Double - Blue (1986)

1 Woman Of The World
2 I Know A Place
3 Captain Of Her Heart
4 Your Prayer Takes Me Off
5 Rangoon Moon
6 Urban Nomad
7 Love Is A Plane
8 Tomorrow

Covers:

Review by Ted Mills
Coming out of several Zurich-based experimental rock bands, including a very early stint with Yello, Kurt Maloo and Felix Haug's Double finally released their debut in 1986, after several years of recording and releasing 12" singles. Blue would have been a local matter if not for the single "Captain of Her Heart," a smooth piece of jazz-pop with a strong piano riff, wailing alto saxisms, and Maloo's off-the-cuff delivery. Fans of that song expecting more of the same pseudo-sophistication may be disappointed to find the rest of the tracks on Blue to be yet another collection of sub-Roxy Music impressions. Pre-"Captain" single "Rangoon Moon" has a little something going for it, as an interesting footnote of a song, but most will find their hits appearance on numerous '80s anthologies to be more than enough. Too laid-back to be taken seriously. By Allmusic.com

Song Review by Stewart Mason
One of the great lost one hit wonders of the mid-'80s, Double's "The Captain of Her Heart" is one of those songs that stands outside of its time period; this could conceivably have been a hit at any point from the early '70s onwards. The key is the watery piano riff that drives the song, sounding like a cross between Floyd Cramer and early Elton John, along with Kurt Maloo's detached, diffident vocals, which manage to out cool Bryan Ferry at his own game, and one of the best alto sax solos this side of Gerry Rafferty's "Baker Street." The Swiss duo (their name is pronounced doo-BLAY, incidentally) never managed to capitalize on this song's casual sophistication and melodic grace, but it remains a glorious anomaly.

By Allmusic.com

Credits
Phil Carmen Engineer
Felix Haug Piano, Arranger, Keyboards, Performer
Thomas Jordi Fretless Bass, Performer
Kurt Maloo Guitar, Vocals
Liz McComb Vocals, Performer
Bob Morgan Trombone, Performer
Christian Ostermeier Flute, Saxophone, Performer
Rene Tinner Engineer
Paul Frederick Zumsteg Direction, Management

Biography by Tom Demalon
One of the few Swiss acts to achieve chart success in the United States, Double earned their place as a one-hit wonder when "The Captain of Her Heart" climbed into the Top 20 in late 1986. Vocalist and guitarist Kurt Maloo, a one-time aspiring painter, had been in various Zurich bands throughout the '70s, managing a bit of notoriety. Drummer Felix Haug had spent the same period of time touring with various bands all over Europe and Asia. He even spent a brief period of time drumming with art rock act Yello. The pair joined forces in 1981 and, augmented with a bass player, formed the trio Ping Pong. The band built a following in their native Switzerland and even recorded some tracks with Roxy Music guitarist Phil Manzanera, but legal circumstances prevented the proper release of any material. Despite scoring a minor hit through the self-release of "Rhythm Walk" and making the rounds on the European festival circuit with Ping Pong, Maloo and Haug pared the trio to a duo, re-christening the venture Double in 1983. They released a string of singles, including "Nannigo," "Rangoon Moon," and "Woman of the World," prior to issuing their first full album Blue (which would contain the latter two tracks) in 1986. Also on the set was "The Captain of Her Heart." The breezy song, underpinned by a soft jazz feel, became a major smash in Europe and by the end of 1986, it had crossed the Atlantic, climbing to number 16 in the U.S. Double were unable to capitalize on the single's appeal, though, and, after putting out two more albums, the duo disbanded in 1987. Despite their slight output, "The Captain of Her Heart" has maintained Double a presence on retro radio and a place on numerous compilations of '80s music. By Allmusic.com