Home · Albums · DOUBLE · Blue

Blue 1985
Album · by DOUBLE ↗ View artist

Blue

Blue doesn’t sound like an album that was meticulously planned months in advance. They recorded it between March and June 1985 in two separate studios: first at Can in Cologne, and then at Picar in Stein am Rhein, using equipment that wasn’t theirs. The result is a sophisti-pop that blends polished synthesizers with clean guitars, yet never loses the organic warmth of live takes. What’s curious is that, although the album came out in October of that year, the song that ended up defining it wasn’t an immediate hit: The Captain of Her Heart was released as a single in 1986, and that’s when it really took off, first in Europe and later in the United States. The other two singles, Your Prayer Takes Me Off and Tomorrow, didn’t have the same impact, but the album had already left its mark.

Year
1985
Songs
8
Duration
35 min 44 seg
Listen to the album ★

About the album

Blue, according to DoReSol

What stands out most about Blue is how it balances commercial appeal with experimentation. The versions included of their early singles, Woman of the World and Rangoon Moon, sound more refined than the originals, yet never lose their essence. The Captain of Her Heart is the exception: that ballad with its insistent piano and a bass that seems to float not only became their most recognized track but also unexpectedly bridged European pop with American audiences. It was recorded by the duo’s two members, Kurt Maloo and Felix Haug, and though the album wasn’t aiming for massive success, it sold enough to keep Metronome stocking it for years.

The record runs just over 35 minutes, but every track flows perfectly—nothing feels extra or missing. The contrast between the minimalist arrangements of Love Is a Plane and the more rhythmic energy of Urban Nomads shows that, while the sound is cohesive, it’s never repetitive. And though later reissues haven’t given it a radical twist, the original still captures that moment when Swiss pop found its voice without copying anyone.