410) The Tourists - Reality Effect

If you hear either the names Annie Lennox or Dave Stewart, I would imagine within five seconds most people would think, ah Eurythmics and why would you not they were huge throughout the 80s and many of their hits are still instantly recognisable today.

However, as I’m sure many of you know Eurythmics were not Annie and Dave’s first brush with fame, no that was The Tourists. 

The Tourists were a five piece band led by Peet Coombes (sadly no longer with us) who was their main songwriter, Lennox writes none of the songs on this record and Stewart has one co-write on the eleven tracks and Coombes has lead vocals on some tracks, very much Coombes band.

Their debut self-titled record had made the lower reaches of the chart in July 1979 but they were back a mere four months later with Reality Effect which made the top thirty.

The reason for the success was their two top ten hits.  Dusty Springfield was a supreme vocalist, but young Annie Lennox was not afraid to step forward on the classic I Only Want To Be With You, a bit heavier than Dusty’s version with the guitars, but a cover full of energy. 

The follow up hit So Good To Be Back Home Again starts up like The Undertones and has a recurring organ, plenty of ooh ooh backing vocal and a guitar and organ solo, a clever follow up to their first hit.

The album starts strongly with It Doesn’t Have To Be This Way all shimmery guitars and driving beat and Annie is incredibly cool, In the Morning has an Inspiral Carpets like organ throughout, and each time it gets going the band slow it down, could have been much more.

All Life’s Tragedies chugs along but Annie elevates it’s with her vocals knowing when to soar and dip and Everywhere You Look drummer Jim “Do It” Toomey drives the song, but it’s no great shakes.

Nothing to Do Coombes takes lead vocals but the song really takes off on the chorus when Lennox responds and there is some excellent guitar work as is the start of Circular Fever.

In My Mind is simply okay, never really goes anywhere and goes on to long and Something in the Air Tonight is their power ballad moment, they are a solid powerful band who go for it towards the end, and Lennox is already showing she should be a sole front person.

The album ends on a downer for me as Summers Night I find plain annoying.

I enjoyed this record it’s a solid, if not spectacular, guitar led band who on this second record are learning they have an asset in Annie Lennox.

A good grounding for what they we re to become.

6/10

GIVE IT A STREAM: Sadly not available on Apple Music and Spotify but can hear on YouTube.  Favourite Song: So Good To Be Back Home Again