After an education in the arts, music and drama, by the age of 15, Tzuke spent most of her time writing poems which she turned into songs and playing folk clubs, accompanying herself on acoustic guitar. She went to Island Records to try and get a record deal and after she'd played two songs was asked if she had any more. She replied that she had twenty, which she didn't, and they asked her to come back and record them the following week. She didn't return, but their interest made her realise that she could have a career in music.
In 1977 Tzuke went to see managing director David Croker at Elton John's label 'Rocket Records' as their motto was "a label for artists". She played them a few songs, one of which was "Stay with Me Till Dawn" and was immediately signed to the new label. Judie and collaborator Mike Paxman spent the next six months or so recording her first album Welcome to the Cruise at Air Studios in London, with producer John Punter.
The first single was released in the summer of 1978, entitled "For You" and was greeted with great critical acclaim and substantial air-play but only reached the top 40.
This was to all change with the release of the Welcome to the Cruise album and the single "Stay with Me Till Dawn". The song stayed in the UK charts for 16 weeks, and she made three live appearances on Top of the Pops. The song became a firm favourite and is still played regularly on radio in the U.K. It has appeared on dozens of compilation albums and regularly appears in lists of all time most popular songs.
With the success of her debut album, Judie and Mike put together the first Judie Tzuke band. Paul Muggleton on guitar and backing vocals and Bob Noble on keyboards, along with bass player John Edwards and drummer Jeff Rich.
Tzuke and her band then toured for the next 18 months and made her second album Sportscar at Virgin's Manor studios, in Oxfordshire.
In 1980, Tzuke and her band toured America for three months as support to Elton John. The tour was well received, but during the tour Elton John decided to change the US distribution for his Rocket label from MCA to the new Geffin label. MCA consequently decided to stop all tour support and promotion for the acts on the Rocket label, which meant that Judie was playing to huge audiences, including 450,000 people in New York's Central Park, but no-one knew who she was and her records were not available in the shops.
She recorded her third album I Am the Phoenix, followed by another lengthy UK tour which culminated in appearances headlining the Glastonbury CND Festival and some summer festivals in Europe. She then made the decision to leave Rocket and to sign with Chrysalis Records.
Judie was by this time selling out halls all over the UK and in parts of Europe. Her next album Shoot the Moon was recorded mainly at Rockfield studios in Wales and was released in 1982.
During the spring tour two sell out shows at the Hammersmith Odeon (now The Carling Apollo) were recorded and later that year the acclaimed live album Roadnoise was released.
Judie, Mike and Paul wrote new songs and went to Mayfair studios in London to record her fifth album, augmenting her stage band with a number of other musicians.
Throughout the late 80s and 90s, Judie has continued to record and tour, and has set up her own record label. In addition, she is now successfully writing songs for other artists.
www.tzuke.com
Spin
Judie Tzuke Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Knowing that I want to be more than friends
And that's just all
And I could say that we're meant to be
Or that the star said you are right for me
That's just all spin
Well that's just all I think you should know about me right now
My fear of falling and your door’s still so close
Well, who knows?
We're gonna run at the fences, and jump the holes
We'll see where it leads us
'Cause I won't be told
Road that we lead on might not be a smooth one, but
We'll go slow.
'Cause I don't know if I should begin
Knowing that I want to be more than friends
And that's just all
And I could say that we're meant to be
Or that the star said you are right for me
But that's just all spin
But that's just all
Don't think you can scare me
I've been there and back again
It just leaves the question
How far we can take this thing
I'm not making promises but I'm here
I'm ready to catch you if you dare
Let go of the ropes and breathe in some fresh air and
Who knows, who knows?
'Cause I don't know if I should begin
Knowing that I want to be more than friends
And that's just all
And I could say that we're meant to be
Or that the star said you are right for me
But that's just all spin
But that's just all spin
But that's just all
The lyrics to Judie Tzuke's song "Spin" describe the internal struggle of whether or not to take a relationship beyond the friend zone. The singer is uncertain if they should take the risk of confessing their desire for something more than friendship, as there is no guarantee that the other person feels the same way. The lines "And I don't know if I should begin/Knowing that I want to be more than friends" express this indecision.
The song acknowledges the temptation to spin fantasies about the future of the relationship, to convince oneself that it's meant to be. But, at the end of the day, these fantasies are nothing but spin, as there is no actual proof that the relationship will work or that the other person is the right match. The opening lines of the chorus, "And I could say that we're meant to be/Or that the star said you are right for me/But that's just all spin," emphasize this point.
The song also touches on the fear of vulnerability that comes with taking a relationship to the next level. The line "My fear of falling and your door's still so close" shows that the singer is hesitant to take that final step, as they don't know if the other person is ready for that level of commitment. However, despite the uncertainty, the song ends on a hopeful note, with the singer expressing a willingness to take a chance and see where the relationship leads.
Overall, "Spin" is a poignant exploration of the complexities and risks involved in pursuing a romantic relationship. It captures the emotional tug-of-war between the desire for love and the fear of rejection.
Line by Line Meaning
And I don't know if I should begin
I am unsure if I should start something with you
Knowing that I want to be more than friends
I have feelings for you beyond friendship
And that's just all
That's all there is to it
And I could say that we're meant to be
I could express that we are destined to be together
Or that the star said you are right for me
Or that the universe has indicated that we should be together
That's just all spin
But those are just meaningless words
Well that's just all I think you should know about me right now
That's all I'm comfortable sharing with you at the moment
Too much information don't need to know how
I don't want to overwhelm you with too much personal detail
My fear of falling and your door’s still so close
I am afraid of getting hurt and you are not yet fully open to me
We're gonna run at the fences, and jump the holes
We are going to take risks and face obstacles together
We'll see where it leads us
We'll let our connection take us wherever it goes
'Cause I won't be told
Because I am independent and won't let others dictate my actions
Road that we lead on might not be a smooth one, but
The journey ahead may have its challenges, but
We'll go slow.
We'll take it one step at a time
Don't think you can scare me
I am not easily intimidated
I've been there and back again
I have experienced life's ups and downs
It just leaves the question
That leads to the question
How far we can take this thing
How much further our relationship could progress
I'm not making promises but I'm here
I am not making commitments, but I am present in this moment
I'm ready to catch you if you dare
I am willing to support you if you take a leap of faith
Let go of the ropes and breathe in some fresh air and
Release your inhibitions and take a fresh perspective
Who knows, who knows?
Who knows what could happen?
But that's just all spin
But all those grand promises are just empty words
But that's just all
That's all there is to it
Contributed by William B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@clgtrev
Judie is superb.... what a talent !
@tenchmagic
Bueatiful voice,brilliant Artist.