Move Closer

Album: Move Closer (1984)
Charted: 1
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Songfacts®:

  • Phyllis Nelson was an American soul singer who became a one-hit wonder in the UK, when this song rose to the top of the charts in 1985. This was originally released in April 1984 but failed to chart. When re-released in 1985 after BBC Radio London started to play it, the song began to climb the charts, taking 11 weeks to climb to #1.
  • Nelson wrote this herself. She became the first black female artist to write and record her own UK #1.
  • Phyllis Nelson is quoted in 1000 UK #1 Hits by Jon Kutner and Spencer Leigh: "That song was really written with people in mind. I had the idea back in 1979. I thought about the public and it seemed to me that people had drifted apart physically and musically. Not much music lets you dance close anymore so I thought I'd write a song you could really dance close to. But I was also thinking about my husband as well, because with the job he had and me being away a lot, we don't see each other too often. It came so easily and weird how the lyrics just fell out of my mouth, it was like the song had been written by someone else."
  • Tom Jones returned the song to the charts in 1989 when his version reached #49.
  • In 1994 this became a hit again for Nelson, reaching #34 after being featured in an advert for Soft & Gentle deodorant.
  • This was the only UK chart topper of the year not to have a video.
  • Phyllis' son, Marc Nelson, was a founding member of Boyz II Men but left to become a solo artist before they became well known. In 1999 he had a #27 hit in the US with "15 Minutes."

Comments: 1

  • Pina from Brisbane, Australiai wanted to read the lyrics, not to post them. bye
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