Derek & the Dominoes' "Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs". It feels strange saying it's a one-anything wonder, but it's the only album they'd released, and it's one of the best and one of the most influential of its era.
Was stationed in Germany in 1993, dating a Hungarian girl who swore she knew him. Family friend, is what she said. A few months later, I went out to dinner with her family, and TTD was there. We spent several hours eating, drinking, and having a great time. He was so much fun and incredibly humble.
@@throbbinwoodofcoxley6830 Everyone has personality flaws which in this case is irrelevant to the music he produced. Your opinion is based upon your own bias.
Professor, you’re TRULY the “heir apparent” to the legacies of Casey Kasem and Dick Clark, both the greatest, most “TV friendly” musical historians of my lifetime. Keep it up, Adam…
You know what’s really crazy? Listening to the lead up in the intro, I kept saying to myself, “I bet he’s gonna say Terence Trent D’Arby!” And damn, he did. I guess I remember a few things from the 80s. What a wild time that was. Hehe!
Hope you feel better soon, Adam. Thank you for doing this video about D'Arby. I was a huge fan of his in 1988 and I've always been fascinated by his story. With so much talent, it still blows my mind that he never achieved that level of success again but, as you said, there are reasons for that.
@@wozzywick Bad was camp and pretentious. It was "Thriller Part 2".......the same formula. It had it moments because of the videos. " Your butt is mine..." , really???? A 30 year Jackson trying to act hard.. no wonder Prince turned him down. Mj was more about commercial success than artistry after the success of Thriller. Although " Hardline" is derivative if MJ had done it due to its Motown influence ( check out Darby's version of ' Who's loving you') , if you can imagine MJ doing Wishing Well, Sign Your Name, Stay, If We All Get To Heaven,etc....,he would eclipsed Thriller in sales.
Thanks for this, Professor. I had a friend who worked at Columbia Records in the NYC Promotions department while TTD was signed to the label. He once told me how TTD came into the office in a fur coat with an entourage of people and an abundance of arrogance. At the same time, we both loved his music, and while the debut record is very good (and was very different than what was going on at the time) his third record Symphony or Damn is by far my favorite record of his.
When I watch the Wishing Well video I don't see arrogance -- I see confidence and wistfulness -- he's wonderful to watch perform. And a voice that stands a part from most, with a nice touch of grit.
Terrence did sing for INXS for a time after Michael Hutchence passed, as did Jon Stevens (Noiseworks) before JD Fortune did the "Switch" album with the band and was let go not long after. Terrence had a great voice and I really love the "Hardline" album, thanks for covering this story, Prof!
@@May-ve6sr The band had a hard time getting another singer; Michael was a hard act to follow, would have been practically impossible to replace such a singer & frontman. Terrence, Jon and JD did what they could, and I appreciate that INXS tried so hard to keep going after Michael Hutchence passed. Sometimes it doesn't work out.
Thank you for telling Terrence Trent Darby's story. He burst on the music scene with a great soul, r&b sound with several hit songs and then disappeared. I always wondered what happened to him. I guess he had an attitude of too much arrogance and it prevented him for reaching his potential.
His " sound" wasn't anything special or original, by any means. It was the same generic, watered down R&B pop that the mid - late 80s was swamped with. I never understood the massive ego. His music was generic. His voice was good, not amazing. Nobody ever inserted TTD's name in the same sentence as Otis Redding, Al Green or the GOAT Ray Charles when talking great voices. His album was also meh. So many better albums from that same genre. Hell, I wouldn't put his album above Milli Vanilli's " Girl you know it's true". Track for track it's a much better album.
@@keithmarlowe5569 More hits in the UK. Two for the price of one is what Status Quo called one hits wonders because it was their first and last. Or perhaps three for two in the USA!
His third record, "Symphony or Damn" is also really good and generated a lot of radio play including "She Kissed Me" which charted in the US, with four tracks landing in the UK top 20. The bonus tracks released on the Japanese edition are well worth tracking down, too.
Listened to Neither Fish nor Flesh, and that's actually got some pretty good songs on it, too----it starts out as more experimental, then kicks on with some old-school funk style songs. Worth a listen---his fourth album, Vibrator, is pretty damn good, too, and really fun to hear.
This is an incredibly important album to me for the time in my life that it dropped. I was going thru enormous changes in my home and personal life and the whole album spoke to me and helped me thru that time. Let Her Down Easy and Seasons are my favorites. Delicate featuring Des’ree is quietly a stellar duet.
This album hit when I started high school. I was an immediate fan. Every song on that album is a fave of mine! I played it so much that everyone in my family had a favorite song from it! "Wishing Well" was a karaoke standard of mine for quite a few years! "Sign Your Name" was my older brother's choice. My mom absolutely loved "Dance Little Sister", and my dad would jam along to "I'll Never Turn My Back on You". I have vague memories about his arrogance at the time. I must have pushed most of that noise aside because I didn't want to believe that he was such a braggadocios egomaniac. But, alas. He should've left his voice for singing alone. Not talking. Now, I'm going to put on his first 3 albums and enjoy myself a nice nostalgic trip.
TTD's Vibrator album is one of my all time favourite albums. An album he wrote not to be commercial but instead committed his soul to the recording. His singing on Undeniably is some of the best he's ever recorded.
Love them all saw him in my home town for the vibrator tour 1995 when was 15. Wild card is awesome too. Just cos he's no longer commercial doesn't mean he's not still great
I remember when he came out and made the comparison to Sgt Peppers, I thought he already set the bar too high for himself and would never live up to being a legend. Legend status is earned by hard work and the recognition of your peers.
He was a one hit wonder. Many bands will have second hit, that isn’t remembered as well, but this guy is one of the most overrated. Lenny Kravitz, made him look lame in comparison, two years later, with his first album. I hate the music Kravitz did after Circus. At least Circus, was an attempt at new territory, before 5 became calculated pop songs, that stopped using his, and his killer band’s talents to their best. He had four excellent albums, then tried some weird stolid on one, then went lamestream.
Brilliant episode as always. I worked as a teen in a Music/Video store when this came out and thought "Man this album is amazing." Now I know what the Hell happened to him.
One of my favorite artists of all time and immensely talented. I own all of his albums and it’s a shame he didn’t achieve more commercial success because he’s continued to put out great music over the years.
“Neither Fish Nor Flesh” was an incredible album. It’s not the album you did cartwheels over on first listen. It’s an album that rewards the listener for repeated listenings.
It's actually my favorite TTD release. I had the same opinion on first listen as well but it's definitely gotten better with every subsequent listen. I think it was a bit too experimental at the time.
I just listened to Neither Fish Nor Flesh again.... It marries Pop, Soul, Funk, Gospel, Rock and Psychedelia, all tied together with flawless vocals and just when you thought it was weird, it outweirded itself.... It is a true monster of an album. I also remember that on the original UK 12" vinyl release. The album sleve notes were amazing, I think it was 16 sides, printed on dark brown stock paper and printed with light pigment inks, which was amazing but it also had inserts printed black on almost transparent stock paper, truly revolutionary for the time. I wish I still had that album on vinyl.
Interesting. I am sure the one dimensional image portrayed in the media has always been misleading. Most people have more than one facet to their character and the media dishes out ideas of people that are unfair and unkind. The UK media is spiteful, and I suspect most of the impressions of him originated right there. It can work both ways; I am sure there will be some whose public image is sweetness and light who are, in fact, unpleasant in reality.
He opened for Duran Duran in 1993 and was the best thing about that concert. Played a full array of instruments and sang his heart out. Especially liked his unplugged version of "Sign your name" which was just him on piano, singing. A very intimate sincere version of the song that I wish he had reproduced and sold an mp3 version. Also liked his Angels and Vampires album decades later. Bella Faccina and the Stone's "Angie" are my favs.
Terrance Trent D'arby is an amazing artist... A truely underrated talent. And his name shouldn't even be mentioned in the conversation of 1 hit wonders. His debut album is a classic, and believe it or not...my favorite songs by him are not songs that are on his first album, I actually think he got even better as time went by. He has songs that are every bit as beautiful as a Stevie Wonder song. He is a musical GENIUS!!! I was going to name a few of my favorite hidden gems from this criminally underrated artist that has the ability to write hits while he's sleeping!!! But instead I encourage anyone that disagrees with what I'm saying to do the Terrance Trent D'arby Challenge!!! I challenge you to actually listen to his entire catalog and not find a song that you absolutely love, but have never heard of before...you can't do it!!! Ps: I also hear a David Ruffin influence when he sings, and that is incredible in itself.
@@havable ....... That's what I'm saying. Since he had two top-5 hits, he's not a one hit wonder and nobody should be calling him a one hit wonder. Was that really so difficult to understand that you had to have it explained out ???
@@throbbinwoodofcoxley6830 ..... He still had two top-5 singles, so he's NOT a one hit wonder, regardless if you ever heard them or not. "Wishing Well" was a #1 single that spent 25 weeks on the chart and "Sign Your Name" was a top-5 hit that spent 21 weeks on the chart .... Since that's a total of 46 weeks on The Hot-100, I'd say that's a little more than a "flash in a pan" moment and it says more about you than it does those two huge hit records. What it basically says is you must have been living in a cave during 1988 to have never even heard those two big hit singles.
I knew within the first 5 seconds it was gonna be Terance. I discovered Neither Fish Nor Flesh 5 years ago and fell in love with it. I think it’s a brave and wonderful record.
