The British new wave artists of the late 1970s and early ’80s helped turn the music world on its ear with the brash new sounds they created. Yet not all the sounds were all that novel, as many new wave artists borrowed liberally from the template of American soul music, such as what emanated from labels like Motown and Stax in a younger generation.
We actually could have gone on and on with this list. For the sake of space, let’s narrow it down to five choice cuts that are considered classics of new wave, even as they’re very much soul-oriented.
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“Tempted” by Squeeze from East Side Story (1981)
Paul Carrack was the great vocal free agent of the ’70s and ’80s. He brought his talents to outfits like Ace and Mike + the Mechanics, while also putting together an impressive solo career. To new wave fans, however, he’ll always be known for the soulful work he did on his lone lead vocal from his lone ’80s album with the band Squeeze. Everything came together just right for this track: Chris Difford’s lyrics, wavering between a guilty conscience and excitement at new opportunities, Glenn Tilbrook’s vaulting melody, and, of course, Carrack’s impeccable vocal.
“Everyday I Write the Book” by Elvis Costello and the Attractions from Punch the Clock (1983)
Elvis Costello was getting a bit fed up that his music, which had been adored by critics, was virtually ignored on radio (especially in America). His proactive approach was to hire noted producers Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley, who brought a danceable swing to Costello’s Punch the Clock album. For the lead single, Costello dialed back on his usual gymnastics in his lyrics and focused on clever, succinct, Motown-inspired wordplay. “Everyday I Write the Book” wasn’t a massive hit, but it’s definitely as catchy on the surface as anything in the E.C. catalog.
“Poison Arrow” by ABC from The Lexicon of Love (1982)
If you asked Martin Fry, the artistic driving force, he’d often say ABC’s music was meant to fall somewhere between punk and disco. But we always heard it more as an homage to classic soul, from the elegant rhythms to Fry’s unabashed belting. In later years, ABC would lean far more into the genre in an overt way on songs like “When Smokey Sings.” But we chose “Poison Arrow” because it’s such an original, even as it does echo the drama of girl-group classics of the early ’60s. Ace producer Trevor Horn gives the song a sparkling, throwback sheen, and Fry’s vocals are a marvel of fearless emoting.
“Everytime You Go Away” by Paul Young from The Secret of Association (1985)
The more soulful branch of the British new wave didn’t always have to go back a decade or two to find excellent material. Paul Young was already doing major damage on the British charts as the middle of the ’80s approached, but he was seeking that one hit that would make him a household name in the U.S. He found it in a song that had been written by Daryl Hall and recorded by Hall & Oates just five years earlier. Young delivered a potent vocal, and the recording was marked by clever touches like a watery sitar part. Mission accomplished: Young ended up with a No. 1 hit in the U.S.
“Digging Your Scene” by The Blow Monkeys from Animal Magic (1986)
The soul trappings of this one-hit wonder from 1986 were so effectively rendered that it was easy to miss that this was actually a message song of sorts. Doctor Robert, the nom de plume of Blow Monkey’s lead singer Robert Howard, was actually singing about the unfair stigma attached to homosexuality at a time when the AIDS crisis was rising. The surface pleasures of the song are such that all that could easily sneak by you. When you combine the nobility of the message with the soulfulness of the execution, you end up with one of the ’80s most underrated singles.
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