80’s Flashback

Bucks Fizz, I Hear Talk, 1984. Named for the drink that Americans call a mimosa, the UK’s Bucks Fizz burst onto the scene in 1981 when they won the Eurovision Song Contest with the deliriously silly Making Your Mind Up. But it wasn’t until three #1’s and 12 Top 40 singles later that the band came to U.S. attention when I Hear Talk became a beloved standard at many gay clubs, in particular at NYC’s legendary Saint, where it became a linchpin of morning music sets, a status the track enjoys to this day. The band was involved in a terrible tour bus accident just as the single was released, severely injuring several members. With little promotion, I Hear Talk languished on the UK charts, reaching only #34, although a stateside release of an extended 12″ mix brought them their only U.S. success. The performance video is here, below is the club mix. It takes a few minutes to really get rolling, but it’s a lovely wait. One of my all time 80’s favorites, by far. Pure joy.