Bryan Ferry in Paris 1985
For my father
Frederick Charles Ferry
1908-1984
Introduction
Within two months after Roxy Music‘s definitive disbandment in 1983, front man Bryan Ferry was already working at what ultimately would be his most successful solo album: Boys And Girls.
Roxy Music
Up to 1985 Bryan Ferry was primarily known as the front man of Roxy Music, the art-rock band from the 1970s, which in the early 1980s transitioned into a smooth, laid-back, according to some even easy-listening, warmer sound. Sometime later it was labeled as sophisti-pop, a mix of jazz, soul, pop and lush production. Even though the new direction wasn’t for everybody, the last Roxy Music album, Avalon, possessed an unprecedented beauty. The new music proved critical for (the development of) the New Romantics movement in the early 1980s.
Following an elaborate tour for Avalon, Roxy Music dissolved in 1983. Each of the band members went their separate way and continued (or started) their own (solo-)careers. It would take 18 years before the name Roxy Music would be used again. On February 13, 2001, the band announced a reunion tour, which brought the band to the Ahoy in Rotterdam, Holland on September 13, 2001.
Bryan Ferry – First 5 solo albums
Bryan Ferry
Even while in Roxy Music, Bryan Ferry worked at a solo career. His first solo album These Foolish Things was released on October 5, 1973. The album consisted of covers of personal favorites and strongly deviated from his Roxy Music work. Ferry:
It’s a very catholic selection, I’ve given up trying to please all of the people all of the time. Some will like it for one reason, some for another. And some will presumably dislike it for the wrong reasons though I hope the general point of it will be understood. It’s amusement value. I think.
Bryan Ferry, NME, 08-09-1973
Nine months later, on July 9, 1974, Another Time, Another Place was released, another covers album, except for the title song, which was written by Ferry. In the first half of 1976 Roxy Music had been put ‘on hold’ and had recently released the superb live album Viva! Roxy Music, which raced up the charts. Nevertheless, Ferry released his third solo album on September 10 of that same year. Let’s Stick Together was a somewhat peculiar album, consisting of covers and newly recorded Roxy Music songs. The single Let’s Stick Together was rather successful.
Early 1977 saw the release of solo album number four, In Your Mind, filled with original material, in September 1978 followed by The Bride Stripped Bare, consisting of covers and 4 original compositions. The last album was particularly well received by critics, but, like its predecessor, didn’t sell well. Apparently, it was one of the reasons for Ferry to reactivate the name Roxy Music again. From 1979 to 1983 all attention was focused on the band, not on the solo career. After the band had officially dissolved, Ferry revived his solo career again.
Bryan Ferry – Boys And Girls
Boys And Girls
On June 3, 1985, Bryan Ferry’s sixth solo album was released, his first in 7 year. Boys And Girls would grow out to be the biggest success in Ferry’s solo career. A month earlier, the album was preceded by the single Slave To Love, still the most popular song in his entire body of work.
Ferry started recording the album in July 1983 in his Sussex home. Initially, he used a drum computer and keyboards to sketch out his new songs. Later on in the process professional recordings were done in several studios. Ferry’s status amongst his peers enabled him to call in help from some of the greatest names in (pop)music, like Nile Rodgers, David Gilmour, Guy Fletcher, Mark Knopfler, Tony Levin, Marcus Miller, Omar Hakim and David Sanborn.
All in all, it took a year and a half to finish the album. Ferry took his time: “You just have to try and live a life in between records, and the records are a response to that.”
Despite the many guests and many studios, sound wise Boys And Girls is a very consistent album. The somber, moody music comes across as gentle, seductive, at times even lovely, even though the lyrics aren’t very hopeful at all. Sadness is translated into indescribable (musical) beauty.
Bryan Ferry – Boys And Girls – Back cover
Lyrics versus music
The biggest hit off the album , and Ferry’s entire career, is a perfect example of how the album was designed both musically and lyrically. The music is seductive and sexy, but the lyrics are dark.
Tell her I’ll be waiting
In the usual place
With the tired and weary
And there’s no escapeSlave To Love, Bryan Ferry, 1985
That other huge hit (Don’t Stop The Dance) is far from being a happy affair as well. The music is melancholy, but still cheerful. The lyrics describe the will to dance in order not to die.
Mama says
Only stormy weather
Don’t know why there’s no sun in the sky
Footsteps in the dark come together
Got to keep on moving or I’ll dieDon’t Stop The Dance, Bryan Ferry, 1985
In the 1 minute A Waste Land happiness is nowhere to be found, not even in the music.
When love’s gone
There’s no one
A waste land
A ghetto
When love’s gone
A tear on
A waste land
Your pillowA Waste Land, Bryan Ferry, 1985
It seems as if Ferry has lost his faith in love altogether, sadness is omnipresent.
What do you see on the street tonight?
Nothing but another heartbreak hotel
Stranger you’re the only friend tonight
Pick a number and ring the bellStone Woman, Bryan Ferry, 1985
Bryan Ferry – Boys And Girls – Ad
The closing Boys And Girls is lyrically heavy, but the music makes it sound warm and comforting.