Indeed. Before Adam finished his introduction I knew who he was talking about. Terence Trent D'Arby now goes by the name Sananda Maitreya. The guy suffered a catastrophic meltdown of the psyche. It's interesting where he ended up.
Maybe like Denis Leary said 🍒 chery NyQuil capital N capital Y Big f****** Q drink enough of it the Bottle start talking to you it's a 13th Step for you recovering alcoholics.
i watched a good amount of his interviews this past few days … and from them i can conclude : he’s not arrogant at all . misunderstood hell yes . but something happened to that man . why else would someone completely change their name , identity , entire life ? something happened to him that is very obviously deeper than some negative personality traits he’s rumoured to have . he spoke about recurring dreams and spiritual things . that’s all i needed to hear to get even a glimpse of what may have actually went down . but it’s his life . only he knows the full truth . but after listening to his first 4 albums front to back , and watching many of his live performances from his time as terence as well as sananda , i can conclude that he’s phenomenal as an artist in general . he’s someone who i separate from the music . his personality is not reflective of his work and vice versa . i’m listening to his 2017 project and , so far so good
He had a chance to be up there with the titans of his age, but couldn't back it up. I bought the second album and was both baffled and disappointed. He really thought he could do what he wanted and needed somebody to put an arm around him and say: NO. STOP.
I'm a huge Terence Trent D'arby fan and this might be an unpopular opinion but in terms of singing Terence was easily as good as Michael Jackson's or Prince if not better. His voice was just phenomenal.
I agree. His artistry and musical talents are definitely on par with Prince and Michael Jackson. His performances with Kevin Wyatt and Louis Metoyer are phenomenal. He is a musical genius and I’m glad he is still making great music. He is also one of the few artists who owns the rights to his music.
Derby proved he was a great songwriter and vocalist with that first album, you couldn't help but whistle along with Wishing Well. I always wondered where he went after that because it sounded like he was definitely on his way. Perhaps his ego got in the way of ever being able to collaborate or listen to other people on the next singles. He wasn't a Michael or Prince but he could definitely sing and was talented. I was rooting for him. Thanks for letting us know the story of where he went professor, great episode
...coulda sworn he was gonna be big (still) in the UK, but no dice.....I was in the outskirts of the Music Industry in '88, and I knew there was trouble a-brewin' for TTD.....ah well, the debut is CLASSIC material.....'88 wouldn't BE, without it...
@@RBS_ Just looked up Clive Griffin ( see reply to other post). He was produced by Richard Niles ( former husband of Bowie Live Aid and Clapton backing singer Tess), who has his own You Tube channel with lots of interviews about/ with various people involved in music. Loads of interest. He has done production work with many eighties artists.
I had Introducing the Hardline According to Terence Trent D'Arby on cassette in high school. I listened to this album a lot! I remember watching him perform "Who's Lovin' You" on a tv show, introduced by Smokey Robinson, who wrote and originally recorded the song. I was expecting D'Arby to go much further than he did as well. What a voice! It was a solid debut album. In my opinion, there's not a filler on the album.
Great video totally unexpected. Based on your name Professor of Rock i thought this would be some obscure rock artist or group. Yes when Wishing Well came out it was undeniably catchy and unique, the quirky whistling, the deep soulful voice, and over the top super high pitch “hey”. As for Sign Your Name I always thought it sounded like a man doing a Sade song but never realized how close it actually was and there was a Sade connection. As for an artist, I didn’t think much as back at that time it was common to have one or two hit wonder artists.
Loved him. Had the debut cassette when I was in the Navy (unpopular choice, for sure), then saw and met him during that last tour in 95 I think in Orlando. Very gracious, posed for photos and autographs even though he had family in town. I think he introduced me to his Aunt who lived in Apopka FL. Very cool. I think he even played a white guitar that was similar to the Prince "symbol" guitar.
I thought his voice was better than the songs. He has awesome vocal control and could probably sing almost anything with training. I was teased by my friends for having the "Wishing Well" album, but it was always a hit with young ladies on first dates. I owe Terrence many thank you's from back then. With a well written song and produced well he should hit the top of the charts again with that voice.
Yeah, I still listen to him to this day, and I never stopped. I still watch all his videos and live performances for the last 20 years since he’s been Sananda. watching his interviews… But I think another part of what happened was he had a built-in fan base of pop, soul, R&B… And when he expressed his rock oriented edge, he threw too many people off, because he didn’t start off like that, and a lot of people R&B oriented didn’t really get into that music, or expected/excepted it from him, for the most part in my opinion… But he bounced back-and-forth and did great justice to my current favorite song of recent years called if I fell” the Beatles cover.. which you can find on here singing live, playing the piano, sounding amazing still.. I’m a 80s kid born in 76 and I still put him up there with George Michael Prince Madonna and of course Michael Jackson as for the greats of that area.. and timeless
80’s kid here too, ttd didn’t even rate compared to those you listed. Literally never touched my childhood in any way. MJ, Prince, and George Michael were all better artists, and didn’t insult the greats.
@@throbbinwoodofcoxley6830 … For one moment in time, he was as good as them. That’s why this video is out lol… Just for one album… But everybody has an opinion. He did a little bit too much to be a one hit wonder though… My best friends didn’t really get into him either, but they knew that he could sing.. those songs were on the radio all the time!! just as much as the greats were.. just for a couple years though . I think he would’ve done better in this era, considering how diverse it is now and all blended together at the same time… Eminem insulted the greats as well lol I’m just saying.
@@throbbinwoodofcoxley6830funny that because Prince and George Michael were friends of his. During a live performance George Michael paid tribute to him and sang one of his songs.
That debut album was great but "Sign Your Name" was my damn jam, y'all!!! So sexy and exotic and spacious. That elongated percussive lyric-free moment after the ".. slowly we make love..." was everything. Good music, period.
"Sign Your Name" is one of my favorite songs of that era. It's too bad his ego and other issues got in his way, he could have been a lot bigger. I wish you could have nabbed him for an interview. He's definetely one of the more enigmatic artist that has come through the music industry.
Get well soon Adam! Great episode... TTDA´s first three albums are really good, my dad used to love ¨Delicate”, his duet with Des’ree. TTDA does have talent, and could have had a GREAT career. Most of the time, being cocky can backfire.
To Know Someone Deeply is one of my favorite songs, it’s such a beautiful Bossa Nova. ❤️ I just think it was not what people expected, but it absolutely stood the test of time! The first single from this album was experimental, rocky bluesy funky, alternative. It’s not an easy pop song, but it’s also an impressive record! It’s such a pity. I would say that his problem was coming from Germany music industry and then doing career in Britain, he didn’t yet get picked up properly by the US music industry. They already had someone like Prince, Michael, weren’t that eager, he would have to prove himself with more top selling albums. But with a „eauropean” sensitivity about music making he went full experimental already on his second record. I guess he was also confident in his music and would not listen to money-making producers, I can imagine that. 😅 He wanted to go rock, but audience knew him as a soulfull groovy pop singer. Nonetheless, I totally recommend a long interview with him from around 2000. What a fascinating and authentic artist! And human.
I am happy at least it seems like he gets to live dolce vita in one of the most beautiful places on earth, Italy, and seems to be happy with his day to day life and just playing locally in Italy. I think he’s into gnosticism with this whole new identity thing, but it worked for him it seems, he seems to have been really suffering mentally.
He also had the bad luck of coming out about the same time as Milli Vanilli, and generally in the same genre. Milli Vanilli did a pretty good job of wiping out quite a few R&B / dance acts. Some because they were only singers (not a band) and people were weary of acts that were only singers and hadn't proven themselves in live performances (like D'Arby), and some because they were more "producer" based and not real groups (C+C Music Factory, Techotronic, etc).
I'm afraid I don't remember any of D'Arby's songs. But I sure remember seeing him as the opening act to Duran Duran when I saw them in 1993. He sure is a marvelous live performer. I remember his frequent wailing in a passionate wide vibrato, and his intermittent slick James Brown-like dance moves!
Saw him in that tour when they played Toronto. Wishing Well and Sign Your Name had constantly been on the airwaves, so I had some type of benchmark… he knocked it out, really good performance.
I went to a flea market in ‘96 with my best friend’s girlfriend. She had never been to one before and was in awe of all the odds, ends and rarities at her fingertips. I remember watching her rummage through a box of CDs and she pulled out Symphony or Damn. She was so excited to find it since “Delicate” was one of her favorite songs. It was 1996, so it wasn’t like she could just go download it. She had been striking out at Sam Goody, Tower, The Wall, etc. That flea market was the final resting place for Terence Trent Darby’s music. Oh, how the mighty had fallen.
I always loved sign your name and wishing well, and I was confused by his new name when searching for the videos. These songs still hold up to this day. I always wondered what happened to this talented man.
In 2001, he “rebirthed” himself by saying the spirit of Terence Trent D’Arby is dead and he is starting new beginnings as Sananda Francesco Maitreya. Out with the old and in with the new.
He delivered 5 albums for major record companies, Hardline, Neither Fish Nor Flesh, Symphony or Damn, Vibrator and Wildcard. the second album was the black sheep, too far out for most tastes but the others are all stellar albums, well worth seeking out. Educate yourselves as you won't be disappointed. Even the second album has some absolute gems on it, though it was just too far removed from the first album for the mainstream press to be able to cope with. Since then he has continued to produce many albums as an independent artist. He remains one of the great vocal performers of all time with his beautiful soulful and richly toned voice.
