THROWBACK THURSDAY: THOMPSON TWINS

One of the biggest, quirkiest British bands to invade the US during the 1980s were Thompson Twins. Named after the detectives from the The Adventures of Tintin comics, the group actually consisted of three members: Tom Bailey, Joe Leeway and Alannah Currie. The group formed in 1977, but their big break didn't come until 1981 when the song In The Name of Love hit #1 on the US Dance Chart. More mainstream success came in the UK with their 1983 album Quick Step and Side Kick and the UK top 10 hits Love on You Side (#7 UK) and We Are Detective (#9 UK). It also placed their first song on the US Hot 100 when Lies hit #30. Their next album, Into the Gap, released in 1984, would prove to big a huge international hit, placing Thompson Twins in the top 10 in the US and UK with the undeniable classic Hold Me Now (#3 US, #4 UK) and vaulting Doctor! Doctor! (#11 US, #4 UK) up the charts. Another hit from Into the Gap, and one of my personal favorites, You Take Me Up was their biggest UK hit to date (#2) but just missed the top 40 here (#44). It was also during this time that the group contributed the song If You Were Here to the soundtrack of the John Hugh's Film Sixteen Candles. That song is played during the climax of the film and, IMO, fits so perfectly I want to cry thinking about it. There. I said it. Thompson Twins next album, 1985's  Here's To Future Days, kept their streak of chart hits running in the US, but saw a slump in the UK. First single, the excellent and gospel tinged Lay Your Hands on Me, and the second single King for a Day both reached the top 10 in the US hitting #6 and #8 respectively, but only #13 and #22 in the UK. Don't Mess with Doctor Dream was released in the UK only and reached #15, but their cover of The Beatles' Revolution failed to reach the top 40. Leeway left the band in 1986 and Currie and Bailey continued on as a duo. They managed two more top 40 hits in the US; 1987's Get That Love (#31) and 1989's Sugar Daddy (#28) before the group disbanded in 1993. With a very distinct sound and look, Thompson Twins left an indelible impression on 80s pop culture and made music that stands the test of time for sure. So here are Thompson Twins biggest hits and some of my most beloved 80s pop songs. Enjoy!!