The One-Hit Wonder File: “Your Love”

The music of the 1980s featured sparkling guitar riffs, soaring vocals, and kinetic drums. One of the most memorable tunes from that long ago era, when MTV still played music videos, is “Your Love,” by The Outfield. The song, which was featured on Play Deep, the band’s debut album, made it all the way to number six on the Billboard singles chart. The irony of the baseball theme in the band’s name and the title of their first record is that this rock/pop trio actually hails from England.

The group’s lineup featured Tony Lewis on bass and lead vocals, John Spinks on guitar, and Alan Jackman on drums. In the late 1970s, they first played together in a short-lived power pop band called Sirius B. Lewis, Spinks, and Jackman later reunited and played live gigs in London under the name The Baseball Boys. Their sound, an engaging mixture of straight-ahead rock and power pop, gained them a solid reputation, and they ended up signing with Columbia Records and changing their name to The Outfield.

Play Deep was released in 1985, and went on to become a multiplatinum success, reaching number nine on the album charts, thanks in large part to “Your Love,” which was written by guitarist Spinks. The song, with its instantly recognizable guitar riff, memorable lead vocal by Lewis, and a music video that was always in heavy rotation on MTV, was everywhere in the summer of 1986.

Their debut record also included the single “All The Love In The World,” which rose to number 19. The group notched several more chart hits, including “Since You’ve Been Gone,” from their sophomore disc Bangin’ in 1987, “Voices of Babylon,” the title track from their third album, released in 1989, and “For You,” from 1990’s Diamond Days. “Your Love” was the band’s only Top Ten hit.

Alan Jackman left the group in 1989, before the band recorded Diamond Days. The Outfield broke up for a while in the 1990s, then resumed touring and recording in the latter part of that decade. In 2011, Jackman rejoined the band, after which they released their final album, 2011’s Replay. John Spinks passed away in 2014, and the group then disbanded.

While the term “one-hit wonder” may be a bit of a misnomer regarding The Outfield, they will always be primarily remembered for “Your Love.” It’s been included on numerous 1980s music compilations, showcased in films like Adventureland, and heard on TV shows like Family Guy and The Goldbergs.

The song has also been covered and/or reworked by the likes of Katy Perry, Less Than Jake, Emma Burgess, and Wyclef Jean. “Your Love” is an irresistible, infectious earworm that’s a quintessential slice of 1980s pop/rock.

-John Visconti

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