Still neither Thompsons, nor twins, Tom Bailey and Allanah Currie would continue carrying the torch of the Thompson Twins as a duo after the departure of Joe Leeway in 1986. The now romantic couple renewed with Arista records for a single album, and set to work on the song, Nothing In Common. The single would only be released in the North America, where it would peak at fifty-four in the USA, and sixty-eight in Canada.
A series of personal tragedies would strike, as the two would lose their unborn child to a miscarriage in 1986. Currie would also lose her mother that same year. To focus on something more positive, the two would purchase and move into an old home in Ireland. It wouldn't be until Currie felt ready to start working on music again that the two would return to the studio.
The album, Close To The Bone was released in 1987 and climbed to number thirty-one in the USA. However, it would top out at sixty-six in the UK, where it spent only one week on the charts. The album was labeled a flop and failed to sell enough units for any type of certification and mark the end of their top five streak in the UK.
Perhaps its biggest misstep, if you could call it that, was being too personal for the artists. Rather than focus on mainstream pop songs, the two instead channeled into the departure of Leeway, the loss of their child, and the rekindling of relationships between Bailey and his parents who had previously disowned him.
Close To The Bone may be another generic album, but as artists, the two seem more mature. Lyrically, the songs seem more focused, unsurprising, based on the above, and the music more polished.
Rather than focus on synth pop, the duo continues to let other instrumentation join the fold, and in doing so deliver a more pop rock-oriented album. The end result are some enjoyable songs, but sadly, no hits.
Personal takes for me were Follow Your Heart, Twentieth Century, Long Goodbye, Savage Moon, Gold Fever, Dancing In Your Shoes, and Perfect Day. I was quite shocked to find so many amazing tracks, having initially thought there was no way the duo could pull of what the trio had continuously failed to do (for me at least). I am so glad to be wrong. This album reinvigorates me to hear more from Currie and Bailey.
The Twins would embark on a tour in support of the album prior to the end of the year. While successful, it would end up being their last album promotion tour. Perhaps for the better, as the two would welcome their first child in 1988, resulting in a two-year hiatus.
And we too take a hiatus, until tomorrow anyway. It's there that we'll wrap up the decade for the Thompson Twins.
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