Englishmen In New York

When I first saw the music video for the song 'Your Love' in 1986, I immediately assumed that the band performing it was American. They just had 'that' sound. When their name flashed up on the screen, it confirmed my thinking, or so I thought. But The Outfield were not American, they hailed from London's East End.

Perhaps it was a combination of factors, their name, their look and their sound, that led this trio of Englishmen to have the most success on the otherside of the Atlantic. For it was the U.S. that The Outfield really hit a home run on the charts with 'Your Love', and they followed this #6 hit up with several more 'base hits' that reached Billboard's Top 40.

But it wasn't until I picked up a copy of their greatest hits CD in a second hand shop in the mid 90s, that the penny finally dropped and I realised these 'yanks' weren't 'yanks' at all, they were 'poms' - this 'aussie' had been duped! The title of the greatest hits 'Big Innings' was the first clue that something wasn't right. Cricket parlance from an American band - or could they still be running the baseball angle. It took a read of the liner notes to put the issue to rest in my mind. These guys really were English, but with all the hallmarks of your classic big hair American band of the 80s. No matter, their music sounded grand, still does in fact. Tony Lewis, John Spinks and Alan Jackman got the formula for 80s success just right. Ambiguous their name and image might have been in terms of their origin, but The Outfield were one of the most underrated bands of the era.

If you suspect like I do that one Gordon Sumner AKA Sting contributed to the backing vocals on the track 'Your Love', then I'm afraid it will have to remain a suspicion only, as I've yet to find any information to confirm it.

Check out the promo clip for 'Your Love' on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78pQOkLTdFo