Photo by Lewis Ziolek
Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart formed EURYTHMICS having left THE TOURISTS with whom they had two hits, a cover of Dusty Springfield’s ‘I Only Want To Be With You’ ‘So Good To Be Back Home Again’.
Romantically involved at the time, there had been creative frustration in THE TOURISTS as the main songwriter was guitarist Peet Coombes. But when THE TOURISTS split in 1980, so did Lennox and Stewart. However, they opted to continue working together. In line with their chosen name, EURYTHMICS reflected how the duo felt about being more European than exclusively British. Looking at first to Germany, although the Conny Plank produced debut album ‘In the Garden’ was not a success, the duo persevered.
With the advent of affordable synthesizers and home recording technology, Stewart had been taping ideas on a Portastudio of experiments with an EDP Wasp connected to a Caterpillar master keyboard and its Spider sequencer; it pointed to a new electronic direction for EURYTHMICS. To aid their cause, the duo secured a bank loan of £5000 for equipment including a TEAC 88 8 track tape recorder, Soundcraft Series 2 16 channel mixing desk for what was to become The Church Studios in London’s Crouch End.
Their breakthrough came in 1983 with ‘Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)’, the title of track of their second album. A stark commentary on exploitation within the music industry, it ironically became a huge international hit. Among the instruments used were the Roland SH‑101, an Oberheim OB‑X and a Movement Mk1 drum computer; with a combination of analogue and digital percussion sounds plus a separate monitor to view the programmed drum patterns, the machine made a starring appearance in the iconic video. Meanwhile, Lennox premiered her striking androgynous orange haired persona.
By their third album ‘Touch’, EURYTHMICS had acquired a Roland Juno 60, Octave Plateau Voyetra 8 and Oberheim DMX while their studio now had a second‑hand 24‑track Soundcraft tape machine at its disposal. The lead single ‘Who’s That Girl?’ saw Lennox pushing boundaries in the perception of gender for its accompanying video. The ending saw her kissing herself in male and female roles while Stewart was depicted escorting a number of female pop celebrities including Cheryl Baker, Jay Aston, Kiki Dee, Hazel O’Connor, Kate Garner, future wife Siobhan Fahey and BANANARAMA members Sara Dallin, Keren Woodward and Jacquie O’Sullivan; but in another twist, there was an appearance from the gender bending starlet Marilyn.
But following their soundtrack to the film ‘1984’, EURYTHMICS moved away from being an electronic duo into a more conventional band format using more drums, brass and guitar with a revolving door of guest musicians on 1985’s ‘Be Yourself Tonight’. Inevitably the worldwide success and personal tensions took their toll and EURYTHMICS quietly split in 1990.
Lennox and Stewart reunited for the ‘Peace’ album in 1999 although the subsequent concert tour was spoiled by far too many acoustic versions of their hits. Aside from two songs included on the ‘Ultimate Collection’ in 2005, there has been no new EURYTHMICS music since. However in 2022, they performed together at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
While Lennox now concentrates on her activism and makes only occasional live appearances in support of good causes, Stewart undertook the EURYTHMICS Songbook tour in 2023 with Vanessa Amorosi, Rahh and his daughter Kaya Stewart taking turns on lead vocals.
Aside from their solo careers, during EURYTHMICS’ original tenure, Stewart was an in-demand producer and songwriting collaborator. Meanwhile Lennox worked with DAF’s Robert Görl on his first solo album ‘Night Full Of Tension’, helping with lyrics and contributing vocals as well as duetting with Al Green on a Stewart produced cover of ‘Put A Little Love In Your Heart’ for the 1988 film ‘Scrooged’. This Beginner’s Guide looks back at 20 tracks from the wider portfolio of the EURYTHMICS axis including productions, collaborations and co-writes with a restriction of one track per album.
