On the Turntable: “Scarlett and Black” by Scarlett and Boack, 1987

On the Turntable: “Scarlett and Black” by Scarlett and Black, Virgin Records, 1987. Rating: 6/10

One of a good number of synthy British adult contemporary pop groups peddled by Virgin Records in the late 80s - think Breathe, Danny Wilson, When in Rome, Johnny Hates Jazz, T’Pau - the duo of Scarlett and Black were a one hit, one album wonder. Though their self titled LP yielded several singles, it’s the opening track “You Don’t Know” that didn’t so much climb as drift up the charts, eventually touching the Billboard Top 20 before disappearing from the radio and our collective memory like a puff of winter breath, with only a handful of minor movie soundtrack appearances - The Parent Trap III? - to prove it ever existed. 

“You Don’t Know” is a nice song with a gently syncopated midtempo beat and a simple but effective melodic hook on the chorus. The song’s whole vibe is instantly familiar but not quite placeable, like passing a stranger who looks kinda like someone you knew 20 years ago but no, it couldn’t possibly be that person, right? (I mean, it kinda reminds me of “Everybody Wants to Rule the World”?) Singer Robin Hild has a pleasant baritenor voice that he doesn’t do anything too showy with. It’s apparent how this song could become both a decent sized hit and also absolutely forgotten. 

And the rest of the album is similarly appealing. All of the songs sound good - I like all of them - but none too distinguishable one from another, though the second side is better than the first. “Miracle or Mirage”, “Yesterday’s Gone”, and “If It’s All the Same to You” all have a little extra pep. “City of Angels (The Last Frontier)” is an upbeat, forward-looking closer, and the children’s choir that comes in on the final fade-out choruses is actually kinda cute. Oh, and Jane Weidlin’s in there somewhere too.