Symphony was given 5 stars in Q magazine, a UK music mag that prided itself on quality in both journalism and taste . It was recognised as a masterpiece and it should be a staple of every music fans record collection.
At my high school, Terrance became a loved singer. We listened to him, we wrote articles about him in our high school newspaper, we looked forward to his next release. And then... what happened, where did he go? Glad to finally know.
Great show! Thank you for covering Terence/Sananda. I was a great fan for many years. Interestingly, I was never all that wild about Hardline. I think Symphony or Damn, Vibrator & Wildcard represent his very best work (am not crazy about his newer stuff, I must admit). But I can listen to these 3 albums all day long! I think the name change was the straw that broke the camel’s back with the public for him. People were just like “Whaat???”, and moved on.
The incredibly sad part is artist music is judged by how high on the chart it goes. TTD's Vibrator was an incredible musical tour de Force. Even more so than Hardline. But because it wasn't POP junk and also wasn't pushed by the label it didn't sell well. And lastly, TTD was one of the best concerts I've ever gone to. His talent is undeniable, F the charts.
Wishing Well was my favorite song on my family road trip to Orlando Florida on April 1988 during spring break when I was a sophomore in high school- my dad drove the whole family in a station wagon with the pet cat named Leo 🤣 from New Jersey to Orlando Florida along highway 95 and this song played multiple times on the car radio (along with Whitney Houston’s Where Do Broken Hearts Go? and Aerosmith’s Angel) - great memories! I remember the station wagon too - a red 1984 Ford LTD- a decade of station wagons instead of SUVs 🤣 Yeah remember the station wagon ?
@@kentkearney6623 that’s a full size V8 wagon ! A tank ! Our Ford LTD was a mid sized V6 wagon but it lasted up to 350,000 miles before the transmission got shot- it was awesome in the slippery snow in winters with the snow tires on the rear wheels
Great piece on TTD. He also had a Top 5 Modern Rock Billboard hit in '93 with "She Kissed Me" (that song could have been a much bigger hit because it's that awesome) and he sang the credits theme to Beverly Hills Cop 3.
I can honestly say that Terence Trent D'Arby who is now called Sananda Maitreya was not wrong at all about how great his debut album was. There is not 1 bad song on the album and to my ears the song Let's Go Forward is the best one on the album and one of the best songs I have heard. That album title is also one of the best titles ever. In my opinion there were no lies detected when he said his debut album was the best debut album since The Beatles. If anything he set the bar too high for himself but I will always love that album and the artist.
Owned the 45 single vinyl of Wishing well and played it so much that the vinyl literally weathered away. That's how great of a song it was and how much replay value it had. It's a shame that his ego burned several bridges in the industry; none of his other albums under his birthname had the same production quality and grew further and further away from the bluesy feel that made him stand out. I still appreciate his music and I'm glad that he continues to make music. Thanks for providing this trip down memory lane!
I always wondered what happened to Terrence Trent D'Arby...... I loved Sign Your Name....it was a great song and the video with the pretty young lady and that 1946 Indian Chief was fantastic. He had a very unique voice and I know every girl that I knew just thought he was the best thing since sliced bread.
My favorite TTD/SM song of is "Let Her Down Easy". On this track he shows his range as a singer, his talent as a writer, and his emotion as an artist. Any of his performances of this song brings me to tears but my favorite on UA-cam is Let her Down Easy Live in London. Another mind-blowing video is TTD with INXS. I loved Michael Hutchence and thought no one could ever take his place but this collaboration was amazing and left me wanting more. With that said, am I the only one who would love to hear this legendary voice do an album of covers? Sometimes I hear a song like Tennessee Whiskey, Stay with Me, If I Ain't Got You, Rehab, Set Fire to the Rain, Hold On or Moment of Surrender and think I would love hear Sananda sing this. I bet even a SM cover of Shake it Off would be soul stirring.
You can't mention TTD without mentioning masterclasses like "let her down easy" and "holding on to you" Whilst he disappeared from the limelight he produced two beautiful songs
stuwardw. I can't comment on his later albums as I haven't listened to them but please listen to his debut album The Hardline according to Terence Trent D'Arby. It is a *fantastic* record - not just the singles. It's one of my favourite albums of all time. Hope you give it a go! 😊✌
His music is definitely worth diving into. He is incredibly talented and this episode did not truly do him justice. There is so much more to his story. Here’s his UA-cam channel: youtube.com/@SanandaMaitreya?si=-hTRSQ5Uq4tm-ff6
Although he didn't play on it, Martyn Ware is ALL over this incredible debut album. It sounds like what Heaven 17 could have done in 1988 with a great collection of songs. And TTD's second and third albums suffered terribly because he produced them alone - he needed someone to guide him, to trim the fat, to reign him in and to hone his craft.
I remember seeing him open for Duran Duran at the Forum in Inglewood and it was ok. There were only 2 girls grooving in the corner of the front row but most people just wanted Duran to come on.
Terrence Trent D’arby was awesome in 87 and 88 but went off the deep end. My mom loved his first album so much that my little brother was named after after him.
I was 12 when Sign Your Name was a smash in the UK. In 1993 his 3rd album was a big no.4 hit in the Uk and spawned a number of top 20 singles including the fantastic Do You Love Me Like You Say and the absolutely beautiful Let Her Down Easy. I was blessed then to see him live in London twice, and he was scintillating. A barnstorming performer and what a voice. Heavenly. His last hit record was Vibrator and that was fabulous too, hitting the singles charts with the gorgeous Holding On To You. I have his second album which I firmly believe, if it had a different lead single, would have performed better commercially. I think of him as the last surviving great from the era of Prince and Michael Jackson. However briefly he may have shone. Madonna vanished creatively in my opinion many, many moons ago. Check out Terence - now, as you say, known as Sananda - on UA-cam. To me he is a misunderstood genius and a musical angel. And now my little daughter loves him too. We are very lucky to still have him around. Godbless him and thank you for the video - was a pleasure to see him covered.
He has a really rocking song called “She kissed me there”. Love the two big hits. I had a mobile DJ business in the 80’s & early 90’s and played those songs often. Love the groove of Wishing Well and that ear worm whistle. Great segment as always. Take time to get well ❤️🩹 We have plenty of back videos to catch up on.
I was 17 when the Hardline came out, lucky to see his band on the first tour... He was legit, loved his first four albums. After the first album that I listened to for months, it felt like proving his genius was the theme. My favorite TTD song was on Vibrator; 'holding on to you'. I think you nailed his promise, his ability, and his problem. Great synopsis...
Terrence was basically pushed out of American music industry bc of artist like MJ and Prince already had the titles..he was a threat...he said he had to leave and change his name or die....and I believe him.
Absolutely. It was a weird relationship that he had with him and the music business. And he didn’t like it. And so he skated. I love it. One of my favorite artists to this day.
Hope you feel better soon. I got ROCKED by the flu this year. Most appreciative of the video regardless of how you're feeling. This is one of my favorite channels.
I too was taken in by D'Arby. What a freaking album, what a sound. I think bottled lightning is more appropriate than one hit wonder. Sometimes the debut is so brilliant that nothing will ever compare. Orson Welles' first film was Citizen Kane, considered the greatest film of all time. What else could he do that would come close? Boston's first album changed the music industry, and although they continued were never able to achieve that level again. Black Crowes Shake Your Moneymaker was American's best selling album ever, they never did repeat that success. But Introducing the Hard Line WAS brilliant, and successive events don't change that.
I'm so glad you covered TTD. I was obsessed with Wishing Well when it came out and still love it. Sign Your Name was really good too. Wondered what happened to him after his first successes with those because he seemed to fade away but did read an article back in the day that he had a big ego that got in the way. He was so talented and I loved his voice.
There was a country takeover in the late 80's that hurt a few talented artists. I thought Rick Astley was going to be a superstar, then Clint black, Dwight Yoakum, Mark Chestnut, Suzy Boggus, Trisha Yearwood and some guy named Garth Brooks took over music for several years.
....WOW, Marcus saw the advent of Country takin' over the genre in the 90's! ...yeah Garth WAS a surprise contender, because I could sworn Clint was gonna be the MAN! ....ah well, I have all their CD's...even saw Garth in Central Park in '98! ....'some guy' INDEED! ...ha-HAA!
I’m not much of a country music fan, but you’re right. My fiancé’s family were huge country fans. Right before Garth Brooks blew up, in the late 80s, he played our state fair… for free. He played on a free-to-watch stage and stayed at the home of one of my fiancé’s family’s friends. He was there a few days and when he was going to leave, they had a barbecue. I went with my fiancé and, I have to say, young Garth Brooks was very down to earth and friendly. He had such a good reception during his free performances that he said he would play our state fair any time, even if he hit it big. He kept his promise, too. After he blew up and became a big act, he came back and played at the state fair, and I hear he charged a very reasonable price.
@@johnblossom8447 Garth was the Elvis of the period. There was a news story that he saw a family walking, carrying groceries because they had no vehicle. He bought them one.
So glad you came up in my recommendations. I am, proudly, a new subscriber. Been watching your older videos and can't wait to see what you put out in the future!
