Geoffrey Deane and David Jaymes formed Modern Romance in 1980, having previously been the mainstays of the punk parody band the Leyton Buzzards which they formed in 1977.
The band split up in 1980 though Deane and Jaymes continued working together, embracing the burgeoning electronic style of dance music that was becoming popular in London clubs at the time. They found a new manager and created a limited company called Business Art Productions, and signed to WEA. In 1980, their first release, eponymously titled "Modern Romance", was unsuccessful. After a second unsuccessful single, "Tonight", the band then opted to lessen the predominantly electronic sound in favour of a Latin-American dance style with emphasis on bass, percussion and brass. They recruited trumpet player John Du Prez into their new line-up. The band released a new single, "Everybody Salsa" in summer 1981, which reached the UK Top 20. However, prior to the release, they recruited a new drummer, Andy Kyriacou, who began promoting the single with the band, and set up their first personal appearance in a club.
They followed this later in the year with similarly themed "Ay Ay Ay Ay Moosey", which reached the UK Top 10. Despite these two hits, the band's debut album, Adventures in Clubland, was not a success. However, in the US they scored a number 2 hit on the Billboard Dance chart with "Can You Move", a mostly rap variation of "Everybody Salsa". After further UK Top 40 hits with "Queen of the Rapping Scene" and a cover of the 1955 hit "Cherry Pink And Apple Blossom White", Deane departed the band in 1982 to pursue solo projects.
Michael J. Mullins took over the mantle of lead vocalist, and their next release saw the band reach their highest UK chart position with "Best Years of Our Lives" in late 1982. Further hits followed in 1983: "High Life" (UK No. 8), "Don't Stop That Crazy Rhythm" (UK No. 14), and the ballad "Walking in the Rain" (UK No. 7). Both "Best Years of Our Lives" and "Walking in the Rain" earned Silver discs. Despite being regularly featured in teen pin-up magazines, the band's commercial hot streak waned and further singles were less successful. The band released a compilation album for the Christmas 1983 market entitled Party Tonight. Though it only peaked at No. 45 in the UK, it became their most successful album and was certified gold for sales in excess of 100,000 copies within six weeks of release.
John Du Prez then left the band, and after disagreements with their record company, WEA, the band signed with RCA in 1984. This brought about a change of image – from bright coloured suits and wedge hairstyles to long hair and leather jackets. The band released a new single, a cover of The Temptations' 1971 hit "Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)", but the single was not a success. Modern Romance released a final album, Burn It!, in 1985. The album was received poorly and the band called it quits after releasing the stand-alone single "Tarzan Boy" – a cover of the Baltimora hit from earlier that year – and an anthology mix of their biggest selling songs titled "Best Mix of Our Lives" (also 1985).
After leaving Modern Romance, former lead vocalist Geoff Deane reappeared in 1983 as 'Geoff Deane & The Valley Girls' to release the single "Navy Lark", then again for the solo "What About Romance", and he also wrote "You Think You're A Man" for Divine. Deane later became a scriptwriter and television producer, scripting for television programmes such as Birds of a Feather, Babes in the Wood, Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, Chef!, Last Man Standing, and A Many-Splintered Thing. In 2005, he wrote the film Kinky Boots starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, and a year later It's a Boy Girl Thing for Elton John's Rocket Pictures.
David Jaymes has since moved into the management and consultancy side of the music industry. He worked as the music supervisor on the film Fascination (2004) starring Jacqueline Bisset and James Naughton. He has also worked again with John Du Prez, composing music for commercials and feature films. Jaymes has managed artists such as Sinéad O'Connor, Justin Adams, Miles Hunt of The Wonder Stuff, Republica and Drum Club. He has also worked as consultant for Harry Nilsson, Jimmy Webb, George Fenton, and Chuck Mangione. In 2010, he worked with a host of musicians on the Haiti earthquake disaster single (a cover version of "I Put a Spell on You"), including Shane MacGowan, Nick Cave, Chrissie Hynde and Johnny Depp.
