Moyet was born to a French father and English mother. She grew up in Basildon, where she attended school. After leaving school at 16, she worked as a shop worker and a piano tuner. She was involved in a number of punk rock, pub rock and blues bands in the South East Essex area during the late 1970s and early 1980s, including The Vandals and the Screamin' Ab Dabs, The Vicars, The Vandals (UK 1978) and The Little Roosters.
Her mainstream pop career began in 1982 when she formed the electro-pop duo Yazoo with former Depeche Mode member Vince Clarke. The duo had several hits, including "Situation", "Only You", "Don't Go" and recorded two albums, "Upstairs At Eric's" and "You And Me Both". The group was notable for melding Clarke's trademark electronic sounds with Moyet's warm, soulful voice.
In 1983 Moyet and Clarke decided to disband Yazoo. While Clarke went on to form Erasure, Moyet signed to CBS (in part because it had been Janis Joplin's label), and began her solo career.
In 1984 she released her debut album "Alf" (titled after her punk-era nickname). Alf included contributions by popular producers/songwriters Swain and Jolley, as well as a song, "Invisible", written by Motown legend Lamont Dozier. The record was a hit in Britain, reaching number one in the album charts. Alf spawned 3 hit singles, "Love Resurrection", "Invisible" and "All Cried Out". In the US, "Invisible" was a Top 40 hit (something Yazoo had never achieved).
In 1985 Moyet performed at the historic Live Aid concert, alongside Paul Young. She also released a single not featured on "Alf", a cover of the standard "That Ole Devil Called Love." The single went to #2 on the UK singles chart. (At present, it remains Moyet's highest-charting UK single.)
In 1986 Moyet had another big UK hit with the single "Is This Love?," followed in 1987 by the album Raindancing. Raindancing spawned further hit singles, including a cover of Floy Joy's "Weak In The Presence of Beauty" and "Ordinary Girl". In 1987, she scored another cover hit with "Love Letters"; the video for the song featured comedy duo French & Saunders.
Following a period of personal and career evaluation Hoodoo was released in 1991. Hoodoo, which took several steps away from the glossy pop sheen of Raindancing and was a far earthier and more personal album. Compared to her earlier releases, Hoodoo received little label support and only minimal promotion. The album sold respectably in Britain, and was nominated for a Grammy for the single "It Won't Be Long." However, the release of Hoodoo marked the beginning of what was to become a long fight for Moyet to secure complete control of her artistic direction. Like many similar artists of Moyet's calibre (including Aimee Mann and the late Kirsty MacColl), Moyet was reluctant to record a radio-friendly "pop" album simply for the sake of creating chart hits.
Moyet's next album Essex (1994) was also a source of controversy for her; in order for the album to be released, her label (now Sony) insisted that certain Essex tracks be re-recorded and re-produced, and that there be additional material remixed to create a more 'commercial' package. The video for the single "Whispering Your Name" again featured Dawn French.
Following the release of Essex, Sony released a greatest-hits compilation of Moyet's work the following year. Singles entered the UK charts at number one. Following incredible CD success and a UK tour, Singles was re-issued as a double CD set which included "No Overdubs", a bonus live CD. Upon re-issue Singles again charted, this time in the top 20.
Due to prolonged litigation with Sony, Moyet did not record or release a new studio album for over eight years after the release of Essex. During this time, however, Moyet recorded vocals for Tricky, Sylk-130, Ocean Colour Scene, The Lightning Seeds and King Britt, and was featured on the British leg of the Lilith Fair tour. 2001 saw the release of The Essential Alison Moyet CD.
In August 2002, after years of holding out and refusing to compromise, Moyet was finally released from her Sony contract. Moyet signed to Sanctuary Records and released her first studio album in eight years, Hometime, an album which Sony had refused to release. Hometime was produced by the Insects, who had also produced works by Goldfrapp and Massive Attack. The release of the CD launched Moyet into the top five best-selling female UK artists of 2002 and resulted in a Brit nomination for Best Female Vocal as well as a nomination for the Mercury Music Prize.
Moyet's following CD, Voice, an eclectic collection of covers, was released on 6 September 2004 and entered the UK charts at number seven. The album was later re-issued with a bonus track, "Alfie." A companion DVD, One Blue Voice, was released in 2006.