I was stationed in West Germany when Wishing Well came out. That song was everywhere...you heard it at parties...in bars...stores...festivals...from open windows in neighborhoods. You couldn't get away from it. I came back to the states...and a few weeks later I heard a DJ say..."We have this new hit from Europe," and I got to watch that song take off all over again. It was everywhere.
Professor so glad you covered TTD. Honestly when that album came out to me it was obvious they (record company) were hoping to pit Darby square up against Prince. Problem is Darby got ahead of his skis proclaiming himself sexy-genius-goat. Critics and fans had been saying these things about Prince based on his musicianship, stage presence and incredible aura of mystery. Rather than bash TTD I will say I cheerily enjoyed the hardline and played it for some time. The guy was a flash of brilliance nothing wrong with that.
I loved his first two hits so much, and still do-both classics of the 80s. In 1994 I bought Symphony or Damn, and enjoyed it thoroughly-it is actually an awesome record. I always thought that he didn’t want fame and wanted to be known more as an “artiste” or poet. His lyrics are pretty deep, the melodies quite complex and the arrangements very unusual but beautiful. So I figured he just fell into obscurity because he wanted that.
He also sang the song "Letting Go" from the Movie "The Fan" starring Robert De Niro and Wesley Snipes that was released in 1996. It was a collaboration with Hans Zimmer, and in my opinion, the very best song he ever sang. I highly recommend anyone reading this comment to listen to it. I was actually surprised The professor didn't mention it.
Great content yet again..! I was a huge TTD fan for a while. I bought all of his albums and saw him live. The dude could DANCE..! Dang, He was a James Brown Clone on stage. He was fantastic! He really did commit career suicide though 😆
Wow, finally, TTD, I've been asking for him for ages here! The Hardline is easily one of the finest albums of the 80s and the man had it all - the looks, the moves, incredible vocal range and tone, excellent writing, complex and thoughtful arrangements curated from a dozen influences...it was just terrible that he imploded. For the deep cut fans, pls look up his videos where he fronted for INXS for a brief time, slipping in effortlessly into the shoes of the incomparable Hutch! I may be a minority, but for me, he remains one of the greatest talents that came out of the 80s, never mind the lack of success later on.
I loved "Symphony or Damn". It was a much bigger album in the UK (#4) than in the US and spawned a few hit singles, "She Kissed Me" probably being my favourite of ALL his tracks.
Hey professor another great video. Half of the fun of your uploads is the time in my life that it takes me to, what I was doing, where I was and the people I was with. Additionally you have a very nice voice and speaking skils.
@@ericgoss5223 It was too late. Second album killed him. I hate it. It was a bad record to release to the 17-year-old soul kids who loved his debut. They didn't want a mystical, impenetrable and psychedelic sound. He made that record for himself, and it really should have only sold one copy.
"Hard to believe it was written in only 10 minutes." 😂😂😂😂😂 Adam, you crack me up! Great story. I never knew any of this. I just listen to music, I don't pay attention to whatever gossip is going on around it, so it's always fascinating to find out these kinds of of things that kinda from you. Thanks, Adam. I hope you're having an excellent day!
I always try to guess the Artists you feature before you reveal them and I mostly guess them right! I surprised myself by guessing Terence Trent D'Arby. I agree, this guy seemed like he was going to be huge and disappeared, but I never realized why. Great video, Adam.
For some reason I always thought Terrence Trent or Sananda Maitreya was British. The hardline was in my car for a good year - love his voice. His voice on "Who's Lovin' You" never got old. A good video and pretty good song with "Delicate". I think a lot of things came easy to him - athleticism, looks, talent, creativity. Maybe he didn't have enough damage or the chip on his shoulder to drive him to super-stardom. Would he be considered a one album wonder or was he better than that?
@@ProfessorofRock Maybe in the USA. Symphony or Damn was #4 in the UK, #8 in Australia, and #14 in New Zealand. If we consider Top 30 significant, it's worth mentioning that it also was #23 in Switzerland and #28 in Sweden.
I interviewed him while I was working at the only black station in Nevada. My besties mom was born and raised in England 🇬🇧 she's a great story right there. And she's also related to MLK Jr. She also dated Tone Loc. I was the 1st person to play TTD in the West Coast of the States!
Poll: Who is your pick for the greatest ONE ALBUM WONDER ever?
Maybe You’ve Been Brainwashed Too- New Radicals.
There is one of MAXI Priest i dont remember but rhe song WILD WORLD is in.. Great álbum.... By the way is the best cover of that song by far
Cyndi Lauper-She's So Unusual
Til Tuesday- Voices Carry
After watching your video Prof, knowing his ego doesn't need to hear this, I would say Terrence has a pretty good argument for his inclusion here.
Derek & the Dominoes' "Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs". It feels strange saying it's a one-anything wonder, but it's the only album they'd released, and it's one of the best and one of the most influential of its era.
Was stationed in Germany in 1993, dating a Hungarian girl who swore she knew him. Family friend, is what she said. A few months later, I went out to dinner with her family, and TTD was there. We spent several hours eating, drinking, and having a great time. He was so much fun and incredibly humble.
That was me. We pretended I was TTD. Sorry for having you on.
@@YahWay. lol!
I was the 🍸, your welcome.
@TheBajemo
You were the janitor.
Where were you at? I was stationed in Wuerzburg in 93.
“Let’s go forward with our love” is an often overlooked 80’s love song with one of the greatest bridges of the decade!
One of my favourite songs. I'm of the opinion that he is one of the greatest songwriters of the last 40 years.
Terrence's first album remains a masterpiece and essential to any serious 80's music collection.
I remember going out and buying it as a teen, cause everyone was talking about it.
He was insignificant, and arrogant.
@@throbbinwoodofcoxley6830 Everyone has personality flaws which in this case is irrelevant to the music he produced. Your opinion is based upon your own bias.
I didn't like him 🤷🏾♀️
Great album to this day. And he was marvelous to see perform live.
Professor, you’re TRULY the “heir apparent” to the legacies of Casey Kasem and Dick Clark, both the greatest, most “TV friendly” musical historians of my lifetime. Keep it up, Adam…
100% Agree!
Exactly my dear friend and brother
Add in Wolfman Jack another prolific promoter of Hit rock music.
That is a very most beautiful thing to say about him! How wonderful! I thank you on his behalf. 😊😁
Sometimes, he even sounds like Casey. Style-wise
You know what’s really crazy? Listening to the lead up in the intro, I kept saying to myself, “I bet he’s gonna say Terence Trent D’Arby!”
And damn, he did. I guess I remember a few things from the 80s. What a wild time that was. Hehe!
Me too!
Good, it ain't just me.
Me too. I remember he was really good. But what an ego.
I knew it 2.
That was my experience exactly too! You know you're an 80s person when...
With "Sign Your Name", I think he wrote one of THE greatest love songs....EVER!
Agreed! ♥
Hope you feel better soon, Adam. Thank you for doing this video about D'Arby. I was a huge fan of his in 1988 and I've always been fascinated by his story. With so much talent, it still blows my mind that he never achieved that level of success again but, as you said, there are reasons for that.
Well spoken!
I wish he had more hits, but his run was pretty amazing. Two catchy songs.
Too bad he was so arrogant. He had a nice voice.
His arrogance and refusal to play the fame game is how he sabatoged his own career. He really shot himself in the foot there.
@@alondathomas293 he didn't sabotage his career, he save it because he still deliver great music today, he just didn`t love the fame .
The Hardline According to Terence Trent D’Arby is one of the best albums I’ve ever heard in my life. His talent was up there with MJ and Prince.
It was the album that MJ should have done as a follow-up to Thriller.
TTD was crap.
Not even close to those guys. 😂
@@rodinowright6591 It's a good album but not as good as Bad
@@wozzywick Bad was camp and pretentious. It was "Thriller Part 2".......the same formula. It had it moments because of the videos. " Your butt is mine..." , really???? A 30 year Jackson trying to act hard.. no wonder Prince turned him down. Mj was more about commercial success than artistry after the success of Thriller.
Although " Hardline" is derivative if MJ had done it due to its Motown influence ( check out Darby's version of ' Who's loving you') , if you can imagine MJ doing Wishing Well, Sign Your Name, Stay, If We All Get To Heaven,etc....,he would eclipsed Thriller in sales.
Thanks for this, Professor. I had a friend who worked at Columbia Records in the NYC Promotions department while TTD was signed to the label. He once told me how TTD came into the office in a fur coat with an entourage of people and an abundance of arrogance. At the same time, we both loved his music, and while the debut record is very good (and was very different than what was going on at the time) his third record Symphony or Damn is by far my favorite record of his.
100% agree that Symphony or Damn is superior. Def my fav of his work. I still listen to that album every so often.
I agree. Symphony or Damn is also my favorite TTD album. Castilian Blue is such a lovely song...
When I watch the Wishing Well video I don't see arrogance -- I see confidence and wistfulness -- he's wonderful to watch perform. And a voice that stands a part from most, with a nice touch of grit.
His music drips with self importance and arrogance.
@@throbbinwoodofcoxley6830 so do all your troll replies. Irony.
Terence is a genius. He wasn't lying about that.
Terrence did sing for INXS for a time after Michael Hutchence passed, as did Jon Stevens (Noiseworks) before JD Fortune did the "Switch" album with the band and was let go not long after. Terrence had a great voice and I really love the "Hardline" album, thanks for covering this story, Prof!
oh wow - I didn't know that! Actually his voice would be a great fit for INXS - too bad it didn't work out.
