‘Yellow Pearl’

A collaboration between Phil Lynott and Midge Ure, and for a long time the theme to Top Of The Pops, looking back this almost seems like the definitive 80s synthpop track. Although Lynott was a rock bassist, ‘Yellow Pearl’ relies mainly on the searing sounds of Ure’s ARP 2600, Minimoog and Yamaha SS-30 “string machine”. Lynott’s production (done at Compass Point Studios in the Bahamas in 1980) was remixed by Ure and released on 12-inch with a long drum intro. The following year there were two 7-inch releases (both with the same catalogue number); one had the TOTP version which had a different intro and was a bit more climactic, and the other had a new synth intro followed by the female vocal, and it’s this version that really nailed it.

Here’s Midge Ure talking about his already obsolete Minimoog:

(The next synth that Ure is about to talk about is the PPG Wave 2.2)

Posted by Manny Z

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