45(^1) IF YOU ALL GET
TO HEAVEN
One of the album’s most dramatic songs, If
You All Get To Heaven sees Terence sing from
the standpoint of a sinner bemoaning the
war and destruction of the world around him.
Covering religion, politics, war and psychedelia,
the song sees Terence proving himself as an
accomplished, well-read lyricist with lines such
as: “Young men must die to keep the old ones
alive and to prove they’re studs once again”.
The song’s temperament is intensified by the
juxtaposition of Terence’s boyish falsetto of
the verses against the dark, tribal chant of the
chorus (featuring the unmistakable vocals of
Heaven 17’s Glenn Gregory).
(^2) IF YOU LET ME STAY
Here’s Terence in remorseful mode, imploring
his lover to give him another chance after he
hadn’t treat her as well as he should have. An
infectious slice of retro soul evoking the classic
sound of Philadelphia and vocal harmony
groups such as the Temptations and Four Tops,
If You Let Me Stay is Terence promising to
change and right his wrongs before, on the
song’s bridge, realising he’s fighting a losing
battle, and giving up. “Your pretensions aim for
gullible fools and who needs you anyway?” he
sings, before prophesying his lover will regret
not taking him back. He may have been right,
as the song was his debut hit, establishing him
as one of the 80s brightest new stars.
(^3) WISHING WELL
A sparse beat inspired by David Bowie’s Let’s
Dance is the driving force of Wishing Well on
which Terence dances the blues, adopting a
deep, seductive growl to deliver lyrics which
he described as a “tone poem”, singing of
butterfly tears and crocodile cheers. The song’s
simplistic sonic tone is also evocative of Prince’s
When Doves Cry, with just a beat and a voice
delivering the verse before a simple musical
flourish is added to the chorus. As well as
reaching the Top 10 in the UK, Wishing Well
was Terence’s major breakthrough in the United
States reaching No.1.
(^4) I’LL NEVER TURN
MY BACK ON YOU
(FATHER’S WORDS)
A song of unconditional love and support,
I’ll Never Turn My Back On You... tells of
a man who has made mistakes and let his
pride stop him seeking help or guidance. The
semi-autobiographical lyrics are a father’s
testament to his son that no matter what, he will
be there for him, despite their differences and
conflicts. Musically, the song pays homage to
one of Terence’s musical father figures, Stevie
Wonder, with a soulful, playful reggae bassline
reminiscent of Master Blaster (Jammin’).
(^5) DANCE LITTLE SISTER
While I’ll Never Turn My Back On You... had
been about being afraid to ask for help, Dance
Little Sister was a switch in roles and saw the
song’s narrator in the position of offering
guidance, begging the troubled female in
question not to give up. “Say now, share the
weight and lay your cross down/ And let the
long reaching arm of hope bring you around,”
he sings. One of the funkiest, most upbeat songs
on the album, its breezy dance beat conceals the
song’s serious message.
(^6) SEVEN MORE DAYS
In the grand tradition of the legendary
bluesmen that had inspired him, Terence used
his songwriting as an outlet for storytelling, and
Seven More Days is one of the most illustrious,
with the artist seeming to be singing from the
viewpoint of a prisoner yearning to be reunited
with his love. “Grown men wither and they
dry away, their lives compromised/ I’ve gotta
hold on, struggle through another day/ to see
the fire in my baby’s eyes,” he sings, claiming
that: “society’s debts have been more than
paid” and “the walls that divide us will come
tumbling down”. Comparisons to Jericho are
representative of the religious imagery that
permeates the album.
(^7) LET’S GO FORWARD
A straightforward song about love over
materialism, Let’s Go Forward is the moment
on the album which sounds most like the
glossy, polished soul of Luther Vandross and
Anita Baker which was popular at the time,
though Terence’s falsetto and the gentle
shuffling rhythm are nods to Marvin Gaye’s
Sexual Healing.
(^8) RAIN
One of the album’s catchiest melodies, it is
little wonder that Rain was originally planned
to be the fifth single from the record, but was
dropped at the 11th hour and relegated to
promo single status instead (though it was a
single in Holland). The song deals with the
subject of history and legacy. As with many
of the songs on the album, Rain manages to
seamlessly incorporate a number of different
styles within the song.
(^9) SIGN YOUR NAME
Terence’s biggest hit single behind Wishing
Well, Sign Your Name is his classic love song.
Terence claims to have written the track after
waking from a dream in which he’d watched
Sade perform. A simple drum machine, synths
and lush string arrangement envelope
Terence’s sensual vocal in which he pledges his
devotion stating: “I’d rather be in hell with you
baby/ than in cool heaven”. The song was a Top
10 hit for him around the world and was later
covered by Sheryl Crow and Justin Timberlake
in 2010.
(^10) AS YET UNTITLED
An impassioned, devastating song about the
political and social situation in South Africa,
As Yet Untitled was inspired by the plight of
Nelson Mandela. Sung entirely a capella so
as to emphasise the message of the song,
Terence’s performance of the track at the Nelson
Mandela: An International Tribute for a Free
South Africa concert at Wembley Stadium in
1990 was one of the day’s highlights. The line:
“When I return, I’ll be a stronger man” was
sampled by Shut Up & Dance for their seminal
dance track Derek Went Mad in 1990.
(^11) WHO’S LOVING YOU
Having been raised on gospel music by his
Reverend father and singer mother, the first
music that Terence discovered and loved of
his own was the Jackson Five. Their cover of
Smokey Robinson’s Who’s Loving You was one
of their most notable recordings, and Terence
included his version on the album as a nod to his
own musical awakenings. Another stellar vocal
performance from the singer, too.
THE
SONGS
string of press interviews in
which he boasted about his
sexual conquests, proclaimed
himself “a genius”, described
his album as “better than Sgt.
Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club
Band” and “the most brilliant
debut album by any artist
this decade”, immediately
establishing himself as a
divisive character. On the one
hand, there were those who
were repelled by his bravado,
while others lauded his
refreshing no-BS demeanour.
Terence later clarified his
intentions in his first interview
with Rolling Stone magazine.
“The simple truth is I had to
do my best to ensure that
my album was going to win
massive attention,” he said. “I
had to make sure that would
happen, by hook or by crook.
As a former journalism student,
I have some idea of what
makes good copy and what
doesn’t. I knew that when I
boasted that The Hardline...
was the best debut album by
a male solo act in this century
that the reporter would be sure
to quote that. Jesus Christ, can
you not see that that was a
statement dying to be put
into headlines?”
Proving the adage that
there was no such thing as
bad press, the attention and
notoriety his comments earned
him initially worked in his
favour when Introducing The
Hardline... was released the
following July. The album sold
one million copies worldwide
in its first three days on sale
and topped the album charts
around the world. Over the
course of the following year,
it went on to spend nine (non-
consecutive) weeks at No.1
in the UK, returning to the top
spot each time he released a
single from it. Wishing Well,
Introducing The Hardline...
sold one million copies
worldwide in the first three
days of going on sale
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