@@andrewawakened628 INXS is finished. Tim Farriss had to have his playing hand amputated.
His time with INXS was special. I wish they would have kept going.
@@May-ve6sr The band had a hard time getting another singer; Michael was a hard act to follow, would have been practically impossible to replace such a singer & frontman. Terrence, Jon and JD did what they could, and I appreciate that INXS tried so hard to keep going after Michael Hutchence passed. Sometimes it doesn't work out.
Thank you for telling Terrence Trent Darby's story. He burst on the music scene with a great soul, r&b sound with several hit songs and then disappeared. I always wondered what happened to him. I guess he had an attitude of too much arrogance and it prevented him for reaching his potential.
Thanks Stephen.
His " sound" wasn't anything special or original, by any means. It was the same generic, watered down R&B pop that the mid - late 80s was swamped with. I never understood the massive ego. His music was generic. His voice was good, not amazing. Nobody ever inserted TTD's name in the same sentence as Otis Redding, Al Green or the GOAT Ray Charles when talking great voices. His album was also meh. So many better albums from that same genre. Hell, I wouldn't put his album above Milli Vanilli's " Girl you know it's true". Track for track it's a much better album.
Stephen Hanft Couldn't have said it better.
@@keithmarlowe5569 More hits in the UK. Two for the price of one is what Status Quo called one hits wonders because it was their first and last. Or perhaps three for two in the USA!
Ego is a MONSTER. 😢
His third record, "Symphony or Damn" is also really good and generated a lot of radio play including "She Kissed Me" which charted in the US, with four tracks landing in the UK top 20. The bonus tracks released on the Japanese edition are well worth tracking down, too.
Yes! Came here to call out She Kissed Me. The Prof put up a lot of great info, but missed that one. Solid track.
Listened to Neither Fish nor
Flesh, and that's actually got some pretty good songs on it, too----it starts out as more experimental, then kicks on with some old-school funk style songs. Worth a listen---his fourth album, Vibrator, is pretty damn good, too, and really fun to hear.
@@TheAlotlikeyou' she kissed me' is way great.
This is an incredibly important album to me for the time in my life that it dropped. I was going thru enormous changes in my home and personal life and the whole album spoke to me and helped me thru that time.
Let Her Down Easy and Seasons are my favorites. Delicate featuring Des’ree is quietly a stellar duet.
This album hit when I started high school. I was an immediate fan. Every song on that album is a fave of mine! I played it so much that everyone in my family had a favorite song from it! "Wishing Well" was a karaoke standard of mine for quite a few years! "Sign Your Name" was my older brother's choice. My mom absolutely loved "Dance Little Sister", and my dad would jam along to "I'll Never Turn My Back on You".
I have vague memories about his arrogance at the time. I must have pushed most of that noise aside because I didn't want to believe that he was such a braggadocios egomaniac. But, alas. He should've left his voice for singing alone. Not talking.
Now, I'm going to put on his first 3 albums and enjoy myself a nice nostalgic trip.
Sadly, you’re right. If only he didn’t become a maniac, then he would have had more hits.
TTD's Vibrator album is one of my all time favourite albums. An album he wrote not to be commercial but instead committed his soul to the recording. His singing on Undeniably is some of the best he's ever recorded.
Just gave it a spin - love it!! Thanks for the recommendation!
100% in agreement with this!
Love them all saw him in my home town for the vibrator tour 1995 when was 15. Wild card is awesome too. Just cos he's no longer commercial doesn't mean he's not still great
Excellent album indeed
I remember when he came out and made the comparison to Sgt Peppers, I thought he already set the bar too high for himself and would never live up to being a legend. Legend status is earned by hard work and the recognition of your peers.
He was a one hit wonder. Many bands will have second hit, that isn’t remembered as well, but this guy is one of the most overrated. Lenny Kravitz, made him look lame in comparison, two years later, with his first album. I hate the music Kravitz did after Circus. At least Circus, was an attempt at new territory, before 5 became calculated pop songs, that stopped using his, and his killer band’s talents to their best.
He had four excellent albums, then tried some weird stolid on one, then went lamestream.
@@CorbCorbin yep, Lenny went from cool to fool about the time he decided he was the new Hendrix.
@CorbCorbin Terrance wasn't not a one hit wonder, he is amazing. No one has a voice like his 🎉❤
Wishing Well sounded like NOTHING else on the radio at that time. It was so fresh sounding. Sign your name is one of my favorite tracks of the 80’s.
A great record.
Brilliant episode as always. I worked as a teen in a Music/Video store when this came out and thought "Man this album is amazing." Now I know what the Hell happened to him.
One of my favorite artists of all time and immensely talented. I own all of his albums and it’s a shame he didn’t achieve more commercial success because he’s continued to put out great music over the years.
That’s great to hear, I loved his music.
TTD's Vibrator. Stellar material
I put TTD in the best that never was category. I love him.
“Neither Fish Nor Flesh” was an incredible album. It’s not the album you did cartwheels over on first listen. It’s an album that rewards the listener for repeated listenings.
It's actually my favorite TTD release. I had the same opinion on first listen as well but it's definitely gotten better with every subsequent listen. I think it was a bit too experimental at the time.
But it killed his career. You can only do this kind of thing when you are established.
It's mixed weird, a bit psychedelic and lopsided but it is a great album.
Admittedly not all of the songs are perfect but, it is a bloody good album.
@@jemwand2530 I’m speculating of course. Just my humble opinion. Terrence gave the industry a middle finger with that album. Who does that these days?
I just listened to Neither Fish Nor Flesh again....
It marries Pop, Soul, Funk, Gospel, Rock and Psychedelia, all tied together with flawless vocals and just when you thought it was weird, it outweirded itself.... It is a true monster of an album. I also remember that on the original UK 12" vinyl release. The album sleve notes were amazing, I think it was 16 sides, printed on dark brown stock paper and printed with light pigment inks, which was amazing but it also had inserts printed black on almost transparent stock paper, truly revolutionary for the time. I wish I still had that album on vinyl.
My favorite track on his first album will always be “As Yet Untitled”. Still get chills hearing it to this day. Great episode! Thank you!
Dang. Just listened to it. It should have been the centerpiece of a musical.
I met him a few years ago here in London and found him down to earth with a good sense of humour
Interesting. I am sure the one dimensional image portrayed in the media has always been misleading. Most people have more than one facet to their character and the media dishes out ideas of people that are unfair and unkind. The UK media is spiteful, and I suspect most of the impressions of him originated right there. It can work both ways; I am sure there will be some whose public image is sweetness and light who are, in fact, unpleasant in reality.
I’m glad he was nice to you.
He had a hit single in the early 1990s, a duet with Des'ree called "Delicate". They even performed it on The Arsenio Hall Show
I just commented on here that this duet was quietly stellar. I remember watching this performance. It’s what turned me on to his 3rd album.
He opened for Duran Duran in 1993 and was the best thing about that concert. Played a full array of instruments and sang his heart out. Especially liked his unplugged version of "Sign your name" which was just him on piano, singing. A very intimate sincere version of the song that I wish he had reproduced and sold an mp3 version.
Also liked his Angels and Vampires album decades later. Bella Faccina and the Stone's "Angie" are my favs.
Terrance Trent D'arby is an amazing artist... A truely underrated talent. And his name shouldn't even be mentioned in the conversation of 1 hit wonders. His debut album is a classic, and believe it or not...my favorite songs by him are not songs that are on his first album, I actually think he got even better as time went by. He has songs that are every bit as beautiful as a Stevie Wonder song. He is a musical GENIUS!!! I was going to name a few of my favorite hidden gems from this criminally underrated artist that has the ability to write hits while he's sleeping!!! But instead I encourage anyone that disagrees with what I'm saying to do the Terrance Trent D'arby Challenge!!! I challenge you to actually listen to his entire catalog and not find a song that you absolutely love, but have never heard of before...you can't do it!!! Ps: I also hear a David Ruffin influence when he sings, and that is incredible in itself.
He had two top-5 singles.
Why would he be mentioned
in a one hit wonder discussion ???
@@nashburnette7247 Because that's two hits? I don't even like pop music but I love Sign Your Name Across My Heart.
@@havable that’s funny. I’m an 80’s kid, that was really into all types of music, never heard him or of him. That’s pretty flash in the pan.
@@havable .......
That's what I'm saying.
Since he had two top-5 hits,
he's not a one hit wonder
and nobody should be calling
him a one hit wonder.
Was that really so difficult to
understand that you had to
have it explained out ???
@@throbbinwoodofcoxley6830 .....
He still had two top-5 singles,
so he's NOT a one hit wonder,
regardless if you ever heard
them or not.
"Wishing Well" was a #1 single
that spent 25 weeks on the chart
and "Sign Your Name" was a
top-5 hit that spent 21 weeks on
the chart .... Since that's a total
of 46 weeks on The Hot-100,
I'd say that's a little more than
a "flash in a pan" moment and it
says more about you than it does
those two huge hit records.
What it basically says is you
must have been living in a cave
during 1988 to have never even
heard those two big hit singles.
I knew within the first 5 seconds it was gonna be Terance. I discovered Neither Fish Nor Flesh 5 years ago and fell in love with it. I think it’s a brave and wonderful record.
Thanks Patrick.
