Songoftheday 4/30/15 - The light of deep regret let me see what I don't get...

"The Honeythief" - Hipsway
from the album Hipsway (1986)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #19 (one week)
Weeks in the Top-40: 6

Today's Song of the Day comes from the Scottish modern rock band Hipsway, who came together in the mid-80s under bassist Johnny McElhone, formerly of the new wave group Altered Images who had a #2 British hit in 1981 with "Happy Birthday". Recruiting singer Grahame Skinner, who sounded and looked like a courser Bryan Ferry, they released their self-titled debut album in 1986. The first British single, "Broken Years", barely scraped the UK chart at #72, but the act got their big break on their third release, "The Honeythief". Written by the band and produced by Gary Langan of the original Art Of Noise lineup, the New Romantic track caught ear on both sides of the Atlantic...

"The Honeythief" reached the top-20 in both the UK and America, reaching the Hot 100 peak in the U.S. in April of 1987. The track did even better in the club, reaching #9 on Billboard's dance chart.

Hipsway would go on to re-release their second single, "Ask The Lord", which popped in to the dance list in the U.S. at #44 and the UK pop chart at #50. McElhone left shortly after, and a second album only spun out a minor British hit with "Your Love" in 1989, before splintering off to other projects.

(Click below to see the rest of the post)


here's the band performing (well, miming) on Top Of The Pops...

...and here's the superior "Galus Mix" that made the club top-10 in March...

Up tomorrow: a bleak present as seen through purple glasses.