The Tourists are best remembered as the launching pad for Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart prior to Eurythmics, but in its three-album existence the band released some truly excellent power pop that stands strong on its own. In fact, the only major similarity between The Tourists and Eurythmics is that Lennox and Stewart were involved in both. Musically, the former took a much more organic approach to pop, emphasizing 60s-styled, Byrds-eque guitars instead of cold synths. Also, Lennox wasn't fully in the spotlight yet, as lead songwriter and guitarist Peet Coombes shared lead vocal duties.
By request, here is the band's third and final LP, Luminous Basement. It didn't score any significant British chart success as singles (I Only Want to Be With You, So Good to Be Back Home Again) from previous albums had, but it remains a strong power pop record with plenty of memorable, energetic tunes such as Angels and Demons, Don't Say I Told You So and So You Want to Go Away Now.
After the release of this album The Tourists fizzled out as Lennox and Stuart broke off to release the experimental In the Garden, their debut record as Eurythmics. The rest is history, and sadly The Tourists have remained unheard by even many fans of the duo.
The Tourists - Luminous Basement (LP, 1980)
Track listing:
1 - Talk to Me
2 - Walls and Foundations
3 - Week Days
4 - So You Want to Go Away Now
5 - I'm Going to Change My Mind
6 - One Step Nearer the Edge
7 - Don't Say I Told You So
8 - Angels and Demons
9 - Time Drags So Slow
10 - Let's Take a Walk
11 - From the Middle Room
12 - Round Round Blues
Saturday, August 9, 2008
THE TOURISTS - Luminous Basement
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9 comments:
Good to see you back again! ;)
Wow...ask and ye shall receive! Thank you!
Please link to my rock blog MRMR.
This is just fantastic, thank you! Been looking for this for a long time. Peet Coombes wrote some powerful stuff, didn't he?
I was sure the Eurythmics were part of something beforehand, but I could never figure out what.. This should be interesting to hear, thankyou for posting it.
Do you happen to have the track, "So Good To Be Back?"
Thanks!
Do you happen to have "So Good To Be Back?"
Thanks!
Loved this album, particularly
Talk To Me
Walls and Foundations
Week Days
Where can I hear audio of these cuts and Luminous Basement?
For anyone stumbling here now (May 2010), there's a long thread on the Tourists @PowerPopCriminals including some rarites in the comments:
http://powerpopcriminals.blogspot.com/2010/03/tourists-tourists-1979-luminous.html
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