Yazoo/Yaz - Upstair's at Eric's (30th anniversary)

Today (August 23rd) marks the thirtieth anniversary of Upstairs at Eric's, the debut album from the duo of Vince Clarke and Alison Moyet who were known as Yazoo (Yaz here in the US).

For my full review of this 80's classic album, click here.

Yazoo/Yaz - Upstairs at Eric's

Around the rest of the world they were known as Yazoo; in the US (due to copyright issues) they were known as Yaz. However you refer to the duo of Vince Clarke and Alison Moyet, there is no denying their amazing collaborative efforts. Though their time as a group was short-lived, their musical influences have been felt in other bands for the past three decades. Their synth pop sound perfectly combined the electronic trends of Europe to the American approach to R&B.

In 1981, Clarke was coming off his time with Depeche Mode. The songwriter and keyboardist teamed up with a newcomer singer Moyet and together they put out two albums. The first was Upstairs at Eric’s, a debut released on August 23rd, 1982, that was certified as Platinum. In the UK, it reached number 2 on the charts. In the US, it only reached number 92 on the Billboard charts but got an incredible amount of play in clubs and on college radio stations.