Thursday, March 5, 2015

Top 100 Songs From the 1990s (No. 86)

86. "Walk Into the Wind"
Artist: Vegas
Year: 1992

Obviously, this one needs no introduction. I mean, c'mon, if Terry Hall of the Specials and Fun Boy Three teams up with Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics, the only thing that could possibly happen would be a string of hit songs and eventual world domination, right? Uh, maybe not.

The duo known as Vegas released three singles, only one of which barely broke into the Top 40 in the UK, and a self-titled album that didn't bother to chart at all... before quickly going out of print. It's a pity. I think the subdued mood of the material makes it a real grower. Unfortunately, not many had the patience. I had a difficult time choosing between the three singles, and I nearly went with the lovely "She," a cover originally done by Charles Aznavour, France's Frank Sinatra, but some of the luster has been taken off of that one through the years because Elvis Costello made a more popular version of it for the film 'Notting Hill' in 1999. So, "Walk Into the Wind" wins. In case you're wondering, that's the backing vocals (and whispering) of Siobhan Fahey, she of Bananarama and Shakespeare's Sister fame, as well as Mrs. Stewart at the time.

The good news about Vegas is that it gives me a chance to bend the rules a bit and feature Hall as solo artist a little later in the countdown.

4 comments:

Echorich said...

Gorgeous!!! One of two Hall tracks (maybe there are four if I scour The Lightning Seeds 90's output) that deserves mention as highlights of "The Barren Decade."
I wonder if there might be another Hall track which will make your list Brian,,,

The Swede said...

Rule bending - that's half the fun of series' like this one! I'm grappling with my own (self-imposed) set of rules at the moment.
'Walk into the Wind' is quite gorgeous. I played the LP a bit at the time, before it slipped off my radar. For a while the CD was a charity shop staple, but I bet now that I want a copy, I won't be able to find one to save my life.

Brian said...

The Swede,
This album is a tough find on this side of the pond. I'm not even positive it got a proper release over here. I know my copy is an import, and I'm guessing I did not pay a charity shop price.

Echorich,
I have been expecting you. You know Hall is going to show up here... and so will the Lightning Seeds, for that matter.

friend of rachel worth said...

Lovely song ,don't play the lp a lot but always a pleasure when a track pops up on shuffle