Classic Video of the Week: Double

It was 21 years ago this week that I picked up the 45 you see at the left...it was a song by Swiss musicians Felix Haug and Kurt Maloo, pictured twice each on the album cover...called "Captain of Her Heart." It's one of the most sophisticated, well-crafted, mature songs of the 1980s.

I felt so international when I listened to this song--at the time it was one of the few songs on the US Pop charts that was also a hit in nearly every country in Europe. It features a plaintive melody for its verses, then switches to a major key for its catchy chorus...peppered by a pre-Kenny G saxophone. I sort of pair this song up with "The Sweetest Taboo" by Sade, another shimmeringly mature hit of the time. I'll blog on Sade soon.

Double's lead singer Kurt Valoo (shown here at the second and fourth positions) continues to record and remix. However, the other member of Double, Felix Haug, died of a heart attack in 2004 at the age of 52.

Have a listen to the classic "Captain of Her Heart." (Click on the photo above to see the video). And remember, this is how good pop radio used to be.