THE TOURISTS So Good To Be Back Home (1980)
Written by Peet Coombes, the energetic and optimistic ‘So Good To Be Back Home’ proved that THE TOURISTS were not merely a new wave covers band and could have a hit with their own material. Annie Lennox now found grouped in with other charismatic front women like Debbie Harry, Chrissie Hynde and Hazel O’Connor but within the band itself, there was discontent and a split while Lennox and Stewart were no longer a couple.
Available on THE TOURISTS album ‘Greatest Hits’ via Sony BMG Music
https://www.discogs.com/artist/291650-The-Tourists
EURYTHMICS Take Me To Your Heart (1981)
The debut EURYTHMICS album had the legendary Conny Plank producing while guest musicians included his fellow Germans Holger Czukay, Jaki Liebezeit, Robert Görl and Markus Stockhausen. While Lennox and Stewart were in transition with ‘Belinda’ sounding like THE TOURISTS, the KRAFTWERK influenced ‘Take Me To Your Heart’ pointed to a new synthier direction.
Available on EURYTHMICS album ‘In The Garden’ via Sony BMG Music
EURYTHMICS The Walk (1982)
With YAZOO setting the template for the soulful synthpop duo, EURYTHMICS saw a direction which could fit their new creative ethos. Overshadowed by the success of ‘Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)’ and ‘Love Is A Stranger’, ‘The Walk’ was the moody forgotten single that was released prior. It was also issued as a proto-house interpretation retitled ‘Let’s Just Close Our Eyes’ for the 12” B-side of ‘Love Is A Stranger’.
Available on the EURYTHMICS album ‘Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)’ via Sony BMG Music
https://www.facebook.com/eurythmics/
EURYTHMICS Here Comes The Rain Again (1983)
The third EURYTHMICS album ‘Touch’ had been swiftly recorded and mixed in 3 weeks at The Church but the acquisition of a 24 track recorder allowed for more sophisticated sonic possibilities. One shining example was the divine opener ‘Here Comes The Rain Again’. Although essentially still a synthpop song, it boasted a string arrangement by future film composer Michael Kamen performed by the British Philharmonic Orchestra.
Available on the EURYTHMICS album ‘Touch’ via Sony BMG Music
https://www.instagram.com/eurythmicsmusic/
ROBERT GÖRL featuring ANNIE LENNOX Darling Don’t Leave Me (1984)
Annie Lennox had met Robert Görl when he played drums on ‘Belinda’ from ‘In The Garden’. After DAF split, his first solo long player ‘Night Full Of Tension’ featured Lennox’s vocal contributions on several tracks including a lead vocal on ‘Charlie Cat’. But the album’s highlight was probably ‘Darling Don’t Leave Me’, a passionate but fun duet that was also a wonderfully wiggly synthpop pleasure co-produced by Mike Hedges.
Available on the ROBERT GÖRL album ‘Night Full Of Tension’ via Mute Records
https://www.instagram.com/robertgoerl/
EURYTHMICS Sexcrime (1984)
Virgin Films had commissioned EURYTHMICS to compose a soundtrack for their dramatisation of the dystopian George Orwell novel ‘1984’. However, director Michael Radford was not a fan and arranged his own orchestral score. One of the songs from a mostly instrumental work, ‘Sexcrime’ was a doomy dance number making use of stuttering voice samples and vocoder. Despite being a Top5 UK single, it was dropped from the film.
Available on the EURYTHMICS album ‘1984 (For the Love of Big Brother)’ via Virgin Records
https://www.discogs.com/artist/13911-Eurythmics
CHRIS N COSEY AND… Sweet Surprise II (1985)
By 1985, EURYTHMICS had entered their soul rock phase but they found time for a one-off collaboration with alternative synth couple Chris Carter and Cosey Fanni Tutti of THROBBING GRISTLE fame. Darkly swung at an almost funereal pace, the artful vocals from Lennox and Tutti on ‘Sweet Surprise II’ were mostly ad-libbed and played on their distinctive styles while Stewart sprayed blues guitar over Carter’s sparkling electronics.