You’ve got no sense of fun
But you know I’ve one
All the good has turned to bad
And you know what I think of that
No time to dream, no time to sigh
No time to kill when love walks by
And who’s that crying in the street?
Death is the friend I’ve yet to meet
Boys and girlsBoys And Girls, Bryan Ferry, 1985
Review
At first glance Boys And Girls seems to build on Roxy Music‘s Avalon, but close inspection reveals another world. To me, both albums are indispensable. Boys And Girls is a true headphone album. The production is truly impressive, the album sounds phenomenal, rich and lush.
Musicianship is at top level, the atmosphere is all important. Warmth, humanity, sadness, beauty, emotion, romance and awe take turns upon listening this album. Despite the heavy lyrical themes, the album never cracks under its weight. Boys And Girls was an unexpected hit, but rightly so in this case. Essential album.
Bryan Ferry – Boys And Girls – Singles
Singles
- Slave To Love
(released on May 3, 1985) - Don’t Stop the Dance
(released on August 16, 1985) - Windswept
(released on November 29, 1985)
Songs
All songs written by Bryan Ferry, unless stated otherwise.
- Sensation
- Slave To Love
- Don’t Stop The Dance (Bryan Ferry, Rhett Davies)
- A Waste Land
- Windswept
- The Chosen One
- Valentine
- Stone Woman
- Boys And Girls
Bryan Ferry – Boys And Girls – Ad
Musicians
- Bryan Ferry – vocals, keyboards, percussion
- Jon Carin – keyboards
- Guy Fletcher – keyboards on Slave To Love
- Chester Kamen – guitar
- Nile Rodgers – guitar on Sensation, Don’t Stop The Dance
- David Gilmour – guitar on Windswept, Stone Woman
- Neil Hubbard – guitar on Slave To Love
- Keith Scott – guitar on Slave To Love
- Mark Knopfler – guitar on Valentine
- Neil Jason, Alan Spenner – bass
- Tony Levin – bass on Slave To Love
- Marcus Miller – bass on Don’t Stop The Dance
- Andy Newmark – drums
- Omar Hakim – drums on Slave To Love
- Jimmy Maelen – percussion
- David Sanborn – saxophone on Don’t Stop The Dance
- Martin McCarrick – cello
- Anne Stephenson – strings
- Virginia Hewes, Ednah Holt, Fonzi Thornton, Ruby Turner, Alfa Anderson, Michelle Cobbs, Yanick Etienne, Colleen Fitz-Charles, Lisa Fitz-Charles, Simone Fitz-Charles – background vocals
Bryan Ferry – Live Aid – 07/13/1985
Live Aid
Bryan Ferry didn’t plan on touring with the Boys And Girls album, but when Bob Geldof called and laid out his plan for a global broadcast concert in order to help the African continent, Ferry was easily persuaded to participate. He formed a band with session musicians who had worked on Boys And Girls, among which David Gilmour and Marcus Miller.
It seemed like Murphy’s law took over that Live Aid day on July 13, 1985, at 04:08 PM. Everything went awry.
I have terrible memories of it all going wrong. I’d put together an all-star band and the set was fraught with problems. We had David Gilmour on guitar and, poor David, his guitar wasn’t working for the first couple of songs. With his first hit, the drummer put his stick through the drum skin, the bass was in a different tuning. And then my microphone wasn’t working, which for a singer is a bit of a handicap. A roadie ran on with another mic so then I was holding two mics taped together and I wasn’t really sure which one to sing into. It was a great day though.
Bryan Ferry remembers Live Aid
Ferry played 3 songs off the latest album: Sensation, Boys And Girls and Slave To Love and closed his set with Jealous Guy, a John Lennon cover he had recorded in 1981 with Roxy Music (the band’s first and only number 1 single in the US).
Bryan Ferry – 5 post Boys And Girls solo albums
After Boys And Girls
As stated before, Boys And Girls was the biggest success of Bryan Ferry’s solo career. After 1985 he released many more solo albums, some of which I purchased along the way:
- Bête Noire (November 2, 1987)
- Taxi (March 10, 1993)
- Mamouna (August 31, 1994)
- As Time Goes By (October 14, 1999)
- Frantic (April 15, 2002)
- Dylanesque (March 5, 2007)
- Olympia (October 25, 2010)
- The Jazz Age (November 26, 2012)
- Live in Lyon (September 23, 2013)
- Avonmore (November 17, 2014)
- Live 2015 (April 15, 2016)
- Bitter-Sweet (November 30, 2018)
- Live at the Royal Albert Hall 1974 (February 7, 2020)
- Royal Albert Hall 2020 (April 2, 2021)
- Loose Talk (March 28, 2025)
When writing this article I listened to the latest Ferry album, Loose Talk. A special piece of work, with Ferry providing the musical settings for the spoken words provided by performance artist, writer and painter Amelia Barratt. Interesting, different, atmospheric, beautiful and moving.
In closing
What’s your opinion on Bryan Ferry and Boys And Girls? Let me know!
Video/Spotify
This story contains an accompanying video. Click on the following link to see it: Video: Bryan Ferry translates sadness into beauty on Boys And Girls. The A Pop Life playlist on Spotify has been updated as well.
