

    • I used to sing “We are defective, we are defunct. We are defective, we are totally f*cked”.
      Doesn’t scan or even fit the tune properly, but it lightened boring Maths lessons in 1983.

  16. Great article, and I will henceforth on the (very) rare occasion they arise in conversation not use the definitive article, but for me they are irredeemable. You know the old saying about taking an instant dislike to something because it saves time? Thompson Twins.

  17. My cousin Simon was up from Cornwall during the 1983 summer holidays. We took the train to Stevenage to play snooker at the leisure centre, then we went to Woolies, which had a tape sale. He bought Talking Heads – Speaking in Tongues and I bought Quick Step & Side Kick (with the extended remixes on the B-side – “Hi quality Superferro tape”). Not for the first (or last) time, we spent our lunch money on music.

  18. Through the pages of Smash Hits, I learned the trivia nugget that links The Police and The Thompson Twins.
    Frances Tomelty (Sting’s Mrs and the star(?) of TT’s Sister Of Mercy video).
    As a further “Six Degrees Of Kevin Bacon”, Ms Tomelty is also the link between Thompson Twins and Stiff Little Fingers via the BBC Play For Today Iris in the Traffic, Ruby in the Rain

    (I’m here all week spouting this tosh for your delectation)

  19. There was a review of some reissues or a best of in Word and my immediate reaction was, ‘Oh yeah. I remember them.’ Which was pretty much the attitude of the reviewer, I don’t remember who it was, who said that in one way the Thompson Twins were the perfect definition of pop: they made music which was so of the moment that it was huge at the time but then vanished almost without trace.

  20. It still irks me a bit, that name. I was a huge Tintin fan, and I could never find a reference to ‘The Thompson Twins’ in the books. Thomson and Thompson, yes, but twins, nope.
    That notwithstanding, I saw them at Durham University when there was at least half a dozen of them onstage, and they were very much of that post-punk percussion approach, throwing ‘things to hit’ into the audience. Luckily for them, there were very few non-students at the Durham gig, few faces from the outlying former pit villages – Esh Winning, Ushaw Moor, Brandon, :Langley Park (yes, that one), Pity Me, Bearpark – otherwise it may well have kicked off as it had done when Bad Manners played the previous year. Eminently forgettable, the Twins gig.
    Then there was that very brief spell, three singles basically (In The Name Of Love, Lies and Love On Your Side) which worked brilliantly in studenty/sixth form discos and club nights. There was that just right mix of pop and mystery, plus they had that hats on the back of the head look that Bananarama, Fun Boy 3, Belle Stars et al also did. It was just about enough.
    And what followed Love On Your Side? We Are Detective. Christ.
    I recall happily dancing to In The Name Of Love at Durham’s only nightclub, Klute (apparently owned by Dominic Cummings’ uncle) , followed by this cracker.

  23. Really enjoyable post Dave.

    I only have a best of, plus a few tracks on compilations. There are a handful of singles I really like by them – Doctor! Doctor! (which my iTunes tells me was co-written with Jesse Rae (who wrote “Inside Out”), which sadly turns out not to be true) – is there a more 80s record than Doctor! Doctor!? – discuss, You Take Me Up, If You Were Here (which I first heard in “16 Candles”, a “problematic” film I still love), In The Name Of Love, Lay Your Hands On Me (the original mix without those over-pronounced BVs), Love On Your Side and this one, which I bought when it came out (when they were still a seven-piece)

    On the other hand, I absolutely detested We Are Detective (which sounds like a Not The Nine O’Clock News spoof), and Hold Me Now is ruined by some of the worst BVs I’ve ever heard.

  25. The thing about the Thommos was, because they were actual chart pop stars – unlike, say, Cocteau Twins or Aphex Twin or The Dead Milkman – you were forever being informed by “personality” radio DJs that not only were they not twins, but there was more than two of them.
    (*Not once, on the afternoon drivetime show, did I hear “Not only are they not milkmen, they’re not even dead!”).

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