This week on Namesakes, we pay tribute to a legend of the 80s: Patrick Duffy, aka Bobby Ewing from Dallas. Wait, you say, Patrick Duffy's not a singer! And you'd be right...
Neither did he ever record and release music using just his surname. These guys, on the other hand, all did...
DUFFY #1
First off, we find ourselves in 1970 with Tennessee country singer / Elvis tribute act, Wade Cummins. This was his only release under the name Duffy...
DUFFY #2
Our next Duffy took to the stage in 1974, inspired by Uriah Heep, Deep Purple and Humble Pie. The London-based band was comprised Stuart Reffold, Barry Coote, Joe Nanson, Patrick Sarjeant and Will Wright... no, none of them were called Duffy, and they were knocking around three years before the Man From Atlantis first set foot in the water, so who knows why they called themselves Duffy?
Their debut album was called Just In Case You're Interested, and it seems nobody was, as they only managed to get it released in Germany, France and Brazil. Soon after they changed their name to Scruffy Duffy, perhaps inspiring the creation of one of Grange Hill's best teachers, Scruffy McDuffy (above) a few years later.
DUFFY #3
Then in 1978, the same year Dallas premiered on TV, John Taylor, Nick Rhodes and Stephen Duffy formed a little band called Duran Duran. Mr. Duffy soon packed it in as a bad job, so the other two recruited some poser called Simon Le Bon instead... and the rest is history.
But what happened to Duffy? Well, to start with, he added the words "Tin Tin" to his name and scored a couple of fine Top 20 hits in 1985, like this and this. He then formed an excellent band called The Lilac Time (who are still in the go today) and released lots of beautiful music like this.
None of this would qualify him for entry into today's Namesakes. However, in 1995, he briefly jumped on the Britpop bandwagon with the track below (and a subsequent LP), marketed solely on the basis of his surname...
It wasn't a hit, but I reckon it's better than quite a few Britpop records that were.
DUFFY #4
I know some of you aren't particularly Queen fans, and those of you who are may have stopped loving them in the 80s, but even if you're not a fan of their big 1984 hit I Want To Break Free, you can't tell me that turning it into a 1996 dance record improves it in any way, shape or form. I like to think that if Freddie had still been alive, he wouldn't have allowed this travesty.
Worse still, the Duffy featured here isn't even a Duffy - his real name is Daniel Sous!
DUFFY #5
Finally, the most famous of all the Duffys. Aimée Ann Duffy was born in Gwynedd in 1984. When she was 24, she scored her first (and only) Number One single, which garnered her comparisons to 60s hitmakers like Cilla, Petula and Dusty. She didn't quite enjoy the career longevity of her predecessors... but who does these days?
Which is your Duffy... and which one is just Duff?
Some people might think #1 is so bad it's good. They would be wrong. It's simply terrible. (And to make things worse, it was followed by a bloody Leonard Cohen song). #2 is one the to beat - after your introduction I had high hopes, and I was not disappointed. I'm not surprised #3 was not a hit. And I can't tell you just how much I hate #4, I almost closed it down. I have that #5 album, and your chosen track is splendid, so it's #5 for me. Just ahead of #2
ReplyDeleteI think it is the law in England that all charity shops must have at least one copy of "Rockferry" on display at all times. CC can advise on whether it is the same in Scotland, possibly it is a devolved matter.
ReplyDeleteNot mad keen on any of them so probably 5 by default. And in the spirit of your caravan mix over at the aforementioned CC's place I offer this:
https://youtu.be/TwT1bNFXzl8?si=j8WB53mTbbYAAhHi
Yup Duffy features prominently in charity shops up here as well
DeleteOf course it's #5 for me too followed by, wait for it George, #1. It started off with a bit of a monotonous beat but then really picked up.
ReplyDeleteDuffy had a short-lived career mainly because she suffered a bit of a shocking assault when she was at her height. Took her ages to get over it which meant she disappeared from the spotlight.
That's awful, Alyson - I had no idea.
DeleteNumber 3 for me although probably not his best song but I have always liked Tintin.
ReplyDelete