Tom Bailey was 30 years old when Thompson Twins released what is now considered a synth-pop classic, The Thompson Twins’ ‘Into The Gap’.
38 years on, ‘Into The Gap’ still is surprisingly buoyant, mostly in part to the strong structure of the songs. Unlike today’s homogenised pop, The Thompson Twins (Tom Bailey, Alannah Currie and Joe Leeway) crafted their songs with a structure and melody. The hits of The Thompson Twins have endured because two minutes into every song, if you didn’t know it at the start, you were singing along to the chorus just minutes in.
The Thompson Twins reached their peak with their fourth album ‘Into The Gap’ which in 1984 was perfect for radio, and soon adopted by the audience.
‘Hold Me Now’ was a no 3 hit in Australia.
#Noise11 @TomBaileyTour performs Hold Me Now at the Northcote Theatre Melbourne @destroyalllines #musicnews #music #news #thompsontwins pic.twitter.com/3gp8vd3ckj
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The follow-up ‘Doctor Doctor’ reached no 14 and then radio play continued with ‘You Take Me Up’, ‘Sister of Mercy’ and ‘The Gap’ because by that stage the album was also now a number 4 hit.
#Noise11 @TomBaileyTour performs Doctor Doctor at the Northcote Theatre Melbourne @destroyalllines #musicnews #music #news #thompsontwins pic.twitter.com/GAXCL8mX8t
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Radio then wasn’t radio now. In 1984 radio programmers had ears. Songs were curated for a local audience and going deep into a popular album for airplay was common. People loved radio then. It meant something.
‘Into The Gap’ wasn’t unique to Australia. The album sold over one million copies in America and in the UK was deemed two times platinum with over 600,000 sales.
In their day The Thompson Twins shared radio waves with not only Duran Duran, Culture Club and Spandau Ballet but the “pop stars” of the day including Bruce Springsteen, Phil Collins, Dire Straits and Tina Turner. (Yes kiddies, Springsteen, Collins, Dire Straits, Tina Turner were the music 10-40 year olds all listened to then). It was an exciting time for radio and The Thompson Twins delivered ‘Into The Gap’ right at that moment when the radio audience was addicted to new music.
So here we are nearly 40 years from that moment. Tom Bailey has gifted the live performance of ‘Into The Gap’ to Australia first (minus one warm-up in the UK a few weeks back before this tour) and the songs from the album sound as fresh as then.
The setlist filled out with one new song ‘Science Fiction’ and highlights from albums previous and post ‘Into the Gap’, as well as a cover of Talking Heads ‘Psycho Killer’.
#Noise11 @TomBaileyTour performs Talking Heads Psycho Killer the Northcote Theatre Melbourne @destroyalllines #musicnews #music #news #thompsontwins pic.twitter.com/NasFk7WK12
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Watch the Noise11.com interview with Tom Bailey.
Tom Bailey’s Australian setlist
In the Name of Love (from Set, 1982)
Science Fiction (single 2018)
Lies (from Quick Step & Side Kick, 1983)
Lay Your Hands on Me (from Here’s To Future Days, 1985)
If You Were Here (from Quick Step & Side Kick, 1983)
Psycho Killer (Talking Heads cover)
The Gap (from Into The Gap, 1984)
Day After Day (from Into The Gap, 1984)
Sister of Mercy (from Into The Gap, 1984)
No Peace for the Wicked (from Into The Gap, 1984)
Storm on the Sea (from Into The Gap, 1984)
You Take Me Up (from Into The Gap, 1984)
Who Can Stop the Rain (from Into The Gap, 1984)
Doctor! Doctor! (from Into The Gap, 1984)
Hold Me Now (from Into The Gap, 1984)
Encore:
Love on Your Side (from Quick Step & Side Kick, 1983)
Tom Bailey is touring Australia for Destroy All Lives. Get tickets here.
Remaining Australian dates are:
28 October, Adelaide, The Gov
30 October, Perth, Astor Theatre
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