Yaz
“Don’t Go”
Jacob Floyd Ross, who records as Crumpler, told us about his love for a Vince Clark Yaz lick...
Jacob Floyd Ross: In the fall of 1982, I had just started middle school and was living with my mom and sister in Tyler, TX when my older brother came to visit from Dallas with a fancy new contraption called a “Walkman.” Not only was it the smallest cassette player I’d ever seen, but it also came with stereo headphones. Now this might not seem like a big deal in the age of earbuds, but I grew up in a house without headphones. The only time I’d ever worn them up to that point was for a hearing test in third grade… not exactly a riveting “stereo” experience.
My brother had taped two of his recently purchased LPs onto a 90-min cassette, and on side-A was Upstairs at Eric’s by Yaz (Yazoo outside of North America). Holy exploding heart and mind! I had never heard anything like “Don’t Go” before, but immediately knew I didn’t wanna live without it. Vince Clark’s synth riffs mixed with that sultry house rhythm and Alison Moyet’s transcendent and soulful voice, all in what was my first “surround” sound experience, combined to create what felt like my first drug experience. They immediately follow this rapturous dance classic with "Too Pieces”; a perfect example of their remarkable ability to also compose sentimental heartbreakers. I could write an effusive review about the brilliance of this entire album, as well as the importance of albums that you can both dance and cry to.
And… don’t even get me started on the uniquely amazing album on side-B: Fiction by The Comsat Angels. A truly life-changing 90-minute tape.
Crumpler's album Evolution Is For Lovers is out soon.
Photo by Jim Newberry
