"The Captain of Her Heart" by Double

.Song#:  2774
Date:  06/28/1986
Debut:  95
Peak:  16
Weeks:  18
Genre:  Sophisti-Pop, Adult Contemporary



Pop Bits:  This Swiss duo was made up of Kurt Maloo and Felix Haug. They were previously in a trio called Ping Pong that had a some minor success with an album in 1982. The pair then took off on their own and formed Double. They released three singles and a 1983 EP before recording their full-length debut LP, Blue. This track would be the first single released from the album and it started to make waves in Europe reaching the Top 10 in several countries. The duo's album got picked up by A&M for US release along with this single. It was a slow starter debuting low on the Pop chart, but it eventually made its way into the Top 20. It would do very well at AC reaching #4. A second single, "Woman of the World," got to #37 at AC, but failed to make the Pop chart. The album did surprisingly well getting to #30. Unfortunately, further singles failed to do anything and their follow-up album Dou3le sank without a trace. The duo attempted a third album, but decided to go their separate ways. They reunited a couple of times and tried to record some new tracks, but nothing really got off the ground. Haug would die of a heart attack in 2004.

ReduxReview:  This is one sweet, soft rockin' jam. It's so easy, relaxing, and even sensual. The tune really set a mood. I love the dreamy piano lines and the sax. Maloo's vocals are soothing as well. A song like this was a bit unusual to hear on the radio, which made it stand out. It was also a great song to have on when cruising around the countryside on a hot summer night with the windows down. Easy, breezy, beautiful.  (Cover Girl!)

ReduxRating:  8/10

Trivia:  Triple Shot!  1) Apparently, Double was the first Swiss act to reach the Top 40 of the Billboard Pop chart.  2) The duo's name is not pronounced the same as we would say it in English. With German as the majority language in Switzerland followed by French and Italian, they decided to give it a bit of European flair and the band name is pronounced doo-BLAY.  It basically rhymes with the last name of superstar singer Michael Bublé.  3) If you watch the US version of the video for this song, you might be able to spot a future star. A 15-year-old Denise Richards can be seen in the video. She sports cropped blonde hair and looks like a punk rocker. Richards started working in films and on TV shows in the early 90s. Her biggest break came when she co-starred in the 1997 sci-fi film Starship Troopers. In 2008, she would have her own reality show, Denise Richards: It's Complicated, that ran for two seasons. Her tumultuous marriage to Charlie Sheen (2002-2006) provided a lot of fodder for the tabloids.

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