Available on the CHRIS N COSEY AND… single ‘Sweet Surprise’ via https://cti.greedbag.com/buy/sweet-surprise-12/
EURYTHMICS It’s Alright (1985)
Although ‘Be Yourself Tonight’ was notable for ‘There Must Be An Angel’ featuring Stevie Wonder on harmonica and the R&B stomp of ‘Sisters Are Doin’ It For Themselves’ with Aretha Franklin, EURYTHMICS had not completely left the electronic sound with which they found fame on ‘It’s Alright (Baby’s Coming Back)’. Despite this, the topline recalled the introductory fairground riff from Smokey Robinson’s ‘Tears Of A Clown’ which was co-written by Stevie Wonder.
Available on the EURYTHMICS album ‘Be Yourself Tonight’ via Sony BMG Music
https://www.facebook.com/davestewart/
FEARGAL SHARKEY A Good Heart (1985)
A No1 for THE UNDERTONES’ one-time lead vocalist, ‘A Good Heart’ was written by LONE JUSTICE’s Maria McKee about her relationship with musician Benmont Tench. Produced by Stewart, he embellished the track with his characteristic aesthetic using a number of EURYTHMICS sidemen. Perhaps not by coincidence, Fergal Sharkey followed this with the Tench-written ‘You Little Thief’ which was allegedly about McKee!
Available on the FEARGAL SHARKEY album ‘Feargal Sharkey’ via Virgin Records
EURYTHMICS When Tomorrow Comes (1986)
Recorded in Paris and near Cologne, ‘Revenge’ continued further into an AOR rock direction as EURYTHMICS used a smaller pool of musicians including Clem Burke on drums, Patrick Seymour on keyboards; the latter co-wrote ‘When Tomorrow Comes’, the first single which embraced a more band-oriented style verging on Bruce Springsteen, complete with a Clarence Clemons styled sax break from Jimmy Zavala.
Available on the EURYTHMICS album ‘Revenge’ via Sony BMG Music
https://www.instagram.com/davestewarteurythmics/
ALISON MOYET Is This Love? (1986)
Alison Moyet was working with Jimmy Iovine who was also producing ‘Revenge’ and it was suggested that she co-wrote with Stewart. He came up with a melodic idea that then she wrote words to. The end result was ‘Is This Love?’; however he wanted to be credited under a pseudonym Jean Guiot. Released at the same time as ‘Thorn In My Side’, while both hit the UK Top5, it was ‘Is This Love’ that did better reaching No3!
Available on the ALISON MOYET album ‘Raindancing’ via Sony BMG Music
https://www.alisonmoyetmusic.com/
THE LOVER SPEAKS I Close My Eyes & Count To Ten (1987)
Comprising of David Freeman and Joseph Hughes, THE LOVER SPEAKS were signed to Stewart’s publishing company Anxious. In support of their Jimmy Iovine produced debut album, they opened for EURYTHMICS on their ‘Revenge’ tour where a standout song was ‘No More I Love’. Stewart produced a standalone cover of ‘I Close My Eyes & Count To Ten’ which played to the duo’s Scott Walker aspirations despite his reservations.
Available on THE LOVER SPEAKS album ‘The Lover Speaks’ via Cherry Pop
https://www.cherryred.co.uk/the-lover-speaks-expanded-edition
EURYTHMICS You Have Placed A Chill In My Heart (1987)
‘Savage’ saw EURYTHMICS return to a starker electronic sound after the mainstream MTV friendly blow out. Driven by a drum machine, synth and Synclavier programming, ‘You Have Placed A Chill In My Heart’ saw Lennox reflect on the drive to leave a toxic relationship where affection was not reciprocated. However the B-side was an acoustic version and pointed to how EURYTHMICS would later perform many of their hits on the ‘Peace’ tour.
