Two Hearts (album)

Overview

During 1984 the band took a break as members pursued other interests. Upon reconvening later that year, tensions during rehearsals between Hay and Speiser over songwriting and the band's management led to a split in the band. Both Rees and Speiser were told they were "not required", as Hay, Ham and Strykert used session musicians Jeremy Alsop on bass guitar (ex-Ram Band, Pyramid, Broderick Smith); and Mark Kennedy on drums (Spectrum, Ayers Rock, Marcia Hines) to record the album. Two Hearts was produced by Hay and Ham, but was a critical and commercial failure compared to their previous albums, and only peaked at No. 16 in Australia, and No. 50 on the US chart. Four tracks were released as singles, "Everything I Need" (May 1985), "Man with Two Hearts", "Maria" (August), and "Hard Luck Story" (October); only the lead single charted in Australia (No. 37) and the US (No. 47). The album relied heavily on drum machines and synthesisers, and reduced the presence of Ham's saxophone, giving it a different feel compared to its predecessors.

Reception

Two Hearts received poor reviews upon its release. In a brief retrospective review, Allmusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine called it "a bland, synthesized variation on mainstream pop, featuring none of the melodic sensibilities or subtle humor of their first two albums."

Tour

Hay and Ham hired new band mates to tour in support of Two Hearts, with Alsop and Kennedy joined by James Black on guitar and keyboards (Mondo Rock, The Black Sorrows). Soon after a third guitarist, Colin Bayley (Mi-Sex), was added and Kennedy was replaced on drums by Chad Wackerman (Frank Zappa). Australian singers Kate Ceberano and Renée Geyer had also worked on the album and performed live as guest vocalists. On 13 July 1985 Men at Work performed three tracks for the Oz for Africa concert (part of the global Live Aid program)—"Maria", "Overkill", and an unreleased one, "The Longest Night". They were broadcast in Australia (on both Seven Network and Nine Network) and on MTV in the US. "Maria" and "Overkill" were also broadcast by American Broadcasting Company (ABC) during their Live Aid telecast. Ham left during the band's time touring behind the album. The final Men at Work performances during 1985 had jazz saxophonist Paul Williamson (The Black Sorrows), replacing Ham. By early 1986 the band was defunct and Hay started recording his first solo album, Looking for Jack (January 1987), which had Alsop and Wackerman as session musicians.

Personnel

Charts

Album - Billboard (United States)

Singles - Billboard (United States)