The story of Double is a short one. The formation is traced back to 1981, where Felix Haug, and Kurt Maloo worked together in the trio, Ping Pong. As this group, they released one single, and though they recorded further music, it remained unreleased due to legal issues.
The two formed Double in 1983, and released their debut EP, Naningo. This would lead to their first studio album, Blue, and their most successful single, The Captain Of Her Heart. Now, if you don't necessarily recall this one, don't feel bad. It was more so a hit internationally. Though it did reach number sixteen on the Billboard charts, it was far more popular in the UK, where on the UK Singles Chart it reached number eight.
We pause here for a moment for today's Retro Spin, as Double's Blue fills my speakers. Knowing the song, The Captain Of Her Heart, I wasn't expecting any form of energy from the group. The single is very monotone, a little "dull", so to speak, and very unique in a way. This is exactly what the rest of the album holds within.
While Blue is adequate, there are no radio hits here. What I've personally found as of late, is that when listening to the various discs I have, I have found a way to dig deeper into them with my ears, and as such, appreciate them more than I perhaps normally would. This in turn is building a much broader collection for my shuffle list.
Overall, this is by no means a fantastic album. But, it is different, and that provides it a little charm. If I were to let someone peruse my 80's music collection, I see it as more so a conversation starter, where in that person would ask, "Who is this?" Maybe upon me elaborating they would say, "Oh, I remember that song," referring to, The Captain Of Her Heart, and from there the conversation takes off. Granted that probably will never happen.
As for the group, they went on to release one final album in 1987, Doubl3e (that's not a typo), and this spawned the mildly successful Devil's Ball. However, when work began on their third album, musical differences ultimately led to Haug and Maloo going their separate ways. An attempt was made in the 1990's to return to the studio, and several tracks were completed, but not enough for an album. A second attempt was made in 2003, which also didn't come to fruition. Sadly, Haug passed away in 2004.
Since disbanding, Maloo has enjoyed a solo career, releasing albums from 1990 through 2016. His 2006 released, Loopy Avenue, contains remixed versions of some of the material he and Haug worked on prior to his death.
For me personally, I wanted The Captain Of Her Heart, for my 80's music collection, and that's ultimately what led me to tracking down Blue. It's not as readily available in the US as it is overseas, which makes it also a bit more costly than I would have liked it to have been. Used, it probably set me back a few dollars more than what it would have cost in 1986 to get brand new. While I did end up adding three tracks to my shuffle list, that's still three (kind of) expensive songs.
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Disclaimer: They Toy Box does not endorse or contribute to piracy. Retro Spins posts are intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. None of the music discussed here is available for sale, downloading or distribution.
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| THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS January 19, 1980 |
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| THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS January 19, 1985 |
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