Indeed. Before Adam finished his introduction I knew who he was talking about. Terence Trent D'Arby now goes by the name Sananda Maitreya. The guy suffered a catastrophic meltdown of the psyche. It's interesting where he ended up.
It is a great album. My aunt remembers it.
I thought Adam was going to talk about Aldo Nova. It's a pretty similar story, actually...
I knew from the thumbnail.
Did you have a cherry slurpee before filming this, Professor? 😂
Said he had a flu.. I'm guessing cherry halls, cherry Buckleys... Cherry sometin lol 😝
Maybe like Denis Leary said 🍒 chery NyQuil capital N capital Y Big f****** Q drink enough of it the Bottle start talking to you it's a 13th Step for you recovering alcoholics.
Ludens cough drop, bet
Cough drops.
Ha ha.
i watched a good amount of his interviews this past few days … and from them i can conclude : he’s not arrogant at all . misunderstood hell yes . but something happened to that man . why else would someone completely change their name , identity , entire life ? something happened to him that is very obviously deeper than some negative personality traits he’s rumoured to have . he spoke about recurring dreams and spiritual things . that’s all i needed to hear to get even a glimpse of what may have actually went down . but it’s his life . only he knows the full truth . but after listening to his first 4 albums front to back , and watching many of his live performances from his time as terence as well as sananda , i can conclude that he’s phenomenal as an artist in general . he’s someone who i separate from the music . his personality is not reflective of his work and vice versa . i’m listening to his 2017 project and , so far so good
"Introducing the Hardline" is a terrific album, one of the best albums of the 80s. Shame that he couldn't have kept it up.
Very true. Great debut record.
It’s sad, he was so talented.
He had a chance to be up there with the titans of his age, but couldn't back it up. I bought the second album and was both baffled and disappointed. He really thought he could do what he wanted and needed somebody to put an arm around him and say: NO. STOP.
He actually did for a while - have you heard his 3rd album?
@@ericgoss5223 I heard that it and the following album were both great but I never heard them.
I'm a huge Terence Trent D'arby fan and this might be an unpopular opinion but in terms of singing Terence was easily as good as Michael Jackson's or Prince if not better. His voice was just phenomenal.
I agree. His artistry and musical talents are definitely on par with Prince and Michael Jackson. His performances with Kevin Wyatt and Louis Metoyer are phenomenal. He is a musical genius and I’m glad he is still making great music. He is also one of the few artists who owns the rights to his music.
I wouldn't go that far however He is incredible
I disagree
Derby proved he was a great songwriter and vocalist with that first album, you couldn't help but whistle along with Wishing Well. I always wondered where he went after that because it sounded like he was definitely on his way. Perhaps his ego got in the way of ever being able to collaborate or listen to other people on the next singles. He wasn't a Michael or Prince but he could definitely sing and was talented. I was rooting for him. Thanks for letting us know the story of where he went professor, great episode
...coulda sworn he was gonna be big (still) in the UK, but no dice.....I was in the outskirts of the Music Industry in '88, and I knew there was trouble a-brewin' for TTD.....ah well, the debut is CLASSIC material.....'88 wouldn't BE, without it...
Wishing Well is a pop masterpiece. Thanks My Name.
@@ProfessorofRock now you have stuck in my head and I am continually whistling it, lol
@@RBS_ he definitely had the talent, I would love to know the story behind the scenes
@@RBS_ Just looked up Clive Griffin ( see reply to other post). He was produced by Richard Niles ( former husband of Bowie Live Aid and Clapton backing singer Tess), who has his own You Tube channel with lots of interviews about/ with various people involved in music. Loads of interest. He has done production work with many eighties artists.
I didn't think I'd be contemplating the Icarian career path of Terrence Trent D'arby today. I love this channel. Thanks. Professor! :D
I had Introducing the Hardline According to Terence Trent D'Arby on cassette in high school. I listened to this album a lot! I remember watching him perform "Who's Lovin' You" on a tv show, introduced by Smokey Robinson, who wrote and originally recorded the song. I was expecting D'Arby to go much further than he did as well. What a voice! It was a solid debut album. In my opinion, there's not a filler on the album.
Great video totally unexpected. Based on your name Professor of Rock i thought this would be some obscure rock artist or group. Yes when Wishing Well came out it was undeniably catchy and unique, the quirky whistling, the deep soulful voice, and over the top super high pitch “hey”. As for Sign Your Name I always thought it sounded like a man doing a Sade song but never realized how close it actually was and there was a Sade connection. As for an artist, I didn’t think much as back at that time it was common to have one or two hit wonder artists.
Loved him. Had the debut cassette when I was in the Navy (unpopular choice, for sure), then saw and met him during that last tour in 95 I think in Orlando. Very gracious, posed for photos and autographs even though he had family in town. I think he introduced me to his Aunt who lived in Apopka FL. Very cool. I think he even played a white guitar that was similar to the Prince "symbol" guitar.
Great to hear. Thanks for sharing that.
That’s great to hear.
I thought his voice was better than the songs. He has awesome vocal control and could probably sing almost anything with training. I was teased by my friends for having the "Wishing Well" album, but it was always a hit with young ladies on first dates. I owe Terrence many thank you's from back then. With a well written song and produced well he should hit the top of the charts again with that voice.
Great songs.
Did you get any second dates? 😘
@@beeonthyme5760 Yes.
Yeah, I still listen to him to this day, and I never stopped. I still watch all his videos and live performances for the last 20 years since he’s been Sananda. watching his interviews… But I think another part of what happened was he had a built-in fan base of pop, soul, R&B… And when he expressed his rock oriented edge, he threw too many people off, because he didn’t start off like that, and a lot of people R&B oriented didn’t really get into that music, or expected/excepted it from him, for the most part in my opinion… But he bounced back-and-forth and did great justice to my current favorite song of recent years called if I fell” the Beatles cover.. which you can find on here singing live, playing the piano, sounding amazing still.. I’m a 80s kid born in 76 and I still put him up there with George Michael Prince Madonna and of course Michael Jackson as for the greats of that area.. and timeless
80’s kid here too, ttd didn’t even rate compared to those you listed. Literally never touched my childhood in any way. MJ, Prince, and George Michael were all better artists, and didn’t insult the greats.
@@throbbinwoodofcoxley6830 … For one moment in time, he was as good as them. That’s why this video is out lol… Just for one album… But everybody has an opinion. He did a little bit too much to be a one hit wonder though… My best friends didn’t really get into him either, but they knew that he could sing.. those songs were on the radio all the time!! just as much as the greats were.. just for a couple years though . I think he would’ve done better in this era, considering how diverse it is now and all blended together at the same time… Eminem insulted the greats as well lol I’m just saying.
@@throbbinwoodofcoxley6830funny that because Prince and George Michael were friends of his. During a live performance George Michael paid tribute to him and sang one of his songs.
"Wishing Well" and the video were amazing. I had always wondered how someone that good could "disappear." Thanks Prof.
That debut album was great but "Sign Your Name" was my damn jam, y'all!!! So sexy and exotic and spacious. That elongated percussive lyric-free moment after the ".. slowly we make love..." was everything. Good music, period.
"Sign Your Name" is one of my favorite songs of that era. It's too bad his ego and other issues got in his way, he could have been a lot bigger. I wish you could have nabbed him for an interview. He's definetely one of the more enigmatic artist that has come through the music industry.
Sign your Name is a masterpiece.
@@ProfessorofRock Professor, I am "wishing" you "well" for a quick recovery. Get well soon. Being under the weather sucks.
Sign Your Name is one of the most sensual songs of all time.
I was hoping Adam could interview him too!
@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 It would have been an outstanding interview.
Get well soon Adam!
Great episode... TTDA´s first three albums are really good, my dad used to love ¨Delicate”, his duet with Des’ree.
TTDA does have talent, and could have had a GREAT career. Most of the time, being cocky can backfire.
To Know Someone Deeply is one of my favorite songs, it’s such a beautiful Bossa Nova. ❤️ I just think it was not what people expected, but it absolutely stood the test of time! The first single from this album was experimental, rocky bluesy funky, alternative. It’s not an easy pop song, but it’s also an impressive record! It’s such a pity.
I would say that his problem was coming from Germany music industry and then doing career in Britain, he didn’t yet get picked up properly by the US music industry. They already had someone like Prince, Michael, weren’t that eager, he would have to prove himself with more top selling albums.
But with a „eauropean” sensitivity about music making he went full experimental already on his second record. I guess he was also confident in his music and would not listen to money-making producers, I can imagine that. 😅
He wanted to go rock, but audience knew him as a soulfull groovy pop singer.
Nonetheless, I totally recommend a long interview with him from around 2000.
What a fascinating and authentic artist! And human.
ua-cam.com/video/6mOmi34uvD0/v-deo.html
That one, 2004.
I am happy at least it seems like he gets to live dolce vita in one of the most beautiful places on earth, Italy, and seems to be happy with his day to day life and just playing locally in Italy.
I think he’s into gnosticism with this whole new identity thing, but it worked for him it seems, he seems to have been really suffering mentally.
Inspired by a dream he had about Marvin Gaye
He also had the bad luck of coming out about the same time as Milli Vanilli, and generally in the same genre. Milli Vanilli did a pretty good job of wiping out quite a few R&B / dance acts. Some because they were only singers (not a band) and people were weary of acts that were only singers and hadn't proven themselves in live performances (like D'Arby), and some because they were more "producer" based and not real groups (C+C Music Factory, Techotronic, etc).
