Floy Joy surprises

Press, 7 February 1985, Page 18

Floy Joy surprises

FLOY JOY “Into The Hot” (Virgin V 2319). “Into The Hot” is one of the best surprises your reviewer has had lately — after all, yet another funky British duo, even if fronted by a very appealing female voice, is hardly good reason to cash in one of your prized Christmas record vouchers — or is it?

In this case, yes. This is no Wham! or Thomson Twins rip-off, but a packet of nine (excluding a short instrumental filler) cool, soulful songs, all sung beautifully by the lover’s rock artiste, Carroll Baker. There is nothing radical in these grooves, but those who remember the thrilling Rose Royce song, “Love Don’t Live Here Anymore,” should find Floy Joy tapping a similar pleasure zone. The producer, Don Was, of the much underrated Was (Not Was), who have a sublime greatest hits EP available on import for all you vinyl junkies, has left the songs basically unadorned. No electropopping or rapping here, just some slick and satisfying melodies. The multi-instrumental-ists, Shaun Ward (bass; guitar, synthesiser), and Michael Ward (sax, flute, vocals), complete the Floy

Joy lineup, and these two are jointly responsible for the songwriting on “Into The Hot.”

The lyrics are not exactly stunning new insights into the human condition, but, with Thompson’s silky vocals, even the trashy 60s spy film melodrama of “Mission” or “Sebastopol” sound bigger than life. Best of all, however, is the gorgeous 45, “Until You Come Back To Me,” a spine tingling ballad with singing that could melt stone — where has this lady been all my life? The title track is the token “streetwise” effort, with some wry observations in its three minutes or so — “The walls are starting taking minutes/Now their imagination knows no limits.”

But pure pop, albeit quality pure pop, dominates the LP. “Operator, Operator” sounds like vintage girl group/Motown, “East Side, West Side” is a mock film soundtrack, and “Holiday,” “Sebastopol,” and “Mission” all have flair to spare. So, “Into The Hot” is a triumph for Floy Joy, and, especially, Carroll Thompson. Her vocals lift this LP from just good to great — essential pop music. TONY GREEN