The British trio Thompson Twins were a staple of the '80s pop-music diet and they created a dent, both musically and stylistically. At a time when big hair and bright and bold colors made the cut, the group crafted songs like "Hold Me Now," "Doctor Doctor," "You Take Me Up" and "Lies," which became worldwide hits.
Nearly three decades after their last tour in 1987, lead singer, multi-instrumentalist and producer Tom Bailey is back on the road performing the hits that put the Thompson Twins on the map.
Windy City Times: Your last record with the Thompson Twins was Queer in 1991. Why did the group break up?
Tom Bailey: We reached a point where we wanted to move away from the bright lights of the mainstream pop world and become more experimental again—what we had come from before. We changed our names and did two albums under the name Babble, and then I started to invent new projects to do which engaged different areas of music. I did some experimental, electronica, classical Indian music and working with film.
WCT: How did this tour come about?
TB: I had a fixed idea that this would never happen but everyone wanted the Thompson Twins to re-form, and it was perfectly obvious that is was never going to happen partly because two of the members ( Alannah Currie and Joe Leeway ) left the music business and went on to other things. I never stopped making music, so it's natural for me to do this on my own.
WCT: You are co-headlining with Howard Jones [who had songs such as "Things Can Only Get Better"]. Were the two of you friends in the '80s?
TB: We just knew each other from doing shows together occasionally. But I always knew that Howard was someone I got on well with—he's a nice guy. Sometimes creative people can be a little spiky [laughs] and we have none of that whatsoever—we're like brothers.
I had already crossed the line into pop music by working on a project with a Mexican singer who wanted to write something with me in the style of the Thompson Twins. Having done it and recorded it he said, "Why don't you sing on it?" I did it and I really enjoyed it. And it was shortly after, that Howard called and said, "What do you think about touring together?"
WCT: What happened to the clothes that you wore onstage with the group?
TB: Most of it doesn't exist anymore and it either got worn out or disintegrated or it's been lost. It's certainly not the kind of thing I would want to wear today. [Both laugh.] I think Alannah and Joe hung onto more of the clothes than I did.
WCT: When did you decide that it was time to leave the hairstyle behind?
TB: It's been a long time since I had red hair. In those days we were doing it to express ourselves and extending our personalities to the maximum in a cartoonish way, because that's what we wanted to do. It was also cutting edge, fashion-wise. I'm not quite concerned with that now—I don't feel the need to look fashionable.
WCT: How did you come to write music for the 1998 gay-themed film The Edge of Seventeen?
TB: They sent me scenes from the film, and I played them back on a VHS videotape and wrote music for it and recorded it in my studio. I just did the soundtrack for the various scenes in the film.
WCT: Did you have a hand in choosing the songs for the upcoming Thompson Twins CD Remixes and Rarities?
TB: This was going to happen whether I got involved or not. Since it was going to be done, I said that I would get involved. They interviewed me for the liner notes about each of the tracks and I talked about how they were made and what was going on at the time.
WCT: Is there a release date for the CD?
TB: I really don't know, but I'm hoping that we have copies to take on tour with us.
WCT: Are you nervous about going back on the road after all this time?
TB: Oh, for sure. I'm incredibly excited but also quite terrified. We just played full rehearsals in the last couple of days and I feel so good about the music and the way the band is playing, and I think that will carry me through. But I lie awake at night thinking, "Oh gosh, what have I gotten myself into?" [Laughs]
The Retro Futura Tour 2014 will be at Ravinia in Highland Park, 200 Ravinia Park Rd., on Wed., Aug. 27. Visit www.ravinia.org or www.facebook.com/ThompsonTwinsTomBailey .
