Yaz/Yazoo

Country of origin:

England where they called themselves Yazoo rather than Yaz (the name by which they were known in the USA).

Type of music generally:

Mainstream pop crafted out of the combination of bluesy vocals and quirky 1980s electronics

Status:

No longer recording

See also:

Wikipedia's page for Yazoo

The Ectophiles' Guide entry for Alison Moyet

Comparisons:

Imagine Depeche Mode with blues vocals—which of course is what they were!

Covers/own material:

Own material. Usually written individually, just a few joint credits.

General comments:

For Vince Clarke this was just another (fairly short-lived) project. For Alison it was the vehicle that brought her talent to the attention of the world and made her solo career possible. For that alone these two discs would be of historical interest. In fact they still fascinate: not only because they feature Alison's powerful voice and heartfelt delivery but also because the odd combination of musical genres frequently strikes some very bright sparks. Yazoo adds up to far more than the sum of its ingredients. (nightwol@dircon.co.uk)

Recommended first album:

Upstairs at Eric's just has the edge. (nightwol@dircon.co.uk)

Recordings:

• Upstairs at Eric's (1982)
• You and Me Both (1983)
• Best of Yaz (compilation, 1999)
• In Your Room (box set, 2008)
• Reconnected Live (2010)

Upstairs at Eric's

Release info:

1982—Mute—STUMM7

Availability:

Widely available

Ecto priority:

Recommended

Group members:

Vince Clarke—synthesizers
Alison Moyet—vocals and piano

Produced by:

EC Radcliffe and Yazoo

Comments:

Some of Vince's indulgences have paled over the years but much of it has worn surprisingly well and when Alison unleashes that wonderful voice of hers you understand why this album made such an impact. Outstanding songs are: 'Don't Go', 'Winter Kills', 'Bring Your Love Down', and the evergreen blockbuster 'Only You'. (nightwol@dircon.co.uk)

You and Me Both

Release info:

1983—Mute—STUMM12

Availability:

Widely available

Ecto priority:

Recommended

Group members:

Vince Clarke—synthesizers
Alison Moyet—vocals

Guest artists:

The Sapphires—backing vocals on 'Walk Away From Love'

Produced by:

EC Radcliffe and Yazoo

Comments:

Very much the same mixture as before. Slightly smoother sounding production and a reduction in the weirdness factor lessen its impact compared with the debut. Still worth hearing though! Outstanding songs are: 'Nobody's Diary', 'Good Times', 'Walk Away from Love' and 'Ode to Boy'. (nightwol@dircon.co.uk)

Thanks to Steve Fagg for work on this entry.

	Yaz (see Yazoo)