There was a time back in the 1980s that I could not conceive of Howard Jones on tour in the United States and not seeing him in at least one city. I was lucky enough to see him in New York City (including a great show in Radio City Music Hall), in New Jersey, and in Philadelphia. I was totally lost in his music, eating up every track on every album. I would often be joined by my sister Kim, who was just as crazy about the music. We'd get our tickets and buy the tour t-shirts, the tour booklet, and be happy as clams. It was fantastic to see him, and I think 1985 was a great year, with Howard sporting his very bright and shiny suit, the background singers, and mime Jed Hoile. I was reminded of all of this when I found this video from a show in 1985, and it look remarkably familiar. This is Howard Jones singing "Things Can Only Get Better" off the album 'Dream Into Action', released that same year.
As a bonus, I thought I would include a video of Howard singing "No One Is To Blame", also off the 'Dream Into Action' album. In truth, it is one of my favorite HoJo songs, just so beautifully written. The song went to #4 on the Billboard Hot 100, and went to #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart. It was a stunning fit for Howard's voice, not surprising since he had written it. But it was also a song that sounded even better live, and always warmed my heart. This is a clip of Howard singing 'No One Is to Blame' on 'The Kenny Everett Show' on the BBC in the mid-1980s.
It is interesting to note, not only do I still love Howard's music, but I do think he and a few other British musicians opened me up to the appreciation of Electropop music, which I still love today. You can still purchase 'Dream Into Action' on iTunes and Amazon. To learn more about Howard Jones, visit his official website. You can also 'follow' him on Twitter or 'like' him on Facebook.
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