Available on the EURYTHMICS album ‘Savage’ via Sony BMG Music
https://www.instagram.com/officialannielennox
EURYTHMICS Don’t Ask Me Why (1989)
Despite the ‘We Too Are One’ parent album title, a rift had developed between Lennox and Stewart; its heartbreaking second single ‘Don’t Ask Me Why’ signalled poignantly in song that this first phase of their working relationship was over. With echoes of ‘Here Comes The Rain Again’, the emotive resignation was summed up by closing refrains of “I don’t love you anymore…” – EURYTHMICS were over…for now.
Available on the EURYTHMICS album ‘We Too Are One’ via Sony BMG Music
https://www.davestewartent.com/
DAVID A STEWART featuring CANDY DULFER Lily Was Here (1989)
Saxophonist Candy Dulfer had been championed by Madonna and Prince; this slice of smooth jazz elevator music for the Dutch movie ‘De Kassière’ (known in English as ‘Lily Was Here’) was recorded with Stewart as a one-take instrumental jam. Beginning with a call-and-response guitar and sax section before a slinky improvised solo from Dulfer, it was a surprise UK Top10 hit although the track had already been a No1 in The Netherlands.
Available on the soundtrack album ‘Lily Was Here’ via Anxious / RCA
SHAKESPEARS SISTER Stay (1991)
Co-written by Stewart (again as Jean Guiot), with his then-wife Siobhan Fahey and Marcella Detroit for SHAKESPEARS SISTER, ‘Stay’ was inspired by the 1953 Sci-Fi film ‘Cat-Women Of The Moon’. He had suggested writing a ballad featuring Detroit on lead vocals and saw her end the song in whistle register sparring against Fahey’s gothic deadpan, capturing a battle of two mysterious worlds that went to No1.
Available on the SHAKESPEARS SISTER album ‘Hormonally Yours’ via London Records
http://www.shakespearssisterofficial.com/
ANNIE LENNOX Precious (1992)
Following the informal dissolution of EURYTHMICS, Lennox took some time away from the music industry, during which she gave birth to her eldest daughter. Now writing alone for her debut solo record, the Stephen Lipson produced ‘Precious’ was a funky song featuring a biting bass groove and key change passionately celebrating the joys of motherhood. The parent album ‘Diva’ sold more than any of EURYTHMICS’ studio albums.
Available on the ANNIE LENNOX album ‘The Annie Lennox Collection’ via Sony Music
VEGAS Walk Into The Wind (1993)
VEGAS was the surprise collaboration between Stewart and Terry Hall of THE SPECIALS, FUN BOY THREE and THE COLOURFIELD. The highlight of their only album was the cinematic electro-reggae of ‘Walk Into The Wind’. “You have to learn to love by loving” sang Hall in this cynical love song that also featured a vocal cameo from Siobhan Fahey. Haunting and beautiful, this was Stewart’s song best outside of EURYTHMICS.
Available on the VEGAS album ‘Possessed’ via RCA
https://www.discogs.com/artist/1343740-Vegas-8
ANNIE LENNOX No More I Love You’s (1995)
Originally by THE LOVER SPEAKS who supported EURYTHMICS in 1986, Lennox felt ‘No More I Love You’s’ “should have touched the consciousness of the nation” and deserved better than its No58 chart position. So she wanted to give this poetic breakup song another chance. With slightly altered lyrics, it was the lead single from her covers album ‘Medusa’ which also featured THE BLUE NILE’s ‘The Downtown Lights’.
Available on the ANNIE LENNOX album ‘Medusa’ via Sony Music
https://www.facebook.com/annielennox/
EURYTHMICS I’ve Got A Life (2005)
To date, the final EURYTHMICS single, ‘I’ve Got A Life’ was something of a reflective “return to roots” check for Lennox and Stewart as a building electronic soul number with uplifting lyrics of empowerment in the face of middle age. There was even a video featuring Lennox and Stewart revisiting their dark suited ‘Sweet Dreams’ image of 1983 while the pair also appeared in front of a towering Moog modular stack.
Available on the EURYTHMICS album ‘Ultimate Collection’ via RCA
https://bsky.app/profile/eurythmics.bsky.social
Text by Chi Ming Lai
17th May 2025
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