Monday 27 August 2012

Fine Young Cannibals 'Blue'

Chart Peak: 41

YouTube
The follow-up to 'Johnny Come Home', released in early November.
And so a milestone in Now! history passes quietly, as this is the first track ever to appear that did not make the Top 40. Obviously, this was a result of the album having to go to press before the single was even released, but it was pretty trusting to include this when the FYC had only the one hit under their belt. As it transpired, they guessed wrong this time and the single underperformed, despite the enticement of a free "1986 FYC Picture Calendar". The band were saved from one-hit-wonderhood by their cover of 'Suspicious Minds' in early 1986, although that was notably not included on Now 7... a case of once bitten twice shy maybe?

As to 'Blue' itself, it's more directly political than the more emotional 'Johnny Come Home', and for that reason alone has unsurprisingly not aged as well. It's firmly in the vein of anti-Thatch soul-pop from the mid-1980s, but it doesn't have quite the rousing anger of the Style Council at their best, nor the direct personal impact of some of Jimmy Somerville's work. It's not even the best thing the Cannibals did in this style and to be honest it was probably the wrong choice of second single.

Also appearing on: Now 6, 14, 16 (CD only)
Available on: Fine Young Cannibals

No comments:

Post a Comment