In 1999, Andy Kyriacou reformed Modern Romance with a new line-up, joining the burgeoning British 1980s revival scene. The new line-up features no original band members (Kyriacou himself had first appeared on the Modern Romance single, "Ay Ay Ay Ay Moosey", although he had remained their drummer until the band split in 1985). In 2002, the new line-up released the album Back on Track, which consisted mostly of re-recorded Modern Romance hits. Back on Track was also released as Moves 2 Fast, with a slightly different track listing. Kyriacou's Modern Romance continues to play the 1980s festival circuit and appeared as the opening act at the 2010 Rewind Festival in Henley-on-Thames, which also included Boy George, Rick Astley, Level 42, T'Pau, Kajagoogoo and Heaven 17.
2012 saw the band play Let's Rock the Moor!, a boutique festival in Cookham, Berkshire, with other 1980s acts including Go West, Toyah, Nick Heyward and Billy Ocean. During their set they aired one of their new songs, "Rhythm Is My Lover", from the forthcoming album The 7th Day (penned by Kyriacou and guitarist Peter J Pinto).
Mi Chica Latina
Modern Romance Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There's a girl from San Antonio, queen of my soul
But I've never told her how I feel, she doesn't know
Wanna say so much, I can't find a way
Guess I'll be a stranger for another day
Chorus
When she does the Salsa, it's just out of this world
If she only knew the truth, and the way I really feel
Would I win or would I lose her, my Venezuelan girl
Verse 2
I see her standing all alone, will I ever make her mine
Even in the dimmest light she shines, she's so divine
I wanna tell her but it might go wrong
So I suffer in the shadows and another chance is gone
Chorus
Verse 3
I been waiting for so long waiting for your move
Watching you as you watch me So make my dreams come true
Come to me like summer breeze enchant me with your smile
In your arms I long to be your Venezuelan girl
The lyrics of Modern Romance's song Mi Chica Latina are a tale of unspoken love and the fear of rejection. The singer is clearly enamored with a woman from San Antonio, his queen, but he's never dared to confess his feelings to her. He longs to find a way to express his admiration, but he's too scared to risk losing her altogether. The chorus centers on her dancing, specifically the Salsa, which he describes as "out of this world".
In the second verse, the singer questions whether he'll ever muster the courage to go after the object of his affection. He admires her from afar and finds her truly divine, but he's so afraid of things going wrong that he decides it's better to suffer silently in the shadows than risk ruining his chances.
In the third verse, the singer makes a plea to his beloved, asking her to take the initiative and make a move towards him. He's been waiting a long time and has been watching her watching him, hoping for a sign that she feels the same way. He imagines her enchanting him with her smile and dreams of being held in her arms.
Overall, the lyrics to Mi Chica Latina are a poignant testament to the pain and uncertainty of unrequited love. Though the singer is clearly smitten, he's paralyzed by the fear of rejection and the possibility of losing his queen forever.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a girl from San Antonio, queen of my soul
There is a woman I am attracted to who is from San Antonio and holds a special place in my heart
But I've never told her how I feel, she doesn't know
I have not confessed my feelings to her and she is unaware of them
Wanna say so much, I can't find a way
I have a lot I want to express to her, but am struggling to find the words
Guess I'll be a stranger for another day
Due to my inability to express my feelings, I will continue to remain unknown to her
When she does the Salsa, it's just out of this world
Watching her perform Salsa dance is amazing and mesmerizing
Mi Chica Latina, my Venezuelan girl
She is my Latina girl from Venezuela who I adore
If she only knew the truth, and the way I really feel
If only she were aware of how I truly feel, things could be different between us
Would I win or would I lose her, my Venezuelan girl
I am unsure of what would happen if I confessed my feelings to her
I see her standing all alone, will I ever make her mine
I see her standing alone and wonder if I will ever be with her romantically
Even in the dimmest light she shines, she's so divine
Even in low lighting, she appears radiant and beautiful
I wanna tell her but it might go wrong
I desire to express my feelings, but fear being rejected or causing damage to our current relationship
So I suffer in the shadows and another chance is gone
I silently endure the pain of unrequited love and miss another opportunity to confess my true feelings
I been waiting for so long waiting for your move
I have been waiting a long time for a sign from her indicating mutual feelings
Watching you as you watch me So make my dreams come true
As we exchange glances, I hope she understands my longing for her
Come to me like summer breeze enchant me with your smile
I yearn for her to approach me effortlessly and captivate me with her charming smile
In your arms I long to be your Venezuelan girl
I crave intimacy with her and desire to be considered her Venezuelan partner
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: A Kyriacou, C Kkoshi
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind