Ahh the Thompson Twins – iconic 80’s music band. Who could forget Hold Me Now and Doctor! Doctor!

In preparation for this article, I did a bit of research on the band and found a few facts that I did not know about them.

The band, named after the bumbling detectives from Herge’s TinTin, first formed in 1977. Although this site is 80’s based, the band didn’t get famous until the 80’s.

Tom Bailey was a part of the original lineup. Arriving in London, The ‘twins’ had very little money and lived as squatters. Allanah Currie, who joined the Thompson Twins later was also a squatter and that was how they first met. Joe Leeway joined the twins in 1981 when the first album was recorded. Even though Currie had sang on the their first album (a product of…..participation), she was not classed as a full member of the group.

The group became famous by hitting the UK Singles chart and US billboard 100 in 1983 with their songs Lies and Love on your side.

Hold Me Now was released in late 1983 which hit the top 10 in the UK and US. Further hit singles followed in 1984: “Doctor! Doctor!”; “You Take Me Up” (reaching number two and their biggest UK hit); “Sister of Mercy”; and “The Gap” with its Middle Eastern rhythms (this song was not released in the UK). The corresponding album, Into The Gap, was one of the bestsellers of the year, and topped the British album charts. The band also commenced a world tour in support of the album.

Joe Leeway left the band in 1986, and after this the band had limited success. Whether this was because of the trio not together I am not sure.

1988 saw the birth of a child for Tom and Alannah who had become a couple. They however, didn’t get married until 1991. They actually moved to New Zealand in 1992 with their (now) two children.

According to Wikipedia, 1991’s Queer would be the band’s swansong, and was supported by various techno-induced singles under the moniker of Feedback Max (in the UK) to disguise club DJs of the source of the records. The single “Come Inside” reached number seven in the U.S. Dance Chart and number one in the UK Dance Chart. However, once it was discovered that the Thompson Twins were behind the record, sales dropped and the album never had a UK release.

Bailey and Currie split up in 2003, and are now divorced. They both left New Zealand and live separately in Britain, but are still close friends.

Their list of Albums are as follows:

* A Product of … (Participation) (1981)
* Set (1982)
* In The Name Of Love (1982)
* Quick Step and Side Kick (1983)
* Into The Gap (1984)
* Here’s To Future Days (1985)
* Close To The Bone (1987)
* The Best of Thompson Twins – Greatest Mixes (1988)
* Big Trash (1989)
* Thompson Twins – Greatest Hits (1990)
* Queer (1991)
* Love On Your Side – The Best of the Thompson Twins (2007)

Unfortunately, The Thompson Twins do not have an official website but a couple of fan sites I found are here and here.

Some Trivia: Alannah Currie was also a songwriter, and wrote Deborah Harry’s international hit ‘I Want That Man’.

The Twins relased some great music videos, iconic for the 80’s, and a couple of this are shown below:

HOLD ME NOW

DOCTOR! DOCTOR!

LIES! (LIVE)