After signing with the W14 Music label in late 2006, Moyet released the all-original The Turn in October 2007. As of this writing (15 Sept 2008), Moyet will be touring North America for the first time in 14 years after the huge success of the Yazoo Reconnected Tour of 2008.
www.alisonmoyet.com/
Weak in the Presence of Beauty
Alison Moyet Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well
You know how time can fly.
It seems like yesterday we were lovers
Now we pass each other by.
But if we're left alone tonight
I go weak
I go weak
I go weak
I go weak
Weak in the presence of beauty.
All of my friends keep asking why
I'm quiet when you're around.
But they don't know I think
I'm so lucky to stop myself from falling down.
So later if you're on your own
Don't ask me to take you home.
I go weak
I go weak
I go weak
'Cause if we're left alone tonight
I have no choice but to hold you tight.
I go weak
I go weak
I go weak
I go weak
I go weak
I go weak
I go weak
I go weak
I go weak
In Alison Moyet's song Weak in the Presence of Beauty, she sings about the intense feelings of attraction and desire she still holds for an old flame, despite the time that has passed since they were together. She notes that although they have moved on from their relationship and now simply pass each other by, the power of their attraction still affects her deeply. The singer hints that she has been keeping these emotions hidden from her friends and those around her, but she cannot resist the hold that the one she loves has over her. She warns the subject of her feelings not to get too close to her tonight as she knows she will not be able to resist holding them tightly and giving into her feelings of weakness.
The song's lyrics convey the powerful emotions that can be evoked by an old love or an intense attraction. Moyet's use of repetition in the chorus emphasizes how uncontrollable and all-consuming these feelings can be, which ultimately lead her to weakness in the presence of the one she still loves. This song is relatable to anyone who has experienced strong feelings of attraction or love and the struggles that come with having to hold back one's emotions.
Line by Line Meaning
It's a long time since I saw you
It's been a while since I last saw you in person.
You know how time can fly.
We both know that time can pass quickly.
It seems like yesterday we were lovers
It feels like just yesterday that we were romantically involved.
Now we pass each other by.
Nowadays, we just walk past each other without acknowledging our shared history.
But if we're left alone tonight
However, if we end up alone tonight,
Don't ask me to hold you tight.
please don't expect me to embrace you tightly.
I go weak
Being around you has a powerful effect on me.
I go weak
My emotions become heightened and difficult to control.
I go weak
I feel vulnerable and overwhelmed by my feelings.
I go weak
I am powerless to resist the pull of your beauty.
Weak in the presence of beauty.
My attraction to your physical beauty makes me feel powerless and unable to resist you.
All of my friends keep asking why
My friends have been questioning me about my behavior around you.
I'm quiet when you're around.
I become withdrawn when you are near me.
But they don't know I think
However, they do not understand that I am actually trying to control my emotions.
I'm so lucky to stop myself from falling down.
I consider myself fortunate that I am able to prevent myself from losing control completely.
So later if you're on your own
Therefore, if you find yourself without company later,
Don't ask me to take you home.
please do not request that I accompany you home.
Cause if we're left alone tonight
This is because if we are alone together tonight,
I have no choice but to hold you tight.
my attraction to you would be too strong for me to resist holding you close.
I go weak
I become overwhelmed by my emotions and desires.
I go weak
My self-control becomes weakened, and my feelings for you become stronger.
I go weak
I lose all sense of reasoning and become consumed by my attraction to you.
I go weak
I am left powerless to resist your beauty and charm.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: MICHAEL WARD, ROB CLARKE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ericsemese3041
Who's here 2024 🎉😊
@jackiegeritz5345
🙋♀️
@JohnJohnson-tw8qk
Me still sounds great
@anne-christinedasilva7424
Moi ❤
@JeffTheGent
🙋🏽♂️
@dars5229
Forever.
@debra1232
I can't begin to imagine the sheer magic of the UK '80s chart ever being equalled... A truly fantastic time for those of us who were in our teens & lucky enough to be on the pub/club scene. Precious memories of my amazing youth playing back to me through YouTube 4-decades later. Who could've ever imagined that back then.
@Travixius1
Cry every time I think about the music.
@briankinnear1314
Ain't that the truth....no.one on this fucked up planet could touch brit music back then.
@Chris-pv2ht
1980's was the best in my opinion