I'm afraid I don't remember any of D'Arby's songs. But I sure remember seeing him as the opening act to Duran Duran when I saw them in 1993. He sure is a marvelous live performer. I remember his frequent wailing in a passionate wide vibrato, and his intermittent slick James Brown-like dance moves!
Saw him in that tour when they played Toronto. Wishing Well and Sign Your Name had constantly been on the airwaves, so I had some type of benchmark… he knocked it out, really good performance.
I went to a flea market in ‘96 with my best friend’s girlfriend. She had never been to one before and was in awe of all the odds, ends and rarities at her fingertips. I remember watching her rummage through a box of CDs and she pulled out Symphony or Damn. She was so excited to find it since “Delicate” was one of her favorite songs. It was 1996, so it wasn’t like she could just go download it. She had been striking out at Sam Goody, Tower, The Wall, etc. That flea market was the final resting place for Terence Trent Darby’s music. Oh, how the mighty had fallen.
Its a fantastic lp
I always loved sign your name and wishing well, and I was confused by his new name when searching for the videos. These songs still hold up to this day. I always wondered what happened to this talented man.
In 2001, he “rebirthed” himself by saying the spirit of Terence Trent D’Arby is dead and he is starting new beginnings as Sananda Francesco Maitreya. Out with the old and in with the new.
He delivered 5 albums for major record companies, Hardline, Neither Fish Nor Flesh, Symphony or Damn, Vibrator and Wildcard. the second album was the black sheep, too far out for most tastes but the others are all stellar albums, well worth seeking out. Educate yourselves as you won't be disappointed. Even the second album has some absolute gems on it, though it was just too far removed from the first album for the mainstream press to be able to cope with.
Since then he has continued to produce many albums as an independent artist. He remains one of the great vocal performers of all time with his beautiful soulful and richly toned voice.
the Sananda albums are fabulous. Symphony or Damn is damn near perfection. Vibrator is damn good.
Symphony was given 5 stars in Q magazine, a UK music mag that prided itself on quality in both journalism and taste . It was recognised as a masterpiece and it should be a staple of every music fans record collection.
Symphony was my favorite album that year. I wore that thing OUT.
At my high school, Terrance became a loved singer. We listened to him, we wrote articles about him in our high school newspaper, we looked forward to his next release. And then... what happened, where did he go? Glad to finally know.
Great show! Thank you for covering Terence/Sananda. I was a great fan for many years. Interestingly, I was never all that wild about Hardline. I think Symphony or Damn, Vibrator & Wildcard represent his very best work (am not crazy about his newer stuff, I must admit). But I can listen to these 3 albums all day long! I think the name change was the straw that broke the camel’s back with the public for him. People were just like “Whaat???”, and moved on.
The incredibly sad part is artist music is judged by how high on the chart it goes. TTD's Vibrator was an incredible musical tour de Force. Even more so than Hardline. But because it wasn't POP junk and also wasn't pushed by the label it didn't sell well. And lastly, TTD was one of the best concerts I've ever gone to. His talent is undeniable, F the charts.
Wishing Well was my favorite song on my family road trip to Orlando Florida on April 1988 during spring break when I was a sophomore in high school- my dad drove the whole family in a station wagon with the pet cat named Leo 🤣 from New Jersey to Orlando Florida along highway 95 and this song played multiple times on the car radio (along with Whitney Houston’s Where Do Broken Hearts Go? and Aerosmith’s Angel) - great memories!
I remember the station wagon too - a red 1984 Ford LTD- a decade of station wagons instead of SUVs 🤣
Yeah remember the station wagon ?
For sure. Thanks for sharing the memories. Brings back a flood of them for me.
i remember when they invented the station wagon
Green Country Squire Ford. We did South Dakota Badlands Rushmore. Good times.
@@kentkearney6623 that’s a full size V8 wagon ! A tank ! Our Ford LTD was a mid sized V6 wagon but it lasted up to 350,000 miles before the transmission got shot- it was awesome in the slippery snow in winters with the snow tires on the rear wheels
@@duromusabc ... Sounds like maybe an LTD 2.
Great piece on TTD. He also had a Top 5 Modern Rock Billboard hit in '93 with "She Kissed Me" (that song could have been a much bigger hit because it's that awesome) and he sang the credits theme to Beverly Hills Cop 3.
Terrence Trent D´Arby singing Sam Cooke´s "wonderful world" is amazing - and the guitar work is sublime
Another one that I learned about from watching History of Top of The Pops. So cool to see you cover his career.
Glad you enjoyed it!
The history of TOTP series is superb. I really love watching them and think they are so well produced by the BBC.
I can honestly say that Terence Trent D'Arby who is now called Sananda Maitreya was not wrong at all about how great his debut album was. There is not 1 bad song on the album and to my ears the song Let's Go Forward is the best one on the album and one of the best songs I have heard.
That album title is also one of the best titles ever.
In my opinion there were no lies detected when he said his debut album was the best debut album since The Beatles. If anything he set the bar too high for himself but I will always love that album and the artist.
I loved his voice! I remember seeing him years after he disappeared doing designated fool on Jay Leno and man he killed it!
Owned the 45 single vinyl of Wishing well and played it so much that the vinyl literally weathered away. That's how great of a song it was and how much replay value it had. It's a shame that his ego burned several bridges in the industry; none of his other albums under his birthname had the same production quality and grew further and further away from the bluesy feel that made him stand out. I still appreciate his music and I'm glad that he continues to make music. Thanks for providing this trip down memory lane!
yup...it was the first 45 i ever bought for myself. played it to death. the flip side had "as yet untitled"...didn't care for that one.
I always wondered what happened to Terrence Trent D'Arby...... I loved Sign Your Name....it was a great song and the video with the pretty young lady and that 1946 Indian Chief was fantastic. He had a very unique voice and I know every girl that I knew just thought he was the best thing since sliced bread.
Right? All the ladies loved him.
It was a beautiful video for a beautiful song.
My favorite TTD/SM song of is "Let Her Down Easy". On this track he shows his range as a singer, his talent as a writer, and his emotion as an artist. Any of his performances of this song brings me to tears but my favorite on UA-cam is Let her Down Easy Live in London. Another mind-blowing video is TTD with INXS. I loved Michael Hutchence and thought no one could ever take his place but this collaboration was amazing and left me wanting more. With that said, am I the only one who would love to hear this legendary voice do an album of covers? Sometimes I hear a song like Tennessee Whiskey, Stay with Me, If I Ain't Got You, Rehab, Set Fire to the Rain, Hold On or Moment of Surrender and think I would love hear Sananda sing this. I bet even a SM cover of Shake it Off would be soul stirring.
You can't mention TTD without mentioning masterclasses like "let her down easy" and "holding on to you"
Whilst he disappeared from the limelight he produced two beautiful songs
I still listen to His early albums. I had a Friend who met Him during an American tour and He told Me what a nice person He was.
The bridge in "Sign Your Name" is gold! Love it!
I was born in 1973 and never heard of him or any of his songs, but I really enjoyed this episode like all professor of rock episodes. Thank you!
stuwardw. I can't comment on his later albums as I haven't listened to them but please listen to his debut album The Hardline according to Terence Trent D'Arby. It is a *fantastic* record - not just the singles. It's one of my favourite albums of all time. Hope you give it a go! 😊✌
Symphony or Damn is an excellent album as well.
You’re a little too young.
His music is definitely worth diving into. He is incredibly talented and this episode did not truly do him justice. There is so much more to his story. Here’s his UA-cam channel: youtube.com/@SanandaMaitreya?si=-hTRSQ5Uq4tm-ff6
You would have been 15. He was all over pop radio in late 80s.
Although he didn't play on it, Martyn Ware is ALL over this incredible debut album. It sounds like what Heaven 17 could have done in 1988 with a great collection of songs. And TTD's second and third albums suffered terribly because he produced them alone - he needed someone to guide him, to trim the fat, to reign him in and to hone his craft.
Actually saw him live in 93 opening up for Duran Duran and did a great performance.
Yup! Saw that tour as well!
I remember seeing him open for Duran Duran at the Forum in Inglewood and it was ok. There were only 2 girls grooving in the corner of the front row but most people just wanted Duran to come on.
If you used to record all six hours of Night Tracks on TBS each Friday night from 1982 to 1993, you're gonna love this channel. 😀😀😀
Terrence Trent D'arby / Sananda Maitreya is an amazing talent. His version of Who's Loving You is not to be missed!
Terrence Trent D’arby was awesome in 87 and 88 but went off the deep end. My mom loved his first album so much that my little brother was named after after him.
I saw him open for Duran Duran in 1993 and was very impressed. A shame he didn’t go further.
To know someone softly was a good tune, I've always wondered where he went.. thanks man. Subbed
I agree. Check out Carl Thomas's Summer Rain. He jacked the whole thing.
I was 12 when Sign Your Name was a smash in the UK. In 1993 his 3rd album was a big no.4 hit in the Uk and spawned a number of top 20 singles including the fantastic Do You Love Me Like You Say and the absolutely beautiful Let Her Down Easy. I was blessed then to see him live in London twice, and he was scintillating. A barnstorming performer and what a voice. Heavenly. His last hit record was Vibrator and that was fabulous too, hitting the singles charts with the gorgeous Holding On To You. I have his second album which I firmly believe, if it had a different lead single, would have performed better commercially. I think of him as the last surviving great from the era of Prince and Michael Jackson. However briefly he may have shone. Madonna vanished creatively in my opinion many, many moons ago. Check out Terence - now, as you say, known as Sananda - on UA-cam. To me he is a misunderstood genius and a musical angel. And now my little daughter loves him too. We are very lucky to still have him around. Godbless him and thank you for the video - was a pleasure to see him covered.
