Six remarkable and unforgettable debut albums from the 1980s

Yazoo - Upstairs At Eric’s

Here’s a slight anomaly in terms of debut albums, but let's not get hung up on it. The pairing of Alison Moyet and Vince Clarke known as Yazoo, or Yaz in the US, released their debut album. Upstairs At Eric’s came out in August 1982. 

It was Clarke’s second involvement in a debut album. He was in Depeche Mode when they released their debut album, Speak & Spell, in October 1981. Clarke was the main songwriter for that album before leaving to join up with Moyet and form Yazoo.

Upstairs At Eric’s is a good album overall though often underrated. The mix of Moyet’s vocals and Clarke’s synths and electronic keyboards blended extremely well. It’s worth noting that while Clarke had the Depeche Mode experience behind him, Moyet was just 20, with hardly any studio or recording behind her. She was still learning her craft but had written several of the album songs as a teenager.

The main two hits from the album both came from Clarke’s pen. The lovely soaring ballad “Only You” and the dancefloor classic “Don't Go” both reached number three in the UK. The b side of the latter song, “Situation, was a jointly written chart single in the US and Canada. 

The album Upstairs At Eric's achieved platinum status after reaching the second position in the UK charts and making it to number 92 on the Billboard 200. This record deserves recognition as it marked the introduction of the wonderful voice of Moyet to the public. Although Yazoo, the band, is no longer together, Moyet continues to tour. Meanwhile, Clarke moved on to form Erasure with Andy Bell and has collaborated with other musicians in recent years.