I still like some of Madonna’s 90s songs.
Symphony or Damn is a great album.
He has a really rocking song called “She kissed me there”. Love the two big hits. I had a mobile DJ business in the 80’s & early 90’s and played those songs often. Love the groove of Wishing Well and that ear worm whistle. Great segment as always. Take time to get well ❤️🩹 We have plenty of back videos to catch up on.
I was 17 when the Hardline came out, lucky to see his band on the first tour... He was legit, loved his first four albums. After the first album that I listened to for months, it felt like proving his genius was the theme. My favorite TTD song was on Vibrator; 'holding on to you'. I think you nailed his promise, his ability, and his problem. Great synopsis...
Terrence was basically pushed out of American music industry bc of artist like MJ and Prince already had the titles..he was a threat...he said he had to leave and change his name or die....and I believe him.
Absolutely. It was a weird relationship that he had with him and the music business. And he didn’t like it. And so he skated. I love it. One of my favorite artists to this day.
Hope you feel better soon. I got ROCKED by the flu this year. Most appreciative of the video regardless of how you're feeling. This is one of my favorite channels.
His last two albums were actually awesome. His vocals and musical arrangements amazing. Art.
I too was taken in by D'Arby. What a freaking album, what a sound. I think bottled lightning is more appropriate than one hit wonder. Sometimes the debut is so brilliant that nothing will ever compare. Orson Welles' first film was Citizen Kane, considered the greatest film of all time. What else could he do that would come close? Boston's first album changed the music industry, and although they continued were never able to achieve that level again. Black Crowes Shake Your Moneymaker was American's best selling album ever, they never did repeat that success. But Introducing the Hard Line WAS brilliant, and successive events don't change that.
A generational talent. It’s a shame he didnt have the commercial success he deserved. His live shows rivaled even Prince.
I'm so glad you covered TTD. I was obsessed with Wishing Well when it came out and still love it. Sign Your Name was really good too. Wondered what happened to him after his first successes with those because he seemed to fade away but did read an article back in the day that he had a big ego that got in the way. He was so talented and I loved his voice.
There was a country takeover in the late 80's that hurt a few talented artists. I thought Rick Astley was going to be a superstar, then Clint black, Dwight Yoakum, Mark Chestnut, Suzy Boggus, Trisha Yearwood and some guy named Garth Brooks took over music for several years.
Interesting perception. Never thought of it.
....WOW, Marcus saw the advent of Country takin' over the genre in the 90's! ...yeah Garth WAS a surprise contender, because I could sworn Clint was gonna be the MAN! ....ah well, I have all their CD's...even saw Garth in Central Park in '98! ....'some guy' INDEED! ...ha-HAA!
@@RBS_ I thought Clint and Dwight would be the ringleaders, Garth was special, such a tremendous showman.
I’m not much of a country music fan, but you’re right. My fiancé’s family were huge country fans. Right before Garth Brooks blew up, in the late 80s, he played our state fair… for free. He played on a free-to-watch stage and stayed at the home of one of my fiancé’s family’s friends. He was there a few days and when he was going to leave, they had a barbecue. I went with my fiancé and, I have to say, young Garth Brooks was very down to earth and friendly. He had such a good reception during his free performances that he said he would play our state fair any time, even if he hit it big. He kept his promise, too. After he blew up and became a big act, he came back and played at the state fair, and I hear he charged a very reasonable price.
@@johnblossom8447 Garth was the Elvis of the period. There was a news story that he saw a family walking, carrying groceries because they had no vehicle. He bought them one.
So glad you came up in my recommendations. I am, proudly, a new subscriber. Been watching your older videos and can't wait to see what you put out in the future!
I actually really like the album Vibrator. I think it is an underrated album
Holding on to you is a great track.
I was stationed in West Germany when Wishing Well came out. That song was everywhere...you heard it at parties...in bars...stores...festivals...from open windows in neighborhoods. You couldn't get away from it. I came back to the states...and a few weeks later I heard a DJ say..."We have this new hit from Europe," and I got to watch that song take off all over again. It was everywhere.
His debut is a top 20 album of the decade IMO!
Professor so glad you covered TTD. Honestly when that album came out to me it was obvious they (record company) were hoping to pit Darby square up against Prince. Problem is Darby got ahead of his skis proclaiming himself sexy-genius-goat. Critics and fans had been saying these things about Prince based on his musicianship, stage presence and incredible aura of mystery.
Rather than bash TTD I will say I cheerily enjoyed the hardline and played it for some time. The guy was a flash of brilliance nothing wrong with that.
I loved his first two hits so much, and still do-both classics of the 80s. In 1994 I bought Symphony or Damn, and enjoyed it thoroughly-it is actually an awesome record. I always thought that he didn’t want fame and wanted to be known more as an “artiste” or poet. His lyrics are pretty deep, the melodies quite complex and the arrangements very unusual but beautiful. So I figured he just fell into obscurity because he wanted that.
Agreed!
It’s pop, and pop is anything but complex. The guys a footnote in a generation of giants.
@@throbbinwoodofcoxley6830 Have you listened to the album? And his music is more alternative than pop
He also sang the song "Letting Go" from the Movie "The Fan" starring Robert De Niro and Wesley Snipes that was released in 1996. It was a collaboration with Hans Zimmer, and in my opinion, the very best song he ever sang. I highly recommend anyone reading this comment to listen to it. I was actually surprised The professor didn't mention it.
Great content yet again..! I was a huge TTD fan for a while. I bought all of his albums and saw him live. The dude could DANCE..! Dang, He was a James Brown Clone on stage. He was fantastic! He really did commit career suicide though 😆
His dance moves were fantastic.
@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 Oh yes they were..!
Wow, finally, TTD, I've been asking for him for ages here!
The Hardline is easily one of the finest albums of the 80s and the man had it all - the looks, the moves, incredible vocal range and tone, excellent writing, complex and thoughtful arrangements curated from a dozen influences...it was just terrible that he imploded.
For the deep cut fans, pls look up his videos where he fronted for INXS for a brief time, slipping in effortlessly into the shoes of the incomparable Hutch!
I may be a minority, but for me, he remains one of the greatest talents that came out of the 80s, never mind the lack of success later on.
Oh, wow! I didn’t know he was with INXS for a while. That would have been incredible to see.
They've got footage of him performing with INXS here on UA-cam.
I loved "Symphony or Damn". It was a much bigger album in the UK (#4) than in the US and spawned a few hit singles, "She Kissed Me" probably being my favourite of ALL his tracks.
Turn the Page is another great track. Cool spoken lyric parts too.
Let Her Down Easy is the most perfect album closer ever written.
Hey professor another great video. Half of the fun of your uploads is the time in my life that it takes me to, what I was doing, where I was and the people I was with. Additionally you have a very nice voice and speaking skils.
I was a big fan of his debut, expected big things. Wondered whatever happened to him. Great voice.
Great voice of sure.
Me too. I hope he’s doing good nowadays.
"Symphony or Damn" was better than his first two albums combined, but it sank.
@@ericgoss5223 It was too late. Second album killed him. I hate it. It was a bad record to release to the 17-year-old soul kids who loved his debut. They didn't want a mystical, impenetrable and psychedelic sound. He made that record for himself, and it really should have only sold one copy.
Great video. I love the research you put into this video. Subscribed.
"Hard to believe it was written in only 10 minutes." 😂😂😂😂😂 Adam, you crack me up! Great story. I never knew any of this. I just listen to music, I don't pay attention to whatever gossip is going on around it, so it's always fascinating to find out these kinds of of things that kinda from you. Thanks, Adam. I hope you're having an excellent day!
I always try to guess the Artists you feature before you reveal them and I mostly guess them right! I surprised myself by guessing Terence Trent D'Arby. I agree, this guy seemed like he was going to be huge and disappeared, but I never realized why. Great video, Adam.
For some reason I always thought Terrence Trent or Sananda Maitreya was British. The hardline was in my car for a good year - love his voice. His voice on "Who's Lovin' You" never got old. A good video and pretty good song with "Delicate". I think a lot of things came easy to him - athleticism, looks, talent, creativity. Maybe he didn't have enough damage or the chip on his shoulder to drive him to super-stardom. Would he be considered a one album wonder or was he better than that?
I think safe to say a one album wonder.
He’s the type of guy that my mom wanted to date at the time. She and her roommate were looking for the slick dudes.
@@ProfessorofRock Maybe in the USA. Symphony or Damn was #4 in the UK, #8 in Australia, and #14 in New Zealand. If we consider Top 30 significant, it's worth mentioning that it also was #23 in Switzerland and #28 in Sweden.
@@ProfessorofRockhe is light years away from being just a one album wonder.
He desperately WANTED to be British.
I interviewed him while I was working at the only black station in Nevada. My besties mom was born and raised in England 🇬🇧 she's a great story right there. And she's also related to MLK Jr. She also dated Tone Loc. I was the 1st person to play TTD in the West Coast of the States!
Really?! Wow.